Gordey Ivanovich Levchenko (; 1 February 1897 – 26 May 1981) was a

Soviet 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 ...

naval commander and admiral from 1944.

Biography

Born at Dubrovka,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, a part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, in 1897, Levchenko joined the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...

in 1913. He graduated from training in 1914 and in 1916 graduated as a non-commissioned artillery officer from the Kronstadt class. He participated in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

and the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. He was involved in the storming the

Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...

, and fought against the White forces of General

Nikolai Yudenich Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich ( Russian: Николай Николаевич Юденич; – 5 October 1933) was a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I. He was a leader of the anti-communist White movement in northweste ...

. Levchenko became a member of the Russian Communist Party (b) 1919 and in took part in suppressing the mutiny at the

Krasnaya Gorka fort Krasnaya Gorka (; meaning "Red Hill") is a coastal artillery fortress in Lomonosovsky District, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, opposite Kotlin Island and the Baltic Fleet's base at Kronstadt. ...

and the

Kronstadt rebellion The Kronstadt rebellion () was a 1921 insurrection of Soviet sailors, Marines, naval infantry, and civilians against the Bolsheviks, Bolshevik government in the Russian port city of Kronstadt. Located on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland, ...

. Levchenko graduated from the Naval School in 1922 and was assigned to serve with the

Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...

. In 1927 he was appointed to command the destroyer ''Artyom''. In 1930, after completing courses at the Naval Academy, he took command of the cruiser ''Aurora'' and a detachment of

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

s. Between January 1932 and January 1933 he commanded the

Caspian Flotilla The Caspian Flotilla () is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea. Established in November 1722 by the order of Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Caspian Flotilla is the oldest flotilla in the Russian ...

, and from January 1933 to August 1935 he commanded the battleship division of the Baltic Fleet. In August 1935 he was demoted for the loss of the submarine ''B-3'' during exercises. In 1935–37, he commanded the destroyer squadron of the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

. From August 1937 to January 1938 Levchenko was Chief of Staff of the Baltic Fleet, and from January 1938 to April 1939 commanded the Baltic Fleet. On 3 April 1939 he was promoted to "flagman 1st rank" and became Deputy Commissar of the Navy. On 4 June 1940 he was promoted to vice admiral, and went to the Southern Front during the Second World War, where he participated in the battles of Odessa,

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...

and

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

. On 22 October 1941 he took command of the troops in the

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

, until early November 1941. With the fall of

Kerch Kerch, also known as Keriç or Kerich, is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of Crimea. It has a population of Founded 2,600 years ago as the Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies, ancient Greek colony Pantik ...

to Axis forces that month, Levchenko was arrested on a charge of inciting defeatism and panic.

Grigory Kulik Grigory Ivanovich Kulik (; ; 9 November 1890 – 24 August 1950) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union who served as chief of the Red Army's Main Artillery Directorate from 1937 until June 1941. Born into a Ukrainian ...

testified against him, and Levchenko was sentenced to 10 years in prison on 25 January 1942. He was pardoned on 31 January, though he was demoted to

captain 1st rank Captain 1st rank () is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of List of communist states#Former communist states, former communist states. The rank is the most senior rank in the staff officers' career group. The rank is equivalent to Colone ...

on 19 March 1942. Assigned to the Baltic area of operations, Levchenko led an amphibious landing operation against the Finnish island of Someri in the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

on 8 July 1942. The assault was repulsed with heavy losses for the Soviet forces. From late 1942 to 1944 he was base commander in Leningrad, and the naval base at

Kronstadt Kronstadt (, ) is a Russian administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg, port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal cities of Russia, federal city of Saint Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg, near the head ...

. He was promoted to kontr admiral on 18 April 1943 and participated in the defence of the city during its long siege. Levchenko arranged the transportation and supply of troops during the blockade. He was restored to the rank of vice admiral on 22 February 1944, and was advanced to the rank of full admiral on 25 September 1944. From May 1946 Levchenko served as commander of the South-Baltic Fleet (4th Navy), then as deputy minister and admiral inspector of the Navy from 1953 to 1960. Between 1956 and 1958 he was deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy for combat training. From 1958 he was part of the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defence. Levchenko retired from service in September 1960. His memoir «Годы огневые» (''The Fiery Years'') appeared in the same year. He died in Moscow on 26 May 1981 and was buried at the

Novodevichy Cemetery Novodevichy Cemetery () is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site. History The cemetery was designed by Ivan Mashkov and inaugurated ...

Honours and awards

* Three

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

, four times * Order of Ushakov, 1st class, twice *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

, twice * Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin" *

Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to recognise the valour and hard work of the Soviet ...

* Medal "For the Defence of Odessa" * Medal "For the Defence of Sevastopol" *

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...

* Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" * Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" *

Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on January 24, 1938 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the twentie ...

* Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" * Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" * Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The ''Udaloy''-class destroyer ''Admiral Levchenko'', is named after Gordey Ivanovich Levchenko.

References

External links

Отдел Санкт-Петербургской епархии по связям с ВМФ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levchenko, Gordey 1897 births 1981 deaths Bolsheviks Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War People of the Russian Revolution Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Ushakov, 1st class Russian military personnel of World War I Imperial Russian Navy personnel Soviet admirals Soviet military personnel of World War II from Ukraine Soviet non-fiction writers Soviet male writers Admirals of World War II Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery Soviet male non-fiction writers Higher Special Officer Classes of the Navy alumni