Stepan Vasiliyevich Voyevodsky

For the Russian minister of the Navy, see Stepan Arkadyevich Voyevodsky

Stepan Vasilievich Voyevodsky (

Russian America in 1854–1859 and military governor of Astrakhan

Stepan Voyevodsky was born in Smolensk Governorate in the family of a retired Army officer. He joined the Naval Cadets Corps in 1818, and was commissioned as midshipman (Russian: мичман) in March 1822.

Voyevodsky served in the

naval blockade of the Dardanelles during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829

.

After four peaceful seasons with the Baltic Fleet (1830–1834) Voyevodsky was transferred from the Navy to the Russian-American Company. He crossed Asia by land, reaching Okhotsk, and sailed to Novoarkhangelsk with Sitka. He commanded Sitka and Yelena until 1839 and was promoted to captain-lieutenant in 1837. In 1841 he sailed from the Pacific to Saint Petersburg, and returned to the Baltic Fleet. By 1849 he attained the rank of captain (Russian: капитан первого ранга) and was in command of a ship-of-the-line.

In the beginning of the

Russian America. He reached Novoarkhangelsk on board of Sitka in April 1854; the ship soon seized by the British. Apart from this accident, the war did not hurt Russian America directly: lands of Russian America and the British Hudson's Bay Company were declared neutral and remained neutral throughout the war. Voyevodsky remained in charge of Russian America until June 1859; upon his return to Russia he was appointed commander of Astrakhan

port and military governor of Astrakhan.

Voyevodsky attained the rank of full admiral in 1877; he died in Saint Petersburg and was buried at the Smolenskoye Cemetery.

References

"Morskoy biografichesky slovar (Морской биографический словарь)". Retrieved 2009-01-01.

Preceded by Aleksandr Ilich Rudakov	Governor of Russian Colonies in America 1854—1859	Succeeded by Johan Hampus Furuhjelm