Nikolai Nikolayevich Amelko (; 22 November 1914 – 27 June 2007) was an officer of the

Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...

. He served during the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and reached the rank of

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

. Born in 1914, Amelko grew up in the early years of 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 ...

. Deciding on a naval career at an early age from time spent around naval units in the port city of Leningrad and its environs, he studied at the M. V. Frunze Higher Naval School and was commissioned an officer on graduation. His career nearly ended in disaster when he was accused of crimes during the

Great Purge The Great Purge, or the Great Terror (), also known as the Year of '37 () and the Yezhovshchina ( , ), was a political purge in the Soviet Union that took place from 1936 to 1938. After the Assassination of Sergei Kirov, assassination of ...

, but was acquitted. He went on to serve on a

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 ...

of 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 ...

, seeing service during the Winter War, and then during the

siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...

during the

. He had command of a detachment of

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s which had been converted to lay

smoke screen A smoke screen is smoke released to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks, aircraft, or ships. Smoke screens are commonly deployed either by a canister (such as a grenade) or generated by a vehicle (such as ...

s, seeing action 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. ...

throughout the war. Decorated and promoted for his service, he was appointed to take charge of demining operations in the gulf during the last months of the war, and into the postwar years. In 1956, now a rear-admiral, Amelko was appointed chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet. He oversaw the introduction of new technologies and tactics, and the complex international relations with Japan and the United States. Appointed to command the Pacific Fleet in 1962, he dealt with several crises in the region, including the response to the capture of the US

spy ship A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship. Sp ...

by North Korean forces, and the loss of the Golf II-class submarine ''K-129'', both in 1968. In 1969, Amelko was appointed deputy for anti-submarine forces, and in 1978, he became a Deputy Chief of the , a post he held until 1986. After a brief period as military adviser in the Group of Inspectors General, he retired from the armed forces in 1987. He worked at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

's scientific coordination centre, consulting on military and naval issues, and travelled widely, speaking on naval topics. He was involved in local and national politics, as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the So ...

. He was a candidate of naval sciences, and was awarded the

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

for his work in the creation of a satellite system covering the oceans. He wrote his memoirs, and died in 2007 at the age of 92, having received 43 state awards.

Early years and education

Amelko was born on 22 November 1914 in

Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, in what was then 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 ...

. His father, Nikolai Lukich (1880–1957) was a worker of Belarusian ethnicity. His mother, Tatyana Kalinovna (1882–1917), died when Nikolai was two years old, and he was raised by his stepmother, Anna Mikhailovna. Born during the

First World War 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 ...

, Nikolai Amelko grew up during the war and the

February February is the second month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years, with the February 29, 29th day being called the ''leap day''. February is the third a ...

and

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 ...

s in 1917, seeing the Russian Empire become the

. The family lived on the of

Vasilyevsky Island Vasilyevsky Island (, Vasilyevsky Ostrov, V.O.) is an island in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia, bordered by the Bolshaya Neva River, Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva Rivers (in the delta of the Neva River) in the south and northeast ...

, with Amelko becoming involved in local clubs and the Young Pioneers. He travelled to perform in factories and plants, in military units. Having visited the naval and border guard forces on Goloday Island and

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 ...

, Amelko decided to become a sailor. Amelko studied at a factory school before working for two years from the age of 14, and in 1931, at the age of 16, enrolled in the M. V. Frunze Higher Naval School. As a cadet he underwent practical training on the schooner ''Ucheba'', other training ships of the school, and the cruiser ''Aurora''. After graduating from the school in 1936, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and sent to Moscow to join the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

Intelligence Directorate Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as the ...

as assistant to the head of the directorate's naval department. Caught up in the

, he was accused of crimes, but soon acquitted. By 1937, he was commander of the electronic navigation department aboard the training ship ''Leningradsovet''.

Winter and Great Patriotic Wars

In November 1939 the Soviet Union invaded Finland, and the

broke out. Still holding his post on the ''Leningradsovet'', Amelko was assigned to command the landing craft in an amphibious assault on Seskar. After completing the task successfully, he was appointed executive officer of the ''Leningradsovet'', and then her commander. He commanded her for training voyages, taking cadets into the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

s, and was still her captain when in June 1941, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union began. Amelko oversaw the hasty armament of his ship with anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, using them to counter enemy air attacks while based in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

. A group of 20 sailors and petty officers were also deployed from the ship to bolster the city's defences. With the Soviet position fast deteriorating by August 1941, a risky naval evacuation began. ''Leningradsovet'' and other ships based in the city evacuated large numbers of people and equipment from the city, undertaking a dangerous voyage to Kronstadt through mined waters, and while under heavy air attack. ''Leningradsovet'' provided anti-air gunfire, but suffered several personnel wounded, among whom was Amelko. Nevertheless, they were able to rescue 400 people from sinking ships, and reached Kronstadt. For his performance in the battle, Amelko was awarded the

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 ...

