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108-727: The Russian Navy is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces . It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had itself succeeded the Soviet Navy following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late December 1991). The Imperial Russian Navy was established by Peter

216-545: A limited and asymmetric nature. Naval warfare developed when humans first fought from water-borne vessels. Before the introduction of the cannon and ships with enough capacity to carry them, navy warfare primarily involved ramming and boarding actions. In the time of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire , naval warfare centered on long, narrow vessels powered by banks of oarsmen (such as triremes and quinqueremes ) designed to ram and sink enemy vessels or come alongside

324-489: A sister ship of Bismarck , was almost put out of action by miniature submarines known as X-Craft . The X-Craft severely damaged her and kept her in port for some months. A major paradigm shift in naval warfare occurred with the introduction of the aircraft carrier . First at Taranto in 1940 and then at Pearl Harbor in 1941, the carrier demonstrated its ability to strike decisively at enemy ships out of sight and range of surface vessels. The Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944)

432-523: A subarctic climate ( Köppen Dfc ), with long and cold (though average by arctic standards) winters and short, cool summers. In the city, freezing temperatures are routinely experienced from October to May. Average temperatures exceed 0 degrees Celsius only from May through October. The average low during the coldest part of the year in Murmansk is approximately −14 °C (7 °F). However, temperatures routinely plunge below −20 °C (−4 °F) during

540-418: A 2.3 °C (36.1 °F) average high was measured for March 2007. Summer has also been affected, with a 19.1 °C (66.4 °F) average high for June 2013, and a 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) average high during July 2018. The population of the city, according to the 2010 Census, was 307,257, of these, 141,130 men (45.9%) and 166,127 women (54.1%), down from 468,039 recorded in the 1989 Census. Since

648-786: A catastrophe for the Russian military in general and the Russian Navy in particular. Although neither party lacked courage, the Russians were defeated by the Japanese in the Battle of Port Arthur, which was the first time in warfare that mines were used for offensive purposes. The warships of the Baltic Fleet sent to the Far East were lost in the Battle of Tsushima. A further step change in naval firepower occurred when

756-685: A defensive role supporting the Main Command of the Troops of the Southern Direction in Baku . With the end of the Cold War a significant reduction in forces followed. Before the 2008 Russian military reform , the four fleets were ranked as equal in status to the six Military Districts. With the reform measures going into force the number of Military Districts was reduced and became new Joint Strategic Commands and

864-404: A group, which may be a small squadron of comparable ships, or a larger naval fleet of various specialized ships. The commander of a fleet travels in the flagship , which is usually the most powerful vessel in the group. Before radio was invented, commands from the flagship were communicated by means of flags. At night signal lamps could be used for a similar purpose. Later these were replaced by

972-437: A large number of cannon made oar-based propulsion impossible, and ships came to rely primarily on sails . Warships were designed to carry increasing numbers of cannon and naval tactics evolved to bring a ship's firepower to bear in a broadside , with ships-of-the-line arranged in a line of battle . The development of large capacity, sail-powered ships carrying cannon led to a rapid expansion of European navies, especially

1080-573: A major naval power in the mid-17th century in the first Anglo-Dutch war with a technical victory. Successive decisive Dutch victories in the second and third Anglo-Dutch Wars confirmed the Dutch mastery of the seas during the Dutch Golden Age , financed by the expansion of the Dutch Empire . The French Navy won some important victories near the end of the 17th century but a focus upon land forces led to

1188-682: A military fleet, although the term " merchant navy " for a commercial fleet still incorporates the non-military word sense . This overlap in word senses between commercial and military fleets grew out of the inherently dual-use nature of fleets; centuries ago, nationality was a trait that unified a fleet across both civilian and military uses. Although nationality of commercial vessels has little importance in peacetime trade other than for tax avoidance , it can have greater meaning during wartime, when supply chains become matters of patriotic attack and defense, and when in some cases private vessels are even temporarily converted to military vessels. The latter

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1296-801: A navy is projection of force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes , deter or confront piracy , ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of a navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles . Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications ( brown-water navy ), open-ocean applications ( blue-water navy ), and something in between ( green-water navy ), although these distinctions are more about strategic scope than tactical or operational division. First attested in English in

1404-584: A new class of frigate ( the Admiral Gorshkov class ), as well as new classes of amphibious ships and support vessels. In 2019, total tonnage of the Russian Navy stood at 1,216,547 tonnes. In 2022, the Russian Navy took part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine , starting with the attack on Snake Island at the beginning of the war, at which the Ukrainian defenders told the Russian cruiser  Moskva , flagship of

1512-439: A plan to build 51 modern ships and 24 submarines by 2020. Of the 24 submarines, 16 were to be nuclear-powered. On 10 January 2013, the Russian Navy finally accepted its first new Borei-class SSBN ( Yury Dolgorukiy ) for service. A second Borei ( Aleksandr Nevskiy ) was undergoing sea trials and entered service on 21 December 2013. A third Borei -class boat ( Vladimir Monomakh ) was launched and began trials in early 2013, and

