A bust of honorary citizen of the city Vladimir Kulakov was unveiled in Vitebsk
Vladimir Panteleevich was born in the Kalinin (now Tver) region into a peasant family. He graduated from the Belarusian Institute of National Economy and worked in various positions in the Grodno region and in Minsk. In the 1960s, he headed one of the lagging state farms in the Lida district and quickly turned it into a leading one. At the age of 30, the young director was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
From the first half of the 1980s, Vladimir Kulakov's life became inextricably linked with the Vitebsk region. In 1984, he became the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee. His ten-year tenure in this position was a period of active construction of roads, many social facilities, creation of new industries, and large-scale land reclamation. In particular, nine major hospitals were built in cities and district centers, a diagnostic center in Vitebsk, the "Vitba" confectionery complex, and the Summer Amphitheater.
Until April 1999, Vladimir Kulakov headed the Regional Council of Deputies, and then the Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. Vladimir Panteleevich's work experience spanned 50 years. After retiring, he continued to actively participate in the public life of the Vitebsk region, serving as a member of the presidium of the regional organization of the Belarusian Public Association of Veterans.
In 2019, Vladimir Kulakov was awarded the title "Honorary Citizen of the City of Vitebsk."
At the solemn ceremony, the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, **Vyacheslav Durnov**, stated that it is very important for all of us to preserve the memory of people who invested a lot of labor, skill, and knowledge to develop the Vitebsk region and our native Belarus. Vladimir Panteleevich was a talented leader; the fact that he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour at the age of 30 and the Order of Lenin at the age of 35 speaks to his outstanding personality.
Vladimir Andreichenko, successor to Vladimir Kulakov as chairman of the regional executive committee, emphasized that Vladimir Panteleevich was among those who glorified the region with their deeds and actions, multiplying the spiritual traditions and values of the people.
– I was fortunate to work with him for a long time, since 1983. There was time to talk not only about production topics, but also about life, personal matters. This man had a difficult fate. At the age of five, he was orphaned when his father, who returned from the front, died from the consequences of his wounds. To get a secondary education, he walked 10 km to school. Later, he graduated from two universities. Vladimir Panteleevich had to work at a turning point in history, when, during the collapse of the USSR, it was necessary to hold the region together so that it would not decline and people could live normally, – emphasized Vladimir Andreichenko. – As a wise and experienced person, he managed to do this in difficult times. As a demanding leader, Vladimir Panteleevich knew what to ask for and where to advise, and at the same time, he was fatherly caring.
According to the former general director of UP "Vitebskoblgaz" Pyotr Shershen, Vladimir Kulakov brought to the Vitebsk region the culture of agriculture that should exist from an economic point of view. He was a godsend for the Vitebsk region in the 1990s.
Vladimir Kulakov's daughter Irina thanked everyone who took part in immortalizing her father's memory.
Former colleagues, associates, and subordinates of Vladimir Kulakov participated in the solemn ceremony. We asked some of them to share their memories.
Mikhail Leshchinsky, Deputy Chairman of the regional organization of the public association of veterans:
– Vladimir Panteleevich did not look down from his position, he did not work on the principle: do as I said. He always justified the decision made and, if necessary, convinced why it needed to be done. With extensive management experience, he always made well-thought-out decisions.
Zoya Krot, veteran of public service:
– Vladimir Panteleevich represented the generation of associates of Pyotr Mironovich Masherov, he was personally acquainted with him. He was wise and thrifty in everyday life, did not like to waste funds, was a strong economist, and was not afraid to take responsibility. When the accident at the Chernobyl NPP occurred, I worked as the secretary of the regional trade union council. Children and families from the contaminated zone were evacuated to the Vitebsk region. They arrived at night, and we distributed them to sanatoriums, health resorts, and pioneer camps. One morning at a meeting, Vladimir Panteleevich said: "Why do people arrive at night, are we at war?" He picked up the phone and called the Council of Ministers. After that, people began to be brought during the day.