
Six decades in love and harmony.
The professional holiday of agricultural workers is not only an occasion to congratulate current employees, but also an opportunity to gratefully remember the veterans of the industry. It was they who laid the foundations of agricultural production, passed on their accumulated experience to young specialists, and preserved rural traditions. The story of the Lyubochko family from Malozhyn is a vivid confirmation of this.
The diamond wedding, which Leonid and Tatyana Lyubochko recently celebrated, is an occasion to tell not just about an anniversary, but about the people and their fate. The life and career path of this couple deserves special attention. There was a place for difficulties, joys, and love that has not faded for decades.
To congratulate the jubilees on this significant date, the chairman of the district veterans' organization Lyubov Derkach, the chairman of the district committee of the trade union of agricultural workers Lyudmila Dubina, the head of the Malozhyn village council Dmitry Tomko, and the economist of OAO "Peramozhnik" Anna Grishchekina arrived. The festive ceremony of registering the marriage was conducted by the head of the ZAGS department of the district executive committee Margarita Bruylo. The guests wished the jubilees good health, longevity, and family warmth.
Tatyana Ivanovna is from Malozhyn, and Leonid Grigorievich is from Mikulich. Tatyana's childhood cannot be called carefree. Her father, Ivan Vasilyevich Pastukhov, who was from Lipetsk, was a scout during the war: he infiltrated the fascists under the guise of a policeman. When the truth was revealed, Tatyana's mother and little daughter were almost shot - they were led to a pit, and only by a miracle did they manage to avoid tragedy. Her father's surname is engraved on a monument in Malozhyn. He died and was buried on the farm of Laetsa near the city of Tartu in Estonia.
Tatyana Ivanovna graduated from school with excellent grades, and then, like many Komsomol members, went to the Virgin Lands. In 2004, at the Embassy of Kazakhstan, she was awarded the jubilee medal "Tynga 50 zhyl" ("50 years of the Virgin Lands") - a sign of recognition of the contribution of those who developed the lands that had not been cultivated for centuries.
Leonid Lyubochko (right) during his military service.
At the age of 15, Tatyana, who had never left her native places before, went to Lipetsk - to her father's relatives. Her grandfather and uncles welcomed her warmly, and for many years they maintained a connection.
Fate brought Tatyana and Leonid together by chance – on a regular bus traveling to Malozhyn. The young electrician, along with his team, was heading to the "Pervomaysk" collective farm to install electricity, while Tatyana was returning home from Lithuania, where she had been visiting her brother, a military pilot. This chance encounter became the beginning of a great story.
With their son Gena.
It was love at first sight, recalls Leonid Grigoryevich. She was so charming that I immediately noticed her.
Two years later, the team was supposed to work in the Kormyansky district, but Leonid did not leave: he proposed to Tatyana. Well-mannered and attentive, he gradually won the heart of the unapproachable beauty.
And how he danced, it was impossible to take your eyes off him, says his spouse.
After graduating from the Gomel Agricultural Technicum, Tatyana Ivanovna worked at the collective farm as the deputy chief accountant, then was elected secretary of the Malozhyn rural council. Later, she worked as the chief economist and chief accountant. Her total work experience is 38 years. Calm, collected, and attentive to details, she became a specialist who could always be relied upon.
A badge of recognition for the development of virgin lands.
Leonid Grigoryevich, who worked for almost 45 years as the chief power engineer at "Pervomaysk", is remembered by his colleagues as a demanding but fair leader. His team consisted of eight people, and discipline and order always reigned. Former employees still recall: "With Grigoryevich, everything was clear, businesslike, and without fuss".
Life in the village is not easy, but the spouses knew how to not only work but also enjoy themselves. Tatyana Ivanovna sang in the local ensemble and performed at district events. The collective farm often organized trips to cities around the country – the spouses visited Leningrad and Moscow, and rested in Belarusian sanatoriums.
For us, these were small holidays that helped us feel life in all its colors, shares Tatyana Ivanovna.
Today, after six decades of life together, they have managed to preserve that same tender feeling that sparked in the bus. They still take care of each other, cherish their love. The spouses raised a son and a daughter, and now they have three grandchildren and as many great-grandchildren.
Irina Stychinskaya
Author's photo
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