Vice Admiral Vasily Fyodorovich Tikhonov

Admiral Tikhonov, 1980

Commander of the Maritime Fleet of Diverse Forces of the Pacific Fleet

Vice Admiral Tikhonov (25th August 1928-7th February 1981) was a 35-year veteran of the Soviet Navy at the time of his death, and had been made a two-star Admiral.

He was born into a peasant family on the Zakumylzhensky farm in the Stalingrad region to Fyodor Stepanovich Tikhonov and Alexandra Kuzminichna Tikhonova. It was a very modest house, clay painted walls, covered with straw, and a stove. The family was known ton be friendly, but were considerably poor, even for the standards of those days, and his parents were illiterate, working on a collective farm. His childhood was during the years of World War Two, which he took advantage of. Initially, he helped with harvesting crops, but soon shifted to working as an accountant, and then as the foreman of a field brigade. This was spurred on by hunger, anxiety for his father at the front lines, help for his mother and to care for his younger sister. For these works, he was awarded the medal For work during the Great Patriotic War and studied well at school, deciding from that point to enter the naval academy.

The house in which Tikhonov was born (they lived on the left side of the house (2 windows))

When the war ended in 1946, the family was reunited with their father who had been disabled in the war and required crutches. His father, Fyodor, told his son that he would not learn anything at university, but the young Vasily had made up his mind and wanted to get an education to realise his dream of a better dream and to see the world, which he realised could only be done at a military school, where he would be given clothes, food and an education. His father had served on the battleship Marat in the 1920s and, during World War Two, had served in the Marine Corps defending Sevastopol, with stories from his service likely playing a big role in Vasily's decision of military branch: the Navy. So, as a teenager, dressed in his dad's vest and pea coat, with a suitcase "painted like an oak tree", he went to Leningrad both fearful of the unknown but also optimistic about the future.

Tikhonov's Father (left), Grandfather (Kuzma Semenovich Shishkin) (middle) and mother (right)

11-year old Vasily (right) with his sister Valentina (middle) and cousin Yulia (left)

1st Year Cadet at the Frunze Naval School, 1946

Lieutenant Vasily Fedorovich Tikhonov, 1955

He passes his entrance exam, and became a cadet at the Frunze School. He was, however, transferred to continue his studies in Vladivostok at the Admiral Makarov school, which he graduated from in 1950. Because of this, his entire service was connected to the Pacific Fleet. His life was dedicated to the service.

Having graduated, he was appointed the commander of a control group on the destroyer Verny, which had just been built, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. A year later, he was moved from the ship to Vladivostok. From 1951-53, he spent his time participating in sports competitions and fulfilling his daily duties.

In 1953, he met his a lady, Nina Ivanovna, whilst he was in Vladivostok. She was on a holiday, and was told to send a letter to a friend's husband to meet, but when she was waiting for him in berth 33 in the centre of Vladivostok, she met a charming young man, her future husband, Vasily. The two had met before at a dance in 1950, but it did not extend beyond that night. Considered love at first sight, and when she returned home, they had a relationship, conducted via post, which lasted 7 months until he proposed to her.

In 1954, he was appointed assistant commander aboard the ship Laska, which came with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, something he was very proud to receive. At this time, he was known to dream of some day being the commander of his own ship, and often said so. He was transferred to a few ships, slowly rising the rank. By 1958, he was considered one of the best first mates in the squadron, and the ships he served upon with noticeably clean and advanced. It was in this year, 1958-9, he began studying at command classes in Leningrad. He was made destroyer commander of the Burlivy. Nina, his wife, noticed a change in his demeanour, he gained self-confidence, a great sense of responsibility for the lives of his crew and for his ship. It was often said by crew that:

"When Tikhonov is on the bridge, we are not afraid of any storm, we are calm!"

The destroyer's personnel were very proud of their ship, which was proven by an incident at an amateur art show. During the event, when it was announced that the team from the Burlivy were performing, the hall exploded with applause. In 1962, Vasily left to study at the Naval Academy, which meant he was forced to say farewell to his crew.

He did not simply leave his crew, he walked around the ship and visited each combat unit and took photographs with all of the officers and sailors, and he was given a precise and delicate model of the ship to take with him. The officers also came together to gift him a personalised gold watch.

Photo to say goodbye to the crew of the Burlivy

Vasily Fedorovich and Nina Ivanova on holiday, 1968

Graduating from the academy, Leningrad, 1965

Nina Ivanova Tikhonova

Tikhonov (left) at sea

Between 1962 and 65, he was at the Naval Academy in Leningrad, being moved from private apartment to private apartment, and then to a hostel. He and his wife were happy, as they had many opportunities to visit theatres, museums, and even to see orchestras together. It was here he studied with Victor Belashyov and Rudolf Golosov. They became great friends and often sought solutions to military problems together.

Vasily was deeply in love with the sea, and loyal to the Pacific Fleet. Upon graduating, he was offered a position in the operational department of the Black Sea Fleet, but did not want to enter staff service. Luckily for him, he was offered a position as Chief of Staff of the 79th BSRK (the brigade of ships under construction and repair) at the last minute, which he took without hesitation. So, in 1965, he took the office as Chief of Staff and in 1967, the Commander. Here, he showed great integrity in his relations with factories and the fleet, with great diplomacy. He also had good business relations with commanders of foreign fleets, and often sold, tested and transferred ships to India.