1620-535: A reduction had been inevitable in any event. The situation was exacerbated by the impractical range of vessel types which the Soviet military-industrial complex , with the support of the leadership, had forced on the navy—taking modifications into account, the Soviet Navy in the mid-1980s had nearly 250 different classes of ship. The Kiev- class aircraft carrying cruisers and many other ships were prematurely retired, and

1728-458: A single ship or aspect of a ship. However, commodores can also be temporary or honorary positions. For example, during World War II, a Navy captain was assigned duty as a convoy commodore, which meant that he was still a captain, but in charge of all the merchant vessels in the convoy. The most senior rank employed by a navy will tend to vary depending on the size of a navy and whether it is wartime or peacetime, for example, few people have ever held

1836-686: A time were being maintained on station, from the Northern and Pacific Fleets. The decline culminated in the loss of the Oscar II-class submarine Kursk during the Northern Fleet summer exercise that was intended to back up the publication of a new naval doctrine. The exercise was to have culminated with the deployment of the Admiral Kuznetsov task group to the Mediterranean. As of February 2008,

1944-577: A variety of other roles. Murmansk Benefiting from the North Atlantic Current , Murmansk resembles cities of its size across western Russia, with highway and railway access to the rest of Europe , and the northernmost trolleybus system on Earth. It lies over 2° north of the Arctic Circle . Its connectivity contrasts with the isolation of Arctic ports like the Siberian Dikson on

2052-1159: Is an integral part of the navy but there are variations such as the French Troupes de marine , which is actually part of the French Army . The United States Marine Corps is a separate armed service within the United States Department of the Navy, with its own leadership structure. Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. In World War I, several navies used floatplanes and flying boats – mainly for scouting . By World War II, aircraft carriers could carry bomber aircraft capable of attacking naval and land targets, as well as fighter aircraft for defence. Since World War II helicopters have been embarked on smaller ships in roles such as anti-submarine warfare and transport. Some navies have also operated land-based aircraft in roles such as maritime patrol and training . Naval aviation forces primarily perform naval roles at sea. However, they are also used in

2160-472: Is currently building one aircraft carrier, INS  Vikrant , and considering another. France is also looking at a new carrier , probably using a CATOBAR system and possibly based on the British Queen Elizabeth design. A navy typically operates from one or more naval bases . The base is a port that is specialized in naval operations, and often includes housing, a munitions depot , docks for

2268-503: Is no plan to make the Russian Navy a carrier navy again. The 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a severe decline in the Russian Navy. Defence expenditures were severely reduced. Many ships were scrapped or laid up as accommodation ships at naval bases, and the building program was essentially stopped. Sergey Gorshkov 's buildup during the Soviet period had emphasised ships over support facilities, but Gorshkov had also retained ships in service beyond their effective lifetimes, so

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2376-411: Is one of only three places with representation in the female league, through the team Arktika . Proximity to pole and its side effects, Polar Night , has brought sport festivals such as North Festival Polar Olympiad  [ ru ] and Sun Festival  [ ru ] . The former has been awarded every year since the inaugural tournament in 1934. Norway, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, Belarus and

2484-798: Is organised into four combat services - the Surface Forces, the Submarine Forces, the Naval Aviation and the Coastal Troops. Additionally the navy also includes support units afloat and ashore. It does not include special forces. The Naval Spetsnaz brigades are part of the Main Intelligence Directorate attached to the respective fleets and the Counter-Diversionary Forces and Assets ( ПДСС ) (which are units, protecting

2592-709: Is that boats are capable of being carried by ships. (Submarines by this rule are ships rather than boats, but are customarily referred to as boats reflecting their previous smaller size.) Navies use many types of boat, ranging from 9-foot (2.7 m) dinghies to 135-foot (41 m) landing craft. They are powered by either diesel engines, out-board gasoline engines, or waterjets. Most boats are built of aluminum, fiberglass, or steel. Rigid-hulled inflatable boats are also used. Patrol boats are used for patrols of coastal areas, lakes and large rivers. Landing craft are designed to carry troops, vehicles, or cargo from ship to shore under combat conditions, to unload, to withdraw from

2700-429: Is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare ; namely, lake -borne, riverine , littoral , or ocean -borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships , amphibious ships, submarines , and seaborne aviation , as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields. The strategic offensive role of

2808-516: Is the center of its Murmansk and Monchegorsk diocese, as well as the Murmansk Metropolis. The city has about a dozen Orthodox churches, the department of the head of the diocese and the metropolis of Metropolitan Simon is located in St. Nicholas Cathedral. Murmansk's evening newspaper is Vecherniy Murmansk ; it has been published since 1991. The port of Murmansk remains ice-free year round due to

2916-543: Is the most significant Russian naval loss in action since World War II. In December 2023, the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk was also destroyed after being hit by Ukrainian cruise missiles. On 31 January 2024, Ukrainian sea drones struck the Russian Tarantul-class corvette Ivanovets in the Black Sea, causing the ship to sink. Two weeks later on 14 February, the same type of Ukrainian sea drones struck and sank

