Grigory Ivanovich Butakov () (9 October 1820 – 31 May 1882) was a Russian admiral who fought in the Crimean War. Butakov is widely credited as being the father of steam-powered ship tactics during the 19th century. He was involved in the first battles of the Crimean War, which includes the first sea battles involving steam-powered ships. Butakov wrote of his experiences in his book: New Principles of Steamboat Tactics (1863), which won him the Demidov Prize. In 1881 Butakov assumed the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Port of St. Petersburg. He was also made a member of the State Council in March 1882. Shortly after gaining both titles however, Butakov fell seriously ill, and died on the 31 May 1882, aged 62. The minor planet 4936 Butakov was named in his memory. Early life Grigory Ivanovich Butakov was born 9 October 1820 in Riga; a large city in the Russian Empire (now in Latvia). Butakov's father was a distinguished naval officer who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1806. He captained the battleship Tsar Constantine, in which he commanded during several naval operations around Crete and in the Blockade of the Dardanelles. Butakov was inspired by his father's success as a naval officer, so in May 1831 at eleven years old, Butakov decided to join a Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. Butakov spent six years in the Naval Academy. He graduated in 1837 and was immediately assigned to serve as a flag officer aboard the Russian vessel Silistria. The Silistria was under the personal command of the then Chief Commander of the Black Sea Fleet: Admiral Mikhail Lazarev. In May 1838, Butakov took part in a landing operation near Abkhazia against Turkish positions. Butakov was awarded several decorations for bravery during the operation. From September 1838 to August 1840, Butakov patrolled the Aegean Sea aboard the schooner Lastochka, and in 1844, he patrolled the Mediterranean Sea aboard the Vestnik. The following August, Butakov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Not long after his promotion, Butakov became interested in improvements to the Navy in the field of Naval Science. Butakov developed a completely new system of fog signals, and invented a new version of windlass. Butakov's Admiral, Mikhail Lazarev was pleased with Butakov's new technologies and had the inventions placed in the model room of the Admiralty. In the Autumn of 1846, Butakov was appointed Captain of the cutter