In 1737 vessels built at shipyards in Bryansk and Kiev and traveling to Ochakov had to overcome the Dniper rapids.

For a significant number of ships passing Dniper rapids proved fatal so commander of the fleet Vice Admiral Naum Senyavin decided to build the shipyard below the Dniper rapids near Khortytsya island.

Zaporizhzhya shipyard was located in the northern part of Small Khortytsya Island (Baida Island). Zaporozhian cossacks and the soldiers of the regular army headed by the master built ships for the Dniper flotilla. The prototype vessel was "Cossacks Seagull" - these ships had 24 oars were 60 feet in length, a width of 11 feet and a depth of 3 feet. The entire fleet on the Dniper at this time consisted of 462 ships of this type most of them around 400 was at Khortitsa and Malyshevskiy redoubt.

Archival sources indicate that the shipyard conducted active construction of galleys, brigantines, pramen, cossack seagulls and "duby" (ships done from oak). Most ships were cossack-type well adapted to fighting in the estuaries of the Dniper.

At the end of the war in 1739 part of ships of Dniper flotilla back to Khortitsa. During severe floods in 1739 sank 40 ships. Some ships due to cover by silt and sand persisted to our time and are available for research.

During the research around Small Khortytsya island was lifted two ships - Brigantine and Cossacks Seagull of XVIII centuries.

The first boat is brigantine - single-masted sailing and rowing vessel during the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739. Built on the Bryansk (Zaporozhye) shipyard in 1738. With a length of about 20 meters vessel had artillery and was intended for combat operations in the Black Sea. Brigantines were an attempt of synthesis of the European shipbuilding and experience of the Russian shipbuilders since the Great Northern War. Preservation of the brigantine about 70%.

The second boat is cossack boat from 1736-1739 gg. also well known as "Cossacks Seagull". In May 1998 the expedition leader of underwater archaeological work in line with the old shores of the Dniper has identified near Khortitsa a rowing boat. Analysis of the structures and artifacts allowed the ship attributed to the period of the Russian-Turkish war of 1736-1739 period and identify it as "Cossack boat" ("Cossacks Seagull") constructed following the example of a traditional oak galley.

October 13, 1999 the "Cossacks Seagull" was lifted to the surface. For restoration work was built a special hall in which the vessel remains to this day. The length of the ship - 18 m, width - 3,62 m, height of the mast - 10,4 meters. "Cossacks Seagull" had six pairs of oars and accommodates up to 50 people. On board were four guns which were mounted on pedestals - two at the stern and two on the nose. This ship was built of pine and oak. Work on the conservation and restoration of the ship which lasted almost ten years largely completed in late 2008 and in January 2009 "Cossacks Seagull" took its first visitors.

The project "Zaporozhian Cossacks Seagull" and Museum of Dniper Flotilla is the only implemented the project on the rise, conservation and restoration of historic vessels on the territory of Ukraine.

You could visit Zaporizhzhya Sights - Khortytsia Museum of Dniper Flotilla with

Ukraine Tour South Ring

Ukraine Tour East Ring