Personal diaries of Admiral S. O. Makarov and other unique materials from the RGAVMF collections displayed at the Presidential Library

From January 22 to March 20, 2024 the Presidential Library hosts two exhibitions dedicated to the Russian Navy. The event is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the formation of the Russian State Archive of the Navy (RGAVMF). The anniversary date is celebrated on January 28, 2024.

One of the exhibitions in the halls of the Presidential Library is dedicated to the largest institution preserving the most important documents on the history of the Russian fleet from its creation at the end of the 17th century until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Among the exhibits presented at the exhibition, one can see the first document indicating the creation of the archive of the Admiralty College. This is an entry in the journal of the State Admiralty Board dated January 17 (28), 1724, that Emperor Peter I, who was personally present at the meeting, “orally ordered” “to appoint an archivist and copyists for collecting files in the archive”. 

The archive has come a long way from a small repository at the Admiralty College, which collected documents from the central authorities of the fleet, to the general archive of the department, and then, in accordance with the decree “On the reorganization and centralization of archival affairs” of June 1, 1918, it became a state archive. The archive collections contain more than 1 million 250 thousand files, 26 of which are included in the State Register of Unique Documents of the Russian Federation.

Documents from the collections of the Russian State Archive of the Navy became the basis of the exhibition project, which will also open in the Presidential Library on January 22, 2024. The exhibition will tell about the outstanding Russian sailor, scientist, shipbuilder, hero of the Russo-Turkish and Russian-Japanese wars, Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov, whose birth anniversary will be 175 in 2024.

Visitors to the exhibition will learn about his life from his youth until his tragic death on March 31 (April 13), 1904, on board the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was blown up by a Japanese mine during the defence of Port Arthur.

The exhibition showcases such milestones in the life of S. O. Makarov as study and service in the Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea, participation in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and the Akhal-Teke expedition of 1880–1881, scientific activities, participation in the exploration of the Arctic and the defense of Port Arthur. 

A valuable historical source telling about Makarov’s growing up and development as a naval officer and scientist was the personal diary that Stepan Osipovich kept from the age of 14. Among the diary pages that will be presented at the exhibition are the very first, where one can read advice from senior officers to keep regular notes, and recent years, where the traditional recording of events and thoughts has given way to a collection of business cards, newspaper clippings, photographs, letters and postcards.

To visit, one must pre-register by phone (812) 334-25-14 or send an email to excursion@prlib.ru. 

Accreditation of media representatives is until 14:00 January 19, 2024.

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked Media Accreditation at media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru Alexandra Khudyakova, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 167; mob. +7 (981) 788-28-08.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.