Valentyn Arsentijovych Zgurskyi (09.02.1927, Birzula, Moldavian АSSR, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, now Odessa Oblast – 24.10.2014, Kyiv) – Ukrainian Soviet political party and public official, scientist, executive office head of City Council of Working People’s Deputies in Kyiv for the period 1979 to 1990. He is the member of the Communist Party of Ukraine central committee for the period 1981 to 1990, the Hero of Socialist Labor (1981), Doctor of Economics (1979), professor (1983) and academician of Academy of Ecological Sciences of Ukraine.
Valentyn Zgurskyi born in Birzula town (today it’s Podolsk, Odessa Oblast). He worked on a railway and saw service at military wreck train during the World War Two. Man and boy his life was already was about Kyiv. He studied electrical engineering at Kyiv College of Railway Transport and at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The man made his way from engineer to managing director.
A whole manufacturing group was formed by virtue of factory under his command. Significant changes took place at a swift rate: the factory started to produce fittings based on printed boards and microcircuit exactly during his time. Radio “Meridian”, one of the main features of Kyiv industry, gained currency among other production. Executing orders of an aerospace complex was very important line of action. There are good reasons why the factory was renamed in honor of Sergey Korolev, the principal designer of space vehicles in 1972. The heroes of star tracks were here scores of times. So, Georgij Beregovyj, Georgij Grechko, Volodymyr Aksonov, Valentyna Tereshkova were the guests of the factory.
The 52-year “Industry captain” was appointed as the head of Kyiv government in 1979. He had to face with carrying out a football tournament Olympiad-80 and then with celebrating 1500 years of the town in 1982. A new site plan of Kyiv development was created with his help. An active development of building estates started in residential compounds Vygurivshhyna-Troieshchyna, Xarkivskyj, Vynogradar, Mostyczkyj. Hundreds of thousands people grabbed a chance to get a flat. Quite a number of new schools arose and it gave an opportunity to go back from uncomfortable two-shift schedule. A subway to Obolon and to the end of Chervonoarmijska street was laid on. A new station “Leninska” (“Teatralna”) arose along the “red line” between “Khreshchatyk” and “Universytet” stations, it led to transfer on the “green line”.
Great responsibility devolved on city government because of Chernobyl accident in 1986. Valentyn Zgurskyi was under many obligations and did his best. Also he made a major contribution into scientific activities: he is an author of 13 inventions, 5 monographies and approximately 100 printed works. In adition he leaved an imprint on the history of his favorite football club “Dinamo” Kyiv.
The Hero of Socialist Labor, the honored employee of Ukraine industry, the Doctor of Economics, the professor, the academician of Academy of Ecological Sciences of Ukraine – all these deserts belong to Valentyn Zgurskiy. We remember him as the open and sincere person, determined and courageous leader who was good for his country till the last breath.