Serafim Kolpakov

Kolpakov was born in Lipetsk, Lipetsk Oblast, on 10 January 1933.^[1] He graduated from the Lipetsk Mining and Metallurgical College and the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys obtaining a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineer.^[1] He also received his PhD in technical sciences.^[2]

Following his graduation he worked at the Ashinsky Metallurgical Plant in the Chelyabinsk Oblast, at the Lipetsk Tractor Plant, and then at the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant.^[1] In the periods 1978-1979 and 1982-1985 Kolpakov served as deputy minister of ferrous metallurgy.^[1] In July 1985 he was appointed minister of ferrous metallurgy replacing Ivan Kazanets in the post.^[3] Kolpakov's tenure continued until 1989, and in the period 1989-1990 he was the minister of metallurgy.^[1] He also served at the central committee of the Communist Party.^[2]

In 1992 Kolpakov was elected president of the International Union of Metallurgists^[4] and became a member of the steering committee of a non-profit company, Russian Steel Consortium, in 2001.^[1]

Kolpakov died of heart attack on 15 November 2011.^[1] A funeral ceremony took place on 18 November, and he was buried at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow.^[1]