Vladimir Yourkevitch (, also spelled Yourkevich, 1885 in Moscow – December 13, 1964) was a Russian naval engineer, and a designer of the ocean liner . He worked in Russia, France and the United States. Years in Russia Vladimir Yourkevitch attended Saint Petersburg Polytechnic Institute from 1903 to 1907, where he was a pupil of naval engineer Alexei Krylov. After graduation, he entered Kronstadt Naval School. One year later, he received a degree as a shipbuilding engineer and was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. He was assigned to work in the design bureau of the Baltic Shipyard. After Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and the actual loss of the navy in the Battle of Tsushima, the Naval Staff Headquarters was set up in Russia, which worked out a program for the modernization of the Russian navy. The Baltic Shipyard was supposed to play a special role in the realization of the program. The young engineer was entrusted to work on the biggest and fastest cruisers that existed at that time in the Russian navy. According to experts, the first Russian dreadnought Sevastopol, which was launched in 1911, "was many years ahead of the world in shipbuilding." Yourkevitch's famous "streamlined form" was realized for the first time in its construction. In 1915, Yourkevitch was transferred to the Sailing Department of the Baltic Shipyard. He was the designated designer of the Forel and Ersh submarines. He took part in the design process and testing of 11 submarines of the AG type. He also was one of the main designers of four super-dreadnought battlecruisers: Borodino, Kinbourn, Izmail and Navarin. The new shape of their hulls provided excellent results on the tests of the models, but the warships were not built because of the October Revolution. During the Russian Civil War, Yourkevitch became an officer with the White Movement. In 1920, after the defeat of Wrangel's army in Crimea, he emigrated to Turkey. He experienced hardships living in a foreign country, including the impossibility of working at his profession, instead finding employment as a stevedore. Then, with a group of fellow immigrants, he set up a repair shop for older cars. Two years later, he relocated to Paris. Involvement with ocean liners Though he remained an outstanding engineer, Yourkevitch was obliged to accept work as a turner at the Renault car factory and as a draughtsman at a shipyard. He tried