32 years at the loom: Orsha native Elena Kress has been awarded the honorary title "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region"

Five residents of the Orsha region have been awarded the honorary title of "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region." In the nomination "Industry, Trade and Services, Financial Activities, Small and Medium Business," the laureate is Elena Kress, a weaver at factory No. 3 of the Orsha Flax Processing Plant, whose 32-year career has become an example of dedication to the work.

The road to the profession began in 1990 when Elena moved to Orsha from the Yelsk district of the Gomel region. Just a year later, she enrolled in vocational school No. 45 (Orsha College of Textile Workers named after G. V. Semyonov), and in 1994 she began her work at the flax processing plant. Since then, her life has been inextricably linked with weaving looms and the creation of products from the famous Belarusian flax.

Elena's work schedule is divided into shifts: a week in the first, a week in the second, a week in the night shift. Under her attentive control are 10 looms. Each day begins with a round and checking the material loading. The main thing in the profession for Elena is quality. It is necessary to carefully monitor every centimeter of the fabric, to promptly eliminate thread breaks so that the products please consumers all over the world.

– Over three decades, work has changed beyond recognition, – shares Elena. – The modernization of production has made great strides forward, and labor productivity has increased several times.

However, the love for natural material has remained unchanged. At home, Elena Nikolaevna widely uses products from her native plant: from napkins to bed linen and clothing.

 Colleagues know Elena Kress as a person of exceptional kindness and modesty. She willingly shares the secrets of her craft with young workers, always ready to lend a shoulder and offer advice. Therefore, when it became known about the awarding of the honorary title "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region," it was a pleasant surprise for her, and the team welcomed the news with joy and congratulations to the heroine.

Elena herself considers this award to be a collective achievement.

– This is not only my merit but also that of our entire team. My work requires endurance, attention, and responsibility. But the most interesting thing is to see how real works of art are born from simple threads, which are distributed all over the world. This fills me with pride for my native plant and for my work, – said Elena Nikolaevna.

This award is far from the first recognition of her merits. Elena Kress's name is inscribed on the Honor Board of the flax processing plant, and in 2018 – on the district Honor Board. Her work has been recognized with letters of thanks from the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly and the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

In her free time from shifts, Elena dedicates herself to her family. She is a happy grandmother of four grandchildren, to whom she gives all her warmth and care.

Vadim KRAVCHENKO.
Photo by the author.

Source orshanka