Okhta shipyard
Crichton built a number of torpedo boats and other vessels predominantly for the Imperial Russian Navy.
In 1822 was started construction of a garrison building for 600 marines on the institute ruins; subsequently, also shops were built, as well as warehouses, sawmill and number of other workshops.
The Okhta area was joined to the city of Saint Petersburg in 1829 and in the same year planning of a new shipyard was assigned to V.F.
Stoke; the Czar personally ordered, that the yard must have two large cradles for frigates and two smaller ones for brigs and other small vessels.
The large and showy sheds remained until the early 20th century as a characteristic landmark of the Okhta area.
[1] During the years 1811–1864 the Okhta yard built 9 ships of the line, 28 frigates, 11 patrol boats, 17 brigs and 104 vessels of other types.
[2] In 1895 the Finnish shipbuilder and engineering company, Turku located W:m Crichton & C:o started negotiations with Admiralty about torpedo boat building.
The initial plan was to build the hulls and other parts in Turku and transfer them to Saint Petersburg for final assembly.
The contract with validity of 35 years signed on 19 July 1896 included responsibility to invest on the premises and equip them with modern machinery.
[2] The company's motive for starting shipbuilding in Saint Petersburg were getting closer to the key customer and avoiding of tolls the Empire had imposed on the Grand Duchy of Finland.
One reason why Crichton selected the Okhta yard was probably low cost; Saint Petersburg was a fast-growing metropolis in which good locations were expensive.
Crichton was only allowed to use local workforce apart from some ten Finns, who worked as supervisors for the 400–500 yard workers.
[3] In 1898 two shipbuilding cradles were renovated and new foundry and power plants, as well as carpenter and model workshops were built.
In the same year commercial counsellor Martinsson, the representative of W:m Crichton & C:o, signed a contract with Admiralty for four Sokol-type torpedo boats.
[2] Despite the large sum Crichton invested on machinery, the yard could not produce a single steam engine or boiler; they were shipped from Turku or sourced locally.
In the following year the loss was reduced to 482 912 marks, because some torpedo boat repair projects had turned profitable.
As a solution, some Russian owners of W:m Crichton & C:o suggested closing the Turku yard and focusing the production entirely in Okhta but the plan was rejected.
[3] The Russian authorities suspected that W:m Crichton & C:o built some of the ordered vessels in Finland and transferring the profit to its Finnish branch.
In the subsequent audit it came out that the Okhta yard did not fulfill the terms of the contract; the company had not made the agreed investments on the premises.
Hawser production began in 1931 and later in the same decade the yard started building naval trawlers for the Soviet Navy.
During the Great Patriotic War in 1941–1945 the yard produced shells and modified trawlers for military purposes; additionally, 118 cutters and 14 barges were built for the Road of Life.
