Gennady Petrovich Lyachin (; 1 January 1955 – 12 August 2000) was a Russian navy officer. He was the commanding officer of the Russian submarine ''Kursk'' when the vessel suffered a series of explosions and sank on 12 August 2000. Lyachin was born in Sarpinsky in

Volgograd Oblast Volgograd Oblast ( rus, Волгоградская область, p=vəɫɡɐˈgratskəjə ˈobɫəsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the Volga region, lower Volga region of Southern Russia ...

. He entered the Navy in 1972 and graduated from the

Higher Naval School of Submarine Navigation The Higher Naval School of Submarine Navigation, formally the Higher Naval School of Submarine Navigation named after Leninsky Komsomol (), was a higher naval education institution in Saint Petersburg which prepared prospective officers for commi ...

named for Lenin Komsomol in 1977 and was commissioned as an officer. He served as a weapons officer aboard the diesel-electric ''Juliett'' class cruise missile submarine K-58. From 1984 to 1986, as Captain 3rd Rank, he served as the executive officer of the K-77, also a ''Juliett'' Class. In 1986 he attended

Higher Special Officer Classes of the Navy The Higher Special Officer Classes of the Navy, formally the Higher Special Officer Order of Lenin Classes of the Navy (), and known by its abbreviation VSOK VMF () is a higher naval education institution in Saint Petersburg which educates serving ...

during which time he was promoted to Captain 2nd Rank. In October 1988, Lyachin received his first command, the K-304 also a ''Juliett'' class. He held this position until the K-304 was decommissioned after the

fall 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 Nationalities, Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. :s: ...

in 1991. In April 1991, he was appointed executive officer of a nuclear submarine, the Project 949A ''Antey'' class (NATO reporting name ''Oscar-II'') K-119 ''Voronezh'' and served aboard through 1996. He and the newly formed crew spent the time between September 1991 and March 1993 undergoing training in

Obninsk Obninsk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Protva River southwest of Moscow and northeast of Kaluga. Its population is 125,376 at the 2021 census. History The history of ...

. Lyachin was promoted to the rank of Captain 1st Rank in 1996 and given command of the ''Voronezhs sister ship, the ill-fated K-141 ''Kursk'', the very last Project 949A submarine to be completed, which had been commissioned only two years earlier. When the ''Kursk'' sank on August 12, 2000, Lyachin perished along with the rest of the 117 crew members. President of the Russian Federation

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

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 ...

to Lyachin

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death * Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...

"For courage and heroism, during performance of sailor's duties".

External links

Biography from warheroes.ru

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyachin, Gennady 1955 births 2000 deaths People from Kalmykia Heroes of the Russian Federation Higher Naval School of Submarine Navigation alumni Higher Special Officer Classes of the Navy alumni Kursk submarine disaster Russian Navy personnel Soviet submarine commanders Burials at Serafimovskoe Cemetery People lost at sea

See also

External links