The Navy of Russia (USSR) as a self-sufficing Service of the Armed Forces was formed from the late 17th till early 20th century.

Creating the regular Navy in Russia is a historic pattern. It was caused due to the urgent need for the country to overcome the territorial, political and cultural isolation, which had become at the turn of the 17-18th centuries a  main obstacle to economic and social development of the Russian state.

The first permanent grouping of forces - the Azov fleet - was formed from the ships and vessels built in the winter of 1695-1696 and intended to assist the army in the campaign to capture the Turkish fortress of Azov. In October 30, 1696 the Boyar Duma on the proposal of the Czar Peter I adopted the resolution “Let’s be sea-going vessels..." Those were a first law of the Navy and recognition of the official date of its foundation.

During the Northern War of 1700-1721 the key tasks of the fleet were determined, the list of which has remained virtually unchanged until the present time, namely: fight against the naval forces of enemy, fighting in the sea lanes, protection of our coast from the sea, the promotion of the army in coastal areas, the targeting and provision of military incursions into the enemy from the sea. The share of these tasks changed with changes in material resources and the nature of armed conflict at sea. Accordingly, the role and place of the arms of forces that made up the fleet.

Thus, before the First World War, the main tasks were solved by surface ships, and they were the main arm of the Navy. During the Second World War this role for some time passed to naval aviation but in the postwar period, with the advent of nuclear missiles and ships with nuclear power plants submarines entrenched as the main arm of the forces.

Before the First World War the fleet was homogeneous. Coastal troops (marines and coast artillery) existed since the beginning of the 18th century, however, in regard to the organisation the fleet did not include them. On March 19, 1906 submarine forces were born and began to be developed as a new arm of forces of the Navy.

The first units of the naval aviation were formed in 1914, it also acquired the signs of an independent arm of forces in 1916. The Naval Aviation’s Day is celebrated on July 17 in honour of the first victory of the Russian naval pilots in a dogfight over the Baltic Sea. In 1916 the Navy finally formed as a diverse strategic association in mid-1930's, when naval aviation, coastal defence and air defence units organizationally entered into the Navy.

The modern system of administration of the Navy was finally formed on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. On January 15, 1938 the Resolution of the CEC and the CPC established the People's Commissariat of the Navy, as a part of which the Naval Staff was formed. In the period of forming the regular Navy of Russia its organizational and staff structure and functions were unclear. The Admiralty Board was formed on December 22, 1717 by decree of Peter I for daily controlling the fleet. The Ministry of Naval Forces renamed later into the Naval Ministry and having existed up to 1917 was established on September 20, 1802. The authorities of combat (operational) control of the Navy came after the Russo-Japanese War after creating on April 7, 1906 the Naval General Staff. In the head of Russia's Navy there were such well-known naval figures as Peter I, P. V. Chichagov, I. K. Grigorovich, N. G. Kuznetsov, S. G. Gorshkov.

Constant groupings of forces in the maritime theatres evolved as Russia's solving by the State the historical tasks associated with acquisition of passages to the oceans, turning the country into the world economy and politics. In the Baltic the fleet continuously existed since May 18, 1703, the Caspian flotilla - since November 15, 1722, and the fleet in the Black Sea - since from May 13, 1783. In the North and Pacific the groupings of naval forces were created, usually on a temporary basis or, not highly developed, periodically abolished. The today’s Pacific and Northern fleets as permanent groups are existing, respectively, from April 21, 1932 and June 1, 1933 

The Navy received the greatest development in mid-80's. At this time its composition had 4 Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla, which was composed of more than 100 divisions and brigades of surface ships, submarines, naval aviation and coastal defence.

Throughout their glorious history Russian and Soviet warships were seen at all latitudes of the seas and oceans with not only military purposes but also having opened new lands, penetrated into the polar ice for scientific research. The study and description by the seamen of northern coasts of Siberia, Kamchatka, Alaska, the Aleutian and Kurile Islands, Sakhalin, the Okhotsk Sea, voyages around the world, the discovery of Antarctica have universal significance. Russia was praised by such famous explorers as M. P.Lazarev, F. F. Bellingshausen, G. I. Nevelskoy, etc.

The role of the Navy in Russia's history has always gone beyond the execution of purely military tasks. The presence of the Navy contributed to our country's active foreign policy. It served as a deterrent to the enemy of our country not once, when it threatened with war.

The role of the Navy in formation of national identity was great. Victoies at Gangut, Grengam, Esel, Chesma, Fidonisi, Kaliakria, Navarin, Sinop became subjects of national pride. Our people are honouring the memories of distinguished naval leaders F. F. Ushakov, D. N. Senyavin, M. P. Lazarev, V. N. Kornilov, P. S. Nakhimov, N. G. Kuznetsov.

On its geographic location, complex of economic, political and military interests in the World ocean Russia is a great sea power. It is an objective reality that will have to be considered in the next century by the Russians and the world community.