Viktor Konstantinovich Vasilyev () ( – 23 September 1961) was an officer of the

Imperial Russian The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

and Soviet navies. He rose to the rank of rear-admiral. Vasilyev studied at the and the Naval Cadet Corps before joining 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 dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...

on graduating in 1907. His early years were spent on cruisers in 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

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

s, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant, specialising in navigation, and serving during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

. He remained in the navy after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

, carrying out studies and teaching duties at the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. See also * Military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...

. He combined this with senior strategic positions with in the navy's central command structure, as well as active service as with the Black Sea coast guard forces. Caught up in the periodic repressions of the time, he was subsequently reinstated and returned to the Navy Academy, where he rose to senior academic positions during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He retired in 1948, having received awards from both the

and

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

states during his career.

Career

Imperial Russian Navy

Vasilyev was born on in Gorodets, in what was then

Balakhninsky Uyezd Balakhninsky Uyezd (''Балахнинский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the northwestern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Balakhna. De ...

Nizhny Novgorod Governorate The Nizhny Novgorod Governorate (Pre-reformed rus, Нижегородская губернія, r=Nizhegorodskaya guberniya, p=nʲɪʐɨɡɐˈrotskəjə ɡʊˈbʲernʲɪjə), was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empi ...

, in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

. He studied two courses at the between September 1904 and December 1906, entering the Naval Cadet Corps in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in April 1907. He graduated from the Corps in May 1910 as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

, and went on to serve in the

and

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

s. Between December 1910 and August 1912, Vasilyev was the watch officer of the cruiser ''Pamiat Merkuria'', and then the cruiser ''Rossia'' from August 1912 to May 1913. He returned to the ''Pamiat Merkuria'' in May 1913 as a junior navigator. He had been promoted to lieutenant on 6 April 1914 and saw action in the

. He completed the navigation officers' class in 1915 and was transferred to the destroyer in May of that year to serve as a navigator. In August 1916 Vasilyev returned to the ''Pamiat Merkuria'' as a senior navigator, a post he held until January 1917, when he became flag-navigator of a cruiser brigade. He held this position during the February Revolution in 1917, until January 1918, with a brief period as commander of an between March and April 1917.

Soviet Navy

Following the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

, Vasilyev remained in the navy, by now the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet. He served as an engineer-instructor for the Main Naval Technical Directorate from January 1919 to July 1920, and was then part of the Naval Standing Commission from July to September 1920. He studied the Naval Academy's course between September 1920 and December 1921, and then became head of the navy's strategic department from December 1921 to January 1925. In January 1925 Vasilyev was appointed assistant chief of Naval Headquarters. From November 1925 until April 1926 he undertook further studies at the Naval Academy, and in April 1926 he became chief of staff of the Black Sea Coast Guard. He held this position until October 1929, with a brief period as commander between May and October 1926. Naval Academy Building SPB 1

Vasilyev returned to the Naval Academy in October 1929, this time as an instructor. He was caught up in one of the periods of repression shortly afterwards, being arrested and dismissed from the navy in March 1930. He was reinstated in January 1932, though not formally rehabilitated until 1938. He returned to the Naval Academy in January 1932 as a lecturer. He became a senior head in July 1935, and then head of the staff department in June 1938, becoming a

docent The title of docent is conferred by some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks at or below the full professor rank, similar to a British readership, a French " ''maître de con ...

that year. He held this position during the Second World War. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 4 June 1940, received his Candidate of Military Science in 1943, and became a senior head of the department in May 1945. He rose to the position of a head of course in September 1945, a post he held until his retirement in February 1948.

Death, and awards

Vasilyev died on 23 September 1961, and was buried in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

's Serafimovskoe Cemetery. Over his career in the navy he had received awards from both the

and

states. He had received the Russian

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Hol ...

Third and Fourth Classes with swords and bow (the third class being awarded in 1916), the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

Third Class with swords and bow in 1915, and the

Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptize ...

Fourth Class with swords and bow. From the Soviet state he received the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...

on 10 November 1945, the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

on 3 November 1944, and the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) 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 193 ...

on 30 March 1944.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasilyev, Viktor 1887 births 1961 deaths Burials at Serafimovskoe Cemetery Imperial Russian Navy officers Soviet admirals Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 4th class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Naval Cadet Corps alumni N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy alumni People from Gorodetsky District People from Balakhninsky Uyezd Soviet rehabilitations