According to tidings from St. Petersburg increased the strength of the Russian navy in the last 6 years while commanded by Grand Duke Constantine with 400%. In stead of the 46 large warships in 1855 merely just existing on paper numbered the fleet in the summer of 1857 all ready 158 warships of which 73 large steamships. In 1858 consisted the Baltic fleet of 27 divisions each existing of a 60-120 gun ship of the line and a large number of steam gunboats. The Pacific fleet was equally strengthened mainly existing of steamships fitted out with engines built by the gigantic plant at Astrakhan since 1857.
