Valeriy Smoliy (Ukrainian: ??????? ?????????? ??????) is a Ukrainian academician, historian, director of the NASU Institute of History of Ukraine.
Smoliy was born on 1 January 1950 in a village Avratyn, Volochysk Raion, Kamianets-Podilskyi Oblast.
In 1970 he graduate the historical faculty of the Kamianets-Podilskyi State Pedagogic Institute.
After that Smoliy worked as a rural teacher in schools of Ternopil Oblast and a teacher assistant in the Nizhyn Pedagogic Institute.
Since 1972 Smoliy works at the NASU Institute of History of Ukraine.
In 1975 he defended his candidate thesis "Union of the right-bank Ukraine with Ukrainian lands within the Russian state" (Ukrainian: ????'??????? ????????????? ??????? ? ???????????? ??????? ? ?????? ?????????? ???????) and in 1985 his doctorate thesis "Social consciousness of Ukrainian national movements participants (second half of the 17th-18th centuries)" (Ukrainian: ????????? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ????? ??????? (????? ???????? XVII–XVIII ??.)).
Since 1986 Smoliy was heading one of departments of the institute.
In 1991 he was elected a deputy director of the institute.
In 1992 he was admitted to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine as a corresponding member.
Since 1993 Smoliy is a director of the NASU Institute of History of Ukraine.
In 1995 he became a full member, academician, of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
In 1997–1999 Smoliy served as a vice-Prime Minister on humanitarian issues in the government of Valeriy Pustovoitenko.