In the corridors of the Volozhin Agricultural College, it's bustling again: this year, 128 first-year students have taken their seats at their desks. For the institution's director, Svetlana Muchinskaya, who has been heading the college for six years, this is a familiar rhythm - the enrollment plan is consistently and fully completed here. However, the current campaign has brought a pleasant surprise: many more local youngsters have arrived than predicted.

We conducted career guidance in schools and expected about 30 people from our district, but in fact, we received 42 applications, Svetlana Muchinskaya shares. The geography remains broad: students come from Minsk, Smorgon, and there are even guys from the Gomel region.

The main trend of recent years is the destruction of stereotypes. The college proudly recalls its first female graduate who mastered the profession of a tractor driver-mechanic. The girl is already successfully working in the local farm "Pershai" and has easily integrated into the male team, proving her competence. The example has been contagious: every year, girls apply for this specialty, and in this intake, there are six representatives of the fair sex.

The training program here is serious. Future mechanics receive the right to drive cars, trucks, and tractors, and at the same time, they master the profession of a repairman. No less in demand are creative areas - hairdressing and sewing, which both boys and girls attend with pleasure.

The secret to the college's popularity is simple: they create not just an educational base, but a comfortable environment. A dormitory, rich leisure activities, convenient logistics, and most importantly, human relationships. It's no wonder that many graduates return here as teachers.

Master of production training Yelizaveta Timanovich graduated from the college 11 years ago, and today she teaches future hairdressers. She admits that working with young people is easy when you speak their language. Yelizaveta constantly improves her skills, adopting experience from prestigious competitions like WorldSkills.

Next to her works Vera Artyukevich - a master of sewing with 8 years of experience. In her workshop, there are modern machines that many factories would envy.

The main thing is the spark in the eyes, says Vera, looking at her wards creating stylish accessories, bedding, and clothing.

This year, the team has been joined by six young specialists. One of them is English language teacher David Lavrov.

A graduate of a linguistic university, a native of Maladzyechna, he traveled to Valozhyn with trepidation, but remained in delight.

— The city surprised me, it has everything for life and work, — David admits. — And there's also a unique landscape, hills — it's very beautiful. I became a curator for the guys, we go to the local sports center together, engage in sports. There's a sense of life here.

Dreams with character

Yaroslav is studying to be a tractor driver not by chance. A sturdy guy is used to physical labor, having grown up in a picturesque village on the bank of the Ptich River near Maryina Horka.

Yaroslav is an avid fisherman, and in winter, his main trophy was a pike weighing over four kilograms. He chose his profession on the advice of older friends who already work in the economy on tractors and combines.

— They told me that the pace of work is serious and the schedule is difficult, but there are also significant advantages — for example, a solid salary during the harvest, — the guy shares.

In addition, Yaroslav wants to thoroughly master the locksmith's craft so that in the future he can buy a car and maintain it himself. He is satisfied with his life in Valozhyn: the dormitory is comfortable, and it's not hard to get home on weekends.

Experience is passed on with an individual approach

Alexander Tereshko shares the secrets of adjusting and maintaining reliable equipment with first-year students.

He teaches the design of aggregated equipment, the basics of electrical engineering, and the design of wheeled tractors.

— The level of training among the guys is different, — Alexander says. — There are those who have been helping their relatives in the field since childhood and already have an idea of the machine, and there are newcomers for whom the tractor is like outer space. Therefore, we have to navigate: combine theory from textbooks with live video materials and examples from practice. The main thing is that the guys understand each unit, can set up the equipment for specific soil types and weather conditions. They will come to production and our college should represent them with dignity.

What attracts

The college knows how to surprise. Hrazhina, Lyubov, and Ksenia came to study from Smarhon, Minsk, and Astravets.

All three chose the specialty of a seamstress-hairdresser, although they honestly admit: they currently enjoy creating fashionable hairstyles the most. The girls quickly became friends, live in the same room in the dormitory, and smile — they like everything here. After receiving their diplomas, they plan to do different things: someone will go to work immediately, and someone plans to continue their education at a university.

And the stories of Viktoryia and Yelizaveta are a real challenge to stereotypes.

Both girls from Minsk met here, in Volozhin. Lisa tried out the profession of a mechanic at a vocational training complex while still in school.

She went there initially just for fun with her friends, but in the end, she got so carried away that she is now learning with great enthusiasm, the girl laughs.

Now they are mastering the specialty of a tractor driver-mechanic and admit that they absolutely love working with their hands. They have no problem getting home to Minsk on a route bus. And they call their student life in the dorm an separate kind of art: at home, they are pampered with their mothers' and grandmothers' meals, while here the main dish is fried potatoes made with their own hands.

Only two months of study have passed, and the first-year students are already eagerly waiting for practical classes on tractors.

Their classmate Artem came to Volozhin from Maryina Gorka on his mother's advice. His friend had entered the college earlier, the mothers talked, shared their impressions, and the choice was made. The guy wants to get a license for several types of vehicles and become a universal specialist. He is not afraid of hard work: two of his uncles have been taking him as a helper for harvesting for three seasons, so Artem knows the taste of real labor from the inside. The road home takes a little time: by route bus to Minsk, then by electric train.

Another classmate of Artem is a local, from the Volozhin district. He approached admission strategically: he concluded a contract for targeted training. The guy knows exactly that after graduating from college, he will return to his small homeland and work in the local housing and utilities sector.

Such a pragmatic approach is not rare for today's first-year students. Young people are increasingly choosing working specialties not by default, but consciously: they weigh the prospects, count the advantages of guaranteed distribution, and value stability.

Here they not only teach, but also take care of students like their own children

Director Svetlana Muchinskaya confirms this trend: the college has long ceased to be just an educational institution. Today it is a full-fledged starting point for independent life, where theory is inextricably linked with practice, and each student is surrounded by attention and support.

Our main task is not just to issue a diploma, but to make sure that a young specialist feels confident in any production, emphasizes the head. And judging by the spark in the eyes of our first-year students when they come to classes, we are moving in an absolutely right direction.

Autumn weekdays at Vologzhin College are in full swing. While future tractor drivers study the design of equipment, and seamstresses hone their straight stitches on super-modern equipment, somewhere nearby new ideas for projects are already ripening, and athletes and creative activists are preparing to go out on practice.

Photos and videos by the author

Here, in a cozy corner of Minsk region, where hilly landscapes harmoniously coexist with modern infrastructure, everyone finds their place. And yesterday's schoolchildren, who until recently timidly crossed the threshold of the admissions committee, become part of a large, friendly, and very reliable team.