A parcel-gilt silver beaker commemorating the Battle of Gangut, maker's mark Cyrillic N.M, St Petersburg, 1787

The maker's mark is recorded as an unknown master active circa 1786-1793. See no. 1362 in M. Postnikova-Loseva, N. G. Platonova, B. L. Ulyanova, Gold and Silverwork of the 15th-20th centuries, Moscow, 1995.

The Battle of Gangut was major naval conflict between Russian and Swedish fleets off the coast of the Hanko Peninsula in southern Finland, 7 August 1714. It constitutes an important moment in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), whereby Tsar Peter I of Russia sought to contest Swedish supremacy in the Baltic region. Significantly, this battle marks the first major victory for Tsar Peter I’s fleet, inaugurating his vision for Russia’s future as a maritime power.

The battle commenced with Russian General Admiral Fyodor Adpraksin commanding a fleet of 80 galleys northward from the Kronstadt naval base. On encountering the Swedish blockade of the coastal route at Hanko, the Tsar himself lead reinforcements to the offensive. Peter I arrived in southern Finland a month later with the remainder of the Russian Baltic Fleet, outnumbering Swedish forces nearly ten-fold. The battle itself is well recorded in Swedish sources which document the success of the third Russian offensive in breaching the Swedish frontline in a period of calm weather. This forced a Swedish withdrawal under General Georg Henrik Lybecker, enabling a Russian victory.

The battle itself was a success for Russia, enabling forces to regain access to important northern supply routes. It also signals the extent of Russian ambition and resources during the Great Northern War.

Tsar Peter the Great issued both gold and silver commemorative medals for the battle of Gangut. The gold version was reserved for higher ranking officers and the silver version was awarded to sailors and to infantry soldiers, who were on board the attacking galleys during the sea battle.