Vladimir Nikolaevich Alexeyev ' onMouseout='HidePop("77864")' href="/topics/Irkutsk_Oblast">Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...

, Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

 - 24 July 1999, Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

) was a Soviet admiral.

Early life

Alexeyev was the son of Nikolai Alexeyev, a doctor and Bolshevik leader, who received the title Hero of Socialist Labor

Hero of Socialist Labor

Hero of Socialist Labour was an honorary title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. It was the highest degree of distinction for exceptional achievements in national economy and culture...

 at 1963 for his contribution to the public health system in Siberia.

He became a sailor in the merchant navy when he was 15. At 1933 he joined the Red Navy, and graduated from the Maritime Academy in 1935 to become a submarine navigator. Afterwards he served as the chief navigation officer of the 3rd flotilla in the Pacific Fleet

Pacific Fleet (Russia)

The Pacific Fleet is the part of the Russian Navy that is stationed in the Pacific Ocean, which formerly secured the Far Eastern borders of the Soviet Union. The fleet headquarters is located at Vladivostok and a number of fleet bases are located in the Vladivostok area...

. In August 1938 he was dismissed and arrested in the Great Purge

Great Purge

The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...

 but rehabilitated in 1939.
During 1940 he was appointed chief of staff to the armored flotilla in the Pacific Fleet, and joined the Communist Party

Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...

 in 1941.

WWII

In April 1944 he was assigned as operations officer of the Northern Fleet but insisted on joining a fighting unit. Alexeyev was given command of the 3rd Torpedo Boats Squadron. During the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation

Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation

The Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmachts forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway, and was called the "Tenth Shock" by...

, on October 21, his unit sank 17 enemy supply ships without suffering casualties. For that feat he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union

Hero of the Soviet Union

The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

 and the Order of Lenin

Order of Lenin

The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...

 on 5 November. He participated in the Victory Parade

Moscow Victory Parade of 1945

The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 was a victory parade held by the Soviet army after the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It took place in the Soviet capital of Moscow, mostly centering around a military parade through Red Square...

.

Post-war career

After the war Alexeyev continued to serve in the navy, and was promoted to counter admiral

Counter Admiral

Counter admiral is a rank found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in English-speaking countries, where the equivalent rank is rear admiral...

 at 27 January 1951. He graduated from the Voroshilov Academy in 1953, and became a vice admiral

Vice Admiral

Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...

 on the 26 April 1962. Alexeyev served as the representative of the Warsaw Pact

Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...

 forces staff in the Romanian Navy, and from 1965 as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff for Organization. From 1967 to 1975 he was the First Deputy, promoted to the rank of admiral

Admiral

Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

 on 11 June 1970. In 1980, he received the USSR State Prize

USSR State Prize

The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....

 for his work on the book "Atlas of the Oceans". He retired in 1986, after spending a decade as a senior consultant to the General Staff Academy

General Staff Academy

General Staff Academy may refer to one of the following.*Soviet General Staff Academy, now the Russian Federation's General Staff Academy*General Staff Academy...

.