Pyotr Petrovich
Shirshov
1905-1953
He was born on December 12 (25), 1905 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now it is Dnipr, Ukraine). In 1920 he graduated from the 4th grade of the real school, in 1921 – the Ekaterinoslav Technical School. In 1921-1923 he worked as a librarian, in 1923-1924 – head of the Komsomol club in his hometown. In 1921-1926 he studied at the Ekaterinoslav Institute of Public Education, in 1926-1928 – at the Biological Faculty of the Odessa Institute of Public Education. In 1929 he graduated from the Dnepropetrovsk Institute of Public Education. Simultaneously with his studies, he worked at the Odessa Botanical Garden (in 1926-1928) and the Dnepropetrovsk Biostation (in 1928-1929). He took part in expeditions organized to survey the sanitary and biological condition of the rivers Lugansk and Samara (Donbass), and then the Dnieper, Southern Bug and Kodyma. During these expeditions, he studied algae and microflora. In 1929-1935 he was researcher at the Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Leningrad (now it is St. Petersburg), at the same time in 1931-1936 – researcher at the All–Union Arctic Institute. In 1930 he headed the botanical expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences to the Kola Peninsula, where he conducted a hydrobiological survey of the Notozer and the Tuloma River (Kola district of the Murmansk region). He participated in several expeditions to the Arctic, including on the ships “Lomonosov” (1931-1932), “Sibiryakov” (1932), “Chelyuskin” (1933-1934) and “Krasin” (1935). From May 21, 1937 to February 19, 1938 as a hydrobiologist-hydrographer together with I.D. Papanin (head), E.K. Fedorov (geophysicist) and E.T. Krenkel (radio operator) participated in the drift of the first domestic drifting station “North Pole-1”. The scientific results obtained in the unique drift were highly appreciated by specialists. For his heroism in fulfilling a government task, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 22, 1938, Shirshov Pyotr Petrovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin. After the establishment of the badge of special distinction, he was awarded the Gold Star medal. In April 1938 – March 1939 he was Director of the All-Union Arctic Institute. He had been in the army since March 1939. In March 1939 – February 1942 he was Deputy head of the Main Sea Route. At the same time, from July 1941, he was an authorized representative of the State Defense Committee for the evacuation of the Murmansk Ship Repair Plant and a detachment of icebreakers from Murmansk, and in October 1941 – February 1942, he was an authorized representative of the State Defense Committee for the Gorky Railway. In February 1942 – March 1948 he was People’s Commissar (since March 1946 – Minister) the Navy of the USSR. Simultaneously with his managerial work, in March 1941 – January 1946 he headed the Laboratory of Oceanology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and from January 1946 until the end of his life he was the director of the Institute of Oceanology of the USSR Academy of Sciences created by him.
Address: Moscow, Serafimovicha str., 2
