25 Roubles THE GANGUT SEA BATTLE

The Battle of Gangut in July 1714 was Peter the Great's first significant naval victory, won against a Swedish fleet in the Gulf of Finland during the Great Northern War. Peter himself commanded the engagement, directing a rowing galley assault that captured the Swedish rear admiral Ehrenskjöld along with his entire squadron — the first time a Russian fleet had taken an enemy flagship in battle. The victory broke Swedish control of the Finnish coastline and opened the Baltic to Russian expansion.

This coin was issued as part of Russia's substantial commemorative program marking the battle's 280th anniversary. The 1996 series drew on considerable archival and historical consultation, and the 173-gram format placed it firmly in the large-format proof category that the Bank of Russia used selectively for prestige historical subjects.