Granville made an extended account of the economic, political and cultural life during his visit to St. Petersburg. One of the things he described was the Admiralty complex at St. Petersburg. His book was published in 1829, his account dated around 1828.
P. 65: "The day before our arrival, a ship of three decks, to mount 110 guns, was launched from the slips of the Admiralty, in the presence of the Emperor and an immense concourse of people. She was named the Emperor Alexander, and was built by Colonel Isakoff, on Sepping's principle.(1) On these occasions, the Members of the Council of the Admiralty and the Diplomatic Corps invariably attend, and the ceremony is performed with great eclat. The ship was commissioned immediately by Captain Selivatcheff, and laid up for the winter alongside the right bank of the Neva. About a fortnight before this, another vessel, called the Grand Duke Michael (2), of seventy-four guns, constructed by Colonel Stocke, had been launched from the Admiralty Stocks at Ochkta, not far from the Admiralty, and commissioned by Captain Hamaley; and a third vessel of eighty-four guns was launched from the New Admiralty to the west ward of the English Quay, on the 31st of October, also in the presence of the Emperor and the Hereditary
p. 66: Grand-duke. She was christened L'Imperatrice Alexandra, in honour of the reigning Empress.(3) I witnessed this striking ceremony from a distance. The day proved exceedingly favourable, and the whole population of St. Petersburgh seemed to have emptied itself on the two opposite banks of the river, where platforms and steps had been erected to receive it, and where they rent the air with their shouts on witnessing the ceremony, and on hearing the revered name of their Empress proclaimed at the sound of artillery which marked the progress of the vessel into the bosom of the Neva. Thus, in the short space of three weeks, the Navy of Russia was augmented by three ships of the line, one of them a first-rate, all built in the very heart of the capital, and on the most approved principles adopted by the first maritime nation of Europe. In the following year, a forty-four gun frigate was launched from the Admiralty Stocks, called the Elizabeth (4), and from those at Okhta, a new seventy-four gun ship called the Arcis (5), and a sloop of twenty guns. The former is constructed on the principle of Sir Robert Sepping."
Sources
A.B. Granville. St. Petersburgh. A journal of travels to and from that capital; through Flanders, the Rhenish provinces, Prussia, Russia, Poland, Silesia, Saxony, the Federated States of Germany, and France. London, 1829. Digitized by Google.
http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_line_of_Russia
http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/List_of_Russian_sail_frigates
Notes
1. The Imperator Aleksandr of 110 guns, built 1827, broken up 1854.
2. The Velikii Kniaz Mikhail of 86 guns, built 1827, rebuilt as floating crane 1860 and finally decommissioned 1863?
3. The Imperatritsa Aleksandra of 84/96 guns, built 1827 and decommissioned 1863.
4. The Elisaveta of 44/63 guns, built 1828, hulked as depot 1838.
5. The Arsis of 80 guns, built 1828, hulked 1854.
