Vladimir Sidorov

Vladimir Vasilyevich Sidorov (; 11 June 1924 – 2 January 2000) was an officer of the Soviet Navy. He reached the rank of admiral, and served as commander of the Kamchatka Flotilla between 1971 and 1972, the Baltic Fleet between 1978 and 1981, and the Pacific Fleet from 1981 until 1986.

Biography Sidorov was born on 11 June 1924 in Kiev, in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, in the Soviet Union. He enrolled as a cadet in the Pacific Higher Naval School in 1942, seeing action in the Soviet–Japanese War in 1945, and graduating in 1946. On graduating he was assigned to the Baltic Fleet, where he served as assistant commander of the minesweeper TShch-478, and from 1949 as commander of the minesweeper TShch-457. In June 1950, he was appointed a senior officer of the staff of the 105th Defence Brigade, and then from May 1951, commander of the 35th Detachment of the brigade's 10th Minesweeper Division. In November 1951, he became assistant commander of the minelayer Marti, holding the position until December 1953, when he enrolled in the Higher Special Officer Classes.

On graduating from the courses in 1954, Sidorov was appointed executive officer of the Kotlin-class destroyer , and then from December 1957, as commander of her sister ship . He was again transferred to a new fleet in 1971, taking command of the Pacific Fleet's Kamchatka Flotilla, with a promotion to vice-admiral on 6 May 1972. In December 1986, he was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy for Logistics, and Chief of Naval Logistics. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sidorov was part of efforts to encourage arms exports to boost the Russian economy. In June 1992 he visited Taiwan with Rear-Admiral and representatives from Russian defence industries, meeting with the Taiwanese premier and top military officials, including the Minister of National Defence, and the Chief of the General Staff.

Sidorov died in Moscow on 2 January 2000, and was buried in the city's Troyekurovskoye Cemetery.

Honours and awards Over his career Sidorov received the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of the Patriotic War first class, two Orders of the Red Star, and the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" third class, as well as various medals.