This year, the honoring of the laureates of the most prestigious competition of the Dvina region "Man of the Year of Vitebsk Region" took place within the framework of a solemn meeting dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Vitebsk region

It is not surprising that the glorious anniversary of the country's northern region was dedicated not only to the first part of the ceremony held at the Vitebsk Concert Hall, but also to the entire essence of the event, which turned into a real celebration – a celebration of working people. As aptly compared by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, at the end of the awards ceremony for the laureates, almost a century of the region's history in faces passed before the participants and guests of the meeting – creative people who dared and created for the benefit of the state.

Turning the pages of history, Alexander Nikolaevich recalled the Krivichi who founded the cradle of spirituality – Polotsk, and the appearance of the Vitebsk Governorate, the abolition of which he considers a great mistake, corrected in 1938 by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which decided to establish the Vitebsk region. By 1940, it had surpassed the 1913 level in industrial and agricultural development, but the devastating consequences of the war, which claimed the lives of every third resident of the Dvina region, have not yet been overcome: only last year the birth rate in Vitebsk finally exceeded the mortality rate. It is terrifying to think that in June 1944, only 188 surviving citizens met its liberators. How many glorious names are associated with the history of our region, how many amazing people have worked and are working for its prosperity!

Talking about the region's successes, Alexander Kosinets cited several figures indicating a high level of socio-economic development of the region, and sincerely thanked the veterans who created a powerful economic base during their active working lives.

A whole galaxy of labor veterans, including dozens of district leaders from the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, former governors – the Speaker of the Belarusian Parliament Vladimir Andreichenko and Vladimir Kulakov – were awarded Certificates of Honor of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. Among the awardees is the Aide to the President of the Republic of Belarus – Chief Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, Nikolai Domashkevich, who once headed the Senno District Executive Committee. Vladimir Andreichenko thanked his fellow countrymen for the honor bestowed upon them and assured that the country's parliamentary corps is ready to provide all possible assistance to the Vitebsk region for its progressive development. A welcome address from the Head of State to the residents of our region on the occasion of its anniversary was announced by the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Tur. Congratulations on this occasion were received from the heads of diplomatic missions, other regions of the country, and various organizations.

Our amazing, beautiful region can rightfully be proud of its people. Both at the dawn of the state's formation and today, they have devoted and continue to devote all their strength to strengthening
its power.

— I have been working in the agricultural sector of the Vitebsk region for almost a quarter of a century, although I am originally from the neighboring Mogilev region. I consider Vitebsk region my second homeland and spare no effort to make it more beautiful, — admits Petr Khaltsev, director of the agricultural republican subsidiary unitary enterprise "Vydreya" of the RUP "Vitebsk Branch of Belarusian Railways" in the Liozno district.

Raisa Krupаtina, deputy director for greenhouse complex at Rudakovo OJSC, who has worked in agriculture for 40 years, is convinced that the vitamin products manufactured in her "glass kingdom" are exclusively for the health of her fellow countrymen, and she spares neither effort nor time for this. Operators Antonina Silina from Mayak Vysokoye OJSC of Orsha district and Natalia Roman'kova from Prozemale-Agro OJSC of Chashniki district milk more than seven thousand kilograms of milk per cow. And they do this also for our health, not for the sake of records. Among the laureates of the "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region – 2012" title are also well-known enterprise managers such as Alexander Mareyko, Alexander Kolkov, Sergey Gromadko, Mikhail Lazarashvili. Leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, frontrunners in the transport, energy, forestry, housing and communal services, and law enforcement agencies were not left in the shadows. An impressive number of laureates from the fields of education, culture and science, healthcare and social protection convinces that in the north of Belarus there is an inexhaustible source of wisdom and spirituality, which our contemporaries continue to revive. Bronze medalist of the Summer Olympics Marina Shkermanova, who has brought glory to her homeland worldwide, evokes special pride. And from the bottom of our hearts, we want to congratulate our colleague, TV journalist Elena Pantyukhova, who skillfully praises the beauty of Vitebsk Region, its main asset and pride – the working person – in her TV reports.

Ekaterina ANECHKINA.
Photo by Dmitry OSIPOV.