Sergey Gorshkov
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union
Sergey Georgiyevich Gorshkov (February 26, 1910 - May 13, 1988) was a Soviet
naval officer during the Cold War
who oversaw the expansion of the Soviet Navy
into a global force.
Born in Kamianets-Podilskyi
, Gorshkov grew up in Kolomna
. Gorshkov joined the Soviet Navy in 1927. He graduated from the M.V. Frunze Higher Naval School in 1931, and gained command of surface boats in the Black Sea
in 1932. During World War II
he distinguished himself in landings on the Kerch
Peninsula and commanded a destroyer squadron at the end of the war. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Soviet Navy by Nikita Khrushchev
in 1956, and under Leonid Brezhnev
oversaw a massive naval build-up of surface and submarine forces, creating a force capable of challenging Western naval power by the late 1970s.
Gorshkov is often associated with the phrase "'Better' is the enemy of 'Good Enough'," which is reputed to have hung on the wall of his office as a motto. Similar sentiments have been attributed to Clausewitz
and Voltaire
. The motto appears in the Tom Clancy
novel, The Hunt For Red October. The phrase is also attributed to Admiral Gorshkov in Norman Polmar's Guide to the Soviet Navy (1983, 3rd edition). That is one year prior to Clancy's first published date for "Hunt" by the Naval Institute Press.
Two Russian warships have been named Admiral Gorshkov in his honour. The Russian Navy instituted the Gorshkov medal in 2003.
Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union
An Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union was the highest naval rank of the Soviet Union.The rank was largely honorary and could be considered equivalent to Admiral of the Navy in other nations...
Sergey Georgiyevich Gorshkov (February 26, 1910 - May 13, 1988) was a Soviet
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....
naval officer during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
who oversaw the expansion of the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
into a global force.
Born in Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamyanets-Podilsky or Kamienets-Podolsky is a city located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi...
, Gorshkov grew up in Kolomna
Kolomna
Kolomna is an ancient city and the administrative center of Kolomensky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Moskva and Oka Rivers, southeast of Moscow. The area of the city is about . The city was founded in 1177...
. Gorshkov joined the Soviet Navy in 1927. He graduated from the M.V. Frunze Higher Naval School in 1931, and gained command of surface boats in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
in 1932. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he distinguished himself in landings on the Kerch
Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
Peninsula and commanded a destroyer squadron at the end of the war. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Soviet Navy by Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in 1956, and under Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
oversaw a massive naval build-up of surface and submarine forces, creating a force capable of challenging Western naval power by the late 1970s.
Gorshkov is often associated with the phrase "'Better' is the enemy of 'Good Enough'," which is reputed to have hung on the wall of his office as a motto. Similar sentiments have been attributed to Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz was a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war...
and Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
. The motto appears in the Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
novel, The Hunt For Red October. The phrase is also attributed to Admiral Gorshkov in Norman Polmar's Guide to the Soviet Navy (1983, 3rd edition). That is one year prior to Clancy's first published date for "Hunt" by the Naval Institute Press.
Honours, Awards and Decorations
- Hero of the Soviet UnionHero of the Soviet UnionThe 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:...
- twice - Order of LeninOrder of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
- 7 times - Order of the October RevolutionOrder of the October RevolutionThe Order of the October Revolution was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was awarded to individuals or groups for services furthering communism or the state, or in enhancing the defenses of the Soviet Union, military and civil...
- 4 times - Order of KutuzovOrder of KutuzovThe Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....
- Order of UshakovOrder of UshakovThe Order of Ushakov was one of the highest naval awards of the Soviet Union among the Order of Nakhimov and it active is up to this day. Its name commemorates the Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, who never lost a battle and was proclaimed patron saint of the Russian Navy.The order was instituted during...
- Order of the Patriotic WarOrder of the Patriotic WarThe Order of the Patriotic War is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the German-Soviet War, known by the former-Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.- History :The Order was...
- Order of the Red StarOrder of the Red StarEstablished on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the...
- Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed ForcesOrder for Service to the Homeland in the Armed ForcesThe Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR also known as Order of Service to Motherland was a USSR military order created on 28 October 1974, making it the first military order created after the end of World War II.According to its statute, the order was awarded for...
- USSR State PrizeUSSR State PrizeThe 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....
- Lenin PrizeLenin PrizeThe Lenin Prize was one of the most prestigious awards of the USSR, presented to individuals for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was created on June 23, 1925 and was awarded until 1934. During the period from 1935 to 1956, the Lenin Prize was...
Two Russian warships have been named Admiral Gorshkov in his honour. The Russian Navy instituted the Gorshkov medal in 2003.