Vitaliy Konovalov (14 September 1932–9 May 2013) was a Soviet politician who served as the minister of atomic energy and industry. In 1998 he established a nuclear fuel cycle company, JSC TVEL.

Early life and education

Konovalov was born in Sverdlovsk on 14 September 1932. He was a graduate of

Ural Polytechnic Institute Ural State Technical University (USTU) is a public technical university in Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian Federation. It is the biggest technical institution of higher education in Russia, with close ties to local industry in the Urals. ...

where he obtained a degree in technical engineering in 1956. He obtained a PhD in

engineering science Engineering physics, or engineering science, refers to the study of the combined disciplines of physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, particularly computer, nuclear, electrical, electronic, aerospace, materials or mechanical en ...

Career

Following his graduation Konovalov began to work in the

nuclear industry Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced ...

in 1956. He was a member of the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

. In 1975 he was appointed director of the

Chepetskiy Mechanical Plant Chepetskiy Mechanical Plant (russian: Чепецкий механический завод) is a company based in Glazov, Russia and established in 1946. It is part of TVEL, a Rosatom subsidiary. The Chepetskiy Mechanical Plant Association is a le ...

Udmurtia Udmurtia (russian: Удму́ртия, r=Udmúrtiya, p=ʊˈdmurtʲɪjə; udm, Удмуртия, ''Udmurtija''), or the Udmurt Republic (russian: Удмуртская Республика, udm, Удмурт Республика, Удмурт � ...

. From 1979 he headed a machine-building plant in

Elektrostal Elektrostal (russian: Электроста́ль, from Russian Электро (Elektro), lit: Electricity, Electric and Сталь (Stal), lit: Steel) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located east of Mo ...

. In March 1986, he joined the

Ministry of Medium Machine Building The Ministry of Medium Machine-Building Industry of the USSR (russian: Министерство среднего машиностроения СССР - Минсредмаш СССР, МСМ СССР) was the government ministry of the Soviet Uni ...

where he served as the deputy minister after working in various positions. In July 1989 he was appointed minister of atomic energy and industry and was in office until 1991. In 1996 Konovalov founded the TVEL, a nuclear fuel cycle company, which he headed until 2000.

Personal life and death

Konovalov was a laureate of the Soviet State Prize and the Peter the Great Prize. He died on 9 May 2013.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Konovalov, Vitaliy 20th-century Russian engineers 21st-century Russian engineers 1932 births 2013 deaths Communist Party of the Soviet Union members People's commissars and ministers of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the USSR State Prize Russian company founders Soviet engineers