Aleksandr Vladimirovich Starovoitov (; 18 October 1940 – 17 July 2021) was an officer of the Soviet and Russian security services and academic, specialising in communications technologies. He reached the rank of

army general Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

, and was awarded the title of

Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation ( rus, Герой Российской Федерации, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ), also unofficially called Hero of Russia ( rus, Герой России, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲiɪ), is ...

. Starovoitov's education and early career was spent specialising in electronics and communications, and after obtaining qualifications and practical experience in this area, he began research work at the Penza Scientific Electrotechnical Research Institute. Over the years he rose to head the institute, and became general director of the "Krystal" Research and Production Association, working under the Ministry of Communication Equipment Industry. During this time he oversaw the development of

information security Information security is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthorized or inappropriate access to data ...

systems which were employed in the

Soviet Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...

, governmental departments and organs, and in economic and financial institutions. By the late 1980s he had become a leading expert in the field of communications research and development, and in 1986 he was appointed deputy head for technological equipment of the

KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...

's Government Communications Department. He was briefly chairman of the Government Communications Committee prior to the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

, and then became general director of

FAPSI FAPSI () or Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information (FAGCI) () was a Russian government agency, which was responsible for signal intelligence and security of governmental communications. The present-day FAPSI successor agen ...

, the Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information. Under Starovoitov's leadership FAPSI became one of the largest intelligence agencies in the Russian Federation, and he rose through the ranks to become an

. Dismissed from his post in 1998, he retired in 1999, being awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation that year. He remained active in commercial fields related to his service, in senior leadership positions in businesses and enterprises, as well as in research and academia. He was a member of numerous scientific bodies and academies, and had received a number of academic and governmental distinctions prior to his death in 2021.

Early life and career

Starovoitov was born on 18 October 1940 into a Russian family in the town of Balashov,

Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Saratov. As of the 2021 Russian cens ...

, in the

Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. He moved with his family, which had military connections, to Kamenka,

Penza Oblast Penza Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Penza. As of the Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census, its population was ...

in 1952. He studied at the faculty of encryption and coding technology at Penza Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1962 with a degree in electromechanical communication equipment, and the qualification of an electrical engineer. He began his career as an engineer at the Kalugapribor plant, working as a senior tuning engineer and the deputy head of workshop number 8. After three years practical technical experience, in 1965 Starovoitov joined the Penza Scientific Electrotechnical Research Institute as a senior engineer and laboratory chief. In 1976 he became head of the research department and deputy director for scientific work, and in 1982 he was appointed director of the institute, and first deputy general director of science at the "Krystal" Research and Production Association of the Ministry of Communication Equipment Industry. In 1983 Starovoitov was appointed general director of the "Krystal" Research and Production Association, a post he continued to hold alongside his position as director of the Penza Scientific Electrotechnical Research Institute. Over the next three years, until 1986, he oversaw the development of information security systems which were employed in the

, governmental departments and organs, and in economic and financial institutions. He was also involved in developing automated control systems. Starovoitov received the

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

in 1981 for the scientific development and organisation of large-scale production of special communications equipment, and in 1986 received the

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

for "the creation and organisation of the serial production of data transmission services for frontline automated control systems".

With the KGB and FAPSI

Coat of arms of the Russian Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information

By now having successfully combined an academic career with development and production work, and having become a leading expert in the field of communications technology, in May 1986 Starovoitov was called up for military service. He was granted the rank of major general, having previously been a lieutenant colonel in the KGB reserve. He was appointed deputy head for technological equipment of the

's Government Communications Department, serving in the KGB's central offices. During his five years in the post, he oversaw the roll out of modern communications systems throughout government departments. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on 11 April 1991, and in September 1991 he was appointed chairman of the Government Communications Committee, a post he held through the last months of the

. On 24 December 1991 Starovoitov was appointed general director of

, the Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information. Under his leadership FAPSI became one of the largest intelligence agencies in the Russian Federation. Promoted to

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

on 12 February 1993, Starovoitov continued to develop his skills, and in 1997 graduated from the

Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia The Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation () is the senior staff college of the Russian Armed Forces. The academy is located in Moscow, on 14 Kholzunova Lane. It was founded in 1936 as a Soviet inst ...

with a degree in defence and security. He had connections with leading businesses and enterprises involved in telecommunications, sitting on the board of directors of

Rostelecom Rostelecom (Ростелеком) is Russia’s largest provider of digital services for a wide variety of consumers, households, private businesses, government and municipal authorities, and other telecom providers. Rostelecom interconnects all ...

and

Svyazinvest OJSC Svyazinvest ( Russian: ОАО Связьинвест) was Russia's largest telecommunications holding company. Based in Moscow, it was founded according to Order №1297 of the Russian government on November 25, 1994, and was registered on Se ...

, and was chairman of the

Security Council of Russia The Security Council of the Russian Federation ( SCRF or Sovbez; ) is a constitutional consultative body of the Russian president that supports the president's decision-making on national security affairs and matters of strategic interest. Comp ...

's Interdepartmental Commission on Information Security, as well as chairman of the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...

's coordinating council on communications and encryption security. On 23 February 1998 he was promoted to

Retirement and later life

Starovoitov was dismissed as director of FAPSI on 7 December 1998, ostensibly to allow his transfer to another position. No such transfer occurred, and he was dismissed from military service in 1999. No longer in government service, he returned to research and development on communication systems. On 17 August 1999 he was awarded the title of

. The award, made by

decree of the President of Russia A Decree of the President of the Russian Federation (; ''Ukaz Prezidenta Rossiyskoy Federatsii'') or Executive Order (Decree) of the President of Russia is a legal act (''ukase'') with the status of a by-law made by the President of Russia. As no ...

, was closed, but the reason was speculated to be because of his work on the . Starovoitov continued to work in commercial fields related to his expertise. Between 2003 and 2006 he was general director of Tech-Inform Consulting, and in 2006 he became director, and then in 2012 president, of the Centre for Information Technologies and Executive Authority Systems at the Federal State Autonomous Scientific Institution. Also in 2006 he became general director of the International Centre for Informatics and Electronics, working in the fields of military and special weapons equipment. His academic work brought him the title of professor, and doctor of technical sciences. He authored over 170 scientific works, including 8 monographs, and held 48 patents. He was also chairman of the National Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries (NC SESLA), and in 2009 was appointed chairman of the Russia-Chile Business Council. Starovoitov was married to Tatiana (born 6 September 1939), and had a son, Dmitry, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, who died in 1999. Starovoitov lived and worked in Moscow, dying there on 17 July 2021 at the age of 80.

Prime Minister of Russia The prime minister of the Russian Federation, also domestically stylized as the chairman of the government of the Russian Federation and widely recognized as the prime minister, is the head of government of Russia and the second highest ranking ...

Mikhail Mishustin Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin (born 3 March 1966) is a Russian politician and economist serving as the current prime minister of Russia since 16 January 2020. He previously served as the director of the Federal Taxation Service from 2010 to ...

expressed his condolences, stating that Starovoitov had "made a huge contribution to the development of national science and contributed to the strengthening of the country's defence capability." Starovoitov was buried in the fourth section of the

Troyekurovskoye Cemetery The Troyekurovo Cemetery (), alternatively known as ''Novo-Kuntsevo Cemetery'' (), is a cemetery in Moscow, Russia. The cemetery is located in the former village of Troyekurovo on the western edge of Moscow, which derives its name from the Troye ...

Honours and awards

Besides the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, Starovoitov had received numerous awards and honours over his long career. He was awarded the

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...

Fourth Class on 9 April 1996, and the Third Class in 2020. He had also received the

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

on 11 June 2016, and the Soviet-era awards of the

on 8 August 1986, and the

on 10 March 1981. He also held several professional awards and distinctions, including the titles of on 21 October 1993, Honoured State Security Officer in 1991, Honoured Communications Industry Worker, and . He had also been awarded the thanks of the President of Russia on 12 July 1996. Among Starovoitov's academic distinctions was that of a laureate of the

State Prize of the Russian Federation The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates ...

in 1995 for the development of government communication systems, and two prizes of the government of the Russian Federation; in 2008 for the development of special information systems, and in 2013 for his technical and academic work. He was an academician of the , academician and first vice president of the A. M. Prokhorov Academy of Engineering Sciences, and academician of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, the Russian Academy of Electrical Sciences, the

Russian Academy of Natural Sciences The Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (Russian language, Russian: Российская академия естественных наук) is a Russian non-governmental organization founded on August 31 1990 in Moscow in the former Soviet Uni ...

, and the International Academy of Communications. He was also a board member of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission's Scientific and Technical Council, and a member of the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...

's Defence Research Council. He had received the Russian Academy of Sciences's in 2020 for his works on the "Creation of scientific foundations and development of design methods and software and hardware implementation of promising information transmission systems".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starovoitov, Aleksandr 1940 births 2021 deaths People from Balashov Generals of the army (Russia) Heroes of the Russian Federation Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates KGB officers Academic staff of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Penza State University alumni Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery

Early life and career

With the KGB and FAPSI

Retirement and later life

Honours and awards

See also

References