3024-640: The Canadian port of Churchill , Manitoba . Even though the passage has not been fully tested for commercial shipping yet, Russian interest in this project (along with the Northwest Passage ) is substantial, as the bridge will serve as a major trade route between North America , Europe and Asia . Murmansk is home to Murmansk State Technical University , the Murmansk Arctic State University (formerly Murmansk State Pedagogical University),

3132-604: The Romanovs . On September 21 [ O.S. October 4], 1916, the official ceremony was performed, and the date is now considered the official date of the city's foundation. After the February Revolution of March 1917, on April 3 [ O.S. April 16], 1917, the town was given its present name. In the winter of 1917 the British North Russia Squadron under Rear Admiral Thomas Kemp

3240-688: The Russian Landing ship Tsezar Kunikov . On 5 March, the patrol boat Sergei Kotov was also lost to sea drones. Since 2012 the headquarters of the Russian Navy (Russian Navy Main Staff) is once again located in The Admiralty in Saint Petersburg . Russian naval manpower is a mixture of conscripts serving one-year terms and volunteers (Officers and Ratings). In 2006 the IISS assessed there were 142,000 personnel in

3348-570: The Spanish and Portuguese navies that dominated in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and helped propel the age of exploration and colonialism . The repulsion of the Spanish Armada (1588) by the English fleet revolutionized naval warfare by the success of a guns-only strategy and caused a major overhaul of the Spanish Navy , partly along English lines, which resulted in even greater dominance by

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3456-537: The oiler , minesweeper , patrol boat , hydrographic and oceanographic survey ship and tender . During the age of sail , the ship categories were divided into the ship of the line , frigate, and sloop-of-war . Naval ship names are typically prefixed by an abbreviation indicating the national navy in which they serve. For a list of the prefixes used with ship names ( HMS , USS , LÉ , etc.) see ship prefix . Today's warships are significantly faster than in years past, thanks to much improved propulsion systems. Also,

3564-518: The permanent task force in the Mediterranean , Naval Aviation , and the Coastal Troops (consisting of the Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops). The Russian navy suffered severely with the collapse of the Soviet Union due to insufficient maintenance, lack of funding, and subsequent effects on the training of personnel and timely replacement of equipment. Another setback

3672-605: The polar night lasts from 2 December to 10 January (40 days). Extreme temperatures range from −39.4 °C (−38.9 °F) on January 6, 1985, and January 27, 1999, up to 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) on July 9, 1972; the record cold daily maximum is −36.1 °C (−33.0 °F), set on January 6, 1985, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) last set on July 9, 1972. Murmansk has been affected by global warming in recent decades, similar to other Arctic locations . For example, December 2007 had an average high of 0.8 °C (33.4 °F), while

3780-719: The Aerospace Forces ( Главнокомандующий Воздушно-космическими силами Российской Федерации ) (Начальник штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего ВМФ ) ( Начальник Главного штаба Сухопутных войск — первый заместитель главнокомандующего Сухопутными войсками ) Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces ( Начальник Главного штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами ) ( Заместитель Главнокомандующего ВМФ ) Lieutenant general (Marines and Naval Aviation) ( Заместитель Главнокомандующего СВ ) Deputy Commander of

3888-496: The Aerospace Forces ( Заместитель Главнокомандующего ВКС ) ( Командующий Северным флотом ) ( Командующий Тихоокеанским флотом ) ( Командующий Балтийским флотом ) ( Командующий Черноморским флотом ) ( Командующий Каспийской флотилией ) ( Флот ) ( Флотилия ) ( Флот ) ( Оперативная эскадра ) ( Флот ) ( Эскадра ) ( Дивизия кораблей ) ( Флот ) ( Военно-морская база ) Navy A navy , naval force , military maritime fleet , war navy , or maritime force

3996-764: The Baltic countries take part in the North Festival Polar Olympiad. To commemorate the 85th anniversary of the city's foundation, the snow-white Church of the Saviour on the Waters was modeled after the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal and built on the shore for the sailors of Murmansk. Fifteen religious associations have been registered in Murmansk. The largest is the Russian Orthodox Church, Murmansk

4104-459: The Black Sea; " Russian warship, go fuck yourself ", before subsequently being captured by Russian forces. Moskva sunk on 14 April 2022 after a fire broke out and forced the crew to evacuate. The Ukrainian military reported that they hit the ship with Neptune anti-ship missiles , however the Russian military did not confirm this. The ship subsequently capsized and sank while the Russian Navy was attempting to tow her into port. The sinking of Moskva

4212-679: The French Navy's relative neglect, which allowed the Royal Navy to emerge with an ever-growing advantage in size and quality, especially in tactics and experience, from 1695. As a response to growing naval influence of the navies of Portuguese, the warrior king of the Marathas, Shivaji laid the foundation of the Maratha navy in 1654. Throughout the 18th century the Royal Navy gradually gained ascendancy over

4320-601: The French Navy, with victories in the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), inconclusive battles in the War of Austrian Succession (1740–1748), victories in the Seven Years' War (1754–1763), a partial reversal during the American War of Independence (1775–1783), and consolidation into uncontested supremacy during the 19th century from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. These conflicts saw

