15 Facts About Vladimir Velichko

Vladimir Makarovich Velichko is a Soviet official and entrepreneur appointed as the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1991.

Vladimir Velichko began studying at the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute in 1955, graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1961.

In 1963, Vladimir Velichko joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and began work at a factory in Leningrad belonging to the Ministry of General Machine Building.

Vladimir Velichko became Deputy Chief of the plant in 1965, and deputy director in 1971.

Between 1973 and 1975, Vladimir Velichko worked as the plant's manager and from 1985 to 1990, he served as a member of the CPSU Central Committee, later becoming a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Velichko became First Deputy Minister of Power Machine Building in 1975, and continued to work in this post until 1981 when he became the Minister of Power Machine Building.

On 20 July 1987, the Ministry of Power Machine Building merged with the Ministry of Heavy and Transport Machine Building to become the Ministry of Heavy, Power and Transport Machine Building with Vladimir Velichko becoming the Minister of Heavy, Power and Transport Machine Building.

Vladimir Velichko was elected Minister of Heavy Machine Building by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union with only five abstentions or votes against him among about 400 delegates.

Vladimir Velichko was a member of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers during the premiership of Nikolai Ryzhkov, and later became a First Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers during Valentin Pavlov's Prime Ministership.

Since November 1990, Vladimir Velichko has been chairman of the board joint-stock company Tyazhenergomash, and since 1996 worked as chairman of the Board of Directors of Tyazhenergomash, a financial-industrial group.

Vladimir Velichko was active in the construction of the Novo-Voronezh, Ignalina and Balakovo nuclear power plants along with several others in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Vladimir Velichko has been a member of the Council on Industrial Policy of the Russian Government since 1993, and became Chairman of the Council for Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship of the Russian Government in 1994, an office he has held ever since.

Since 1993, Vladimir Velichko has been General Director of TENMA, and since 1996 the President of FPG.

In recognition of his work in developing Soviet industry during his tenure as minister of several ministries in the 1980s, Vladimir Velichko was awarded two Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, two USSR State Prizes, Order of the Red Banner of Labour and Order of Friendship of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, as well as several other decorations, awards and medals.

Vladimir Velichko received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class.