Belarus's Best Guide: "There Are No Monotonous Trips"
Ilya Lomach became the winner of the republican competition "Best in Profession" among passenger service workers. The Vitebsk resident competed with attendants from all regions of Belarus who had led in the regional stages. As explained by Irina Panfilova, Deputy Head of Ideological Work, Personnel, and Social Issues at the Vitebsk Car Depot, contestants had to pass two stages. The theoretical stage included test questions about railway travel rules. They also had to find solutions to emergent non-standard conditional situations. The practical stage involved resolving proposed problematic circumstances: for example, issuing a travel document to a passenger without a ticket and with a child, taking into account the coefficient and tariffs.
Ilya joined the railway at the age of 18, almost immediately after graduating from Vitebsk Gymnasium No. 8. He underwent training directly at the car depot, where he has been working for six years. As Ilya admits, his dream of working on a train dates back to his childhood.
– In the summer, my parents and I often traveled by train to Simferopol. I really enjoyed traveling, watching the landscapes flash by the window, and observing people. And nothing has changed today. After every trip, I am drawn to the road again, – says Ilya. – I love the dynamism of my work – constant movement, interaction with people.
Ilya mainly works on the high-speed business class route Vitebsk – Minsk, as well as on the international routes Polotsk – Moscow and Minsk – Adler. According to the best attendant in Belarus, no two trips are the same. Something extraordinary happens on each one, providing new experience. Different passengers, different situations…
Most often, people forget things – not small bags, but huge suitcases, the interviewee says. Attendants draw up an inventory act, listing each item, and report the find to the BZD contact center. The forgotten luggage then remains at the station waiting for its owner.
Ilya intends to develop in his profession and wants to try himself as a train conductor. To achieve this dream, he enrolled in the Belarusian State University of Transport.
A total of more than 470 people work at the Vitebsk carriage depot, including specialists from the service maintenance section, rolling stock repair fitters, electrical fitters, battery technicians, carpenters, as well as 236 conductors (of whom only nine are men). Young people are actively entering this profession. Newcomers learn punctuality, discipline, and a high culture of service from experienced colleagues, as conductors are always in the public eye and the image of Belarusian Railways largely depends on them.
Master Mikhail Lipovsky also became the winner in his nomination in the "Best in Profession" competition. Among the leaders are train conductor Vitaly Tolpinets and fitter Vitaly Stalmakov, who took third place, train electrician Ivan Loyko and conductor Ksenia Rudneva (second place).