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
The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
, he oversaw the expansion 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 ...
into a global force during the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
as its
Commander-in-Chief from 1956 to 1985.
Early life and prewar service
Born in
Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi (, ; ) is a city on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi. Formerly the administrative center of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the city is now the administrative center of Kamianets ...
to a Russian family, Gorshkov grew up in
Kolomna
Kolomna (, ) is a historic types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Moskva River, Moskva and Oka Rivers, (by rail) southeast of Moscow. Population:
History
Mentioned for the fir ...
. After joining the Soviet Navy in 1927, he entered the
M.V. Frunze Naval School 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 ...
during October of that year. Gorshkov began his service with 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 ...
(then known as the Black Sea Naval Forces) upon graduation in November 1931 as a watch officer aboard the destroyer . He quickly became its navigator a month later and in March 1932 transferred to the
Pacific Fleet to serve in the same position aboard the minelayer . Promoted to become flagship navigator of the minelaying and minesweeping brigade of the fleet in January 1934, Gorshkov was given command of the
''Uragan''-class guard ship ''Buran'' in November of that year. He studied at courses for destroyer commanders between December 1936 and March 1937, becoming commander of the destroyer following completion. After becoming chief of staff of the Pacific Fleet Destroyer Brigade in October, Gorshkov was appointed its commander in May 1938. During this period he participated in the
Battle of Lake Khasan before being transferred west to command the Black Sea Fleet Cruiser Brigade in June 1940.
World War II

From the first days after the beginning of
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Gorshkov's destroyer brigade participated in the Black Sea Fleet's operations. Gorshkov was promoted to
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
on 16 September. During the
Siege of Odessa, Gorshkov led a landing in the area of Grigorievka before taking command of the
Azov Flotilla in October. In late December and early January 1942 he commanded the
landings on the north coast of the
Kerch Peninsula. In August, Gorshkov commanded 150 warships of the flotilla in a breakout from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea after the withdraw of Soviet troops to
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was
History
In antiquity, the shores of the ...
. After the resulting disbandment of the flotilla, he became deputy commander of naval forces and a member of the military council of the Novorossiysk Defense District. Gorshkov temporarily commanded the troops of the
47th Army defending the region in November during the
Battle of the Caucasus
The Battle of the Caucasus was a series of Axis and Soviet operations in the Caucasus as part of the Eastern Front of World War II. On 25 July 1942, German troops captured Rostov-on-Don, opening the Caucasus region of the southern Soviet ...
.
After taking command of the reformed Azov Flotilla in February 1943, he led the unit during landings at
Taganrog
Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population:
Located at the site of a ...
,
Mariupol
Mariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius, Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the coun ...
, and
Osipenko, before supporting the troops of the
North Caucasian Front in the capture of the
Taman Peninsula. During the November 1943
Kerch–Eltigen Operation, Gorshkov personally supervised the preparations and the landing of troops for the main attack. For his leadership of amphibious operations, he was awarded the
Order of Kutuzov, 1st class, while receiving the
Order of Ushakov, 2nd class, for his command of the flotilla during the recapture of Crimea.
After being made commander of the
Danube Flotilla in April 1944, Gorshkov led the unit during the August
Jassy–Kishinev Offensive, supporting the troops of the
3rd Ukrainian Front in the crossing of the
Dniester
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
and the entry into the
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta (, ; , ) is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. Occurring where the Danube, Danube River empties into the Black Sea, most of the Danube Delta lies in Romania ...
. Between September and November, the flotilla went on to support the troops of the
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Minute and second of arc, ...
and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts during the
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
and
Budapest Offensives. Gorshkov was promoted to
vice admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral.
Australia
In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
in September 1944 and was transferred in December to command the Black Sea Fleet squadron, ending the war in that position. He was mentioned seven times in the orders of
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
in the latter's capacity of Supreme Commander of 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 ...
.
Cold War
Following the end of the war, Gorshkov continued to command the squadron until becoming Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet in November 1948. He became the commander of the fleet in August 1951 and was promoted to
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 ...
on 3 August 1953. Following his July 1955 appointment as First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy,
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
made him Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy in January 1956, succeeding
Nikolai Kuznetsov. As Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy, Gorshkov simultaneously served as a Deputy
Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union, receiving the rank of
admiral of the fleet
An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral.
It is also a generic ter ...
on 24 April 1962. Under
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...
Gorshkov oversaw a massive naval build-up of surface and submarine forces, creating a force capable of challenging Western naval power by the late 1970s. This included the adoption of nuclear weapons, which were carried by ballistic missile submarines and aircraft, as well as the development of nuclear submarines and shipboard helicopters. In order to project Soviet military power, Gorshkov sent ships on lengthy cruises and formed operational squadrons in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, building a
blue-water navy
A blue-water navy is a Navy, maritime force capable of operating globally, essentially across the deep waters of open oceans. While definitions of what actually constitutes such a force vary, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise Co ...
