Sergei Georgievich Gorshkov

Born Feb. 13 (26), 1910, in Kamenets-Podol’sk. Admiral of the Soviet Union (1967). Hero of the Soviet Union (May 7, 1965). Member of the CPSU since 1942.

Born into a teacher’s family, Gorshkov graduated from the M. V. Frunze Naval School (1931), courses for commanders of torpedo boats (1937), and advanced training courses for senior officers at the Naval Academy (1941). During 1931–32 he served in the Black Sea Fleet and during 1932–39, in the Pacific Fleet. In 1939 he became commander of a brigade of destroyers and in 1940, commander of a brigade of cruisers in the Black Sea Fleet. During the Great Patriotic War, Gorshkov participated in the defense of Odessa, and beginning in October 1941 he commanded the Azov Flotilla. In November 1942 he became deputy commander of the Novorossiisk Defense Area and temporarily commanded the Forty-seventh Army during the defense of the Caucasus. During 1943–44 he commanded the Azov Flotilla, which operated successfully in the liberation of the Taman’ Peninsula and the Crimea. Beginning in April 1944, Gorshkov was commander of the Danube Flotilla, which took part in the liberation of the Ukraine, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. In January 1945 he became commander of a squadron of the Black Sea Fleet, during 1948–51 he was chief of staff, and during 1951–55 he was commander of the Black Sea Fleet. From July 1955 to January 1956 he was first deputy commander in chief of the navy. From January 1956 he was commander in chief of the navy and deputy minister of defense of the USSR. In 1956 he became a candidate member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, of which he became a member in 1961. He was a deputy in the fourth through eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Gorshkov has been awarded four Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, four Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Kutuzov First Class, the Order of Ushakov (First and Second Class), the Order of the Red Star, and honorary weapons and medals.