Oskar Ludvig Starck (Russian: Оскар Викторович (Фёдорович) Старк, Oskar Viktorovich (Fyodorovich)[1] Stark; 16 August 1846 – 13 November 1928) was a Finland-Swedish admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy and a noted explorer of Peter the Great Gulf and the Far Eastern seas.

Starck was born in Helsingfors (Helsinki) in the Grand Duchy of Finland and was of Scottish descent[citation needed], Finno-Swedish ethnicity and Lutheran faith.

In his early career, he participated on numerous expeditions as commander of the frigate Vostok from 1874–1877 to chart the Arctic and Pacific coasts of Siberia.

The Japanese attack was less-than-entirely successful, and Starck (despite wanting to engage the Japanese and being overruled by the Viceroy) was loudly criticized in the Russian and the world press as having suffered a huge defeat, and was subsequently sacked by Tsar Nicholas II from his post on 24 February 1904.

Starck was given the Order of St. Vladimir and recalled to a staff assignment with the Russian Black Sea Fleet in 1906,[2] but continued to be regarded as a scapegoat for the Battle of Port Arthur.