Anatoli Kacharava

Anatoli Kacharava (ანატოლი კაჭარავა, 1910 - 23 May 1982) was a famous Georgian sea captain serving in the Soviet navy. He is known for taking part in the arctic theater of the Second World War where he commanded a Soviet icebreaker A. Sibiryakov until its destruction by a German cruiser Admiral Scheer in August 24, 1942. Kacharava was severely wounded but survived, and was one of 22 of the ship's company that were captured by the Germans.

Early life and naval career
Kacharava was born in the summer of 1910 in a coastal town of Sokhumi, Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire. His parents, Aleksey Kacharava and Natalia Kacharava, were traders. He received education in several technical and maritime schools, namely Sokhumi Industrial College, Kherson Maritime School and Fishery College of the Far-East. Afterwards, he joined the navy aboard Soviet icebreaker A. Sibiryakov as a senior lieutenant. He was later promoted to a captain during the Second World War.