The Regional Committee for Architecture and Construction has a new head and new tasks
At the end of January 2014, Igor Isachenko took over as head of the Committee for Architecture and Construction of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. He spoke exclusively for the readers of "Vitebskiye Vesti" about himself and the priority tasks facing him as head of the industry.
— Igor Vladimirovich, where are you from, where did you study?
— I was born in Liozno to a family of employees. Ten years later, my father was transferred to work in Gorodok, where I finished school. I entered a military school in Kyiv. By assignment, I was sent to a military unit in the village of Mezhytsa, Lepel district. After several years of service, I transferred to Polotsk, where I later became the chief of staff of an anti-aircraft missile division. There were good prospects for further growth as a commander, but I decided to try myself in civil service.
— And you chose the gas industry of Vitebsk region?
— Yes. I started as a foreman at the Polotsk Gas Filling Station (GNS), then became its director. The regional management noticed me: they offered me the position of deputy chief engineer, and then deputy general director – director of "Vitebskgaz". The work is interesting, despite the heavy workload: you are responsible for many departments, including GNS, a design institute, a repair and construction department, and 2 agricultural enterprises. So I had to quickly understand everything, broaden my horizons, and gain knowledge.
— When you became the head of "Vitebskoblvодоканал", did the need to acquire new skills and abilities only increase?
— Naturally, because changing your field of activity requires self-improvement. I think that in the Soviet Union, they did the right thing by rotating personnel. You worked for 3-4 years and then changed direction. Narrow specialization is also a good option, but it doesn't allow a manager to develop, to reveal their full potential. Yes, it's impossible to grasp all the nuances of water management in less than 5 years, but a strong desire to succeed at the initial stage more than compensated for the lack of specialized experience. There are results: within the framework of the State Program for Water Supply and Sanitation "Pure Water" for 2011-2015, a large number of facilities were commissioned, water consumption decreased (by 25-30%), and the load on expensive equipment was reduced. A specific example is the agro-town of Novka. For ten years, they couldn't achieve normal water supply there. Now, new networks, clean water reservoirs, and an iron removal station have been built.
— You have been both a commander and a boss. Can you name the teachers who helped you achieve success in your professional career?
— I am generally grateful for my military service. It taught me to be disciplined, responsible, and reasonably demanding. I also realized that one must know how not only to lead but also to obey, to show initiative, and to think creatively to achieve results. As for a good teacher in civilian life, I can name the General Director of "Vitebskoblgaz," Petr Petrovich Shereshen. I am immensely grateful to this person.
— How did your family and loved ones react to your appointment as Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Construction of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee?
— Personally, I am glad that I was entrusted with this position. The industry is new to me, and I have to work from early morning until late evening, including Saturdays, so there is little time left for my family. These are, as they say, the costs of production, but when I have a free moment, I am always with my loved ones.
— You came to the construction industry at not the best of times…
— There was criticism from the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and working commissions chaired by the head of the State Control Committee, Alexander Yakobson, were investigating the situation. Currently, all existing issues have been reviewed, and priorities have been set. According to the instructions, we must commission 10 multi-story buildings by June at the latest, which should have been erected last year. Problematic buildings are under special control. I am confident that by the end of the first half of the year, residents will finally move into them. The main thing is to have strict discipline and approaches in the industry, then all that is planned will be realized. Work should start at 8:00 AM, not later, as is often the case. It is necessary to work a full working day, and where the situation requires it, in 2-3 shifts.
— What tasks have been set for this year?
— The head of the region, Alexander Kosinets, has instructed to commission at least 600 thousand square meters of housing. Industrial and socio-cultural facilities will also be built in all spheres: healthcare, education, culture, etc. Rural areas will not be neglected either. Considerable effort will be required to prepare for the national festival-fair "Dozhynki-2014", which will be held in Gorodok in the autumn. This is a real test not only for the industry but for the Vitebsk region as a whole. More than 180 facilities are to be commissioned, including the construction of 2 five-story residential buildings, a bus station, shops, etc., and the repair of roads, schools, and other departmental buildings. Design and estimate documentation for all facilities has already been prepared, and funds have been allocated.
— In the Vitebsk region, "Dazhynki" will be held for the third time. The festival of rural workers has already taken place in Polotsk and Orsha. The town is smaller compared to its predecessors, does this make the tasks of putting things in order easier?
— The amount of work will be the same. After all, the entire town is being improved, down to the very last street, so that water supply, gas, asphalt roads, and beautiful buildings appear there too. We started with the central square in Gorodok itself, but as facilities are completed, we will expand the scope of work until we reach the district borders, modernizing the highways to Pskov, Vitebsk, and Shumilino.
— What other major facilities are you planning to work on in 2014?
— The list is long. I will name only a few of them. Construction of a metallurgical plant in Miory, reconstruction of a flax mill in Orsha, dairy farms, construction of rural housing, and multi-apartment residential buildings. By the way, there is a plan for new buildings for each department, approved at the regional council session, so social and cultural facilities will be built everywhere.
– Last year, housing construction was lagging. What, in your opinion, can contribute to increasing its volume this year?
— The most pressing issue is attracting credit funds from the co-investors themselves. Currently, bank interest rates on loans are almost 40%. Imagine what kind of salary you need to earn to pay off the accrued interest every month. In 2013, out of 72 thousand people in need, only 6.7 thousand agreed to participate in construction. Mainly those who managed to get a loan with lower interest rates. If a decision is made at the republican level in the near future to reduce rates to at least 16%, housing construction will intensify.
Eduard Bakevich, "Vitebskiye Vesti"