4428-512: The Germans from capturing the city and cutting off the vital Karelian railway line and the ice-free harbor. The Luftwaffe bombed the city 792 times during World War II. Murmansk suffered extensive destruction, the magnitude of which was rivaled only by the destruction in Leningrad and Stalingrad . For the rest of the war, Murmansk served as a transit point for weapons and other supplies entering

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4536-832: The Great (Peter I) in October 1696. The symbols of the Russian Navy, the St. Andrew 's ensign (seen to the right), and most of its traditions were established personally by Peter I. The Russian navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises the Northern Fleet , the Pacific Fleet , the Black Sea Fleet , the Baltic Fleet , the Caspian Flotilla ,

4644-501: The Mediterranean. Naval Aviation declined as well from its height as Soviet Naval Aviation , dropping from an estimated 60,000 personnel with some 1,100 combat aircraft in 1992 to 35,000 personnel with around 270 combat aircraft in 2006. In 2002, out of 584 naval aviation crews only 156 were combat ready, and 77 ready for night flying. Average annual flying time was 21.7 hours, compared to 24 hours in 1999. Training and readiness also suffered severely. In 1995, only two missile submarines at

4752-657: The Navy from incursions of enemy special forces) fall within the Coastal Forces. During the Cold War the Soviet Armed Forces made the distinction between the various naval commands. The main fleets were the Northern and the Pacific Fleet . They were tasked with independent operations on the high seas and for that reason included strategic surface, submarine and air forces, including the country's naval nuclear deterrent. Due to

4860-594: The Presidium of the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee resolution of February 26, 1935, the administrative center of Polyarny District was moved from Polyarnoye to Sayda-Guba . However, the provisions of the resolution were not fully implemented, and due to military construction in Polyarnoye, the administrative center was instead moved to Murmansk in the beginning of 1935. In addition to being

4968-399: The Russian Navy had 44 nuclear submarines with 24 operational; 19 diesel-electric submarines, 16 operational; and 56 first and second rank surface combatants, 37 operational. Despite this improvement, the November 2008 accident on board the Akula -class submarine attack boat Nerpa during sea trials before lease to India represented a concern for the future. The strength and quality of

5076-412: The Russian Navy started to improve during the 2010s. From 2010-2014 Russian officials negotiated the purchase of four Mistral -class landing helicopter docks . On 3 September 2014, French President announced that due to Russia's " recent actions in Ukraine ", the two ships would not be delivered. In November 2014, François Hollande placed a hold on the delivery of the first Mistral to Russia in view of

5184-487: The Russian Navy. This personnel number includes the Naval Infantry (Marines) and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops. As of 2008 the conscription term was reduced to one year and a major downsizing and reorganization were underway. In 2008, plans were announced to move the headquarters to the Admiralty building in St. Petersburg , the historic location of the headquarters of the Imperial Russian Navy. The Navy Staff finally relocated there in November 2012. The Russian Navy

5292-469: The Russian Second Division until 2014 when it folded due to financial difficulties, and FC Murmansk , a football team founded in 2022. Bandy club Murman has played in the Russian Bandy Super League , last in 2011–2012. Between 2012 and 2018, they were playing in the second tier Russian Bandy Supreme League , but will from the 2018–19 season be a Super League team again. Their home arena, Stadium Stroitel , has an audience capacity of 5,000. The city

5400-418: The Russian nuclear powered icebreaker fleet based in Murmansk. Murmansk is linked by the Kirov Railway to St. Petersburg and is linked to the rest of Russia by the M18 Kola Motorway . Murmansk Airport provides air links to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Buses and trolleybuses provide local transport. Murmansk is set to be the Russian terminus of the Arctic Bridge , a sea route linking it to

5508-484: The Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War monument is also located in Murmansk. The main square of Murmansk is Five Corners, Murmansk . There are three professional theaters in Murmansk. The oldest is the Murmansk Puppetry, which opened in 1933. The largest in the city was the Murmansk Regional Drama Theater, which opened in 1939. The Drama Theater of the Northern Fleet was opened in 1946. The city's association football teams are FC Sever Murmansk , which played in

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5616-407: The Soviet Union from other Allied nations. The city's resistance was commemorated at the 40th anniversary of the victory over the Germans in the formal designation of Murmansk as a Hero City on May 6, 1985. During the Cold War Murmansk was a center of Soviet submarine and icebreaker activity. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union , the nearby city and naval base of Severomorsk remains

5724-435: The Spanish. From the beginning of the 17th century the Dutch cannibalized the Portuguese Empire in the East and, with the immense wealth gained, challenged Spanish hegemony at sea. From the 1620s, Dutch raiders seriously troubled Spanish shipping and, after a number of battles that went both ways, the Dutch Navy finally broke the long dominance of the Spanish Navy in the Battle of the Downs (1639). England emerged as

5832-485: The U.S. Navy lifted the ban in April 2010. The major reasons historically cited by the U.S. Navy were the extended duty tours and close conditions which afford almost no privacy. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy has had similar restrictions. Australia, Canada, Norway, and Spain previously opened submarine service to women sailors. A navy will typically have two sets of ranks, one for enlisted personnel and one for officers . Typical ranks for commissioned officers include

