Alexander Subbotin met with representatives of the media, printing enterprises, and communications organizations
Meetings dedicated to professional holidays – Press Day and Radio, Television, and Communications Workers' Day – are a good tradition. This year, journalists were gathered by the Vitebsk Oblast Media Center.
The program included an exhibition and interactive platforms for media and communications organizations, and a press conference. The traditional culmination of the meeting was the awarding of the winners of the regional competition among journalists and editorial teams.
According to the tradition of the Vitebsk Oblast Media Center, Alexander Mikhailovich answered questions from a random question generator:
– What skill or ability would you like to master?
– To ice skate.
– What is your favorite quote or saying?
– Do what you must, and what will be, will be.
– How significant and useful is the meeting with journalists for you?
– Very important. It is a great opportunity to raise issues, answer them honestly, and understand what is happening around.
Not Just Vitebsk
Answering the question about which districts he had to visit most often, Alexander Subbotin noted that he had been everywhere, but had definitely not visited every corner.
– This is due to the fact that my work is more staff-oriented, requiring personal involvement in solving certain problems, – admitted the head of the region. – It so happened that on the first day after my appointment, I visited the oldest city in our country – Polotsk. Perhaps we visit it more often than other cities. Undoubtedly, frequent visits to the Orsha region are also chosen as a pilot project for the development of cities with a population of over 80 thousand inhabitants. By the end of this year, it will be possible to say what worked or not, what needs to be adjusted, and what other cities should focus on.
The governor emphasized that each district of the region has its own specifics.
Paving the Way for Investment Projects
Commenting on the investment trend of recent years, as well as the progress in implementing the President's directive "One District – One Project," the head of the region noted that the region's investment portfolio includes 23 projects. But in fact, there are more, and work is underway in each district to implement their ideas.
– 23 projects were selected because there was a strict directive: at least one project per district, and one or two large projects for the region, – stated Alexander Subbotin. – We (government and business) are in a kind of "dormant" mode: some are afraid to start something new, some don't know how to approach it, some don't understand what to tackle in a particular district. Personally, I see that the directive is designed to dislodge this stone. Because all initiative, all development lies not in the executive committee, not in the district, but in the hands of ordinary people. Someone opens a small bakery, someone starts brewing coffee in the square, someone opens a production facility. And all this is intended to energize our society in a good way and show the direction of how it can be implemented. After all, there are many approaches to preferential lending, there are platforms where you can observe some technology and adapt it to your company, your startup. There are people who are ready to invest and support, to help implement this process. I see the meaning of the directive primarily in ensuring that this entire process continues to live on afterwards, and lives very intensely.
The head of the region also noted that there are small enterprises with two to three jobs, and there are large ones where 50-60 people are already planned to be hired. These include Farmsfera, wood and metal processing. Some are in high-tech fields, from software development to the creation of electric vehicles. There are enterprises in the region that are world-renowned.
On retaining doctors in their local areas
– Today, the material and technical base of our healthcare institutions is developing: good operating rooms, MRI scanners, and laparoscopic systems are appearing in remote regions. Consequently, the accessibility of surgical and therapeutic interventions is increasing. Against this backdrop, the state of healthcare institutions in Vitebsk raises, at least for me, great concerns. Among them, for example, are the regional and infectious disease hospitals. Everything is not going smoothly, but we will build the infectious disease hospital, and the project for the regional hospital is currently nearing completion. It will be a new six-story operating and intensive care unit with modern equipment. Then we will proceed to restore the other health resorts, – noted Alexander Subbotin.
As for doctors, the most important thing is the opportunity for our students, who become doctors, to realize their potential, their career growth, and the chance to work with new, promising equipment, gaining skills and improving their professional level. If we talk about mechanisms for retaining specialists, there are stricter ones, such as targeted training and administrative resources, which do not always work effectively, but they do exist. However, we are still focusing on the mentorship system (not only in medicine but also in other sectors: agriculture, industry). This includes additional payments for young specialists, housing provision, social packages, and much more.
Vitebsk Region: A Tourist Destination
In terms of numbers, in 2022, the number of tourists in the Vitebsk region increased by more than 4.5 times. This is likely due to the fact that many Western countries have closed their borders to many of our eastern neighbors. Plus, there is a growing interest in the history of our native region and country.
– I know many people who travel around Belarus with their families and show their children our riches, – said Alexander Subbotin. – An increase in tourist flow will force us to be more responsible in preserving cultural values, as well as in maintaining order around our homes. I can name many attractive places for myself personally, but a year ago I discovered the Museum of the History of the Vitebsk People's Art School, created by Marc Chagall 100 years ago. I am not deeply immersed in such unusual art, but I was surprised that it was here that a world school of design was created, that people who built New York worked here, as well as Malevich, Chagall, and a whole galaxy of world-famous artists.
On roads and maintaining order in the land
Alexander Subbotin said that maintaining order in the land and the condition of roads are the most pressing and critical issues for him personally. He also emphasized that this year more than 100 million rubles have been allocated for the repair, including major repairs, reconstruction, and construction of roads in the region.
– It should be noted that the Vitebsk region is second in terms of road network length. How many kilometers of roads do you think we have? More than 16 thousand km of roads in the region and several hundred bridges that also require repair, – stated the head of the region. – There are many plans for both Vitebsk and the districts. It is clear that we cannot embrace everything at once. The M3 road is being modernized from Begoml through Lepel, Beshenkovichi to Vitebsk. There are plans to extend the two-lane road in both directions to the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. We are actively developing the repair process of the E95 road from Orsha through Vitebsk to St. Petersburg. Projects are being prepared, and we will be doing it, expanding it. In general, I assure you, roads in our region are receiving the closest attention.
On the future of agricultural industrial associations
Alexander Subbotin is confident that in the long term, agricultural industrial associations will be consolidated, but this must be done wisely and in stages.
Currently, the issue lies in the production of raw materials and the maximum utilization of processing enterprises so that they independently fulfill their debt obligations, launch new investment cycles, carry out modernization, develop new types of products, and master new markets.
Currently, the focus is on the production of agricultural products in raw material zones and bringing unprofitable farms to profitability. By the way, the farmers of the Vitebsk region are third in terms of spring sowing rates after the Brest and Grodno regions. At present, the gross milk yield is 7% higher than last year.
About the Day of Belarusian Written Language
The 30th, anniversary, Day of Belarusian Written Language will be held in Horadok.
Alexander Subbotin believes that the main criterion for choosing the capital of the republican holiday was that Horadok region is the birthplace of Konstantin Verenitsyn, the author of one of the most famous Belarusian works of the 19th century.
Horadok is actively preparing to receive guests with dignity.
About the Governor's Palace
Recently, the former governor's palace was transferred to the ownership of the Vitebsk region. It is planned to create a multifunctional complex with halls for receiving high-ranking guests and ceremonial rites. There is an idea to restore the house church, where newlyweds can get married, and equip a cafe with beautiful views from the windows.
The palace has a rich history and has seen Napoleon Bonaparte, Lavrentiy Beria, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, who died here in June 1831 under strange circumstances. Alexander Subbotin expressed hope that the historical building will become one of the tourist pearls of Vitebsk.
About "Dazhynki"
The regional festival-fair of agricultural workers "Dazhynki-2023" will be held in Sharkovshchina and will launch a series of similar holidays in the regions. The celebration of the leaders with a big concert will take place in Vitebsk on the Day of Agricultural and Processing Industry Workers, following the example of last year.
The capital of "Dazhynki-2023" is being updated. The list includes a secondary school, a kindergarten, and an art school. The commissioning of the bath and laundry complex will allow the sports and recreation complex to operate at full capacity. Capital repairs will be carried out in more than ten residential buildings, and current repairs in 26. The construction of a 40-apartment building will also be completed.
Alexander Subbotin is confident that the preparations for "Dazhynki" will add brighter colors to such a wonderful town as Sharkovshchina.
Alexander Subbotin congratulated the journalists on the holiday and noted that the motivation and optimism of readers and viewers depend on them. It is very important to form an information field with a patriotic message: to love one's home, street, and the place where a person lives. It needs to become fashionable, and then everything will work out.
