The history of the Black Sea, Pacific and Northern fleets goes its origins to the Baltic. The Baltic Fleet is 300 years of age on May 18, 2003. All the victories developments of the glorious cause of Peters offspring, which created the Baltic Sea the cradle of the Navy of Russia and its birth in 1703 marked the birth of new Russia.

The country entered the North war with only a few launches but left it as a great maritime power with the first class line and galley fleet. No nation in the world created such a powerful operational-and-strategic alliance in the war in the period of direct military action.

Absent the fleet, Peter never dared to move a capital to the mouth of Neva. And one of the world's greatest scientific and cultural centres is obliged to the Navy in its appearance, too.

The Baltic Fleet became the victor in the greatest naval battles in the history of mankind - at Gangut, Chesma, Navarin. It became a centre of training, giving to Russia virtually all the great naval commanders: Ushakov and Lazarev, Nakhimov and Kornilov, Makarov and Essen...

Ships of the Baltic Fleet were shaping the course in all oceans and seas, have mastered the Far East and the Mediterranean Sea. Description of the northern coast of Russia, the first voyage around the world and life support of Russian America, the discovery of the latest of the continents of the planet - Antarctica - all this was the work of the Baltic seamen.

The discoverers Behring, Bellingshausen, Nevel’skoy, composer Rimsky-Korsakov, the writers Sobolev and Kolbasyev, the inventor of radio and radar Popov, the physicist Jacobi, a collector of Russian words Dahl, shipbuilder Academician Krylov ... and many others proudly called themselves as the Baltic men, too.

During the First World War, having killed more than 100 warships and auxiliary vessels of the enemy, the Baltic Fleet won over the Germanic one the battle for the Baltic, despite a huge superiority above the latter. From the Baltic the Navy began to revive in the 30's. The new destroyers of class "Gnevny", submarines of class "D", "L" and "Shch" began to be received in the Baltic Fleet, the cruisers “Kirov” and “Maksim Gorky” entered into operation. In the spring of 1941 the Red Banner Baltic Fleet included 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 21 destroyers, 33 minesweepers, 6 surface-mine layers, 48 torpedo boats, 33 patrol boats, 65 submarines, 656 aircraft.

In the nation's memory the immortal feats of Baltic seamen, their heroism during the Great Patriotic War will never darkened. The heroic defence of Liepaja and Tallinn, unparalleled durability of defenders Moonzund Islands and Hanko Island, the city of Oranienbaum and the fortress of Oreshek, heroic years of the Leningrad blockade. The brave actions of submariners, launch seamen, airmen on the communications of the enemy, the liberation of the Baltic States, the defeat of Nazi troops in Eastern Prussia and Pomerania - all this is a fighting glory of the Baltic Fleet. During the Great Patriotic War, the faszists lost from the strikes of the Baltic Fleet 1205 ships, transports and auxiliary vessels, more than two and a half thousand planes. It was the Baltic Sea, where the best submarine aces of the Fatherland: A. Marinesco, I. Gryshchenko, famous aviators N. Stepanyan, V. Rakov, A. Mazurenko and Chelnokov fought. 110 thousand Baltic sailors fought against the enemy in the land fronts, having passed a nice battle path from Leningrad to the Danish island of Bornholm.

But he fleet sustained heavy losses, too. More than 8.5 thousand of sailors of the Baltic Fleet find quietness at different depths of the Baltic Sea. We lost in the Baltic Sea 1159 ships, both military and civilian ones. 47 submarines had not returned from battle campaigns. Kaliningraders faithfully honours the memory of those, who gave their lives for freedom and independence of our Motherland.

In the postwar years, the Baltic Fleet changed qualitatively. It was the Baltic Sea where the most ambitious in the history of the Armed Forces of the country landing operation "Zapad-8" ("West-81") was worked out and new ships and new ways of applying them were mastered.

Baltic Fleet took part in numerous actions, consistently demonstrating the skill and courage.

Despite its age of 300 years the Baltic Fleet is a young fleet. And it means that it is also a modern one. Destroyers, patrol and missile ships, boats and amphibious, anti-submarine ships and submarines armed with the latest sets of high quality missile, artillery and torpedo weapons, advanced air defence systems able to solve tasks not only in the near sea area but also in remote oceanic areas. Over 70% ships and submarines of various types of the Baltic Fleet were built in the late XX century that allows not only executing but also beating the standards for the maintenance of the ships in the force of constant readiness. On average, more than 90 percent of them are ready at any moment to go to sea and carry out tasks.