Voronezh

Voronezh stands on the river of the same name, above its junction with the Don. Established as a fortress in 1586, it guarded the southern approaches to the Russian state. Its river connected the wooded country around the town with the Don and the distant Sea of Azov, a connection that would transform the frontier fortress into a centre of shipbuilding.

Peter I's first campaign against the Ottoman fortress of Azov failed in 1695. To prevent the defenders from receiving supplies by sea, he ordered ships built for a renewed assault. At Voronezh, craftsmen worked through the winter of 1695–1696, assembling galleys and building other vessels. The flotilla sailed down the Don and helped blockade Azov, which surrendered in July 1696.

After the victory, the Boyar Duma decided in October 1696 that sea-going ships should be built. New yards followed along the Voronezh and its tributaries, including those at Chizhovka and Ramon. The campaign made the yards of Voronezh a foundation of the Azov fleet. On the galley Principium, Peter drew up rules for the fleet; in 1700 the ship Goto Predestinatsiya was launched at the Voronezh yard. The building of vessels drew labour, timber and expertise to the river town. Its importance lay in a waterway that carried ships from an inland frontier to the struggle for the southern seas.