A New Life for an Old Frigate
The story of a project that began with a dream and became a wooden ship under sail: research, handwork, sponsors, the launch, and the life of an international crew.
Fulfilling an Old Decree — with a New Team
At the end of the twentieth century, a historical replica of the first frigate of the Baltic Fleet was built in Saint Petersburg. For almost six years, friends, volunteers, and specialists worked by hand to rediscover forgotten crafts, find suitable materials, and assemble a ship that was meant not to stand in a museum, but to sail.
How Project Shtandart Began
The idea of building a replica of a ship from the age of Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg had existed for many years. The frigate was chosen because of its special place in the history of the Russian fleet. In 1994, shipbuilder Vladimir Martus took charge of bringing the idea to life. He became the project’s master shipwright and driving force, and later the ship’s captain.
The original drawings of Peter the Great’s Shtandart have not survived. In 1988, historian Viktor Krainyukov, commissioned by the Hermitage Museum, gathered archival evidence and reconstructed the frigate’s appearance. Using this research, Grigory Atavin created a model for the Menshikov Palace museum.
The historical image then had to be turned into construction drawings for an operational vessel, while meeting modern requirements for safety and comfort. The ship was therefore divided into two zones: above the gun deck, the historical appearance was preserved, while the hold accommodated modern equipment, a mess room, galley, and crew quarters. Two 560 hp diesel engines, a generator, bilge pumps, and tanks were installed below deck.
Six Years of Intensive Handwork
- 4 November 1994 · the keel is laid A modest ceremony was held at the Shtandart Club shipyard in Orlovsky Park, 298 years after the founding of Russia’s regular navy.
- 8 April 1995 · the first frame The first frame was assembled and raised, and the keel, stem, sternpost, and frame were blessed in accordance with Russian tradition.
- 1995–1996 · the hull takes shape The team marked out, sawed, planed, fastened, and raised 44 frames. The builders worked by hand without lifting machinery: they felled trees, split oak logs into heavy planks, and moved the timbers with simple equipment.
- April 1996 · planking Planking began with boards 12 metres long, 75 mm thick, and 120 mm wide. The boards were steamed for several hours in a long wooden box, then bent to the shape of the hull and fastened to the frames in about fifteen minutes.
- Workshops and crafts A forge and workshops for spars, rigging, sails, and carving appeared at the shipyard. Ship’s nails and iron fittings were forged there, while masts, blocks, rigging, sails, and wooden decoration were made on site.
- 30 May 1998 · the ship receives her name Once the hull was complete, a naming ceremony was held. Vladimir Yakovlev and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, presented the Imperial Standard to the captain.
- 4 September 1999 · an unusual launch Around 40,000 spectators attended the ceremony. The shipyard had been cut off from the water by an embankment under construction, so the frigate was carried to the Neva on carts. A floating crane then lifted her over the unfinished embankment and lowered her into the water.
- 2000 · the maiden voyage After the ship’s systems, engines, spars, rigging, and sails had been installed, the frigate set out on her maiden voyage, following the route of Peter the Great’s Grand Embassy. Her builders formed the crew.
A Ship Built at the Shipyard
The keel, stem, sternpost, and frames were made of oak. The team found suitable oak trees in parks and on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg, obtaining special permits to fell them. The hull was planked with larch from the Lindulovskaya ship grove, planted on Peter the Great’s orders to supply timber for the fleet. The project was permitted to use thirty trees.
The long boards were dried in a purpose-built chamber. Their unusual dimensions meant that the logs and planking had to be moved and loaded by hand. The knees were made from pine root crooks found in the Leningrad Region, while straight mast pines up to 22 metres tall were sourced near Siverskaya.
Almost all the carved decoration was made from linden wood and based on seventeenth-century Russian shipbuilding fashion: a lion on the stem, an allegorical scene on the stern, the coat of arms of Saint Petersburg, and wreaths with ribbons around the gun ports. Modern synthetic materials were used for the sails and running rigging. They resemble their historical counterparts but are easier to maintain and last longer than natural hemp rope and linen canvas.
A Project First Sustained by Enthusiasm
For the first two years, construction proceeded with almost no funding. Materials and tools were purchased with the modest proceeds from the sale of the schooner St Peter, built by Vladimir Martus. In 1996, Rodric Kay, founder of Dolphin Exhibitions, became the project’s first sponsor. Support grew as the work progressed.
The governments of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, consulates, companies, private individuals, and charitable foundations all helped. AkzoNobel supplied paints and coatings, Volvo donated the engines, the Malachite design bureau prepared the shafting drawings, and the Baltic Shipyard manufactured the propellers.
Working replicas of the guns were made to complete the historical appearance. All 28 could not be produced as full-size metal guns: they would have made the vessel too heavy and reduced her stability. Today, the ship carries five guns, used for salutes and historical reenactments.
Not a Museum Exhibit, but a Ship at Sea
Shtandart is a rare operational wooden historical replica with a square rig. She goes to sea and takes part in long voyages, festivals, celebrations, and film productions. Historical technology is not merely displayed here: the crew uses and preserves it in their daily work, setting sail and maintaining the wooden hull.
The ship was created by volunteers with almost no budget; sponsorship from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Russia came later. Building her meant relearning eighteenth-century crafts and proving that a traditionally built wooden vessel could sail safely at sea. The project’s history is one of continuous teamwork, self-reliance, and belief in a dream.
The ship has a small permanent crew and volunteer trainees. Together they sail and repair her, learn, and pass their knowledge on to newcomers — from seamanship and work with historical spars and rigging to wooden-hull repairs. At sea, they learn to work together in close quarters and to trust one another. Over the years of construction, young enthusiasts became experienced specialists, and the team’s work gradually developed from amateur effort into professional practice.
Experienced sailors, complete beginners, adventure seekers, and people considering a maritime career can all join the crew. On board, they work with sails and rigging, take part in steering and navigation, and stand night watches. Every participant is a member of the crew, not a passenger; experienced officers adapt the training to each person’s abilities.
For many years, the ship led a nomadic seafaring life between the Mediterranean and Baltic seas. In port, visitors can come aboard and encounter the maritime traditions of the eighteenth century. She is a living laboratory of maritime history, where knowledge is gained through practice.
How the Frigate Was Built
The story of the ship’s creation in a short film.