by Academician Zhores ALFEROV, Nobel Prize Laureate, Chairman of the St. Petersburg RAS Scientific Center, RAS Vice- President; Anatoly RODIONOV, Dr. Sc. (Tech.), Chairman of the Hydrophysics Council of the same Center Russia is on the threshold of a major historic date - the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, which is going to be widely marked in May 2003 in this and other countries. Our magazine is going to take an active part in preparations for the jubilee and publish articles about the unique historical past and the rich scientific and cultural traditions of the northern capital on the Neva. We now present the first article in this series, which reflects the continuity of times in the development of naval traditions, education, science and technology in St. Petersburg*. * Abridged version of an article from the collection "Science in St. Petersburg and the Naval Might of Russia", St. Petersburg, Nauka Publishers, 2001. page 51 For three centuries St. Petersburg's townsfolk of many generations with their talent and labor have been gaining for Russia the status of a great naval power. Historically St. Petersburg, the Russian Navy, basic science and education emerged on the scene in our country almost simultaneously. In order to strengthen the war might of Russia and to establish it in the Baltic region in the time of Peter I it was necessary, first of all, to build a powerful fleet, which in its turn would promote the development of industry, of marine sciences and would lead to cardinal changes of the educational system. It was no coincidence that this city on the Neva became the site of the Chief Admiralty, the Academy of Sciences and the first secondary and specialized schools. St. Petersburg was founded on 16 (27) May, 1703, and already in 1705 construction began of the first marine vessels. One of the first to be launched by the local shipyard was a yacht bearing the name Nadezhda ("Hope") (1706), symbolizing the faith in a great future of the R ... Читать далее