Admiral's hour. Life and traditions in the navy. A manual for future sailors Cheese roll stuffed with shrimp “Vice Admiral”

Admiral's hour As Russian language researcher and ethnographer I.M. Snegirev writes in his work “Russians in their Proverbs,” this expression resembles “the custom of the founder of the Russian fleet (Peter the Great. - Comp.) at eleven o’clock in the morning after work, drinking vodka with his employees

Northern Fleet - this phrase reeks of cold and icy winds. Friends from Sheksna D. Kudryashov and D. Dianov were drafted into the Northern Fleet in May 2008 and ended up on the cruiser “Peter the Great”. They spent their North Sea service under the scorching sun in the southern latitudes: they passed the “golden point”, met sea pirates, experienced a force nine storm, “walked” through Libya, France, South Africa, Turkey, India, and if not for a high wave, they could have seen the President of Russia .

Where are the legs of the ship

Missile cruiser "Peter the Great".
“The hold is the very bottom of the ship,” Denis said. “We were responsible for the operation of the refrigeration units.” When the ship is in southern latitudes, instruments, ammunition, and vehicles are cooled with the help of icy air. Before the army, I studied to be a welder, so I did welding work on the ship. There was enough to do. For example, for the marines defending the ship from attack, he welded shields behind which they stood with machine guns.

Combat campaign

Although they served in the Northern Fleet, they didn’t feel the freezing cold, the guys say, they were drafted into the army in May, and in a month and a half they completed the KMB - a course for young soldiers, where they learned the regulations and did drill. After the oath we were taken to the ship. Then there was a test voyage in the Barents Sea, and in September the crew of the cruiser received a combat mission to enter the Atlantic Ocean at southern latitudes. We returned to Severomorsk in March, shortly before demobilization.
- What seas did you sail?
- We passed through the Barents and Norwegian Seas, from there into the Atlantic, and through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. The cruiser did not enter foreign ports; it was too large. We dropped anchor away from the shore. We were taken to the shore by boats, and for four hours we could walk with the officers. I had a chance to visit Libya, Turkey, France. After walking around the Mediterranean, through Gibraltar we returned to the Atlantic Ocean again and headed for Venezuela.

To prevent the president from getting seasick

It was at this time that the Russian President was visiting the famous brawler, ardent anti-Americanist, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. D.A. plans Medvedev was scheduled to visit “Peter the Great”.
We prepared seriously for the meeting with the Russian president: the ship was painted, cleaned until it shined, and washed. And then the federal security service came to visit. Having assessed the excitement in the bay, they decided that it was unsafe for the first person of the state to be here. The honor guard company from the Peter the Great was transferred to the Admiral Chabanenko standing at the Venezuelan pier. D.A. looked there. Medvedev, and the huge “Peter the Great” was anchored three kilometers from the shore.
“We wanted to see the president, but it didn’t work out,” Denis and Dmitry summed up this story.

"Golden point" of the Earth

From Venezuela, "Peter the Great" headed towards Africa. On December 28, the Sheksna guys had the opportunity to pass the so-called “golden point” of the Earth among sailors, that is, the intersection of the equator with the prime meridian. Since in maritime tradition the first crossing of the equator is a significant event, a Neptune celebration was held on the ship.
D. Dianov: “We were “baptized” with salt water, poured from buckets. Some were thrown into the ship's small pool. Everyone who crossed the equator for the first time was given a certificate signed by the ship's commander. Three days later, not far from South Africa, we celebrated the New Year. We met according to Moscow time. The crew lined up on the ship's quarterdeck, where the helipad is located. Midshipmen and sailors showed a small concert. Stories about our campaign, filmed by television crews, were broadcast on the big screen.”
D. Kudryashov: “On New Year’s holiday, I was on watch in the engine room. The ship’s commander came to us and congratulated us on the upcoming New Year.”
- What did the festive dinner consist of?
- Fish, roll, lemonade, some red wine. Initially, the trip was planned for three months, and by January 1 the ship was supposed to return to Severomorsk. The task changed, and the campaign was extended for another three months. There weren't enough provisions. In January, another 200 tons of food and water were loaded on board the ship.
- Do they also store water?
- Fresh water on the ship is produced from sea water using special desalination plants. But there is little of it, and fresh water is provided only at certain times.
- How did you cope with the hot climate?
- When we reached the southern latitudes, we were given a tropical uniform: flankers with short sleeves with buttons, shorts, light boots with holes, a cap with a visor. The heat was such that within 15 minutes of being in the sun you could burn.

