Kelps, Valentin Valentinovich

Born on April 8, 1937 in the village of Maryino ^{[1] in the} Priestensky district of the Kursk region . During the Great Patriotic War, he lived in the village of Borovka ( Kotelnichsky district of the Kirov region), then moved to the city of Kaliningrad . In 1955 he graduated from 10 classes of the school. Since January 1955 he worked in the mechanical workshops of state farm No. 51 ( Kaliningrad Oblast ).

In the army since August 1955. In 1958 he graduated from the Kaliningrad Military Engineering School . He served as commander of an engineering and road platoon, secretary of the Komsomol organization of an engineering and road battalion, deputy commander of an engineering and road company for technical matters (in the Baltic Military District ). In 1962-1968 - deputy commander of a company of engineering structures for technical matters and secretary of the party organization of a separate engineering bridge battalion (in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany ). In 1968-1971 - Secretary of the party organization of a separate communications battalion and deputy head of the political department of the motorized rifle division (in the Leningrad Military District ).

In 1971 he graduated in absentia from the Military Engineering Academy . He served as chief of staff of the engineer and combat engineer battalion and engineer and engineer regiment (in the Leningrad Military District ). In 1975-1980 - Deputy Chief of Engineering Troops of the 6th Combined Arms Army (in Karelia ).

Member of the hostilities in Afghanistan : from February 1980 - deputy chief, and in April 1981 - June 1982 - chief of engineer troops of the 40th Army . He personally took part in operations to mine the routes of the movement of caravans of armed gangs with weapons in the border zone, as well as mine clearance.

In 1982-1984 - Deputy Head of the 15th Central Scientific Research Testing Institute of Engineering Troops for scientific research ( Nakhabino village, Moscow region).

Since May 1984 - Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Office of the Chief of Engineering Troops of the USSR Ministry of Defense. As part of the operational groups of the Ministry of Defense, he traveled to Afghanistan on business trips 6 times in 1984-1987, and in June 1986 participated in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident .

In January-May 1986 and January 1987, he led a special group in Afghanistan , which tested the “Plume” volumetric explosion ammunition . As a result of these tests, barriers were created on the paths of the movement of caravans of gangs by the descent of snow avalanches, as well as several blows were inflicted on enemy manpower located in the gorges. In addition, in order to protect roads in the Salang Pass area, warning sections of avalanches in small parts were carried out in 20 sections at 20 sites, which ensured safe passage of columns through the pass.

For his great contribution to the engineering support of military operations in Afghanistan , as well as to the testing and combat use of new weapons by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 7, 1987, Major General Kelps Valentin Valentinovich was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor with the award of the Order of Lenin and the gold medal " Sickle and Hammer . "

Since March 1987 - Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Office of the Chief of Engineering Troops of the USSR Ministry of Defense (RF). Since April 1992, Major General V.V. Kelps is in stock.

Since 1992, he worked as Deputy General Director of Conversion Housing.

He lived in Moscow. He died on July 9, 2000 . He was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery in Moscow.

• Hero of Socialist Labor (05/07/1987)
• Order of Lenin (05/07/1987)
• Order of the Red Star (08.28.1980)
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd degree (08.28.1980)
• Order of Honor (09.1989)
• medal "For Military Merit" (02.21.1978)
• other medals
• foreign awards

• Kelps, Valentin Valentinovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ".