The Neva Yacht Club (Yacht-club Neva or simply Club Neva) is a

sailing club A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting. Description Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...

located in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia, close to the

Neva River The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it i ...

. It was founded in 1718 and was re-established as a club in 1958. It claims to be the first and oldest yacht club in Russia and even in the world, though this is challenged by the

Royal Cork Yacht Club The Royal Cork Yacht Club is a claimant to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, founded in 1720, though this is challenged by the Neva Yacht Club in Russia. It is currently located in Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland. Formation and claim ...

in Ireland.

History

''Nevsky Flot'' (lit. "Fleet of the Neva"), the first yacht club in Russia, was founded by Tsar

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

on April 12, 1718 (the idea had probably been devised as early as 1716, when the First Neva Shipyard started building civilian vessels). The tsar, an enthusiast of naval activities, provided 141 small ships to entertain members of the aristocracy. The flag of the club, a version of the

Russian Navy Ensign The Russian Navy ensign, also known as St. Andrew's flag (russian: Андреевский флаг; Russian Pre-reform: ''Андреевскій флагъ''), was the ensign of the Navy of the Russian Empire (from 1712 to 1918), and is the na ...

, was designed and given to the club by the tsar himself. The club ceased activities after the death of the tsar, who had been personally sponsoring the club. Its date of establishment makes the Neva Yacht Club perhaps the oldest yacht club in the world, and often it is counted as such. However, since this Russian yacht club was established by a decree of the emperor, it does not qualify as a proper

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

, understood as a voluntary association of members. Therefore, the

, founded two years later in 1720, is also widely acknowledged as the oldest yacht club in the world, despite having gone through periods of dormancy and undergone name changes, much in the same manner as the Neva Yacht Club. It was only in 1846 that the first yacht club in Russia to adopt British-style club regulations was established. The Imperial St. Petersburg Yacht Club had at its origins 19 members and five sailing yachts. Only members of the nobility were admitted. In 1892, after the initiative of certain high officers of the

Russian Imperial Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...

, the Neva Yacht Club was revived in memory of Peter the Great's ''Nevsky Flot''. It began regularly organising various sailing competitions meant mainly for large cruising yachts. The Imperial Neva Yacht Club was disbanded after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

. The current Neva Yacht Club was re-established in 1958. The club only services members of the "Public Association of Amateurs of Aquatic Recreation". It accepts only ship owners as members. The club is located at address 94, Martynova Quay. In 2009, the club's repair shop was seriously damaged by a fire. Alexey Zubov - Panoramic View of St

References

Bibliography in Russian

* Пантелеев Ю. А. Парус - моя жизнь: Из воспоминаний. Л., 1984; * Ильин В. В России главное - начать!: Воен.-мор. яхт-клуб: (Крат. ист. очерк) // Мор. клуб. 1996. № 1. С. 68-71; * Филозопов В. Жемчужина на ладони Невской губы // Капитан-клуб. 1998. № 3; * Спорт в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 2002. С. 39.

External links

Official website
{{Yacht-clubs of Russian coast in Gulf of Finland Yacht clubs in Russia 1718 establishments in Russia Organizations with royal patronage Gentlemen's clubs in Russia

History

See also

References

Bibliography in Russian

External links