The Russian fleet has been developing since the time of Peter the Great and has always been a subject of special pride for the state and its inhabitants, therefore the Navy Day is now celebrated with special solemnity. The celebration of this day is especially bright in Sevastopol, a city with which the history of the Black Sea Fleet is inextricably linked, and although Russia and Ukraine have become separate states, both Russians and Ukrainians take part in the celebrations.
History : Navy Day was celebrated as a special holiday during the Soviet era, starting in 1939, and very solemn events, according to tradition, were held for several decades in a row on the last July Sunday. Since 1980, ceremonial events related to this professional holiday have been held on the basis of decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, and after the collapse of the USSR , Russian Navy Day was established in Russia, which became a continuation of the Soviet tradition.
Now, on the day of the Navy, marine officers and military personnel serving in the Navy receive congratulations from senior officials. In 2006, V.V. Putin during a solemn celebration noted that this date reminds citizens of the Russian Federation of the maritime glory of the Russian State, and the fleet is famous thanks to people, although at the moment there are not enough new submarines and ships in the country. Dmitry Medvedev also spoke about the high role of the fleet in the development of Russia in 2009, congratulating the heroes of the occasion. He recalled that even now naval ships plowing the oceans, on the mast of which the St. Andrew’s flag is proudly developing , successfully perform complex and crucial tasks.
Some researchers associate the history of the Russian Navy with sea voyages, carried out by the clothing prince Oleg to Byzantium at the stage of the formation of Kievan Rus, although then the Slavic flotillas consisted of rooks and shuttle-odnoderevki. Further development of the fleet is associated with high-speed "gulls" of the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, moving through the Azov-Black Sea basin, as if they were masters, although Turkey dominated the region at that time. But only since 1714, when Peter the Great during the naval battle managed to defeat the Swedes at Cape Gangut, the European rulers were forced to appreciate the power of only the nascent Russian fleet.
Celebration : In recent years, Navy Day in Russian settlements is celebrated on a large scale, and military-sports competitions, colorful military parades and memorable concerts are held in coastal cities. In coastal cities, the history of which is directly related to the fleet, a sea landing is carried out, and in the evenings, colorful fireworks seem to cut through the dark evening sky.
Guests of the events are offered all kinds of quizzes and various thematic competitions, and often on modern warships the organizers arrange a kind of "open door" for the civilian population. And naval officers at first listen to congratulations from representatives of the authorities and senior officials of the fleet, and some on this day receive extraordinary ranks and valuable rewards for their services to their country.
Holiday in Ukraine : in Ukraine, the Navy Day, as in Russia, has been celebrated annually since 1993, but it was originally held on June 29. In 2008, President V. Yushchenko postponed the celebration date to December 30 so that the professional holiday of civilian and navy employees is celebrated simultaneously. Already in 2012, President V.F. Yanukovych amended Ukrainian legislation so that representatives of the navy in Russia and Ukraine can celebrate a vivid and memorable holiday together.