Viktor Chirkov

Biography

He was born on 8 September 1957 in the city of Alma-Ata (the Kazakh SSR, now the Republic of Kazakhstan).

In 1982 he graduated from the Higher Naval School in the city of Vladivostok.

He started his active commissioned service as the commander of mine-torpedo combat department of escort destroyer (ED) in the Pacific Fleet, then sequentially occupied positions of the second-in-command of ED and the executive officer of destroyer, afterwards in 1986 he was put on the roll as an attendee in the Higher Special Officer Classes (HSOC) of the Navy in Leningrad.

On the termination of the HSOC in 1987 he was appointed the commander of escort destroyer in the Pacific Fleet.

From 1990 to 1993 – served as the commander of major anti-submarine ship.

From 1993 to 1998 he was the deputy chief of headquarters of antisubmarine ships’ formation, deputy commander and commander of antisubmarine ships’ formation.

In 1997 externally graduated from the Naval Academy named after Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N.G. Kuznetsov.

From 1998 to 2000 — the attendee of the Military Academy of the RF Armed Forces’ General Staff.

After his graduation from the Academy he was appointed the Chief of Staff / First Deputy Commander of the Troops and Forces in the North-East.

From June 2005 to February 2007 Viktor Chirkov was the Commander of the Primorye Flotilla of All-Arms Forces of the Pacific Fleet.

From September 2007 he occupied the position of the Chief of Staff / First Deputy Commander of the Baltic Fleet.

From 8 September 2009 he occupied the position of the Commander of the Baltic Fleet.

By the RF Presidential Decree of 6 May 2012 he has been appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.

Personal decorations: the Order of Service to the Homeland in the USSR’s Armed Forces 3rd grade, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of Naval Merit.

Married with two sons.