Fyodor Ushakov | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Peter Bajanov,Central Naval Museum (1912) | |
| Native name | Фёдор Фёдорович Ушаков |
| Nickname | Ushak Pasha |
| Born | (1745-02-24)24 February 1745 Burnakovo,Moscow Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 14 October 1817(1817-10-14) (aged 72) Alekseevka,Tambov Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Russia |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Navy |
| Years of service | 1766–1812 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Black Sea Fleet |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |
|
| Relations | House of Ushakov |
Fyodor (Theodore) Ushakov | |
|---|---|
 Russian icon of Theodore Ushakov | |
| Holy Righteous Warrior | |
| Venerated in | Russian Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | 7 August 2001,Sanaksar Monastery,Temnikov,Russia byRussian Orthodox Church |
| Majorshrine | Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov,Saransk,Mordovia Sanaksar Monastery,Temnikov,Russia |
| Feast | 2 October 23 July, 23 May |
| Attributes | Admiral attire Telescope Scroll Medals |
| Patronage | Russian Navy Nuclear bombers |
AdmiralFyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov (Russian:Фёдор Фёдорович Ушаков,romanized:Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov,IPA:[ʊʂɐˈkof]; 24 February [O.S. 13 February] 1745 – 14 October [O.S. 2 October] 1817) was anImperial Russian Navy officer best known for his service in theFrench Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He won every engagement he participated in as the admiral of the Russian fleet.[1][2]
Ushakov was born in the village ofBurnakovo in the Yaroslavlprovince,Moscow Gubernia, to a modest family of the minor nobility. His father, Fyodor Ignatyevich Ushakov, was a retired sergeant of thePreobrazhensky Regiment of the Russian Imperial guards. By the time Fyodor Ushakov submitted his statement of background (skaska) to themilitary, his family had not been officially confirmed in the so-called 'dvoryanstvo', yet they surely belonged to serving gentry. In the submission Ushakov stated that he neither had a coat-of-arms, nor a royal patent for a landed estate, and had no way to prove nobility. In 1798, Ushakov, as avice-admiral of theBlack Sea Fleet, submitted a request for official nobility and an arms providing a genealogical record. In 1807 his coat-of-arms was added to the General all-Russian bookheraldry. In 1815 Fyodor Ushakov and his family were added to the part 6 (ancient nobility) of theYaroslavl genealogical book.[3]
On 15 February 1761, he signed up for theImperial Russian Navy inSaint Petersburg. Aftertraining, he served on agalley in theBaltic Fleet. In 1768 he was transferred to theDon Flotilla (Azov Flotilla) inTaganrog, and served in theRusso-Turkish War (1768–74). He commandedCatherine II's ownyacht, and was active in protecting Russian merchant ships in theMediterranean during theFirst League of Armed Neutrality.
After the Russian Empire conquered theCrimean Khanate in 1783, Ushakov personally supervised the construction of a naval base inSevastopol and the building of docks inKherson. During theRusso-Turkish War (1787–92), he defeated theOttomans atFidonisi underMarko Voinovich's leadership (1788), theKerch Strait (1790),Tendra (1790), andCape Kaliakra (1791). In these battles, he demonstrated the ingenuity of his innovative doctrines in the art of naval warfare.
In 1798 Ushakov was promoted to fulladmiral and given command of asquadron which sailed to the Mediterranean viaConstantinople, where it joined with an Ottoman squadron. Thecombined Russian-Ottoman fleet then operated under Ushakov's command in theWar of the Second Coalition against theFrench Republic. The expedition started by conquering theIonian islands,acquired by France the year before from the defunctRepublic of Venice in theTreaty of Campo Formio. This action culminated in thesiege of Corfu, and led to the subsequent creation of theSeptinsular Republic. In establishing this republic, Ushakov proved himself to be a skilful politician and diplomat. Ushakov's squadron thenblockaded French bases inItaly, notablyGenoa andAncona, and successfully assaultedNaples (Henry Baillie's [ru] landing party of 600 men) andRome (the detachments ofPyotr Balabin [ru] and Colonel Skipor, 800 men). The Italians greeted the Russians asliberators: according to Balabin's report, with the wordsVivatPavlo primo,vivat moscovito! The seizures of Naples and Rome became possible for Russia because the local French were forced to meet the Coalitiontowards Trebbia. Shortly after the capture of Rome, the Russian detachments returned to the squadron.Ferdinand IV asked Ushakov at the very end of 1799, during the departure of the Russian squadron, to leave Baillie and his party in Naples for some time.[4]
Tsar Paul, in his capacity as the Grand Master of theOrder of St. John, ordered Ushakov to proceed toMalta, which aBritish fleet underNelson wasassisting in besieging.
However, after rendezvousing with the Coalition forces on Malta, Ushakov was almost immediately recalled back home to Russia in 1800 (along with his fleet), where the newEmperor,Alexander I, failed to appreciate his victories. Ushakov resigned command in 1807 and withdrew into theSanaksar Monastery in modern-dayMordovia. He was asked to command the localmilitia during thePatriotic War of 1812. He declined due to ill-health, but donated his savings.
In the course of 43 naval battles under his command he did not lose a single ship and never lost a battle.
Distinguishing features of Ushakov's tactics were: use of unified marching and fighting orders; resolute closing to close quarters with the enemy forces without evolution of a fighting order; concentration of effort against enemyflagships; maintaining a reserve (Kaiser-flag squadrons); combination of aimed artillery fire and maneuvering; and chasing the enemy to its total destruction or capture.
Giving great value to sea and fire training of his staff, Ushakov was a supporter ofgeneralissimoSuvorov's principles of training for sailors and officers. Ushakov's innovations were among the first successful developments of naval tactics, from its "line" to maneuvering concepts.
Several warshipshave been named after Admiral Ushakov.
On 3 March 1944 thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established theOrder of Ushakov for Navy officers who showed outstanding achievement leading to victory over a numerically superior enemy. This medal was one of several which was preserved in Russia upon thedissolution of the Soviet Union, thus remaining one of the highest military awards in theRussian Federation. TheUshakov Medal was established simultaneously for servicemen who had risked their life in naval theatres defending the Soviet Union. In May 2014, the medal was presented to 19 surviving British sailors who had served on theArctic convoys duringWorld War II in a ceremony aboardHMSBelfast.[5]
TheUshakov Baltic Higher Naval School inKaliningrad also carries his name. Theminor planet3010 Ushakov, discovered bySoviet astronomerLyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh in 1978, is named after him.[6]
In 1953 two Soviet films were released portraying his career:Attack from the Sea andAdmiral Ushakov. In both films he was played byIvan Pereverzev.
a bust of Admiral Ushakov was set up in 2013 in Messina, Italy to commemorate Russian efforts to help survivors of the 1908 Messina earthquake.[7]
Ushakov is one of the eight patrons depicted in theCathedral of the Resurrection of Christ atPatriot Park, Moscow.
On 7 August 2001 theRussian Orthodox Church glorified Ushakov as a Saint and declared him the patron of the Russian Navy. His relics are enshrined inSanaksar Monastery,Temnikov,Russia.
State Corporation Rostec implemented a project to bring Ushakov's relics fromMordovia to Russia.[8]
In 2005, in theCathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov inSaransk (Mordovia),Patriarch Alexius II declared Saint Feodor (Theodore) Ushakov the patron saint of Russian nuclear-armed strategic bombers.
Hisfeast days are 2 October (day of death), 23 July (glorification) and 23 May (saints ofYaroslavl and Rostov).[9]
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