, and an early promotion to the rank of

captain-lieutenant Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army. Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Fin ...

. Amelko now found himself based in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

as the city endured a 900-day siege. ''Leningradsovet'' was sent to bolster its air and artillery defences, and to carry out reconnaissance missions. In January 1942, Amelko was appointed commander of a division of net layers, and then of

s which had been converted to lay

s. The smoke screens provided coverage for the fleet during air and artillery attacks, and allowed ships to operate between Leningrad and Kronstadt, and into the

to carry out reconnaissance missions and to land troops behind enemy lines. Some instances, such as the landings on the island of during the , turned into fraught battles with German ships. In winter when the gulf froze over, sailors transferred to using

aerosledge An Aerosledge (, "aerosani") is a propeller-driven sledge, sleigh or toboggan which slides on runners or skis. Aerosleds are used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery, and patrolling borders in countries such as nor ...

s to provide smoke screens. In late 1943 they supported the crossing of General

Ivan Fedyuninsky Ivan Ivanovich Fedyuninsky (; July 30, 1900 – October 17, 1977) was a Soviet military leader and Hero of the Soviet Union (1939). Early life Fedyuninsky was born into a peasant family near Tugulym in the Urals. He finished the village schoo ...

2nd Shock Army The 2nd Shock Army (), sometimes translated to English as 2nd Assault Army, was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to ''o ...

from

Lisy Nos Lisy Nos (; literally, " fox's nose"; ) is a municipal settlement in Primorsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the cape of the same name in the northern part of the Kronstadt Bay. Population: The sett ...

to the

Oranienbaum Bridgehead The Oranienbaum Bridgehead ( in Russian) was an isolated portion of the Leningrad Oblast in Russia, which was retained under Soviet control during the siege of Leningrad in World War II. It played a significant role in protecting the city. Histo ...

, beginning operations to lift the siege of Leningrad. For their efforts during the war, the smoke screen boat division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, and Amelko received the Order of Nakhimov, 2nd class. Following the lifting of the siege, and the advance of Soviet forces pushing the enemy out of the areas they had occupied, Amelko was appointed in early spring 1945 to be chief of staff of the Kronstadt Naval Defence Region's minesweeping brigade. This consisted of 12 divisions, amounting to 157 ships and boats, working to clear the area of the several hundred thousand mines of various types which had been laid during the war, a task only deemed completed in 1953.

Postwar service

In 1949, Ameklo was given command of a brigade of the Riga Naval Base's defence region, consisting of several divisions of minesweepers, patrol ships, and anti-submarine vessels. Amelko's forces were based at the mouth of the

Daugava The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of ...

, and again had to carry out extensive minesweeping operations, with the assistance of naval divers. In 1952, Amelko was appointed chief of staff of the 64th Defence Ship Division based at

Baltiysk Baltiysk ( ); ; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; ; ; is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the northern part of the Vistula Spit, on the shore of the Strait of Baltiysk separ ...

, promoted to rear-admiral on 31 May 1954, later becoming its commander until 1955. He undertook studies at the Military Academy of the General Staff from 1953, graduating in 1956 and being appointed chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet. In this role Amelko oversaw the introduction of new technologies and tactics involving nuclear submarines and missiles, and the complex international relations with Japan and the United States, the latter becoming increasingly involved in Vietnam. Promoted to vice-admiral on 9 May 1961, in 1962, Amelko was appointed commander of the Pacific Fleet. He was promoted to admiral on 13 April 1964. In January 1968, the US

was captured by North Korean forces, prompting a naval response, Operation Formation Star, with the aircraft carriers and deploying off

Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

. The Soviet Union had a mutual assistance treaty with North Korea, and concerned by the US naval build up, Ameklo brought the Pacific Fleet to high alert status. Having reported the situation to Moscow, he sent the cruiser ''Varyag'' and a number of escorts, supported by

Tupolev Tu-16 The Tupolev Tu-16 (USAF/DOD reporting name Type 39; NATO reporting name: Badger) is a twin-engined jet strategic heavy bomber used by the Soviet Union. It has been flown for almost 70 years. While many aircraft in Soviet service were retired af ...

s, to the area. The immediate crisis passed, and Amelko's actions were approved in retrospect by the Soviet government. Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129

Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129

Amelko had to deal with another crisis when the fleet's Golf II-class submarine ''K-129'' went missing in the Pacific in March 1968. After determining that the submarine had sunk, a commission led by

deputy chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...

