User:Nikolas Sharp/Vasiliy Podshibyakin

Vasiliy Tihonovich Podshibyakin (1 January 1928 – 20 May 1997) was an eminent Soviet geologist and head of the trust “Yamalnefterazvedka”. He took part in discoveries of large and unique gas fields in northern regions of Western Siberia, including Urengoy gas field – the largest gas deposit in the world.

Biography
Vasiliy Tihonovich Podshibyakin was born on January 1 1928 in Nikitskoe village in Tulskaya oblast. His grandfather was a batman of Nicholas II; his father – Tihon Afanasyevich – was one of the first kolkhoz presidents. There were four children in the family besides Vasiliy.

When he was five, Podshibyakin was enrolled at the school, where he finished eight grades in 1941.

From 1943 to 1945 he studied at vocational school №8 of Uzlovaya town to get profession of a machinist. After finishing school he worked as an assistant of an engine driver. Then he studied at evening school, and in 1951 Podshibyakin entered Moscow Oil University named after Gubkin. He excellently passed all the exams. Being a student he wrote several scientific works.

After he had defensed his dissertation, Vasiliy asked to assign him to Siberia. He became a mining engineer, and then he worked in the north of Tyumen oblast in Narym and Berezovo. Podshibyakin started as an assistant of a drilling foreman. In 1956 he was appointed the main engineer of Narym oil-exploring, in 1958 he became the director of that detachment.

In 1959 Narym expedition was transferred to Tyumen oblast to Middle Ob side. Podshibyakin headed Nizhnevartosk group of Surgut complex expedition.

In 1963 Vasiliy Posdshibyakin became the director of Tazovskaya oil-exploring expedition, since February 1967 he was the oil and gas manager of Yamalo-Nenets geological trust.

With his collaboration Igrimsk and Shuchtungorsk groups of gas fields were drilled, there was a prospecting of Tazovskoe and Urengoi deposits. Under his direction 36 gas fields in Yamal-Nenetz region were opened. Zapolyarnoe, Tambeiskoe, Medveshye, Yamburgskoe, Novoportovskoe, Urengoyskoe are among them.

21 April 1970 V.A. Abazarov, G.P. Bogomyakov, I. Y. Girya, L.N. Kabaev, K. V. Kavalerov, A. G. Kraev, B.N. Krutchkov, V.P. Maksimov, O.A. Moskovtsev, I.I. Nesterov, S.A. Orudshev, V.T. Podshibyakin, F.K. Salmanov, V.G. Smirnov, V.V. Sobolevskiy, A.D. Storoshev, Y.B. Fain, V.Y. Filanovskiy – Zenkov were awarded the Lenin prizes 1970 for “discoveries of large and unique gas fields in northern regions of Western Siberia, effective geological exploring and preparing industrial reserves”.

In 1971, after the liquidation of the trust, he was appointed the post of director of Urengoi oil and gas prospecting expedition. In 1976 Podshibyakin was the director of Yamal production geological association “Yamalneftegeologiya”. He was permanent leader of that union till 1997.

Excellent specialist in his field, a brilliant organizer and economic manager, he was an authoritative leader… He could, as nobody other, involve his colleagues in great humane adventures…

He was elected the deputy of State Duma of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Vasiliy Tihonovich Podshibyakin died on May 20 1997. He was buried in Thervishevskoe graveyard, near Y.G. Ervier.

Memory
On October 15 2005 a monument, dedicated to Vasiliy Podshibyakin, was opened in Salekhard. A street and a microregion of this city were named after him.

Awards

 * Hero of Socialist Labour (1983);
 * Order of Lenin (1983);
 * Orders of Red Banner of Labour (1966, 1979);
 * Laureate of Lenin prize (1970);
 * Honourable geologist of Russian Federation.