5940-409: The USSR's Allies : primarily military equipment, manufactured goods and raw materials brought into the Soviet Union. The supplies were brought to the city in the Arctic convoys . German forces in Finnish territory launched an offensive against the city in 1941 as part of Operation Silver Fox . However, fierce Soviet resistance and harsh local weather-conditions,along with the bad terrain, prevented

6048-503: The United Kingdom launched HMS  Dreadnought in 1906, but naval tactics still emphasized the line of battle. The first practical military submarines were developed in the late 19th century and by the end of World War I had proven to be a powerful arm of naval warfare. During World War II , Nazi Germany 's submarine fleet of U-boats almost starved the United Kingdom into submission and inflicted tremendous losses on U.S. coastal shipping . The German battleship  Tirpitz ,

6156-418: The administrative center of Murmansk Okrug, Murmansk continued to serve as the administrative center of Polyarny District until September 11, 1938. On February 10, 1938, when the VTsIK adopted a Resolution changing the administrative-territorial structure of Murmansk Okrug, the city of Murmansk became a separate administrative division of the okrug, equal in status to that of the districts. This status

6264-462: The administrative center of Murmansk Okrug. In 1934, the Murmansk Okrug Executive Committee developed a redistricting proposal, which included a plan to enlarge the city by merging the surrounding territories in the north, south, and west into Murmansk. While this plan was not confirmed by the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee, in 1935–1937 several rural localities of Kolsky and Polyarny Districts were merged into Murmansk anyway. According to

6372-539: The backbone of the Navy. The submarines form part of dedicated submarine squadrons and flotillas or part of squadrons and flotillas of mixed composition together with major surface combatants. The Russian Navy retains a rigid structure, whose levels of command could, according to military regulations, be directly equalled to the corresponding ground and air forces counterparts: ( Главнокомандующий Военно-морским флотом Российской Федерации ) ( Главнокомандующий Сухопутными войсками Российской Федерации ) Commander-in-Chief of

6480-998: The beach, and to return to the ship. They are rugged, with powerful engines, and usually armed. There are many types in today's navies including hovercraft . They will typically have a power-operated bow ramp, a cargo well and after structures that house engine rooms, pilot houses, and stowage compartments. These boats are sometimes carried by larger ships. Special operations craft are high-speed craft used for insertion and extraction of special forces personnel and some may be transportable (and deployed) by air. Boats used in non-combat roles include lifeboats, mail boats, line handling boats, buoy boats, aircraft rescue boats, torpedo retrievers, explosive ordnance disposal craft, utility boats, dive boats, targets, and work boats. Boats are also used for survey work, tending divers, and minesweeping operations. Boats for carrying cargo and personnel are sometimes known as launches, gigs, barges or shore party boats. Naval forces are typically arranged into units based on

6588-461: The city is divided into three administrative okrugs: City districts were established in Murmansk for the first time by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR of April 20, 1939; at the time, three city districts ( Kirovsky , Leninsky, and Mikoyanovsky) were created. They were abolished on June 2, 1948. The same city districts were created for the second time on June 23, 1951. Mikoyanovsky City District

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6696-425: The city was governed by the authorities of Alexandrovsky Uyezd and later of Murmansk Governorate . On August 1, 1927, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) issued two resolutions: "On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast" and "On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast", which transformed Murmansk Governorate into Murmansk Okrug within Leningrad Oblast and made Murmansk

6804-450: The coastal periphery and along inland waterways, where larger ocean-going naval vessels can not readily enter. Regional powers may maintain a " green water navy " as a means of localized force projection. Blue water fleets may require specialized vessels, such as minesweepers , when operating in the littoral regions along the coast. A basic tradition is that all ships commissioned in a navy are referred to as ships rather than vessels, with

6912-421: The collapse of the Soviet Union, the city has been consistently losing population, as the extensive military facilities the city is built around have declined. Ethnic Russians make up the majority of the population, but Ukrainian and Belarusian minorities also live in the city. Ethnic composition (2010): In November 2010, direct mayoral elections were abolished; they were reinstituted in January 2014, with

7020-440: The conflict in east Ukraine. Hollande set two conditions for delivery: the observation of a ceasefire in Ukraine and a political agreement between Moscow and Kiev. On 5 August 2015 it was announced that France was to pay back Russia's partial payments and keep the two ships initially produced for Russia. The ships eventually were sold to Egypt. In 2012, as part of an ambitious rebuilding effort, President Vladimir Putin announced

7128-483: The development and refinement of tactics that came to be called the line of battle . The next stage in the evolution of naval warfare was the introduction of metal plating along the hull sides. The increased mass required steam-powered engines, resulting in an arms race between armor and weapon thickness and firepower. The first armored vessels, the French Gloire and British HMS  Warrior , made wooden vessels obsolete. Another significant improvement came with

