On the official website of the Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad there is a mention of what Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov wrote about him: “Admiral Ivan Stepanovich Isakov was my deputy for the Naval Forces. My own deep conviction is that he was one of the most outstanding and talented military commanders of the Soviet Navy. Together with the commander of the Baltic Fleet, he formed marine brigades to reinforce the Leningrad fleet. Admiral I.S. Isakov and the Artillery Commander, General V.P. Sviridov organized the interaction of the army and navy artillery in record-breaking time, having thought long and hard about the methods of counter-battery fire”.
The benefactors - the president of the charitable foundation of the same name Hrachya Poghosyan and the president of the Humanitarian Foundation Aramais Kamalov - were present at the official ceremony where the bust was handed over. The heads of charitable organizations noted the special significance of this event and thanked the Director of the Museum, Elena Lezik, for the opportunity to donate this gift, as well as for the excursion she organized before the start of the event.
For me, as a resident of St. Petersburg, it is especially pleasing that today we can preserve the memory of the events and heroes of the past, pass it on to the next generation. And, it is very significant that with such actions, we pay tribute to and pay attention to the living inhabitants of the besieged Leningrad – said Hrachya Poghosyan in his welcoming speech.
Today we witnessed a unique event, – observed Aramais Kamalov. - The bust was handed over not only to the Hero of the Soviet Union and the military leader, but also to a person who knew how to combine military service with teaching and science. As the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, he was the head of the Voroshilov Military Academy and taught there. A huge number of his scientific works were devoted to geography, the study of the World Ocean and military history.
The event was also attended by the creator of the bust - sculptor, member of the Artists Trade Union of Russia, professor and teacher at the State Academy of Arts and Industry Leva Beybutyan. He was accompanied by the Rector of the Academy, Anna Kislitsyna, who also attended the celebration:
- I think that events like today should serve as an example and should inspire other people to commit acts of heroism in the name of memory preservation.
The ceremony of handing over the bust was also attended by the Vicar of the Head of the Diocese of Russia and New Nakhichevan of the Armenian Apostolic Church in St. Petersburg and the North-West Region Pogos Vardanyan, Business Ambassador of Delovaya Rossiya newspaper in Armenia Artur Soghomonyan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Noev Kovcheg newspaper and many others.
This project was the first joint event organized by the Pogosyan Charitable Foundation and the Humanitarian Heritage and Progress Foundation. At the meeting, the Heads of the organizations discussed plans for the implementation of further initiatives.
This is the second bust made for the Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad by order of the Pogosyan Charitable Foundation. Last year, on the eve of the 79th anniversary of the beginning of the blockade, Hrachya Poghosyan presented a bust of the legendary Victory Marshal Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov. As for the personality of the Fleet Admiral Ivan Stepanovich Isakov, it is of particular importance for the Poghosyan Foundation. Earlier, during the 75th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, his bust was donated to the Central Naval Museum. And a little later, on the 312th anniversary of the founding of the Museum, the bust of Isakov was presented to the “Road of Life” branch.