Student detachments of Vitebsk region are building the Belarusian NPP
Student detachments of Vitebsk region are involved in the All-Belarusian Youth Construction Project – the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.
For those who are concerned that students have been entrusted with such an important facility, let us say right away: firstly, the guys are mainly involved in auxiliary work on the construction of administrative buildings and related structures, and secondly, all of them have undergone training and have 2nd-3rd category qualifications in construction specialties, and finally, experienced specialists are assigned to the detachment members. At the same time, they provide significant assistance to the builders, as evidenced by the figures: if last year, when the Belarusian NPP was declared a youth construction project, 210 students worked here, then this year the employer increased their number to 400.
Seeing the giant under construction with your own eyes is very exciting. This became clear on the approach to the station in the Ostrovets district, when the reactor under construction was already visible from afar. But a special feeling is to be involved in the creation of such a facility. It was this feeling that attracted students from the Vitebsk State Technological University and Polotsk State University. In addition, the financial component played a role, as based on the results of last year's experience at the summer construction of the Belarusian NPP, young people earned an average of 13 million.
– However, it was not easy to join these detachments; selection was competitive, – explained Dmitry Turoнок, Second Secretary of the Regional Committee of BRSM, with whom we went to Ostrovets to see how the students from Pridvinye had settled and were working there. – The main criteria were age over 18, good health, an active life position, and the mandatory possession of a construction specialty of at least 2nd-3rd grade. To obtain it, university students attended evening courses at secondary vocational schools in their city for a year, where they were eventually awarded the corresponding "certificates" as bricklayers, concrete workers, plasterers-tilers. In addition, work experience in student construction detachments was also taken into account; many of these guys are not dedicating their summer to labor for the first time.
Among them is Denis Podshivalenko, a student of the Faculty of Mechanics and Technology of VSTU. Last year, he was the commander of one of the field detachments that assisted in the construction of residential buildings in Minsk. Now he heads the construction detachment "Berkut" named after Hero of the Soviet Union G. Batalov.
– The guys are motivated to work, because their earnings depend on how well they perform their duties, everyone understands this, – says Denis. – Now we are engaged in the construction of the spray pond of the first power unit: we are tying and carrying reinforcement, and removing construction debris. Of course, such facilities are attractive; it is interesting to be a part of them and to see how everything grows and develops before your eyes. But it is also a great responsibility; it is important not only to perform professional tasks clearly but also to strictly adhere to safety regulations.
This is Andrey Boslovyak's first time at this construction site, and he is a student of the Civil Engineering Faculty of PSU, the commissioner of the «Eureka» detachment named after Hero of the Soviet Union V.Еronko. He notes that it is interesting and educational here, both in terms of applying his knowledge in practice and communicating with students from other universities, and getting acquainted with new interesting places in our country.
– Our workday is from 8:00 to 18:00, and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 17:00. We live in Ostrovets in apartments built for the future station workers; however, they currently resemble dormitories. We have lunch at the BelNPP canteen (50% is paid by the employer, the rest is deducted from wages), and in the evening, we cook ourselves in turns. On our day off, Sunday, they don't let us get bored: the youth union organizes various events.
The field for interesting communication is indeed wide, as young people from the Russian regions of Belgorod, Kaluga, and Moscow work alongside students from educational institutions of all regions of Belarus at the BelNPP. This year, the consolidated Belarusian-Russian detachment was named after the twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal Nikolai Krylov. Such a tribute to the memory of the victors of the Great Patriotic War and a bridge to the Komsomol past, when the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP and the Baikal-Amur Mainline were built through joint efforts, is truly invaluable. Belarusian and Russian youth contribute to the development, prosperity, and economic independence of our state; as is known, it is easier to solve set tasks together. They rightly say that the student construction team movement is a school of life.
The Director for Construction of the Belarusian NPP, representative of JSC «NIAEP» in the Republic of Belarus, Yuri Pustovoy, was once himself a member of a construction team, where he gained his first experience in his future profession and working in a team. He is pleased with the current students:
– Last year, the youth proved themselves well, so they were invited this year as well. We are building a strategically important facility for Belarus, and the guys have a unique opportunity to witness its development stages. However, such trust must be justified, so we have to work hard and not forget about the most important thing – safety precautions, – noted Yuri Alekseevich.
The detachments will work until August 24. The students are smiling: there will be a whole week left for rest and for spending money – and then back to the fight! But this time in the classrooms.
Olga Maslovskaya, "Vitebskiye Vesti"