Poltava (1712 ship of the line)

Type

Ship of the Line

Period

18th Century

Nation

Russia

Overview: Poltava was a 54-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Imperial Russian Navy, launched 15 June 1712 at the newly founded St. Petersburg Admiralty. She holds particular historical importance as the first ship of the line ever laid down and built in Saint Petersburg, and was named to commemorate Russia's decisive 1709 victory over Sweden at the Battle of Poltava. Specifications: The ship measured roughly 39.8 m on the gundeck with an 11.7 m beam and about 4.6 m depth of hold, displacing on the order of 1,100–1,200 tons burthen. She carried 54 guns of mixed calibers (commonly cited as 22 eighteen-pounders, 20 twelve-pounders, and 12 six-pounders) and had a complement that ranged from roughly 300 to 460 men depending on the era of service. Design and Construction: The design was drafted personally by Tsar Peter the Great together with master shipwright Fedosey Sklyaev beginning in late 1709, and construction started under Peter's direct oversight on 5 December 1709, with Sklyaev handling most of the routine work. Contemporary British officers serving in Russia reportedly criticized the ship's narrowed stern as ill-suited to long ocean voyages, though the ship performed her Baltic duties successfully for two decades. Her stern decor was notable for twin mirror-symmetric carvings of Saint George slaying the dragon and a protruding balcony with a half-dome roof in place of the usual walking gallery. Service History: Poltava served in the Baltic Fleet from 1712 to 1732, taking part in six of Russia's naval campaigns of the Great Northern War between 1713 and 1721, including operations against Sweden around Gangut, Reval, and Gotland. In her later years she was used to train Kronstadt crews in the Baltic before being decommissioned/paid off in the early 1730s. Notable Facts: Peter the Great personally visited and at times commanded the ship, reflecting his close personal involvement in Russia's fledgling battle fleet. A full-scale, museum-quality replica of Poltava was later built in Saint Petersburg (launched 2018) as a floating museum ship, and the original vessel's likeness has appeared on Soviet-era commemorative postage stamps and a Bank of Russia 100-ruble commemorative coin marking Russian naval history.