The "Fleet Support Movement", reorganized in 1997 from the Public Council "300 Years of the Russian Navy", became the generator of public initiative in matters of fleet assistance. One of the main tasks of the former public organization was to prepare for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Navy. But soon this task faded into the background, and the Public Council was directly involved in coordinating the work to provide assistance to the fleet. He was engaged in creating relations between the command of fleets and the administration of Russian regions, the management of large enterprises, and the public.

The Council participated in the development of the Naval Garrison program, aimed at relocating families of retired military personnel from closed military camps in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. In the course of implementing this program, contacts were established with the heads of cities in central Russia interested in such cooperation. An All-Russian campaign was held to raise funds for the completion of ships.

By its renaming, the Public Council decided to legally consolidate its policy of comprehensive support not only for the Russian Navy, but also for the entire fleet. Currently, the Fleet Support Movement operates a multi-pronged assistance scheme.

The first task is to develop a unified maritime national concept. The "Movement" believes that Russia needs a universal Maritime law. In 1912-1913, such a law was developed in Russia. Today, attempts are also being made to create similar legislation. As part of the development of the law, work is being carried out with deputies of all levels. The purpose of this work is to adopt amendments to the upcoming law, proposing to establish a lower threshold for the fleet with a reasonable ratio of warships of various classes.

Today we can already state that the country has created a self-developing system of fleet support by the heads of local administrations and economic structures. There are several examples of what is called a bottom-up initiative. So, the Vologda Region sends food products to the Northern Fleet. Under the patronage of the Moscow Government and Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, significant social and technical assistance is provided to the Black Sea Fleet, and in 1997 the newest nuclear submarine "Yuri Dolgoruky"was laid down in Severodvinsk. The Mayor of St. Petersburg instructed to find additional funds for the completion of the minesweeper "Valentin Pikul". The Governor of the Sverdlovsk region resolves the issue of gratuitous transfer of components for ships under construction. A decree of the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region has been issued to support the All-Russian campaign to raise funds to help the fleet. Nizhny Novgorod residents, in particular Gorky Automobile Plant, are actively involved in the modernization of the Ochakov BOD, based in Sevastopol.

In addition, various associations of assistance to the fleet are being created today, such as the association of cities that patronize the Northern Fleet.

Of course, the navy should be taken care of by the state, whose flag it carries on rivers, seas and oceans. But today, alas, we cannot do without the help of public organizations. And if today our sailors are supported, as they say, by the whole world, Russia will certainly enter the XXI century, as before, as a Great maritime power.

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