Igor Mukhametshin

Igor Timerbulatovich Mukhametshin (; born 15 August 1963) is an officer of the Russian Navy. He holds the rank of vice-admiral, and is a deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

Born in the former Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Mukhametshin studied at the Pacific Higher Naval School, and began his service as a submarine officer with the Northern Fleet. He rose through the ranks, carrying out further studies at the navy's higher educational institutions, and was eventually in command of his own submarine. With his promotion to flag rank, he served in a number of staff positions, commanding submarine forces in both the Northern and Pacific Fleets. In 2016 he was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Baltic Fleet. While in this position he received media attention over his comments surrounding a vote on the naming of Khrabrovo Airport. Nevertheless, in 2019 he was appointed deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy for armaments.

Early career Mukhametshin was born on 15 August 1963 in Neftekamsk, then part of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. He attended the Pacific Higher Naval School, graduating in 1986, and began service as an officer with the Northern Fleet. He was initially a sonar engineer aboard a submarine, rising through the ranks to sonar commander and then senior assistant commander of a submarine.

Airport naming In 2018 Mukhametshin referred to philosopher Immanuel Kant as a "traitor", during a public vote for the naming of Khrabrovo Airport. He addressed a gathering of Baltic Fleet sailors stating that Kant had "betrayed his homeland ... humbled himself and crawled on his knees to be given a chair at the university [and had written] some obscure books that none of those standing here have read and will never read." He stated that "It's worthless for the airport of the region and city where the blood of Soviet soldiers and officers was pouring to bear the name of a stranger." The airport was subsequently named after Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who received 34% of the vote. The fourth option had been another Soviet military figure, Ivan Chernyakhovsky. On 28 March 2019 he was present at the launching of the new Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine from the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg.