Igor Schvede

Igor Schvede
Commander of the Estonian Navy
In office
9 August 2007 – 23 July 2012
PresidentToomas Hendrik Ilves
Preceded byAhti Piirimägi
Succeeded bySten Sepper
Personal details
Born (1970-12-05) 5 December 1970 (age 55)
Prague, then Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Military service
Allegiance Estonia
Branch/serviceEstonian Navy
Years of service
1993–2021
RankRear Admiral

Igor Schvede (born on 5 December 1970) is an Estonian Rear Admiral and the former Commander of the Estonian Navy from 2007 to 2012.

Biography

Schvede was born in 1970 in Prague, the capital of the then-Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. His military career began at the Leningrad Nakhimov Naval School. He later joined the Soviet Navy in 1986, receiving education at the Frunze Naval Academy (now the St. Petersburg Naval Institute), where he graduated with a bachelors in Electromechanical Engineering. Schvede was commissioned in 1993 in the navy, the beginning of which he participated in the withdrawal of the Soviet Armed Forces from Estonia. He has commanded Estonian two patrol craft. In 2005, he was deployed to Afghanistan. In 2012, he graduated from US Naval Command College. From 2007 to 2012, he commanded Estonian Navy. From 2013 to 2016, Schvede was Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces In August 2016, he was appointed as Estonia's representative to NATO and the European Union. Since 2021, he has been an advisor at the Ministry of Defence.

Schvede was given the rank of Rear Admiral in February 2020. He is a recipient of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle of the Defence League.

Political activity

Igor Schvede has been a member of the Estonian Reform Party since 2022. He ran for the Riigikogu in the 2023 elections, he received 601 votes in electoral district no. 3 ( Tallinn Mustamäe and Nõmme districts) and was not elected.

Dates of promotion

Promotions
InsigniaRankDate
Lieutenant1 February 1995
Senior lieutenant11 February 1997
Lieutenant commander18 February 2000
Commander19 February 2004
Captain18 February 2008
Commodore5 February 2015
Rear Admiral18 February 2020

Recognition

Personal life

He is fluent in Estonian, English and Russian.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NATO. "Igor Schvede, Military Representative of Estonian to NATO". NATO. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Генштаб Сил обороны Эстонии возглавил выпускник ленинградского нахимовского училища".
  3. ↑ "Igor Schvede, Military Representative of Estonian to NATO". NATO. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Новым начальником Главного штаба Сил обороны Эстонии станет Игорь Шведе".
  5. ↑ "Керсти Кальюлайд повысила в звании двух офицеров ВМС". 23 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "40. Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 1 February 1995. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "7. Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 11 February 1997. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 18 February 2000. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "84. Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 19 February 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "40. Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 18 February 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 10 February 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Sõjaväeliste auastmete andmine". 20 February 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2026.