The life of Vladimir Kostенко was filled with a series of ups and downs, heroic deeds and bitter defeats. However, this did not break his spirit, and he remained a worthy citizen of his country. Kostensko was born in 1881 in the Poltava region and dreamed of becoming a sailor from childhood. His dream came true after graduating from the Naval Engineering School when he was assigned to the ship "Eagle." There, he improved the rapid leveling system for heel and trim, which saved the vessel during the Battle of Tsushima, despite more than a hundred hits. However, the entire crew, including Kostensko, was captured and was only released after the end of the Russo-Japanese War.

Continuing his service in the navy, Kostensko became involved in the construction of new ships, including the cruiser "Rurik," which became the largest in Russia. The ship was built in England, and Kostensko often visited there. In Belfast, he visited the local shipyard, where he was shown the blueprints of the "Titanic," which was considered unsinkable. However, Kostensko noticed that the watertight bulkheads could allow water to pass through in the event of trim, but his warnings went unheeded. On the night of April 14-15, 1912, his fears were confirmed.

Upon returning to Russia, Kostensko worked as the chief engineer at the Nikolaev shipyards on the Black Sea until October 1918. Later, after changing many positions, he worked at the Leningrad Ship Trust until he was arrested in 1928 for "sabotage," accused of inflating the estimated cost of ships. After his release, he went to the Far East and became one of the founders of the construction of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Vladimir Kostensko passed away in 1956 at the age of 74.