After he had transferred several ships, a gala was hosted by the military attache at the Indian Embassy, who congratulated and thanked him for his work, claiming that the entire Indian Navy knew him.

In December 1970, he was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Strelok Naval Base. His rise to this appointment was, however, complicated by the sudden death of the base's commander, Vice Admiral A. E. Mishchenko, which happened 5 months after Tikhonov took the office. This resulted in a difficult period for him and his new Commander, Captain (1st Rank) Kosyachenko, as they both had to grow into the office.

In 1975, he was appointed Commander of the Strelok naval base, and then of the Primorsky flotilla of heterogenous forces when the base was transformed into a flotilla. He worked very long hours, around the clock. As he was head of the Garrison, he also had to pay attention to the military town and thus was elected as a deputy of the Regional Council of People's Deputies.

Tikhonov (left) signing the transfer certificate for a ship for the Indian Navy

Meeting with voters, 1979

The city was famous for being clean and unusually cosy, and was considered one of the best military camps in the Armed Forces. He was also very accessible, walking from place to place so that people could approach him and address their problems. He was known to listen to and help them.

On New Years Eve in 1980 at the Officers' House, he said, sadly:

"This is our last New Year, let us be remembered!"

In the days leading up to his death, he had a special conversation with his wife which connected strangely with his death. He had asked her for a final academic album and they filled in his years of service and ranks, and they discussed how life would be without him, and who she should and should not try and turn to, although he found it difficult to find anymore. She assumed the conversation was because of his poor health, fatigue, or some kind of hidden service problem.

He spent his last few hours with his wife in the car, hugging each other all the way to the airport to travel to Leningrad for the meeting. On the 6th February, his wife reported that she felt a terrible feeling in her heart, as though something had happened to her husband and, the next morning, several cars visited her house which a group of Admirals stepped out of to report the news that her husband had unfortunately passed away.

With World War Two veterans, May 9th

Victory Day Parade Reception, 1980

In a rare moment of rest

Vasily Tikhonov was a family man, having two children (a son and daughter), and was described as a wonderful husband and father by those who knew him. He always visited his parents each year, whom he respected and loved deeply, and he worked in his parents' garden, cut hay, and enjoyed fishing. He was very proud of his military uniform, but knew when not to wear it. He was described as always being a simple person, a peasant at heart, as his childhood had molded him into a man who loved the land and respected peasant labour. He was known to be courageous, kind, responsible and able to ask for work, he was hardworking, with a healthy ambition that helped him to move forward. He was a loving and caring son and brother, sharp and easy-going and, despite his external thorniness, he as a very gentle and soft soul who could be vulnerable. He was witty and sociable, wide, and knew how to calm anybody down.

He never said rude words, neither in public nor in private, and spent his free hours socialising, reading and fishing. He and his wife were deeply in love, and they never shared gossip, or ever said unpleasant or humiliating words about others. Vasily was known to go out in the spring, whenever wild rosemary bloomed on the hills, and would come back home with huge bouquets for his wife. In the summer, he did the same with bouquets of lillies of the valley and, on her birthday, Roses. This was difficult, as they were not sold at the market and thus were very difficult to come across. He was a friendly person, and never mocked anybody. He also held a respectful attitude towards older people, and always helped his family whenever he could.

Following the crash in 1981, Nina dedicated her life to his memory, due to her inexhaustible love and devotion for him.

His daughter, Olga

His son, Vasily

Memorial plaque on the street named after Vice Admiral Tikhonov

In the foreground of the Destroyer Seething, Kamchatka, 1960

Unveiling of a plaque on the street named after Vice Admiral V. F. Tikhonov, 1984

Opening of a memorial plaque on Vice Admiral V. F. Tikhonov Street in Kumylzhenskaya village, his birthplace, 2008

In Memoriam

Vice Admiral Vasily Tikhonov (1928 - 1981)

Vasily Tikhonov passed away on February 7th, 1981. He was 52.

Rest in peace, Admiral.

Select References & Further Reading:

Geroi VMF 2014. Погибшие при исполнении воинского долга 7 февраля 1981 года.
Geroi VMF 2014. ВИЦЕ-АДМИРАЛ ТИХОНОВ ВАСИЛИЙ ФЕДОРОВИЧ.
Geroi VMF 2014. ПАМЯТИ ТОВАРИЩА. Из воспоминаний вице-адмирала Рудольфа Александровича Голосова.
Geroi VMF 2014. "ЭТО БЫЛО НЕДАВНО, ЭТО БЫЛО ДАВНО…" Воспоминания контр-адмирала Виктора Ананьевича Дыг.ало.
Geroi VMF 2014. ЧЕЛОВЕК МОРЯ. Из воспоминаний капитана 1 ранга Георгия Николаевича Леонтьева.
Čech, M. Decimation of the Pacific Fleet Command.
Čech, M. Tikhonov, Vasiliy Fyodorovich.
Ministry of Defence of the USSR. Notice of the death of a group of admirals, generals and officers of the Pacific Fleet.

Header image: Meeting of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Photographer Unknown (1980). Image sourced via Public Domain.

Every effort has been made to trace the original creators of archival media; where unknown, items are credited by era and source.

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