Leonid Smirnov arrived in Vladivostok to assess possible causes. The investigation found no important violations by the fleet command, ultimately suggesting two hypotheses. The first was that the submarine had been lost in a collision while surfaced, or that she had been flooded through the

submarine snorkel A submarine snorkel is a device which allows the engine of a submarine to operate Underwater, submerged while still taking in air from above the surface. British Royal Navy personnel often refer to it as the snort. A concept devised by Dutch eng ...

in bad weather. Smirnov pressed Amelko to indicate a culprit, to which Amelko replied "in the fleet, the commander is responsible for everything, report that I was to blame if you see violations in my actions." The commission returned to Moscow, and Amelko received a reprimand for unspecified reasons. The reprimand was expunged three months later by the Council of Ministers. Amelko later came to believe that the ''K-129'' was lost after a collision with the . In 1969, Amelko was appointed by the navy's Commander-in-Chief,

Sergey Gorshkov Sergey Georgyevich Gorshkov (; 26 February 1910 – 13 May 1988) was an admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union. Twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, he oversaw the expansion of the Soviet Navy into a global force during the Cold ...

, to the newly created position of deputy for anti-submarine forces. Here he oversaw the introduction of stealthier submarines, and new methods to track and engage enemy submarines. In 1978, he became a Deputy Chief of the , a post he held until 1986. Among his achievements in this position was efforts to prevent incidents between foreign ships, and the reduction of US and Soviet forces in the Indian Ocean. He also worked with Cuban authorities on questions related to the development of their armed forces. In February 1986, he was appointed a military adviser in the Group of Inspectors General, stepping down in December 1987, and retiring from the armed forces. He went to work for a time at the

's scientific coordination centre, consulting on military and naval issues. He travelled widely, participating in the Edinburgh Conversations, and visiting 28 countries.

Public, political and scientific work

Amelko was involved in politics at both the local and national level, having been elected to the Vladivostok city and regional councils during his time with the Pacific Fleet. He had also been a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the

. In retirement he was involved in public works, serving as deputy chairman of the International Committee "Peace to the Oceans", and participating in conferences, discussing the history of the Second World War, and naval affairs generally. He was a candidate of naval sciences, and was awarded the

for his work in the creation of a satellite system covering the oceans.

Family and later life

Amelko was married for 51 years to Tatyana Nikolayevna (1917–1990). Their son, Sergei Nikolayevich, was born in 1945. He served in the navy, reaching

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 ...

in the reserve, and later worked for the Ministry of Defence and the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

. Their daughter, Ksenia Nikolayevna, was born in 1952, and became a project chief architect in Giprozdrav. Their grandson, Sergey Nikolayevich, was born in 1972 and also served in the navy, reaching

captain 3rd rank Captain 3rd rank () is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of former communist states. The rank is the lowest rank in the staff officer's career group. The rank is equivalent to major in armies and air forces. Within NATO forces, the rank ...

and the position of deputy commander of the cruiser ''Aurora''. Amelko also had two granddaughters. In retirement Amelko settled in Moscow, living in an apartment at Patriarch Ponds, which contained

seascape A seascape is a photograph, painting, or other work of art which depicts the sea, in other words an example of marine art. The word originated as a formation from landscape, which was first used for images of land in art. By a similar de ...

ship model Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient ...

s and artefacts from his travels. His hobbies were classical, memoir and specialized literature, theatre and cinema. He wrote his memoirs, published as ''In the Interests of the Fleet and the State. Memories of an Admiral''. Nikolai Amelko died in Moscow on 27 June 2007, at the age of 92. He was buried beside his wife in the city's

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

Over his career Amelko received 43 state awards, divided between Soviet, Russian, and foreign awards. The Russian Federation awarded Amelko the Order of Honour in 2001. The Soviet government awarded him 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 ...

, the

three times, the Order of Nakhimov first and second classes, the

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

first class twice, 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 ...

, three Orders of the Red Star, and the

Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" (), also known as the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", was a Soviet Union, Soviet Order (honour), military order awarded in three classes ...

third class, as well as various medals including the

Medal of Zhukov The Medal of Zhukov () is a state award of the Russian Federation initially awarded to veterans of the Great Patriotic War but now awarded to serving members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is named in honour of Marshal of the ...

and the

Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" () was a Soviet military medal awarded for "combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military and political training and preparation". It was created on ...

. The

People's Republic of Bulgaria The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; , NRB; ) was the official name of Bulgaria when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP; ) together with its coalition partner, the Bulgarian Agraria ...

awarded him the second class. On 23 April 2019 the Project 22350 frigate ''Admiral Amelko'', named for Nikolai Amelko, was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

in the presence of

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 ...

References