Pirates of the 21st century

While skirting Africa, we made a stop in the Republic of South Africa. Dmitry had a chance to walk on land. We went out into the Indian Ocean. They “slowed down” in India. Here Denis went ashore and bought an Indian drum at the market. And then the crew of the cruiser met with real sea pirates.

...Somali pirates are terrorizing all merchant ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden. Lately their arrogance knows no bounds. When the Peter the Great was not far from Somalia, an SOS signal was received from a foreign tanker that was attacked by robbers.
“We were four hours away from the scene of the attack.” A combat helicopter flew to the rescue of the tanker, cut off the pirates and tracked where they were going. We ran into them almost at night. Most likely, at dusk the pirates did not understand who they were dealing with and decided to profit. When we got closer and they saw the cruiser, they surrendered without a fight. Ten people and three longboats with powerful engines were lifted aboard the ship. When searching the boats, they found machine guns, grenade launchers, ammunition, drugs, and money.
For several days, tied up and guarded by marines, the pirates sat on the deck.
One day I had to go get an oxygen tank and I walked past them. They don’t look like scary pirates at all: they’re wimpy, all in rags,” Denis shared his impressions.
The Russian press reported on this meeting between “Peter the Great” and Somali pirates. It turns out that when the ship's commander called Somalia and asked what he should do with them, he received the following answer: we have anarchy, and if you give the pirates to us, we will release them again.
Contacted the Republic of Yemen. They, on the contrary, advised the pirates to be shot, since according to the laws of Yemen they would still be executed by hanging.
It all ended with the sea robbers being given food and released in peace. And then a telephone message arrived with an order to detain them again. It turned out that these villains are members of one of the most dangerous pirate groups. The chase was short-lived. The pirates were once again caught, transferred to the flagship of the Pacific Fleet "Vinogradov" and delivered to the Yemeni authorities to be torn to pieces.

Through the Suez "gut"

The next test of the crew's combat capability was the passage of the narrow Suez Canal. So that the cruiser could get through this “gut” into the Mediterranean Sea, an Egyptian pilot was hired. The slightest deviation from course, and a warship could block one of the most important sea routes. For the fact that “Peter the Great” will pass the channel without criticism, Russia paid a deposit of two million euros. When the task was successfully completed, the Egyptians returned the money, leaving themselves 200 thousand for providing the route.
D. Dianov: “Before passing the canal, we were warned about possible provocations. The ship could have been fired upon from machine guns from the shore. We were ordered to batten down all the hatches. That’s what we did, but then we “unpacked” and admired the Egyptian beauties.”

Storm

Having passed the Mediterranean Sea, the sailors entered the Atlantic through Gibraltar and headed for the base. On the way back, they fully experienced the harsh elements of the sea. For two days the sea was stormy at nine and a half points. To give an idea, this is when the wave is as high as a nine-story building. The bow of the ship, 23 meters high, plunged into the water. The pitching was pitching and rolling at the same time. The ship was rocking from side to side, up and down.
Only the second course was being prepared in the galley. There was no point in making soup. Iron bowls were replaced with disposable plastic ones.
D. Kudryashov: “They didn’t sit at the tables. They immediately gave us a plate of porridge. To make it easier to cope with the seas, sailors eat salted fish to dehydrate the body. During the storm I had to take out food scraps. It was allowed to go on deck only by wearing a life jacket and fastening to the cable so as not to “fly” overboard.”
Speaking of trash. On the ship, food waste is thrown overboard - the fish eat it, and the rest of the garbage is burned.

Briefly about everything

On March 10, 2009, “Peter the Great” arrived in Severomorsk, and on May 14, Denis and Dmitry returned home to Sheksna. To get a better understanding of the maritime service, at the end of our conversation I asked them short questions:
- Were you the only Vologda residents on the ship?
- No. Four people from the Sheksninsky district served on the ship. Besides us, there was also conscript M. Panichev and contract soldier A. Gladkikh.
- Were you ordained a sailor?
- Of course. As tradition dictates, during the first trip to sea they drank a glass of sea water.
- How much money does a conscript sailor receive?
- Within a thousand rubles. Before the military campaign, we were given wages three months in advance. The money was mainly spent on souvenirs in foreign ports.
- Were there any animals on the ship?
- Only cats and rats. One day during the hike the alarm was announced. It turned out that in one of the compartments two rats had climbed into the electrical panel and shorted the contacts. All that was left of them were coals.
- Did you have contact with your family?
- When we passed close to the shore, we sent SMS. Telephones were allowed, but taking photographs on board the ship was prohibited.
- Is the admiral's hour observed in the fleet?
- Undoubtedly. After lunch, everyone who is not at combat posts rests. Usually we slept for an hour, and sometimes we were allowed to rest for three hours. Those who don’t want to can stay awake, but there were few of them.
- Do conscript sailors have the concept of “one hundred days before the order”?
- Yes. Some shaved their heads a hundred days before demobilization.
- Would you advise current conscripts to apply for the Marine Corps?
- We consider ourselves lucky. If it were not for the military campaign, the service would be boring. It's better in the navy. Firstly, it is more interesting there than on land. Secondly, charging is rare, and there is no need to run.
- Are you dreaming about the sea?
- Not yet. It's good at sea, but better at home.
Alexey DOLGOV.

