Matija Zmajević

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Matija Zmajević (also Matej Zmajević) (1680 - 25 August 1735) was admiral of the Baltic Fleet and the ship-builder of the famous Russian Tsar Peter I the Great, and for whom he built a fleet in Voronezh.

[edit] Biography

He was born in prominent Catholic Bokelj family from Perast (Venetian Republic, now Montenegro); his uncle Andrija Zmajević was a renowned poet and Catholic bishop of Bar. The family was in conflict with another Perast family of Bujović, and after Vicko Bujović was killed in an unrest on city streets, Matija was forced to leave Perast for alleged involvement when he was 28. He escaped to Dubrovnik and further to Istanbul, where he found refuge with Russian embassador Peter Tolstoy. In 1712, Tolstoy sent him with recommendations to Peter I. Impressed with Zmajević's education and maritime skills, the tsar accepted him in military service and sent him to Sankt Petersburg with the rank of Captain of Fregate, and he continued to quickly climb naval ranks.

Zmajević had great successes in maritime battles against Sweden, with whom Russia fought the Great Northern War for supremacy on Baltic Sea. He captured 7 Swedish ships in Battle of Gangut 1714, and his fleet heavily defeated Swedes at Grengam in 1720, marking the end of the Great Northern War. As a result of Zmajević's victory, Peter the Great sent some of his young officers (bolyars) to the town of Perast in Boka in order to study maritime sciences there. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and put in charge for building the river fleet of Don. In 1725, he was honored to carry the emperor's crown at the funeral of Peter I. Tsar's successor, Catherine I of Russia, decorated Zmajević with the order of Alexander Nevsky, and in 1727 he was awarded the ultimate rank of Admiral.

After the death of Catherine I in 1727, Zmajević was accused of embezzlement, and sentenced to death in front of court-martial. He was abolished in the last minute and put aside as governor of Astrakhan area in the rank of Vice-Admiral, where he spent last years of his life. He worked on establishment of the Black Sea Fleet, which would carry on to play a significant role in Russian expansion to south after his death. He was buried with greatest military honours in the Catholic church of Saint Ludvig in Moscow.

Zmajević has testated numerous donations to his hometown Perast and Boka Kotorska.