Georgy Stepanov

Georgy Andreyevich Stepanov
Born	30 November [O.S. 18 November] 1890 Kronstadt, Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	3 January 1957(1957-01-03) (aged 66) Leningrad, Soviet Union
Buried	Serafimovskoe Cemetery
Allegiance	Russian Empire  Soviet Union
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Navy  Soviet Navy
Years of service	1908–1953
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Commands held	Onega Military Flotilla [ru] Black Sea Fleet White Sea Military Flotilla [ru]
Awards	Russian Empire Order of Saint Stanislaus Third Class Order of Saint Anna Third and Fourth Class Order of Saint Vladimir Fourth Class Order of St. George Fourth Class Soviet Union Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner (four times) Order of Nakhimov First Class Foreign Awards Order of Brotherhood and Unity [ru] (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Georgy Andreyevich Stepanov (Russian: Георгий Андреевич Степанов) (30 November [O.S. 18 November] 1890 – 3 January 1957) was an officer of the Soviet Navy. He rose to the rank of vice-admiral and was commander of the Onega [ru] and White Sea Military Flotillas [ru], as well as acting-commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

Born into a naval dynasty, Stepanov embarked on a career in the Imperial Russian Navy, serving as a torpedo officer with the Baltic Fleet during the First World War. He continued his naval career after the Russian Revolution, siding with the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War, taking part in the Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet and then commanding the Onega Military Flotilla [ru], seeing action against the White Finns. He then served in staff positions with the Black Sea Fleet, interspersed with courses at the Naval Academy. He graduated to a teaching post at the Academy and after serving as senior director, and department head, became head of the Academy itself. Recalled to seagoing service with the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Stepanov was appointed to command the White Sea Military Flotilla [ru], an important task that required protecting the Arctic convoys. Recalled to Moscow he was appointed acting head of the Main Naval Staff, but came in for criticism after losses in the Black Sea, and was demoted for a period.

Returning to academia after the war, he was attached to the Naval Academy once more, until 1948, when he and several fellow officers were convicted of passing secrets to Britain and the US during the war years. Stepanov was imprisoned for a time, but was fully rehabilitated after the death of Stalin. He returned to academic life, and died in 1957. He had received a number of awards from both the Tsarist and Soviet governments over his long career.