Published on: 2026-07-06
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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A well-known scientist in the field of quality economics and quality management theory, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head of the UNESCO Department “Quality Management of Education in the Interests of Sustainable Development” at SPbPU, Vladimir Valentinovich Okrepilov, has passed away.
Doctor of Economics, professor, and honorary citizen of Saint Petersburg Vladimir Valentinovich Okrepilov dedicated his life to the development of a new scientific field — the economics of quality, in which metrology became an integral link. He not only advanced this area of knowledge — he created and led his own scientific school for many years, studying the connection between the economics of quality and the main vectors of socio-economic development of society.
Vladimir Okrepilov was born on February 23, 1944, in Leningrad. In 1965, he enrolled in the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute (now — BSTU “VOENMEH” named after D. F. Ustinov) in the specialty “Mechanical equipment of automatic installations.” At the same time, he worked at the Leningrad radio engineering equipment plant. From 1979 to 1986, V. V. Okrepilov worked as the chief engineer of the Scientific Production Association “Mendeleev Research Institute of Metrology”.
Since 1986 (more than 30 years), Vladimir Okrepilov has headed the Center for Standardization and Metrology — St. Petersburg (FSBI “Test-St. Petersburg”), founded in 1900 by D. I. Mendeleev as the first verification office for commercial measures and weights in Russia.
In 2011, V. V. Okrepilov was elected an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was the scientific director of the Institute of Regional Economic Problems of the RAS, was a member of the Department of Social Sciences, the Economics Section, and the Council on Regional Policy of the RAS.
Since its establishment in 2023, he actively engaged in the work of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was a member of the presidium and the Joint Scientific Council for the Humanities of the St. Petersburg Branch of the RAS.
Vladimir Okrepilov was a long-time member of the Supervisory Board of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. In December 2017, Vladimir Valentinovich headed the newly established UNESCO Chair “Quality Management in Education for Sustainable Development” at the Polytechnic and led it for almost 10 years. At the Academic Council meeting of SPbPU held at the end of June 2026, he was re-elected as head of the UNESCO Chair. And a week later, the news of Vladimir Valentinovich’s passing arrived.
Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology, recipient of numerous high state awards, Vladimir Valentinovich combined the stature of a prominent scientist with human warmth. His work, ideas, and mentorship left a deep mark on the lives of his students and colleagues, and his scientific legacy will continue to serve as a foundation for new generations of researchers.
The Polytechnic University mourns the irreplaceable loss and expresses sincere condolences to the family and close ones of Vladimir Valentinovich. The memory of this remarkable person and outstanding scientist will live on in his works and in the grateful remembrance of those who knew him: relatives, friends, colleagues, and students.
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