In Vitebsk, the best employees of the Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Railway were honored.
While somewhere between megacities, passengers peacefully doze in compartments and open-plan carriages to the sound of wheels, and a freight train rushes to deliver export goods, the workers of the steel railway selflessly care about the safety and reliability of transportation. On the first Sunday of August, they received congratulations on their professional holiday.
In the northern region, nearly 12,000 people associated with the industry, including veterans of the division, celebrated this day. The best representatives of the team from the Vitebsk division of the Belarusian Railway were honored at a ceremonial meeting.
The chief engineer of the Belarusian Railway, Sergey Novodvorsky, congratulated the workers of the northern region. He called the steel railway a special link, the locomotive of the country's economy, and emphasized that the railway continues glorious traditions and is on course for development. The rolling stock is improving (new cars and locomotives are arriving), and the digitalization of processes makes it more comfortable for passengers to purchase electronic tickets. Even the forced revision of logistics for cargo deliveries has worked in favor. Yes, it was not easy, but the export of industrial enterprises is secured, and international ties with colleagues from Russia and Kazakhstan have strengthened, through the territories of which the Belarusian Railway routes are laid.
– Today, some directions have changed. This was a certain challenge that we met with honor, together with our colleagues from the Russian Railways. One of the main routes – the 9th transport corridor, which carries cargo to the largest ports of the Northwest region of Russia, passes through your direction, – emphasized Sergey Novodvorsky, addressing the industry workers in Vitebsk region.
Trains gliding on the rails carry millions of people a year, taking on the delivery of goods that cannot be handled by road transport. Day and night, everything works reliably and accurately thanks to the people who have dedicated their lives to this challenging profession.
– There are many professions, and in fact, we can be proud of every worker. More than 7,000 people work in 21 structural divisions of the Vitebsk division. Our common task is to ensure stable and safe transportation of passengers and cargo. Every employee makes a significant contribution to the fulfillment of this task, – noted Alexander Khomchenko, the head of the Vitebsk division of the Belarusian Railway.
More than 70 people at the ceremonial meeting received industry awards, honorary certificates, gratitude, and valuable gifts. Among the recognized leaders in the field is Vasily Lyskavets, a driver from the material and technical supply department of the Vitebsk division of the Belarusian Railway.
– I like it, this is my job – 18 years here, – he proudly shared. – It’s nice to travel around Belarus. In just four days, I have already covered 1400 km: Brest, Minsk… We deliver spare parts, materials, workwear, and more as needed. It’s important to approach it responsibly, to count everything, to check, to ensure that everything is intact and safe.
A few years ago, for Natalia Shner, working in this industry was a dream. The girl proved to herself: nothing is impossible. For the sixth year now, the Day of the Railway Worker is marked in her calendar in red.
– I always passed by the building of the Vitebsk division, the station building, with special trepidation. For me, it was something unattainable. The sound of wheels – such romance. Today, I am overwhelmed with a sense of pride. It is a great happiness to be part of such a huge, strong, powerful organization, – noted the leading archivist of the organizational support department of the division. – On the one hand, my work is modest, with documents. On the other hand, we preserve the history of the railway so that there is something to pass on to children and grandchildren. Many people come to us now for personal matters of their relatives to find out how their great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers worked, how the railway operated at the end of the 19th century.
In Galina Mazgo's work biography, there is only the steel railway, all 38 years. In the past, she was a technician and a telephone operator, and for the last 12 years, she has been a veteran of the division. Her contributions to the railway are remembered. The pensioner gladly accepts invitations to participate in both official and creative projects – exhibitions of thematic floral compositions in honor of the holiday. She fondly recalls how a family business was formed when her husband was a train dispatcher.
– The work is not easy. It has its own features, nuances, and shift work, – said Galina Mazgo. – My husband also worked for 38 years. Our son is in the military, and my husband and I are railway workers. When we retired, we appreciated the work of the railway not only from the inside but also from the outside. Very convenient! Diesel trains run frequently, the stops are well thought out, comfortable, and there are benefits for pensioners from May 1 to October.
Thanks to the veterans, the traditions of the steel railway have been preserved, and today they are being developed by new generations of railway workers. Some are hereditary. In the Vitebsk division, labor dynasties work, with a total experience exceeding four hundred years.
– The railway maintains its image as a reliable, faithful, and responsible partner for any cargo shippers. Passengers trust us and use all types of railway transport very intensively, – stated Sergey Novodvorsky.
The steel railway will continue to develop and modernize. Ambitious tasks will help make passenger journeys even more comfortable, and improved algorithms for cargo transportation will increase cargo flow, opening up new horizons.