Shipbuilders’ Day in Russia Date in the current year: June 29, 2024

Russian Shipbuilders’ Day is celebrated on June 29 because on this day in 1667, Tsar Alexis I of Russia (Alexei Mikhailovich) ordered a naval shipbuilding program and commissioned a warship to protect Russian trading ships on the Caspian Sea. The first Russian-built warship was named the Oryol (“eagle”). It took nearly a year and more than 2000 rubles from the state budget to build the frigate.

The celebration of Shipbuilders’ Day in Russia was initiated by the United Shipbuilding Corporation, a state-owned open joint stock corporation that was created in 2007 to stimulate civilian shipbuilding. The initiative was supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and on May 30, 2017 the Government of the Russian Federation officially established the new professional observance.

Shipbuilding is one of the most developed industries in Russia. As of 2009, there were 168 ship building enterprises in Russia, 86 of which were state-owned. In total, about 1000 Russian companies are engaged in shipbuilding, repair, maintenance, and related fields. All their employees celebrate their professional holiday on June 29.