Shtandart

In 1703 Csar Peter the Great made use of his own technical drawings and designs for his first ship of the new Russian naval building. On March 24 of that year in St. Petersburg they laid the keel of Frigate Shtandart. The overall construction of the ship did not last longer than five months. The Czar himself was the first captain of the ship which sixteen years served as flagship of the Russian Navy.

Three hundred years later, on November 4, 1994 in St. Petersburg, the keel was laid for the construction of an exact copy of the ship which Peter the Great loved so much. According to the tradition of the eighteenth century, the 'new' Shtandart was richly decorated with beautiful carvings. Five years of hard work followed, with a construction team of about forty people under the leadership of the current captain, Vladimir Mortus. In 1990 the replica was launched, attended by 40,000 spectators.

The maiden trip of Frigate Shtandart, now twelve years ago, was to Zaandam where Peter the Great learned the trade of carpenter. Then it continued their journey to Amsterdam to participate in Sail2000, the first major event where the Shtandart would be present.

The replica Shtandart can be seen as the only "living" proof that Czar Peter the Great has put into practice his in the Netherlands gained knowledge in St. Petersburg. Today the ship symbolizes the maritime heritage between the two countries and there we, as Dutch, may be a little bit proud of ... ;)