100 people received the "Man of the Year of Vitebsk Region – 2016" award

Traditionally, the award lists included 100 representatives of various professions and spheres of activity. A total of 20 nominations were identified, reflecting all sectors of the national economy: industry, agro-industrial complex, healthcare, education, housing and communal services, service sector, culture, law enforcement agencies, small and medium-sized businesses, energy, physical culture and sports, mass media, etc.

Before the awards ceremony, it was possible to familiarize oneself with and taste the innovative products of the leading food industry enterprises of the region, which are valued far beyond the region. Music played in the hall, and people greeted each other with the words: "Happy holiday!".

Indeed, for the Vitebsk region, honoring its frontrunners is a real holiday. It is pleasant when there is something to be proud of. Based on the results of the past year, the region ranked well in the republic, and this is the merit, first and foremost, of those who took the stage to the applause of the audience.

As noted in his speech, Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev, the laureates of the honorary title "Person of the Year of the Vitebsk Region" are people who have earned respect and recognition through their work and results, active life position, and personal qualities.

– Labor has always been and remains the measure of a person's values; it unites people, fills life with meaning and content. History teaches: peace, labor, harmony, and cohesion in society are a reliable foundation for the well-being of any country, – emphasized Nikolai Nikolaevich.

The head of the region recalled that 2016 was the first year of a new five-year plan, the main directions of which were considered and approved at the Fifth All-Belarusian People's Congress. In several aspects, our region managed to achieve positive dynamics. Thus, many enterprises increased the volume of production and sales of goods, reduced inventories, and increased export supplies. The Vitebsk region

holds a leading position in the republic for the production of innovative products in industry. In agriculture, we have managed to increase milk yields, restore the pig population, and increase feed production by 1.4 times.

– In 2017, we expect a significant increase in the efficiency of agricultural production through the further development of four large integrated formations created on the basis of the Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant, the Glubokoye Feed Mill, and the Orsha and Polotsk Grain Processing Plants. They already produce more than 20% of the regional volume of agricultural products, – noted Nikolai Sherstnev.

He also drew attention to the need to preserve and increase the potential of small and medium-sized businesses, and to create jobs for the employment of the population, especially in small towns and rural areas.

In the sphere of law and order, the main tasks remain the prevention of crime and corruption, vicious social phenomena, and ensuring an adequate level of public safety. Stability and tranquility in the state and society are the foundation for the successful development of the region.

2016 was the Year of Culture. More than 120,000 events were held in the region, including 8 international and 38 regional festivals and celebrations. 2017 has been declared the Year of Science. According to Nikolai Sherstnev, the growth of our well-being and the intellectual development of the nation are directly linked to advanced developments. This ultimately determines the region's competitiveness.

– The main concern of the authorities is and will be to improve the quality of life of the population. Our vector is a balanced approach to solving social issues. Attention to the education system, healthcare, and physical culture is a barometer of the nation's health and general well-being, – concluded the head of the region, emphasizing once again that behind every event and achievement in the life of the region are people who are shaping the history of our land through their labor.

Many of those who became laureates of the "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region – 2016" title were once heroes of publications in "Vitebskiye Vesti". We have repeatedly written about the head of

of a peasant (farmer) farm from Rossony, Anatoly Borodulkina. This entrepreneur was mentioned by the chairman of the regional executive committee in his speech as an example of an initiative and responsible attitude towards business. The farmer is developing a woodworking enterprise in the village, creating 10-15 new jobs annually. He actively helps veterans and the kindergarten-school, and enjoys the respect of his fellow villagers.

Among the best in the "Agro-industrial complex" nomination is Dmitry Timoshchenko, director of OJSC "Dubrovno Rayagropromservice". The enterprise he heads is one of the leading not only in the Vitebsk region but also in the republic.

– I perceive my award as recognition of the entire team's success. The main thing in any endeavor is not to stand still, to move forward, to seek new directions. Our Rayagropromservice is a diversified enterprise; we take on any work, from agriculture to woodworking. Labor productivity, profitability, and revenue are growing annually. In 2016, we purchased a log-o-matic machine, which allowed us to expand our scope of activities, – said Dmitry Timoshchenko.

We also managed to talk with the winner of the gold medal at the Paralympics in Brazil, Master of Sports of International Class, Honorary Citizen of Polotsk, Andrei Pranevich. The athlete came to the ceremony from training. Today, he holds the first place in the world ranking among wheelchair fencers. Andrei said that he is preparing to represent Belarus at the World Cup, which will be held in Hungary in mid-February. Vladislav Goncharov, a trampoline gymnast and winner of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, also received an award.

Much is being done for the development of sports in the Vitebsk region. Last year, the "Olimpiec" complex for team sports with a ski-roller track was commissioned in Orsha, and fitness and health complexes were reconstructed in

Senno and Shumilino. Construction of a sports and recreation complex is underway in Ushachi, swimming pools in Gorodok and Liozno, and a stadium at the Vitebsk State Technological University. Dmitry Kukso, a 4th-year student of the Faculty of Finance and Economics of Polotsk State University, has creditably represented initiative, thoughtful, and creative youth in his nomination. Last year, he won the republican competition "Student of the Year." The young man is an excellent student, is passionate about creativity, and is a laureate of the Maxim Bogdanovich scholarship. Much praise is due to Lyubov Levshuk, the abbess of the Holy Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk, who advocates for spiritual revival and the preservation of moral Christian values. Each of the laureates is distinguished by their ability to think innovatively, combine experience and skill with a desire for continuous professional improvement. Presenting the well-deserved awards, the head of the region thanked everyone for their conscientious, selfless work for the benefit of the Dvina region and their native Belarus, and emphasized that their successes inspire new achievements. At the end of the solemn part, the governor presented a state award – the medal "For Labor Merits" to Yuri Braginets, chairman of the production agricultural enterprise "Pedigree Plant for Breeding Black-and-White Cattle 'Detskoselsky'." Then, a festive concert took place. The "Heroes of the Year" were congratulated by the best ensembles and performers of the regional center, as well as the popular singer Ruslan Alekhno. **Tatyana Pasternak. Photos by Dmitry OSIPOV. "Vitebskie vesti".**