Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov (1745–1817) was a prominent Russian naval commander and admiral, a valiant and righteous person, a man of virtue and integrity, who achieved imperishable glory.
Ushakov was born in the village of Burnakovo, Yaroslavl Governorate. He was the fourth of seven children in the family of a retired sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of the Russian Imperial Guards. After graduating from the Naval Gentry Cadet Corps in Saint Petersburg, he served under Vice-Admiral Alexei Naumovich Senyavin. Having led 40 military campaigns, Fyodor Ushakov never suffered a defeat or lost a ship. These campaigns include major battles against the Turkish Fleet at Fidonisi (1788), Kerch Strait (1790), Tendra (1790), and Cape Kaliakra (1791). Ushakov also successfully conducted the Mediterranean Campaign against the French Republic (1798–1800) and captured the Corfu fortress. He became the symbol of the powerful and invincible Russian troops.
Under his guidance, numerous ships were built in the south of the Russian Empire which secured the country’s reputation as the greatest maritime power. Fyodor Ushakov was one of the founders of the Black Sea Fleet. Not a single of his servicemen was ever taken prisoner by the enemy. Admiral Ushakov was the first Russian naval commander to use a new offensive maneuver tactic and to successfully engage artillery fire. By continuously studying both cannonade and rifle fire, he managed to master the use of various weaponry. There was not a single Turkish ship that could withstand the attacks of Russian forces, even despite the selfless service and dedication of Turkish sailors.
Fyodor Ushakov resigned in the rank of admiral in 1807 and three years later moved to the village of Alekseevka, Tambov Governorate, near the Sanaksar Monastery. There he actively engaged in charity work and helping the poor. During the Patriotic War of 1812, together with Asyncretus Ivanov, the archpriest of Temnikov, he organized a hospital and donated money to the First Tambov Infantry Regiment.
Fyodor Ushakov died on October 1, 1817 and was buried at the Sanaksar Monastery. In 2001, the Monastery held a ceremony dedicated to the canonization of the Holy Righteous Warrior Theodore. For the first time in history, a naval commander was consecrated a saint. His relics are enshrined in a reliquary shaped as a ship.
Ushakov was born in the village of Burnakovo, Yaroslavl Governorate. He was the fourth of seven children in the family of a retired sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of the Russian Imperial Guards. After graduating from the Naval Gentry Cadet Corps in Saint Petersburg, he served under Vice-Admiral Alexei Naumovich Senyavin. Having led 40 military campaigns, Fyodor Ushakov never suffered a defeat or lost a ship. These campaigns include major battles against the Turkish Fleet at Fidonisi (1788), Kerch Strait (1790), Tendra (1790), and Cape Kaliakra (1791). Ushakov also successfully conducted the Mediterranean Campaign against the French Republic (1798–1800) and captured the Corfu fortress. He became the symbol of the powerful and invincible Russian troops.
Under his guidance, numerous ships were built in the south of the Russian Empire which secured the country’s reputation as the greatest maritime power. Fyodor Ushakov was one of the founders of the Black Sea Fleet. Not a single of his servicemen was ever taken prisoner by the enemy. Admiral Ushakov was the first Russian naval commander to use a new offensive maneuver tactic and to successfully engage artillery fire. By continuously studying both cannonade and rifle fire, he managed to master the use of various weaponry. There was not a single Turkish ship that could withstand the attacks of Russian forces, even despite the selfless service and dedication of Turkish sailors.
Fyodor Ushakov resigned in the rank of admiral in 1807 and three years later moved to the village of Alekseevka, Tambov Governorate, near the Sanaksar Monastery. There he actively engaged in charity work and helping the poor. During the Patriotic War of 1812, together with Asyncretus Ivanov, the archpriest of Temnikov, he organized a hospital and donated money to the First Tambov Infantry Regiment.
Fyodor Ushakov died on October 1, 1817 and was buried at the Sanaksar Monastery. In 2001, the Monastery held a ceremony dedicated to the canonization of the Holy Righteous Warrior Theodore. For the first time in history, a naval commander was consecrated a saint. His relics are enshrined in a reliquary shaped as a ship.
