Ivan Lebedev

Ivan Nikolaevich Lebedev was a Russian Captain 1st Rank of the Russo-Japanese War. He was known for commanding the '' Dmitrii Donskoi'' and was recognized as a war hero during the Battle of Tsushima.

Biography

On September 14, 1867, Lebedev enrolled in the Naval Cadet Corps and entered active service on April 17, 1868, with the rank of Garde de la Marine on April 17, 1871. From 1872 to May 20, 1872, he was assigned to the 15th and 8th Naval Crews. With the rank of naval Lieutenant, Lebedev was dismissed from the navy on May 20. Around this time, he attempted to enter the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology as he earned a living from translations and tutoring but was expelled when he tried to pass the exam for a friend. Afterwards, he would work at the Novotorzhskaya Railway and was in charge of a blacksmith in Odessa.

In 1875, he re-enlisted as a Garde de la Marine and was assigned to the 2nd Naval Crew in the Black Sea. On August 30, 1875, he was raised to aspirant and on May 24, 1878, he was the military commander of Odessa during the Russo-Turkish War. Lebedev then served aboard the ''Duma'' from June 22 to September 22, 1878, and on January 1 , 1880, he was promoted to naval lieutenant. He then graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps on November 13, 1880. He then became a naval mine officer of the '' Vitse-admiral Popov'' as well as commanded the ''Mackerel'' on February 20, 1882, and the '' Sultanka'', he served as a junior mine officer on the '' Pamyat Merkuriya'' on September 23, 1883, and ''Novgorod'' on September 23, 1884, but was then transferred back to the ''Vitse-admiral Popov'' on September 23, 1884. On April 1, 1885, he served as the senior officer aboard the Bulgarian yacht ''Alexander the First'' but returned to Russian service on October 14, 1885.

From January 18 to April 18, 1886, he served as a miner officer aboard the '' Zabiyaka'' but was then transferred to the Russian Siberian Flotilla on March 16, 1887, and commanded destroyer no. 76 on March 30, 1887. From November 8, 1887, to April 26, 1888, he commanded the 6th Naval Crew and began participating in classes specializing in naval mines on November 23, 1887. On April 23, 1888, he became the head of the detachment of destroyers as he commanded the '' Bobr'' on October 4, 1888. He was then assigned to work with apprentice miners and divers on October 28, 1888. From February 16, 1889, to October 1, 1890, he commanded the '' Yanchikhe''. He was temporarily transferred back to the Black Sea Fleet on September 11, 1890, with no post but then returned to the Siberian Flotilla on November 24, 1890. He also commanded the '' Dzhim Gamil'ton L'yuis'' from August 17 to October 10, 1891, to enforce poaching laws as he served from the Bering Islands to Vladivostok and also served command of the '' Tunguz'' for only two days. Lebedev then became commander of the '' Aleut'' on November 10, 1891, and the ''Nargen'' at an unknown date.

On January 1, 1893, he was promoted to Captain 2nd Rank and on June 30 of the same year, he was a member of the Provisional Naval Court. After returning to serve the ''Yanchikhe'' on July 31, 1893, he was transferred to the '' Korietz'' from September 8, 1893, to March 26, 1895. Lebedev then returned to the ''Zabiyaka'' on December 6, 1895, and on December 16, 1896, he was made the assistant adjutant commander of Vladivostok. On November 17, 1897, he commanded the '' Oprichnik'' and oversaw the construction of the ''Forel'' class destroyers in France. After being promoted to Captain 1st rank on January 1, 1901, he commanded the '' Oleg'' after its completion but then took command of the '' Dmitrii Donskoi'' in 1904 which he would take to participate in the Battle of Tsushima. He was heavily wounded during the battle, dying from them on June 3, 1905, at Sasebo.

A recollection of the events at the ''Dmitrii Donskoi'' by A. S. Novikov-Priboy documents the followign:

Awards

*Order of St. Anna, 3rd Class
*Order of St. Anna, 2nd Class

Foreign Awards

*:

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebedev, Ivan
1850 births
1905 deaths
People from Saint Petersburg Governorate
Imperial Russian Navy officers
Burials in Russia
Russian military personnel killed in the Russo-Japanese War
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class