Thanks to what, and most importantly, thanks to whom, the advanced Lepel PMKS is capable of undertaking the most large-scale specialized projects.

This year's most ambitious project is the reconstruction of the "Novy Put" land reclamation system in Lepel District, covering an area of almost 519 hectares, where work is currently in full swing. By June, it will be completed, and the fields will be ready for agricultural production. By October, the "Chyrvony Sciah – Bobrovo" land reclamation system, spanning 163.5 hectares, will also be brought into order. Cultural and technical work on the "Lutishche" and "Podomkhi" land reclamation systems at the "Lepelskoe" farm is planned for completion by May, and similar work on the "Peski" land reclamation system by August. The reconstruction area in Ushachi District is over 261 hectares, with cultural and technical land reclamation covering 238.5 hectares. This year also includes plans for further expansion of the machinery fleet.

Modern machinery not only increases productivity but also significantly eases human labour. However, as Valentina Ivanovna emphasises, the work remains demanding and significant. Moreover, land reclaimers work in all weather conditions. This specific nature of the work is often cited as the reason for the staff shortages common in the agricultural sector as a whole. This makes the people who are willing to work beyond their scheduled hours, even on weekends, all the more valuable. Therefore, the enterprise's head, Vladimir Domas, who has been leading Lepel PMS since 1994, justifiably considers his cohesive team the main driving force behind the organisation's consistent recognition as a leader in the industry.

The Lepel land reclamation team comprises individuals of various ages. For instance, driver Mikhail Kovalevsky has been transporting workers to sites for 45 years. There are also family teams.

"All the people are hardworking," says Valentina Ivanovna warmly about the team, whose career has been linked to the enterprise since 1979. "And many, like Alexander Zolotukhin or his namesake, mechanic Sasha Kachan, can easily handle any machinery. Our chief dispatcher, Sergey Kritsky, is a similar all-rounder. He, by the way, like Alexander Kachan, is a veteran of the Afghan War."

To attract and retain staff, the enterprise strives to provide financial support, assist with housing issues, and has been paying bonuses to young specialists for five years. Motivated individuals have excellent opportunities to build successful careers.

Valentina Rublevskaya has experienced various periods with the enterprise, including times of prosperity and instability, and therefore looks to the future with optimism, she notes:

— There was a period when, to preserve the team, we actively sought work in various districts: Orsha, Postavy, and others. We did all sorts of things! We laid tiles, built water pipelines, and even ventured into fish farming. That's how we stayed afloat. Some people left and then returned. But the core of the organization always remained. We are pleased with the youth, whose proportion, especially in the engineering service, has increased.

We arrive at a site where drainage is being repaired on the "Vatslavovo" land reclamation system, which was built in the early 1970s. The work superintendent, Dmitry Makerov, who joined land reclamation 18 years ago after being assigned from the Lepel (at that time, still land reclamation) technical school, oversees the technology and quality. Here we also meet the construction foreman, Sergey Simonovich. The young man shared that he chose his profession consciously.

— I like it here, and the team is good, — says the foreman. — There are professionals at every site, so no one needs to be explained tasks twice.

Sergey primarily attributes the shortage of personnel in the industry to the fact that young people do not have a complete understanding of the profession, which also requires physical endurance. Excavator operator Sergey Barzilov, who joined the organization 12 years ago after serving in the army, agrees with his superior:

— Those born in the USSR are used to everything. But modern youth, who spend time on the internet, where there are so many images of an easy, beautiful, and carefree life, don't always immediately grasp that you need to earn your desires. Today, there is everything for a comfortable life; the main thing is to have health and the desire to earn. Four months ago, I received a new model excavator, and the work is progressing well.

Installers Yuri Tukhto and Alexey Gladkov feel comfortable in the team and consider this an important component as well. Alexey, for example, does not regret exchanging the regional center for Lepel due to family circumstances and mastering a new field for himself. The more experienced Yuri noted that in recent years, not only has the organization improved technically, but his hometown has also become more beautiful, as has the district as a whole. Much has been done to improve the quality of life.

— Roads have been repaired, a sports complex has been built, the park has been improved, — Yuri lists the advantages of living in his native region. — We have everything, so I have never thought about another place. The state's attention not only to the industry but also to the regions is tangibly reflected in the quality of life. And the main advantage of the profession is that we always have work, and therefore, the opportunity to earn.

FACT

As reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, land reclamation activities for 2025 are planned in the volume of 110 thousand hectares. The improvement plan includes the reconstruction of the land reclamation system over an area of 61.5 thousand hectares. All land reclamation enterprises of the republic have begun to fulfill the assigned tasks. The outlined plans allow for the fulfillment of the Head of State's instruction to triple the volume of land reclamation work compared to the 2021 figures.

Based on materials from sb.by