VSSTU scientists are developing a new range of fabrics for the modernization of the Orsha Flax Mill

For Natalia Akindinova, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Design, the Orsha enterprise is like home. It was here that the young graduate of the Vitebsk university began her career as a designer (these specialists are involved in the development and implementation of new fabric structures and patterns in production). After working for several years, Natalia Stanislavovna entered postgraduate studies at VSTU, completed them, moved to work at the university, and in 2015 brilliantly defended her candidate dissertation on the topic "Technology of furniture and decorative fabrics of new tapestry structures." It was recognized as the best dissertation of the year in the republic in the field of "Technical and Agricultural Sciences" due to its pronounced practical nature, and all developments from it were used at Belarusian enterprises, including the Orsha Linen Mill.

For several years, N. Akindinova carried out various assignments for the concern "Bellegprom" on the creation of new technologies and their implementation in production.

— A new cycle of developing the industry program for the light industry for 2018-2020 has begun, and it includes several of my projects, — shared the interviewee. — Modernization is underway at the Orsha enterprise, new electronically controlled equipment is being installed, and this range of fabrics is being developed for it. Everything in them is new: technologies, structures, effects. They have been agreed upon with the linen mill and are currently undergoing expert review at the State Committee on Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus. The developments have also been submitted for participation in the republican competition of innovative projects.

Natalia Stanislavovna says that she is a very happy person because she loves her profession.

— I was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Design in February. There are many difficult tasks ahead. We need to enter the international arena, establish connections and cooperation with enterprises and firms of other countries, — she continues. — We plan to open new specialties, the most realistic prospect is "Virtual Environment Design". A lot of career guidance work is being carried out at the faculty, for example, on October 27-28, we held a design forum with the participation of heads of well-known design firms and enterprises — our graduates, they shared the secrets of their success. We are going to cooperate more widely with art schools and schools with an artistic focus in Belarus, so that the most talented students come to us. We need our own master's and postgraduate programs, we will train staff for them. In parallel with leadership and teaching, I will definitely continue my research work. I try to see what is beyond the horizon, and definitely get there…

The development of new types of fabrics using flax is one of the main areas of the university's innovative activities. In recent years, the university's scientists have offered the manufacturer technologies for producing pure linen outerwear fabrics of the denim type using cottonized flax, which are not inferior in their properties to the classic fabric with this name, and shirt fabrics of the denim type made from bicomponent yarn (50 percent flax and 50 percent cotton). At the request of the concern "Bellegprom", technologies for the production of flax-containing fabrics with complex structures have been developed and implemented. Scientific research in this direction continues.

"Vitbichi".