Valyentin Afanas'yevich Koptyug (1931-1997) was born in the family of the employee in YUkhnov of the Kaluga region. In 1938 his father was arrested. In the beginning of Great Patriotic war the future scientist moved with his mother and senior brother in Samarkand, where he has finished high school being awarded with gold medal. In 1949 he became a student of Moscow chemical-technological institute named by D.I.Myendyelyeyev and in 1954 has graduated from it, having got the diploma with the excellent qualification in his speciality " Technologies of half-products and dyes ". In the same year Valyentin Afanas'yevich entered the post-graduate study. His scientific chief and the Teacher from the capital letter has become the Chair manager, professor (in the future the member of AN USSR) Nikolai Nikolayevich Vorozhtsov, Jr., who, having managed to evaluate the great research talent and exclusive diligence of Valyentin Afanas'yevichВ has attached him actively to investigations carried out in the faculty on the isomer transformations of aromatic compounds. Going through the PhD qualification with excellence in 1957, he has continued, as the head of graduate students and collaborators, the fundamental research in this field, as well as the works of applied character within the framework of the problem laboratory, organized at the faculty.

The determining event in Valyentin Afanas'yevich's life was his transfer in Novosibirsk institute of organic chemistry (NIOCh) created by N.N.Vorozhtsov in the structure of the Siberian branch of AS USSR and his moving in newly builded Novosibirsk akadyemgorodok. In 1960 V.A.Koptyug. is the principal of the big laboratory working actively in the area of the electrophylic transformations in the aromatic compounds line. Wide use of a 'marked atoms' method has allowed to the collective headed by him, to receive the large amount of essentially new data on the mechanism of isomerization reactions of aromatic compounds outlined in his monography Valyentin Afanas'yevich "Isomerization of aromatic compounds" (1963; in 1965 the book is issued in English in Jerusalem, Israel) and in the doctor's dissertation presented by him in 1965. In 1968 V.A.Koptyug has been elected the correspondent-member of AS USSR, and in 1979 the full member, academician.

From the very beginning of his professional activity, Valyentin Afanas'yevich understood that the successful development of a fundamental direction in organic chemistry is impossible without active introduction of the newest physical and calculation methods in research practice. Through many years he carried out a huge work supplying the groups on physical methods of research, created by him, by the necessary equipment, professional staff and scientific techniques. The centralized system of chemical research supply by the spectral methods, organized by him, exists in NIOKH SO RAN already more than 40 years, promoting efficiency of scientific and applied projects.

The logic of the creative thinking as well as the really inexhaustible possibilities of the permanently updated physical methods of research, NMR-spectrometry in particular, have inspired V.A.Koptyug to pass from study of isomerisation processes to extremely fine and complex investigations of chemistry of carbocations, intermediates of the electrophylic organic reactions. That was the direction of organic chemistry, in which the talent of Valyentin Afanas'yevich as a scientist was shown especially bright, and remained as the basic one for him up to the end of his life. His last scientific publications were devoted to the development of the new approach to the quantitative description of acid-catalyzed reactions proceeding through carbocations.

In 1990 he was awarded with the Lenin prize for a fundamental cycle of research in the field of the structure and reactivity of carbocations. Based by V.A.Koptyug theoretical and applied scientific directions continue to develop successfully by his alumnis in SB RAS and beyond its limits.

Understanding, that the efficiency of physical methods application in scientific research is determined by the availability of the spectral information, V.A.Koptyug, yet in the 60s, one of the first in the USSR, begins persistent long-term work on creation of data bases of the spectral information and the wide application of computers in the work of chemists. By his initiative and under his management the scientific - information centre on molecular spectroscopy is organized in 1971 in SB AS USSR, which activity he actually supervised up to the end of his life. In the centre structure, the spectral information library is created, being unique nationwide. The permanent educational seminars, all-Union and international scientific conferences will be carried out. The scientific investigations made under Valyentin Afanas'yevich's management by the centre scientific staff, have created the basis for the successful development of the new promising direction - chemical computer science.

V.A.Koptyug, as the true scientist, perfectly understood the role of succession in science. All the periods of his activity the highest creative potential and benevolent dialogue with his colleagues and learners attracted the young researchers to him. Since 1966 he headed the faculty of organic chemistry of Novosibirsk state university (NSU), within the decades he read the lectures on theoretical organic chemistry, was the chairman of Scientific Council on the problems of education of the Siberian branch, and in 1978 he has become the rector of NSU. Despite the small period of the time he stayed at this position (untill 1980), he had the time to carry out the number of basic transformations, leaving a noticeable trace in the university history both in the memory of the students and the professors. For the years of teaching and research work he has created the large scientific schools in the field of organic chemistry and chemical computer science.