7236-630: The early 14th century, the word "navy" came via Old French navie , "fleet of ships", from the Latin navigium , "a vessel, a ship, bark, boat", from navis , "ship". The word "naval" came from Latin navalis , "pertaining to ship"; cf. Greek ναῦς ( naus ), "ship", ναύτης ( nautes ), "seaman, sailor". The earliest attested form of the word is in the Mycenaean Greek compound word 𐀙𐀄𐀈𐀗 , na-u -do-mo (* naudomoi ), "shipbuilders", written in Linear B syllabic script. The word formerly denoted fleets of both commercial and military nature. In modern usage "navy" used alone always denotes

7344-404: The efficiency of the engines has improved, in terms of fuel, and of how many sailors it takes to operate them. In World War II, ships needed to refuel very often. However, today ships can go on very long journeys without refueling. Also, in World War II, the engine room needed about a dozen sailors to work the many engines, however, today, only about four or five are needed (depending on the class of

7452-459: The enemy vessel so its occupants could be attacked hand-to-hand. Naval warfare continued in this vein through the Middle Ages until the cannon became commonplace and capable of being reloaded quickly enough to be reused in the same battle. In ancient China , large naval battles were known since the Qin dynasty ( also see Battle of Red Cliffs , 208), employing the war junk during the Han dynasty . However, China's first official standing navy

7560-449: The era of the Roman empire , naval forces included marine legionaries for maritime boarding actions . These were troops primarily trained in land warfare, and did not need to be skilled at handling a ship. Much later during the age of sail, a component of marines served a similar role, being ship-borne soldiers who were used either during boarding actions, as sharp-shooters, or in raids along shorelines. The Spanish Infantería de Marina

7668-417: The exception of destroyers and submarines, which are known as boats. The prefix on a ship's name indicates that it is a commissioned ship. An important tradition on board naval vessels of some nations has been the ship's bell . This was historically used to mark the passage of time, as warning devices in heavy fog, and for alarms and ceremonies. The ship's captain, and more senior officers are "piped" aboard

7776-451: The following, in ascending order ( Commonwealth ranks are listed first on each line; USA ranks are listed second in those instances where they differ from Commonwealth ranks): "Flag officers" include any rank that includes the word "admiral" (or commodore in services other than the US Navy), and are generally in command of a battle group , strike group or similar flotilla of ships, rather than

7884-726: The four fleets and one flotilla were subordinated to them with status equal to the Ground Forces and the Air Forces armies. Due to Russia's increased interests in the Arctic region and the importance of Russia's western/northwestern maritime defence the Northern Fleet, originally part of the Joint Strategic Command West (Western Military District), on 12 December 2014 became the basis for the newly formed fifth Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command . The submarine and surface forces form

7992-563: The headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet . In 1974, a massive 35.5-meter (116 ft) tall statue Alyosha , depicting a Soviet World War II soldier, was installed on a 7-meter (23 ft) high foundation. The Hotel Arctic opened in 1984, becoming the tallest building above the Arctic Circle. On January 1, 2015, the territory of Murmansk was expanded when the urban-type settlement of Roslyakovo , previously under

8100-508: The incomplete second Admiral Kuznetsov -class aircraft carrier Varyag was eventually sold to the People's Republic of China by Ukraine. Funds were only allocated for the completion of ships ordered prior to the collapse of the USSR, as well as for refits and repairs on fleet ships taken out of service since. However, the construction times for these ships tended to stretch out extensively: in 2003 it

8208-527: The invention of the rotating turrets, which allowed the guns to be aimed independently of ship movement. The battle between CSS  Virginia and USS  Monitor during the American Civil War (1861–1865) is often cited as the beginning of this age of maritime conflict. The Russian Navy was considered the third strongest in the world on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War , which turned to be

8316-514: The jurisdiction of the closed administrative-territorial formation of Severomorsk, was abolished and its territory merged into Murmansk. Within the framework of administrative divisions , it is incorporated as the City of Murmansk —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts . As a municipal division , the City of Murmansk is incorporated as Murmansk Urban Okrug . As of 2012 ,

8424-688: The limited geography of the Baltic and the Black Seas the respective Baltic and Black Sea Fleets were given a more circumscribed role in support of adjacent ground formation (the Main Command of the Troops of the Western Direction in Legnica ( Poland ) and the Main Command of the Troops of the South-Western Direction in Chișinău ). These two fleets were armed with shorter-range weapon systems than

8532-560: The main fleets (diesel-electric submarines, Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bombers and a larger quantity of frigates and corvettes ). Due to the closed nature of the Caspian Sea (still connected to the Baltic and Black Seas through the Volga River and the system of rivers and canals and navigable for ships of corvette size) its Caspian Flotilla had an even more limited role than the Fleets and played

8640-471: The most recent elections for mayor and city council taking place in September 2014. Murmansk has two main museums: Murmansk Oblast Museum and Murmansk Oblast Art Museum; there are also several small museums. There are three professional theaters, libraries, and an aquarium in Murmansk. Murmansk is the venue of the decommissioned Lenin which is now a museum ship. Alyosha Monument, Murmansk or Defenders of