. He received the title
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
on 7 May 1965 and was promoted to
admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union – the highest Soviet naval rank – on 22 October 1967.
Gorshkov was again awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 21 December 1982. Transferred to the
Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense in December 1985, a retirement post for elderly senior officers, he was succeeded by
Vladimir Chernavin. Gorshkov died in Moscow on 13 May 1988. He was buried in 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 ...
.
Gorshkov is often associated with the phrase "'Better' is the enemy of 'Good Enough'" ("Лучшее - враг хорошего") which is reputed to have hung on the wall of his office as a motto. Similar sentiments have been attributed to
Clausewitz and
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
. The motto appears in the
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...
novel, ''
The Hunt for Red October''. The phrase is also attributed to Admiral Gorshkov in Norman Polmar's ''Guide to the Soviet Navy'' (1983, 3rd edition).
[Polmar, N: ''Guide to the Soviet Navy'', p. xii (upper left corner), 1983.]
Awards, honours and decorations
;Soviet awards
*
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
, twice (1965 and 1982)
*
Order 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 ...
- 7 times (1953, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1970, 1978, 1982)
*
Order of the October Revolution
The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...
(1968)
*
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 (1942, 1943, 1947, 1959)
*
Order of Ushakov, 1st and 2nd classes
*
Order of Kutuzov
*
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 ...
, 1st class (1985)
*
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 ...
*
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class (1975)
*
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...
(1980)
*
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 ...
(1985)
* Honorary Citizen of
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 ...
,
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
,
Berdyansk,
Eisk and
Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk (; ) is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina, west of Arkhangelsk, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the 2021 Census, the population was 157,213. Due to the p ...
* campaign and jubilee medals
*Honorary Weapon (1968)
Gorshkov has been commemorated by various monuments and namesakes:
* Monuments in
Kolomna
Kolomna (, ) is a historic types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Moskva River, Moskva and Oka Rivers, (by rail) southeast of Moscow. Population:
History
Mentioned for the fir ...
(sculpted by
Lev Kerbel) and
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was
History
In antiquity, the shores of the ...
* Memorial plaque on the Russian Navy Headquarters building in Moscow
* Memorial plaque on the headquarters building of the Black Sea Fleet
* Central Hospital of the Navy
* School number 9 in Kolomna, from which he graduated in 1926, street and school in the district
* Streets and a gymnasium in
Kupavna microdistrict
A microdistrict or microraion is a residential complex—a primary structural element of the residential area construction in the Soviet Union and in some post-Soviet and former socialist states. Residential districts in most of the cities a ...
,
Balashikha
Balashikha ( rus, Балашиха, p=bəlɐˈʂɨxə) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pekhorka River east of the Moscow Ring Road. Population:
Etymology
In Finno-Ugric languages, ''Bala-shika'' means ''land of celebration ...
,
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...
* A lyceum and a microdistrict in Novorossiysk
* Central Sports Club of the Navy
* The Admiral Gorshkov Medal (Russian Navy, 2006)
* A (''
Admiral Gorshkov'', renamed ''
INS Vikramaditya'' after sale to India)
*
Russian frigate ''Admiral Gorshkov'', the
lead ship
The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels.
Large ships are very comple ...
of her class
;Foreign awards
* Gold
Patriotic Order of Merit
The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...
(East Germany)
*
Scharnhorst Order (East Germany)
* Gold
Order of the Partisan Star (Yugoslavia)
*
Order of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia)
* Order of the Hungarian People's Republic, 1st class (Hungary)
* Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, 1st class (Bulgaria)
* Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Alexander, with swords (Bulgaria)
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
* Polmar, Norman; Brooks, Thomas; Fedoroff, George (2019). Admiral Gorshkov - The Man Who Challenged the U.S. Navy (in English). Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press.
External links
Admiral Gorshkov and the Soviet Navy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorshkov, Sergey
1910 births
1988 deaths
People from Kamianets-Podilskyi
People from Kamenets-Podolsky Uyezd
Candidates of the Central Committee of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 23rd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 25th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Central Committee of the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Fourth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Fifth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Sixth convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities
Seventh convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities
Eighth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Ninth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union
Admirals of the Fleet of the Soviet Union
Soviet military writers
Military theorists
N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy alumni
Soviet military personnel of World War II
Recipients of the Lenin Prize
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Recipients of the Order of Ushakov, 1st class
Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class
Recipients of the Order of Ushakov, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order of the Red Star
Recipients of the Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR"
Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class
Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold
Recipients of the USSR State Prize
Recipients of the Scharnhorst Order
Grand Crosses of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)
Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery