Peter the Great's Dock

“…This structure, which not only can compete in enterprise with the best ancient works in primacy, but far surpasses them in suitability and usefulness, is now unique in the entire world.” Saint Petersburg Gazette, October 13, 1752

The Petrovsky Dock in Kronstadt is a unique hydraulic engineering structure for its time (18th century). Its main function is the repair and technical maintenance of sea vessels.

Dimensions of the Petrovsky Dock:

Length — 384 meters

Width — 34 meters

Depth — 10 meters

Length of the Petrovsky Canal, through which ships enter the dock — over 2 km

These dimensions are simply colossal for the 18th century, which allows us to conclude that, according to Peter I’s design, the dock was intended for the repair of foreign ships, since the Russian shipbuilding fleet simply did not have such enormous vessels. In the 18th century, the largest Russian ships were the following sizes: 60 meters long, 16 meters wide.

Today, the Petrovsky Dock is a historical monument, and you can see most of its structures, which, although impressive in appearance, are all in a neglected state. Part of this unique hydraulic structure was in use until 2008! Among the attractions of Kronstadt, this preserved construction is one of the most interesting. The Petrovsky Dock in Kronstadt is a facility for ship repair, which is practically unused nowadays. But it holds historical interest for enthusiasts of naval history and admirers of the work of engineers from past centuries. Construction began in 1719, with plans to complete the work in three years. The work was long and difficult — it was even necessary to demolish 140 houses. Initially, dragoons and peasants were involved, then thousands of “laborers” from various provinces built the canal. Mainly manual labor was used. More than 3,000 people were involved in the construction in Kronstadt, mostly soldiers. Due to a shortage of materials and the need to relocate buildings and gardens, construction was delayed. By 1722, the canal in Kronstadt was mostly laid out, and work began on strengthening its walls. Several supervisors changed during construction. The rulers of the Russian Empire also changed.

After Peter’s death, construction proceeded slowly. But with the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna, funding increased, and work accelerated. The official opening of the Dock Canal took place on July 27, 1752, in the presence of Elizabeth Petrovna, who herself activated the lock mechanisms and let water into the canal. The event was accompanied by a salvo of 1,331 guns. Major General von Luberass, who was in charge of construction at that time, was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

The Dock Canal could accommodate 4-5 large ships. The structure was groundbreaking for its time — both in scale and in the nature of engineering thought. The main goal of Peter’s project was achieved — rapid water drainage from the dock. At that time in Europe, draining water from docks took weeks or even more than a month. The engineering idea of the Petrovsky Dock was as follows: according to the Russian emperor’s design, ships from the Gulf of Finland pass through Peter the Great’s Canal and then enter the dock. Then the locks close, preventing water from filling the dock, and water from the dock drains into a dock basin dug at a lower level. Water flowed into the basin via a sloping channel in the Petrovsky ravine. From this basin, water was pumped out by a pump powered by windmills and horse engines into the Obvodny Canal, which encircles all of Kronstadt, and then flowed into the sea. In 1774, the first steam engine for water pumping in Russia was installed, brought from Scotland, which allowed the basin to be drained in 9 days. This engineering installation worked for a full 75 years.

The central mechanism of the dock is the lock gates, six in number, installed in 1747. Remarkably, the water retention and drainage system functioned until the 2000s.

As the water was pumped out, ships lowered onto their “dock blocks” (supports for securely positioning ships). After that, various construction fixtures were brought to them — scaffolding, gangways. Electricity, compressed air, and heat were supplied. After the work was completed, all these engineering networks and fixtures were removed, and water was let back into the dock. When the dock was filled to the harbor water level, a special sluice (“bataport”) was opened, and the repaired ships were taken out of the dock.

Sources:

https://www.spb-guide.ru/page_20504.htm

http://www.ipetersburg.ru/petrovskiy-dok-kanal-v-kronshtadte/

https://kronstory.com/dostoprimechatelnosti/dok-petra-i-v-kronshtadte/