Valyentin Afanas'yevich Koptyug was the prominent organizer of science. In 1980 he was elected the Chairman of SB AS USSR and was at this position up to the end of his life. He was in the head of science in the most difficult period in the history of the Siberian branch, which was associated with the complications and dangers of the "perestroika" epoch. Valyentin Afanas'yevich has taken over the position of a Chairman with the perfectly determined concept of the Siberian branch development, which based on the strategy of priority development of the fundamental science and support of the projects being the basis for the progress in science and technology. However, the last years of his life he was compelled to use his energy mainly for the decision of the principal task : to counteract the process of the Russian science destruction and to maintain the necessary conditions for the further development of scientific centres on the territory of Siberia. Understanding that the main danger consists in " the escaping of the young brains " out of the country, he paid the special attention to the development and putting into practice the system of the government support of the young scientists and their professional growth in the Siberian branch, including NIOCh, director of which he has become in 1987.

During all his life V.A.Koptyug was involved in the large scientific and organizational work. Here follows far not a complete list of organizations, in which activity he took part: since 1975 - member of the United Scientific Council on chemical sciences of SB AS USSR, since 1976 - member of Library Council around Presidium of the Siberian branch, member of editorial board of " News of SB AS USSR " journal and the Chairman of scientific-editorial board of "Mir" publishing house around the Siberian branch, since 1985 - editor-in-chief of " Uspyekhi khimii (Progress in chemistry) " journal , and since 1989 - member of Higher Attestation Commission of the Council of Ministry of USSR and chairman of Interdepartmental scientific and technical council on priority directions of chemical science and technology development around the GKNT and AS USSR.

V.A.Koptyug has made very much to expand and to strengthen the international cooperation of scientists. Being professionally engaged in the problems of using of physical methods of investigations and computers application in chemistry, and through active participation in the international forums, he has attracted an attention of the world leaders in science to himself, including the leaders of the International union of pure and applied chemistry (IUPAC).

In 1975, he has been introduced into the Commission on molecular structure and spectroscopy of IUPAC, in which he initiated and put into practice a number of new undertakings, in particular, the project on creation of electronic databases on chemical compounds properties. As a recognition of his success in these undertakings and due to the large scientific authority of V.A.Koptyug, he was elected first a member of the IUPAC bureau (1979), and then the vice-president of IUPAC(1985). In 1987 he has become the president of this organization which united the chemists of 56 countries of the world. It was this period that was marked with the most fruitful activity of Valyentin Afanas'yevich, related with the search of ways to solve the urgent environment problems, the mankind being confronted with. In 1989 the IUPAC bureau has approved the program "KHimiya i okruzhayuscaya sryeda (Chemistry and environment )" suggested by him. He was appointed the IUPAC representative in the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) around the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and in 1992 he was elected the vice-president of SCOPE. V.A.Koptyug has made the huge work as the special adviser of the UN General secretary on the preparing of UN conference on an environment and development held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. The concept of sustainable development accepted at this conference as the basic principle of the development of human community was not only actively accepted by him, but also persistently developed with reference to the national features of Russia, and in particular of Siberia. Well-known is his role in solving the Baikal lake problems and inclusion of the Baikal lake in the UNESCO list of sites of the world heritage in 1996. In 1993 the scientific journal " Chemistry for sustainable development " was found on the initiative of Valyentin Afanas'yevich in the Siberian branch. He was this journal editor-in-chief up to his decease. For scientific achievement and strengthening of the international scientific cooperation he was awarded by the international A.P.Karpinskiy premium in 1984.

The important part of Valyentin Afanas'yevich's life was the state and public activity. He was his country Citizen in the complete sense of this word. He was repeatedly elected as the deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1984-1989), member of the Central control commission of CPSU (1981-1986), he was the candidate, and then the member of CPSU Central Committee. Last years of his life he was the member of Presidium of Central Executive Committee of CPRF.

For scientific, pedagogic and public activity V.A.Koptyug was entitled the rank of the Hero of Socialist Labour (1986), he was awarded with two Orders of Lenin, Order of Labour Red Banner, Order 'Honour recognition' and Polar Star award of the Mongolian National Republic. He was elected the foreign member of the Indian national academy of sciences, Bulgarian, Mongolian, Czechoslovak academies of sciences and also Academy of sciences of Byelarus.

In 1996 he has become the honourable citizen of Novosibirsk and has been named among twenty five most merited Novosibirsk citizens of XX century. The prospect in Novosibirsk akademgorodok is named by him, and also a research vessel on lake Baikal. Novosibirsk municipality has founded the student's grant named by him. Siberian Branch has founded the premium for the young scientists by his name. In 1999 Byelarus Academy of sciences and Siberian Branch have found V.A.Koptyug premium for the best joint scientific work.

Valyentin Afanas'yevich Koptyug gave all his life for science and people, and he remains with us.