8748-477: The nearby towns of Alexandrovsk and Kola . On June 29 [ O.S. July 12], 1916, Russian Transport Minister Alexander Trepov petitioned to grant urban status to the railway settlement. On July 6 [ O.S. July 19], 1916, the petition was approved and the town was named Romanov-on-Murman ( Рома́нов-на-Му́рмане , Romanov-na-Murmane ), after the Imperial Russian dynasty,

8856-615: The next six years in response to the enlargement of NATO and the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War . As of September 2024 the non-operational aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the Russian Navy's only carrier leaving the Russian Navy without an operational aircraft carrier. Further, reports that the Admiral Kuznetsov' s crew of ca. 1500 has been reassigned to the Russian Army for combat duty in Ukraine indicates that there

8964-458: The number of ships included, a single ship being the smallest operational unit. Ships may be combined into squadrons or flotillas , which may be formed into fleets . The largest unit size may be the whole Navy or Admiralty . A task force can be assembled using ships from different fleets for an operational task. Despite their acceptance in many areas of naval service, female sailors were not permitted to serve on board U.S. submarines until

9072-472: The numerous United States carrier battle groups . Only two nations, the United States and France , presently operate CATOBAR carriers of any size, while Russia , China and India operate sizeable STOBAR carriers (although all three are originally of Russian design). The United Kingdom is also operating two Queen Elizabeth -class carriers, which are the largest STOVL vessels in service, and India

9180-432: The prow of the ship. Firing a cannon salute partially disarms the ship, so firing a cannon for no combat reason showed respect and trust. As the tradition evolved, the number of cannons fired became an indication of the rank of the official being saluted. Historically, navy ships were primarily intended for warfare. They were designed to withstand damage and to inflict the same, but only carried munitions and supplies for

9288-418: The radio transmitter, or the flashing light when radio silence was needed. A " blue water navy " is designed to operate far from the coastal waters of its home nation. These are ships capable of maintaining station for long periods of time in deep ocean, and will have a long logistical tail for their support. Many are also nuclear powered to save having to refuel. By contrast a " brown water navy " operates in

9396-627: The rank of Fleet Admiral in the U.S. Navy, the chief of the Royal Australian Navy holds the rank of Vice Admiral, and the chief of the Irish Naval Service holds the rank of Commodore. Naval infantry, commonly known as marines , are a category of infantry that form part of a state's naval forces and perform roles on land and at sea, including amphibious operations , as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations. During

9504-715: The seafaring local people (either Malays of Srivijaya or Javanese of Mataram ) to attack as far as the coast of Tanzania and Mozambique with 1000 boats and attempted to take the citadel of Qanbaloh, about 7,000 km to their West, in 945–946 AD. In 1350 AD Majapahit launched its largest military expedition, the invasion of Pasai , with 400 large jong and innumerable smaller vessels. The second largest military expedition, invasion of Singapura in 1398, Majapahit deployed 300 jong with no less than 200,000 men. The average jong used by Majapahit would be about 76.18–79.81 m LOA , carrying 600–700 men, with 1200–1400 tons deadweight . The mass and deck space required to carry

9612-494: The ship using a Boatswain's call . In the United States, the First Navy Jack is a flag that has the words, "Don't Tread on Me" on the flag. By English tradition, ships have been referred to as a "she". However, it was long considered bad luck to permit women to sail on board naval vessels. To do so would invite a terrible storm that would wreck the ship. The only women that were welcomed on board were figureheads mounted on

9720-507: The ship). Today, naval strike groups on longer missions are always followed by a range of support and replenishment ships supplying them with anything from fuel and munitions, to medical treatment and postal services. This allows strike groups and combat ships to remain at sea for several months at a time. The term "boat" refers to small craft limited in their use by size and usually not capable of making lengthy independent voyages at sea. The old navy adage to differentiate between ships and boats

9828-580: The shores of the Kara Sea , and Iqaluit , in the Canadian Arctic . Despite long, snowy winters, Murmansk's climate is moderated by the generally ice-free waters around it. Although there was a building boom in the early twentieth century's arms races, Murmansk's population has been in decline since the Cold War , from 468,039 ( 1989 Soviet census ) ; 336,137 ( 2002 Census ) ; 307,257 ( 2010 Census ) ; to 270,384 (2021 Census). It remains

9936-400: The vessels, and various repair facilities. During times of war temporary bases may be constructed in closer proximity to strategic locations, as it is advantageous in terms of patrols and station-keeping. Nations with historically strong naval forces have found it advantageous to obtain basing rights in other countries in areas of strategic interest. Navy ships can operate independently or with

10044-695: The voyage (rather than merchant cargo). Often, other ships that were not built specifically for warfare, such as the galleon or the armed merchant ships in World War II , did carry armaments. In more recent times, navy ships have become more specialized and have included supply ships, troop transports, repair ships, oil tankers and other logistics support ships as well as combat ships. Modern navy combat ships are generally divided into seven main categories: aircraft carriers , cruisers , destroyers , frigates , corvettes , submarines , and amphibious assault ships . There are also support and auxiliary ships, including

