Boris Kozhin
Boris Borisovich Kozhin or Borys Borysovych Kozhyn is a Ukrainian retired vice admiral and politician who served as the first commander of the Ukrainian Navy from April 1992 to October 1993. He later served as a People's Deputy of Ukraine on the party list of the People's Movement of Ukraine from 1998 to 2002.
Borys Kozhyn was born in Pskov in 1944 in a family of the World War II veteran who was repressed in 1947 and convicted for 25 years, but in 1956 rehabilitated. In 1959 Kozhyn family moved to Lutsk where the relatives of Borys Kozhyn's mother lived. Borys' mother herself is from a small of Pidhaitsi.
Upon finishing school in 1961 Kozhyn worked as a mechanic at the Lutsk vehicle maintenance factory. In 1963, he became a champion of Volyn, a vice-champion of Ukraine in cycling and won a bronze medal of the Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR in road bicycle racing, competition for which in the framework of the spartakiad was taking place in Ternopil.
In 1968 Kozhyn graduated the Frunze Higher Naval School in Leningrad with specialty "Antisubmarine armament" as an electrical engineer. Upon graduation he was placed as a commander assistant and commander of an anti-submarine boat PR-201 that was part of the Black Sea Fleet division of ships carrying out security of water district in Sevastopol. During that period he also served as a commander assistant of a patrol ship PR-159 in Donuzlav.
In 1971-72 Kozhyn completed the Higher Special Officer Classes of the Navy in Leningrad. In 1972-75 he was a commander of a patrol ship PR-159 in Donuzlav and after that was chief of staff for a brigade of minesweepers, Black Sea Fleet Naval base in Donuzlav.
In 1978-80 Kozhyn attended and completed the Grechko Naval Academy in Leningrad. After that he was a commander of security brigade of water district, Black Sea Fleet Naval base in Sevastopol. In 1986-92 he served as a chief of staff – deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet Naval base in Donuzlav. During that period in 1987-88 Kozhyn was a member of the Crimean regional council.
In February – April 1992 Kozhyn was commander of the Black Sea Fleet Crimean Naval base in Donuzlav. On 1 December 1991, the Crimean Naval Base voted for the Ukrainian independence referendum with 93% of approval for independence.