Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov (; born 10 April 1958) is a retired Russian Navy

Captain 2nd rank Captain 2nd rank (russian: Капитан 2-го ранга, Kapitan 2-go ranga, lit=Captain of the 2nd rank) is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of former communist states. The rank is the middle rank in the staff officer's career gro ...

and a

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

. Solodkov was awarded the title on 24 December 1991 for his work on diving equipment. Solodkov is the last person awarded the title, having received it two days before the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

Early life

Solodkov was born on 10 April 1958 in

Chornukhyne Chornukhyne ( uk, Чорнухине) is an urban-type settlement in Alchevsk Raion of Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, but was formerly in Popasna Raion and then Perevalsk Raion. In the 2001 Ukrainian census, the town's population was 7,782. T ...

Luhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast ( uk, Луга́нська о́бласть, translit=Luhanska oblast; russian: Луганская область, translit=Luganskaya oblast; also referred to as Luhanshchyna, uk, Луга́нщина) is the easternmost oblast ...

in a farming family. His childhood was spent in Volzhsky, Volgograd Oblast, where he graduated from tenth grade. In 1976, he graduated from a course at the Obninsk Branch of the Moscow Engineering and Physics Institute.

Military service

Solodkov joined the Soviet Navy in August 1976. He was sent to the Higher Naval Engineering College. In 1980, Solodkov became a member of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...

. He graduated from the college in June 1981. In November, he completed the 6th Higher Officer Classes of the Navy. Solodkov became commander of the diving team on the rescue ship ''Zangezur''. Between 1984 and 1986 he was assistant commander for rescue work on the ''Zangezur''. Solodkov prepared over 1,000 deep-divers in diving school and while serving in Algeria supervised the training of submarine crews in emergency rescue. In May 1986, he became a junior researcher and diving specialist at the State Scientific Research Institute of Rescue, Diving, and Deep Sea Work of the Ministry of Defense. Solodkov participated in the creation and testing of diving equipment. While testing new technology, he spent a long period under 50-atmosphere pressure. Solodkov worked underwater and in the

diving chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of ...

for more than 3,000 hours. Solodkov spent 15 days underwater at 500 meters during a 1991 experiment and 25 days at 450 meters in a 1988 experiment. He was awarded 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 25 July 1990. On 24 December 1991, Solodkov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and 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 b ...

for his contributions to diving. Solodkov was the last person awarded the title, receiving it two days before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Then with the Russian Navy, Solodkov received his Gold Star on 16 January 1992 from Yevgeny Shaposhnikov.

Later life

In July 1994 Solodkov transferred to the reserve with the

Captain 3rd rank Captain 3rd rank (russian: Капитан 3-го ранга, Kapitan 3-go ranga, lit=Captain of the 3rd rank) is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of former communist state. The rank is the lowest rank in the staff officer's career grou ...

rank. He was promoted to Captain 2nd rank in 1999. Solodkov lives 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 ...

. He led the Public Council of the

Krasnoselsky District Krasnoselsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. *Krasnoselsky District, Moscow, a district in Central Administrative Okrug of the federal cities of Russia, federal city of Moscow *Krasnoselsky Distr ...

Administration. Solodkov was later deputy chairman of the Coordinating Council of Heroes of the Soviet Union, an NGO.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solodkov, Leonid 1958 births Living people People from Luhansk Oblast Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Soviet Navy officers Russian Navy personnel Soviet expatriates in Algeria Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering alumni