Navy Day: history and features of the holiday

The domestic fleet has evolved since the time of Peter the Great and has always been a source of special pride for the state and its inhabitants, therefore the Navy Day is celebrated with special solemnity. Particularly bright is the celebration of this day in Sevastopol, a city with which the history of the Black Sea Fleet is inextricably linked, and although Russia and Ukraine have become separate states, both Russians and Ukrainians take part in solemn events.

History : as a special holiday, the Navy Day was celebrated back in the USSR, beginning in 1939, and very solemn events were traditionally held for several decades in succession on the last Sunday in July. Since 1980, the specific events related to this professional holiday were held on the basis of decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, and after the collapse of the USSR in Russia, the Day of the Russian Navy was established, which became a continuation of the Soviet tradition.

Now, on the day of the Navy, marine officers and military servicemen in the Navy accept congratulations from high-ranking officials. In 2006, during a solemn celebration, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin noted that this date reminds Russian citizens of the naval glory of the Russian State, and the fleet is famous for its people, although at the moment there are not enough new submarines and ships in the country. Dmitry Medvedev also spoke about the high role of the fleet in the development of Russia in 2009, congratulating the culprits of the celebration. He recalled that even today the naval warships on the mast, which proudly develops the St. Andrew's flag, successfully perform the most difficult and important tasks.

Some researchers associate the history of the Russian Navy with maritime campaigns conducted by the prophetic prince Oleg to Byzantium at the stage of formation of Kievan Rus, although at that time Slavic flotillas consisted of rooks and single-moored canoes. The further development of the fleet is associated with the fast-moving "seagulls" of Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, moving along the Azov-Black Sea basin, like masters, although Turkey dominated the region at that time. But only in 1714, when Peter the Great managed to defeat the Swedes at Cape Gangut during the sea battle, the European rulers were forced to appreciate the power of the nascent Russian fleet.

Celebration : in recent years the Day of the Navy in Russian settlements is celebrated with a wide scale, and in the seaside cities there are military sports, colorful military parades and memorable concerts. In seaside cities, the history of which is directly connected with the fleet, landing of the sea assault is carried out, and in the evenings the colorful salutes seem to cut through the dark evening sky.

The guests of the events are offered various quizzes and various thematic competitions, and often on modern warships the organizers arrange a kind of "open day" for the civilian population. And the naval officers first listen to congratulations from the representatives of the authorities and the higher ranks of the fleet, and some on this day receive extraordinary titles and valuable awards for their services to their country.

Holiday in Ukraine : on the territory of Ukraine The Navy Day, as in Russia, since 1993 is celebrated annually, but it was originally held on June 29. In 2008, President Yushchenko transferred the date of the celebration to 30 December, so that the professional holiday of employees of the civilian fleet and servicemen of the navy fleet would be celebrated simultaneously. Already in 2012, President V.F. Yanukovych made a change in Ukrainian legislation so that representatives of the navy in Russia and Ukraine could celebrate a bright and memorable holiday together.