OREANDA-NEWS. February 11, 2011. Vladimir Viktorovich Belkin, a senior geologist at the Usolie Branch of Kovdorsky GOK, defended his doctoral thesis “Technogenic Transformation of the Geo-Environment of the Verkhne Kamsk Saline Basin” in front of the Ural State Mining University Dissertation Committee in Ekaterinburg.

Vladimir Viktorovich Belkin, Doctor of Geology and Mineral Sciences, joined EuroChem in 2008 as senior geologist at the Usolie potash factory, then under construction.

His primary role involves the geological supervision and support of the development of the new mine at the Palasher and Balakhontsy sections of the Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit.

Vladimir Viktorovich was born in a family of miners, in Solikamsk (Perm region) on January 23, 1956. In 1972, he was admitted to the Sverdlovsk Mining Institute (now known as the Ural State Mining University — USMU) and majored in Geology and Exploration of Mineral Deposits. After graduating in 1977, he worked as a geologist for uranium mining companies in Central Asia.

In 1991, Vladimir Viktorovich came back to Russia where he embarked on an impressive career path, from geologist at the Fourth Bereznikovsky Potassium Mining Department to senior geologist in Uralkali’s Subsurface and Geological Drilling Exploration Department.

“In the early 1990s, following my relocation and while working as a mine geologist, I had no time for scientific work as the deposit had to be developed from scratch. Later, once I understood its geology and engineering, I began to patent inventions, publish in major journals and write books.”  Vladimir Viktorovich commented.