The treasure, wealth, and pride of any enterprise are reliable people, a team of literate professional workers who are responsible and dependable. It is precisely such individuals who work at OAO "Khotimskiy Linen Factory". Their achievements bring fame not only to the enterprise but also to our Khotimsk region, evoking a sense of great pride among locals.

Vladimir Nikolayevich Malevanov, the master of shift No. 1 (the factory has three shifts), has been writing his labor biography at the factory for 19 years. He is a native of Khotimsk. He graduated from secondary school No. 1, then served in the army, in the artillery troops in Ukraine. He was demobilized in 1985 and enrolled in the agronomic faculty of the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy in Gorki. After receiving his diploma, he worked for five years in the "III International" collective farm as the brigade leader of the field crop brigade.

"I was taught to work from childhood," Vladimir recounts. "From the first grade, during summer vacations, I would deliver drinking water to collective farm workers engaged in haymaking on horseback. I helped my parents with household chores at home. They taught me rural life. Now I have my own family. Our family life with my wife, Valentina Petrovna (currently a pensioner), is built on mutual understanding and respect. We have grown-up children."

For some time, Vladimir worked as the deputy director for administrative and economic affairs at a boarding school. And since August 2007, he has been working at the linen factory. He was immediately appointed as the shift master. At first, as he admitted, it was a bit difficult, and it took some time to get into the work process. He also needed to get to know each worker in the shift and learn to find compromises. Over time, life fell into its rhythm. Now he notes that he enjoys working with people. "There are 13 people working in the shift. At the same time, there should also be an electrician and a stoker (during the heating season) at the factory," the master continues. "All the people are responsible and reliable. If needed, they come to work on weekends."

Malevanov's shift produces products in high demand on both domestic and foreign markets - long and short fiber. The quality of the fiber directly depends on the observance of technological parameters for processing linseed, which the master oversees. He is always pleased when the fiber of high numbers is produced at the output.

In case of equipment failure, the master is obliged to react clearly and call a locksmith or a repair team.

– Of course, we first try to fix the malfunction on our own, – says Vladimir Nikolayevich. – Well, and if it's a complex one, I inform the mechanic or the chief engineer. The organization of the shift's work directly affects the performance indicators and the volume of finished products released. So, there should be no downtime.

Master Malevanov sees the proper organization of labor and control over the production process as his main task. It is precisely thanks to this, he is convinced, that they always manage to fulfill the assigned norm for the shift and for the month, year as a whole.

During his time working at the plant, he has proven himself to be a competent and responsible person. If necessary, he is ready to replace any worker in his team – to take their place on the line. His main professional principle, however, is to treat people with respect, work together as a team, and do his job conscientiously. Then the result will be worthy. He is equally knowledgeable about production as the management. Over the years of working at the plant, he has learned a lot and gained experience from advanced workers.

The management of the enterprise values his serious attitude towards work, his ability to cope with any tasks, and his organizational skills. On the occasion of the professional holiday – the Day of Workers in Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Agro-Industrial Complex in Belarus – Vladimir Nikolayevich was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the district executive committee in a ceremonial setting.

Natalya KOTESHova. Photo by the author