The history of the Russian Navy has more than three centuries. During this time, hundreds of outstanding commanders were awarded the rank of admiral. Some of them played a significant role in the fate of not only the fleet, but the whole country.
Apraksin Fedor Matveevich
According to legend, the family of the famous admiral and associate of Peter the Great came from the aristocratic class of the Golden Horde. The Tatar-Mongol ancestor of the boyar dynasty received Christian baptism and married the Russian princess during the reign of Dmitry Donskoy. His distant descendant Fedor Apraksin at a young age entered the service at the royal court. Acting as a steward, he managed to gain the trust and favor of young Peter.
The first serious state post of Apraksin was the post of governor in Arkhangelsk. He happened to accompany the king in sailing along the White Sea. Soon after this, Apraksin received from the sovereign the rank of major and appointment to the Semenovsky regiment. In subsequent years, he was a constant companion of the emperor-reformer in all military campaigns and diplomatic missions. Apraksin took part in the second siege of Azov. As part of the Great Embassy, he visited Holland, where he got acquainted with the basics of maritime affairs. Apraksin led the construction of ships in Voronezh, which were to become the basis of the Russian fleet. He made a huge contribution to the implementation of Peter the Great's plans to turn the country into a new maritime power. Apraksin was destined to become one of the first in the list of Russian admirals.
Commanding the army and navy in Ingermanland during the Northern War, he proved himself to be a prudent strategist. Apraksin managed to repel the Swedes attack on Petersburg and forced the capitol of Vyborg to capitulate. One of the first admirals of the Russian fleet participated in the famous defeat of King Charles’s squadron at Cape Gangut.
Soon after, Apraksin fell into royal disfavor due to allegations of corruption. Only past merits saved him from severe punishment. Subsequently, Tsar Peter forgave Apraksin and appointed him Governor-General of the provinces conquered from the Swedes. One of the first admirals of the Russian fleet survived his emperor for several years and died in 1728.
Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich
This naval commander is famous for not losing a single ship in battles. Another unusual fact is that the Orthodox Church Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov is considered a saint. One of the most prominent admirals of the Russian fleet began his career on the Baltic Sea. During the first war with the Turks, he participated in the defense of the Crimean coast. Ushakov later commanded Catherine II's personal yacht and defended Russian merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea against attacks by the British fleet. He fully demonstrated his brilliant abilities during the war with the Ottoman Empire of 1787-1791. Ushakov defeated superior enemy forces at the island of Fidonisi, in the Strait of Kerch and at Cape Tendra and Kaliakria. In 1799, he became one of the admirals of the Russian fleet.
Ushakov resigned without losing any of his 43 naval battles. The naval commander devoted the last years of his life to prayers and church services.
Kruzenshtern Ivan Fedorovich
The famous Russian admiral had German-Swedish roots. At birth, he was given the name Adam Johann Ritter von Kruzenshtern. This navigator led the first Russian round-the-world expedition. Kruzenshtern joined the imperial fleet with the rank of midshipman after training in the cadet corps in Kronstadt. For valor shown in the battles of the Russian-Swedish war, he received the rank of lieutenant.
In 1799, Kruzenshtern submitted to the tsarist government a project for establishing direct maritime communications with the Russian colonies in America. The proposal was supported by the Academy of Sciences and approved by Alexander the First. An additional benefit of the project was paving a more convenient way to trade with China. The expedition lasted two years. Kruzenshtern and his assistants compiled an atlas and a travel report, which described in detail all the lands and peoples seen. This scientific work has been translated into many European languages.
The subsequent years of his life, Kruzenshtern mainly devoted to teaching. He was awarded an honorary membership in the Academy of Sciences and was appointed director of the navigation school. Kruzenshtern has made many improvements to the work of this educational institution. He died in 1846 at his estate in Estonia.
Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich
This admiral went down in history as the commander of the fleet and ground forces during the Crimean War and the siege of Sevastopol. Nakhimov studied at the St. Petersburg Marine Nobility Corps and received the first experience of sailing on a ship at the age of fifteen. After participating in a round-the-world expedition, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant.
Nakhimov distinguished himself in a major naval battle of the combined squadron of Russia, France and England against the Ottoman fleet. In history, this event is known as the Battle of Navarino. In reward for the skillful use of artillery, Nakhimov was appointed captain of a trophy ship.
During the Crimean War, he carried out a brilliant operation to block and destroy the Turkish fleet in the harbor of the city of Sinop. Nakhimov received the rank of admiral and was appointed military governor of Sevastopol. He commanded the defense of the city and maintained the fighting spirit of soldiers and officers. In 1855, while at the forefront, Nakhimov received a fatal bullet wound. The admiral was buried in the crypt of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Sevastopol.
Essen Nikolai Ottovich
The commander of the Russian fleet on the Baltic Sea came from a family of Ostseey Germans. His ancestors served the empire from the time of Peter the Great. After graduating from the cadet corps and the naval academy, Nikolai Essen received the rank of lieutenant and in the process of developing his future career he commanded several ships, including the battleship Sevastopol. Admiral's name went down in history in connection with the Russo-Japanese War. After the surrender of the Port Arthur fortress, he flooded the Sevastopol so that the ship would not go to the enemy. Essen was taken to Nagasaki as a prisoner of war, but was released two months later. After returning to Petersburg, he received the Order of St. George as a reward for his brave actions.
During the First World War, Essen commanded the Baltic Fleet. Many considered him the most capable Russian admiral of the time. Nikolai Essen died unexpectedly in 1915 as a result of an illness. The frigate of the Russian Navy is named after him.
Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich
The last admiral of the empire became the recognized leader of the White movement. Alexander Kolchak had great authority among the opponents of the Bolsheviks. During the Civil War, he headed the Provisional Siberian Government in Omsk. Kolchak’s attempts to unite all anti-Bolshevik forces were unsuccessful. After the White movement was on the verge of defeat, the Czech allies extradited the admiral of the Red Army. Kolchak was executed without trial. The place of his burial is unknown.
Soviet Union
In the Russian Empire, the rank of admiral was awarded to 189 people. The first of them was an associate of Peter the Great, Franz Lefort, and the last was Alexander Kolchak. In the USSR, this title began to be awarded in 1940. In total, 79 Soviet naval commanders received it. By the decision of Joseph Stalin, a higher rank was established, corresponding to the land marshal - Fleet Admiral. Soon after the collapse of the USSR, it was canceled.
Russian Federation
Many Soviet admirals remained in the service of the Russian Navy. The appropriation of the highest maritime rank continued into the new era. The list of admirals of the Russian Federation totals 35 people. Since 1992, six owners of this title have held the post of commander in chief of the Navy:
- Gromov Felix Nikolaevich.
- Kuroedov Vladimir Ivanovich.
- Masorin Vladimir Vasilievich.
- Vysotsky Vladimir Sergeevich.
- Chirkov Victor Viktorovich.
- Korolev Vladimir Ivanovich.
The predecessor of the current commander, Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov, was forced to resign due to health problems. The Minister of Defense handed admiral Korolyov the standard of the Navy in April 2016.