The delegate of the VNS mechanizer Sergey Maksimets – how life in the village has been transformed over 30 years

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly – the Institute of People’s Power in Belarus, which dates back to October 1996. Today it is not only the main forum of the country, but also the most important element of the political architecture of Belarus, which determines the vector of its long-term development. Exactly three decades ago, the mechanizer of Krutogorye-Petkovichi OJSC of Dzerzhinsky district and the delegate of the VII VNS Sergey Maksimets began his career in the agricultural industry. We talked to him about the large-scale path the country has taken over the years, how life in the countryside has changed, and what we can be rightfully proud of today.

- You know, if you look back on 1996, the difference is enormous. Then we worked on a completely different technique, there was a lot of manual labor, and we did not even dream of comfort in the cabin. Today, our agro-industrial complex is space: modern energy-saturated machines with on-board computers, air conditioners and autopilots. Now working in the field is not so much physical strength as intelligence and high technology. We have achieved complete food security: if we used to think about how to feed the country, today Belarusian products are known and appreciated all over the world.

- How has life in the countryside changed over the years? And what, in your opinion, is lacking in your agricultural town for a comfortable life?

- You know, I remember a time when I had to buy food on coupons. And go today to any store - from the assortment of eyes run, about such abundance in the nineties we could not dream. The villagers no longer need to keep huge farms and cultivate hectares of land solely in order to survive and feed their families. As for our agro-town, there is absolutely everything for a normal life: a modern school, a medical institution, good shops. There is no need to go anywhere in search of benefits - all conditions for work, life and upbringing of children are created right on the spot.

- What does the status of a delegate of the WNC mean for you and what landmarks have you defined for yourself?

- When I found out that I had been given such trust, of course, I was worried, because this is a colossal responsibility to my countrymen and the whole country. At first there were even some doubts: what can I, a mere mechanizer, decide at the state level? But when he looked at the composition of the VNS, everything fell into place. The essence of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly is that it is a cross-section of our entire society, each of us knows the problems of people from within. For me, being a delegate is to do everything possible to ensure that the strategic decisions taken lead to peace, stability and further prosperity of our country, and the future of our children is safe and creative. I am often approached by countrymen, and these are always questions from the ground, about real life in the countryside. In such conversations, I tell people in detail about how our state is developing today, what decisions are being made and why they are needed. We are on the path of peaceful creation, but in order to maintain this course, the personal contribution of each person in his or her workplace is important. This is something I always talk openly about.

zhukova@sb.by