Nikolay Ivanovich Smirnov (Russian Никола́й Ива́нович Смирно́в) (22 September 1917 – 8 July 1992) was a
Soviet Navy Fleet Admiral and a
Hero of the Soviet Union (1984).
Smirnov was born in a peasant family and graduated from an agricultural institute. He joined the Navy in 1937 and completed the
M.V. Frunze Higher Naval School in
Leningrad in 1939. He joined the
Pacific Fleet and qualified as a navigator on submarines. In 1943–44 he commanded a Pacific Fleet submarine. In June 1944 he was transferred to the
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, ...
where he commanded a submarine.
After the war Smirnov continued in the Black Sea Fleet serving as a staff officer and commander of a submarine squadron in 1956–57. Smirnov graduated from the
General Staff Academy in 1959. In 1960 he became chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. From 1964 to 1969 he was head of the Operational Directorate and Deputy Chief of the Main Navy Staff.
Smirnov became Pacific Fleet Commander in 1969 and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy in 1974 having been promoted to
Fleet Admiral in 1973.
Smirnov was part of the Inspectorate general of the Armed forces from March 1988. Smirnov died in 1992 and is buried in
Novodevichiy Cemetery, Moscow.
Honours and awards
*
Hero of the Soviet Union (17 February 1984)
* Two
Orders of Lenin
*
Order of the Red Banner
*
Order of the Patriotic War
The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...
, 1st and 2nd classes
*
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 ...
, twice
*
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class
* Order "For Military Merit" (Mongolia, 1971)
* Order of 4 September 1944, 1st class with Swords (Bulgaria, 1974).
References
page in Russian from Warheroes.ru*"Slovar' biograficheskiy morskoy", V.D. Dotsenko, "Logos" Publishing House, .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smirnov, Nikolay
1917 births
1992 deaths
Soviet submarine commanders
Soviet admirals
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni
Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery