He studied at the Rostov-on-Don maritime college and joined the merchant marine serving aboard the tanker Azneft.

He carried out several successful patrols in this boat, sinking a German transport.

[2] He subsequently carried out further patrols in Arctic waters and claimed 17 German transports.

[2] After the war Lunin was involved in the Soviet exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Streets have been named after him in Mariupol, Polyarny, Sevastopol and Odessa, and also schools in Murmansk and Rostov-on-Don.