page_title: Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov
section_title: Family and early career
hierarchical_section_title: Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov / Family and early career
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Герой Советского Союза адмирал флота Владимир Афанасьевич Касатонов
context_page_description: Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov is an officer of the Russian Navy. He currently holds the rank of vice-admiral, and since 2019 has served as deputy commander in chief of the navy.
  Born into a family with a distinguished military past, Kasatonov studied at naval institutions in Leningrad and on the Black Sea, before joining the navy's Northern Fleet. Much of his early service was spent aboard the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Kirov, rising through the ranks to eventually serve as her assistant commander. During his time with the ship he served through search and rescue operations for two Soviet submarines, the K-219 in 1986 and the Komsomolets in 1989. After service with the 5th Operational Squadron and undertaking the navy's Higher Special Officer Classes, Kasatonov went on to take up his own commands, firstly the destroyer Gremyashchy, and then her sister ship Rastoropny. After further study at the Naval Academy, he was appointed head of the department of the mobilization at the Northern Fleet headquarters, before becoming captain of the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy in 2000.
context_section_description: Kasatonov was born in  Moscow, part of the Russian SFSR in the Soviet Union on  17 June 1962. He was born into a military family with strong connections to the naval service. His great-grandfather Afanasy Stepanovich was a non-commissioned officer who received the Order of St. George while serving with the Uhlan Regiment of Her Imperial Majesty Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Afanasy's son, and Vladimir Lvovich's grandfather, Vladimir Afanasyevich, served in the Soviet Navy, rose to the rank of admiral of the fleet, and was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Afanasyevich's son, and Vladimir Lvovich's uncle, Igor Vladimirovich, reached the rank of admiral and commanded the Black Sea Fleet before serving as First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.
  Kasatonov entered the Nakhimov Naval School in Leningrad in 1977, and then from 1979 studied at the P. S. Nakhimov Black Sea Higher Naval School, graduating in 1984 with a gold medal. His active service began with the Northern Fleet, with the missile division of the armament section of the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Kirov. Over the next three years his group receiving ratings of 'excellent'. While serving aboard the Kirov in 1986, Kasatonov took part in the crew rescue operations for the submarine K-219, which had suffered a fire before sinking in the North Atlantic. In September 1987 he was appointed commander of the Kirov's missile division, and in February 1988 he was promoted to the rank of captain-lieutenant, one and a half years ahead of schedule. In September 1988 he was appointed assistant commander of the Kirov and in April 1989 participated in the rescue of the crew of the nuclear submarine Komsomolets, which sank in the Barents Sea after suffering a fire on board.
caption: Vladimir Lvovich's grandfather, Admiral of the Fleet and Hero of the Soviet Union  Vladimir Afanasyevich Kasatonov
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