The Russian language is full of various proverbs, sayings, phraseological units and other popular expressions. Over the years, the meaning of many of them has been practically lost in Russian speech, and not every native speaker can easily “decipher” the meaning of this or that expression. These include the phrase “admiral’s hour,” which today is extremely rarely found in written and oral speech. It is all the more interesting to know its original meaning and history.

Origin story

According to the famous researcher and ethnographer Ivan Mikhailovich Snegirev, the origin of the phraseological unit “admiral’s hour” is as follows: during the reign of Emperor Peter the Great, there was a peculiar custom. Around noon, most often around eleven o'clock, the Tsar and his subordinates in the Admiralty went for a lunch break.

At this time, they went to the so-called austeria (or austeria), a drinking establishment founded by order of Peter himself, modeled on its Western counterparts. Foreign guests and Russian nobility often rested in these establishments. Russian and foreign alcoholic drinks were served in austeria. The Tsar himself encouraged their existence in every possible way, considering visiting such establishments a guarantee of bringing the classes closer together in Russian society.

The first austeria in the Russian Empire was located near the Trinity pier. It was called the royal one, since it was there that Peter the Great and his subordinates came at lunchtime. According to eyewitnesses, the tsar preferred to drink a glass of aniseed vodka and eat a pretzel during the “admiral’s hour.” After which he smoked a pipe, played checkers and talked with other visitors to the establishment.

It was thanks to this unusual ritual of the Russian Tsar that the stable expression “admiral’s hour” arose, meaning to drink during lunch or late breakfast. The expression was often used in a joking manner, thus making it clear to the interlocutor of your intention to drink at lunchtime. Sometimes also accompanied by the phrase "gentlemen drink and eat."

In addition to Peter and the people who served in the navy, senators and members of various boards also had a break at eleven o'clock. They, following the example of the ruler, also visited Austeria on the way home and drank a glass of vodka there.

Gaining popularity

The expression “admiral’s hour” gained real popularity among the people in 1865, when the tradition of firing a cannon in the Admiralty courtyard at exactly noon was introduced, thanks to which this hour began to be called the admiral’s hour.

As a result, the phraseological unit began to mean having a late breakfast rather than drinking alcohol in the first half of the day, but both meanings of the expression could still be found in spoken and written speech.

In 1872, the famous cannon was moved to the Peter and Paul Fortress, and in 1934 it was decided to abolish the tradition altogether. However, in honor of the anniversary of St. Petersburg in 1957, the shot began to be fired again at exactly noon.

Use in the Navy

Among people serving in the navy, you can most often find the expression “admiral's hour” in the sense of an afternoon nap. The break traditionally starts around 11-12 o'clock and lasts from an hour to two. The tradition is not official, but is relatively widespread among naval personnel.

The practice of resting personnel in the late morning and afternoon exists in many other countries, including the UK and Finland.

Place in the language today

Today it is extremely rare to find the stable expression “admiral’s hour” actively used in oral and written speech. What a phraseological unit means, not all native speakers will be able to answer, regardless of their education and age.

The only exception may be residents of St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, where the tradition of a midday cannon shot is still alive. In addition, in St. Petersburg and the region in stores you can find alcoholic products called “Admiral's Hour”, which, of course, is a reference to the original meaning of the phraseological unit. The expression is also still used by some sailors and naval officers.

However, the expression can still be found on the pages of all major dictionaries of the Russian language, including publications edited by Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl, as well as in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron.

Usage examples

You can find the expression “admiral's hour” today, first of all, in literary works of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For example, the phraseological unit is found in two works by Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin: “Poshekhon Antiquity” and “Pompadours”.

Then, since the “admiral’s hour” had already arrived, the gentlemen officials went to the landowner to have some bread and salt.

The expression is also found on the pages of the work of Alexei Feofilaktovich Pisemsky “A Thousand Souls”.

The admiral's hour has long struck - would you please give an order? Accept!

In general, although this phraseological unit can rarely be found in the everyday speech of a modern Russian speaker, it is definitely necessary to know its meaning and be able to use it in conversation.