10152-536: The warm North Atlantic Current and is an important fishing and shipping destination. It is home port to Atomflot , the world's only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers . The Port of Murmansk is the headquarters of Sevmorput (Northern Sea Route) and the administration of Russian Arctic maritime transport. In 2018, the Russian government transferred the main responsibility for the Northern Sea Route to Rosatom which through its ROSATOMFLOT subsidiary manages

10260-448: The winter. Murmansk's brief summer is mild, with average highs in July exceeding +17 °C (63 °F). The city is slightly wetter during the summer than the winter and receives an annual average of just under 500 mm (20 in) of precipitation . The " midnight sun " is above the horizon from 22 May to 23 July (63 days), and the period with continuous darkness is somewhat shorter —

10368-575: The world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle, with over 100,000 more inhabitants than Norilsk , Russia. It is a major port of the Arctic Ocean . The name of the city is derived from Murman , from an old name for Norwegians by Russians, likely a borrowing from Old Norse norðmaðr , which gave its name to the Murman Coast and the surrounding region including the Kola Peninsula . Murmansk

10476-522: The world's total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater. Throughout the rest of the 20th century, the United States Navy would maintain a tonnage greater than that of the next 17 largest navies combined. During the Cold War , the Soviet Navy became a significant armed force, with large numbers of large, heavily armed ballistic missile submarines and extensive use of heavy, long-ranged antisurface missiles to counter

10584-458: Was arguably the largest naval battle in history ; it was also the last battle in which battleships played a significant role. By the end of World War II , the carrier had become the dominant force of naval warfare. World War II also saw the United States become by far the largest naval power in the world. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the United States Navy possessed over 70% of

10692-479: Was attributed to Russia's domestic shipbuilding industry, which was in decline due to the absence of modern hardware and technology. In 2013, a rise in gas and oil prices enabled a sort of renaissance of the Russian Navy due to increased available funds, which may have allowed Russia to begin "developing the capacity to modernize". In August 2014, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russian naval capabilities would be bolstered with new weapons and equipment within

10800-631: Was based at Murmansk. From 1918 to 1920, during the Russian Civil War , the town was occupied by the Western powers , who had been allied in World War I , and was also controlled by White Army forces. On February 13, 1926, local self-government was organized in Murmansk for the first time, during a plenary session of the Murmansk City Soviet , which elected a Presidium. Before this,

10908-410: Was commissioned in late 2014. As of early 2022, five Borei-class boats are in service, along with three Yasen-class nuclear attack submarines. More vessels of these classes are building along with additional Lada and Improved-Kilo-class conventional attack submarines. The surface fleet is also being modernized, principally by introducing at least six new classes of corvette/offshore patrol vessels ,

11016-482: Was especially important, and common, before 20th-century military technology existed, when merely adding artillery and naval infantry to any sailing vessel could render it fully as martial as any military-owned vessel. Such privateering has been rendered obsolete in blue-water strategy since modern missile and aircraft systems grew to leapfrog over artillery and infantry in many respects; but privateering nevertheless remains potentially relevant in littoral warfare of

11124-411: Was formed in 1537, making it the oldest, current marine force in the world. The British Royal Marines combine being both a ship-based force and also being specially trained in commando frogman -style operations and tactics, operating in some cases separately from the rest of the Royal Navy. The Royal Marines also have their own special forces unit . In the majority of countries, the marine force

11232-595: Was not established until the Southern Song dynasty in the 12th century, a time when gunpowder was a revolutionary new application to warfare. The Chola Dynasty in Southern India had a navy composed of trade ships transporting armies overseas. The Chola Navy reached its peak under Rajendra I , and was most notably used in invasions of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia . Nusantaran thalassocracies made extensive use of naval power and technologies. This enabled

11340-561: Was renamed Oktyabrsky on October 30, 1957, but on September 30, 1958, all three city districts were again abolished. On June 10, 1967, two city districts were created (Leninsky and Oktyabrsky); Pervomaysky City District was split from Oktyabrsky on February 21, 1975. In the Charter of the Hero City of Murmansk, adopted on December 17, 1995, the districts started to be referred to as administrative okrugs. Murmansk experiences

11448-676: Was reported that the Akula -class submarine Nerpa had been under construction for fifteen years. Storage of decommissioned nuclear submarines in ports near Murmansk became a significant issue, with the Bellona Foundation reporting details of lowered readiness. Naval support bases outside Russia, such as Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, were gradually closed, with the exception of the modest technical support base in Tartus , Syria to support ships deployed to

11556-466: Was retained when Murmansk Okrug was transformed into Murmansk Oblast on May 28, 1938. The Germans were promised the use of the port they called Norwegenhafen for transportation of goods and raw materials from 1922 to 1941. During World War II , Murmansk was a link to the Western world for the Soviet Union , with large quantities of goods important to the respective military efforts traded with

11664-605: Was the last city founded in the Russian Empire . In 1915, World War I needs led to the construction of the railroad from Petrozavodsk to an ice-free location on the Murman Coast in the Russian Arctic , to which Russia's allies shipped military supplies. The terminus became known as the Murman station and soon boasted a port, a naval base, and an adjacent settlement with a population that quickly grew in size and soon surpassed

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