Vasilii Maksimovich Grishanov

Born Mar. 21 (Apr. 3), 1911, in the village of Bolkuhny, in present-day Vladimir Raion, Astrakhan Oblast. Admiral (1964). Member of the CPSU since 1932.

Grishanov has been in the navy since 1933; he graduated from the Military-Political Academy in 1941. He took part in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 he was commissar and chief of the political section of a large unit in the Northern Fleet. From 1947 he was chief of the political directorate of the Pacific Fleet. From 1954 he was chief of the political section and from 1956 to 1958 a member of the military council of the Baltic Fleet. From 1958 to 1963 he was deputy chief of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy. From 1963 to 1967 he was a member of the Military Council of the navy and chief of the Political Directorate of the navy. Since 1967 he has been a member of the Main Military Council, a member of the Military Council, and head of the Political Directorate of the navy. He has been awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, two Orders of the Red Star, and various Medals.