Admiral of the fleet (Soviet Union)

Not to be confused with Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

The rank of admiral of the fleet or fleet admiral^[a] (Russian: адмирал флота, romanized: admiral flota) was the highest naval rank of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1955 and second-highest from 1962 to 1991.

Admiral of the fleet Адмирал флота Admiral flota
Marshal's star (small version)
Shoulder strap (1955–1990)
Country	Soviet Union
Service branch	Soviet Navy
Rank group	General officer
Formation	1940 1st 1962 2nd
Abolished	March 1955 1st 1991 2nd
Next higher rank	Admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union
Next lower rank	Admiral
Equivalent ranks	General of the army

It was first created by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in 1940 as an equivalent to general of the army, but it was not used until 1944, when Ivan Isakov and Nikolai Kuznetsov were promoted to the rank.

The rank was abolished on 3 March 1955 with the establishment of the rank of admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union.^[1] It was restored in 1962 as the second-highest navy rank.

The rank has been retained by the Russian Federation after 1991.

Insignia

The first insignia was only sleeve insignia.^[2] In February 1943, traditional Russian ranks were reintroduced and the sleeve insignia was changed and shoulder straps were added with four "Nakhimov stars".^[3] In 1945, the stars were replaced with a single, bigger star to look similar to marshal's shoulder boards.^[4]

Use	1940–1943	1943–1945	1945–1955	1962–1974	1974–1991
Insignia

Officers promoted to admiral of the fleet

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Promoted	Retired	Ref.
	Ivan Isakov (1894–1967)
	Nikolai Kuznetsov (1904–1974)	May 1944	February 1956
	Sergey Gorshkov (1910–1988)	28 April 1962	December 1985
	Vladimir Kasatonov (1910–1989)	18 July 1965
	Nikolai Sergeyev (1909–1999)	30 April 1970	1992
	Semyon Lobov (1913–1977)	28 July 1970	12 July 1977 †
	Georgy Yegorov (1918–2008)	5 November 1973	1992
	Nikolay Ivanovich Smirnov (1917–1992)	5 November 1973
	Vladimir Chernavin (1928–2023)	4 November 1983	1992
	Alexey Sorokin (1922–2020)	16 February 1988	1992
	Ivan Kapitanets (1928–2018)	4 November 1989	1992
	Konstantin Makarov (1931–2011)	4 November 1989	1992

See also

• Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Army 1943–1955, and ... 1955–1991
• Army General (Soviet rank)
• Admiral of the fleet (Russia)
• Admiral of the fleet

Notes

1. A literal translation of the Russian "адмирал флота" would be "admiral of the fleet" (адмирал — "admiral", nominative singular, флота — "of the fleet", genitive singular of флот, "fleet"). This equates in meaning and form with the Commonwealth rank "admiral of the fleet", but equally well to the rank "fleet admiral". Either translation is acceptable.