Honored Miner of the Russian Federation, Honorary Prospector and Discoverer of the Polyanka deposit.        In 1971 Valeriy graduated from the Leningrad Mining Institute, majoring in mining engineering.        From 1971 to 1987, he worked at the Solnetchny Mine Construction Department of Far East where he worked his way up from a mining foreman to a chief engineer. From 1987 to 1994, he was managing director of Far East mine construction trust. From 1994 to 1995, Deputy CEO of the Metallurg Shakhtostroy JSC; From 1995 to 1998, Director of the Khakandzhinskogo Mining & Metallurgy Combine. From 1998 to 2002, Director of the Khabarovsk subsidiary company Okhotskoy gorno-geologicheskoy kompaniya OJSC.        Since 2003 he has been the CEO and Founder of the Nizhneamurskaya Gornaya Kompaniya.