Learn why Yulia Rabekina chose the village and how her childhood dream managed to withstand the test of reality

Head of ITC Dobrino of Vitebsk OJSC Rudakovo Yulia Rabekina: “I want it to be beautiful not only around my family hearth, but also at work”

While many of her peers dreamed of catwalks and office work, Julia knew from childhood that she would become a boss on a farm. Yeah, on the farm! Today, this open, energetic and charismatic woman heads a huge dairy complex "Dobrino" known in the Vitebsk district of JSC "Rudakovo". Under her leadership - a large team of the same professionals and production, which does not stop for a minute. The inspiring story of Yulia Rabekina became a great occasion to go to the northern region on the eve of the Day of Agricultural and Processing Industry Workers.

Why did this charming woman, whose smile can captivate anyone, choose a village and how did her childhood dream stand the test of reality? All of this is in our holiday report.

The road from the capital was not close, but the Dobrino complex from the doorstep proves that the trip was worth it. It is clean and well-groomed, and the staff welcomes us as if they were waiting for old friends. Behind this friendly atmosphere, you can feel the well-coordinated work of the team and strict production discipline.

ITC Dobrino was built in 2008. Today, 2,200 head of cattle are kept here all year round, including 842 cows. There are 31 people taking care of this population. On average, from one Burenka receive 21 kilograms of milk per day.

Livestock breeding relies on intensive production methods and modern technologies. Young animals are raised in individual houses, where calves are in conditions close to natural, and become more hardy. They are fed on the principle of a buffet: animals have free access to balanced feed mixtures. Mechanization allows you to reduce manual labor, and digital technologies help to closely monitor the health of turkeys.

The complex has a modern milking plant designed for simultaneous milking of 32 cows. Each Burenka has its own chip transponder. During milking, the computer system shows changes in indicators compared to the previous time and parameters of the physiological state of the animal. This allows you to notice the first signs of mastitis in a timely manner and determine the need for veterinary care.

But even the most modern technologies do not cancel the main thing: behind every number there are people, their attentiveness and daily work. And Julia Rabekina understands this well.

The road from the capital was not close, but the Dobrino complex from the doorstep proves that the trip was worth it. It has perfect cleanliness and a surprisingly warm atmosphere. Animal breeders greet us as if they were waiting for old friends. But behind the external accuracy, iron discipline and team coherence are immediately guessed. Modern MTK works in non-stop mode, without pauses and weekends. Time to feed more than two thousand cattle, monitor the health of each Burenka, organize the work of people and solve dozens of sudden tasks - to keep such a machine in an ideal order under the power of not everyone. Julia's doing a great job of that.

Perhaps in a different light, she saw this work when she resorted to helping her mother, who worked in the same farm as a milkmaid. The family moved to Belarus from Ukraine when she was six years old. We settled in Novka near Vitebsk. Mom got a job on a farm. Julia, who had never seen a cow alive before, began to visit the production often. One day I decided that I would grow up and become his boss. To do this, after school she entered the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine for zootechnics. After receiving a diploma, she went to work in the Orsha district.

- And it was a tremendous stress, she recalls. It seems that I studied well and have knowledge, but in practice everything is completely different. But I am stubborn, by trial and error greedily comprehended all the basics of my chosen profession. In any business, you can learn endlessly if you want to succeed to be noticed. I am glad that I was invited to Rudakovo, where my mother worked conscientiously for so many years. When I was a child, I chose my path.

For about six years Julia worked as a zootechnician. Then she became the chief zootechnician of the farm, and after maternity leave - Deputy Director for Livestock. The career went up, but along with the new positions, employment grew. At one point, the young mother realized she wanted to see her children grow up more often.

- And asked to transfer me back to the complex, she explains her choice. So more time was freed up for the family, but there was no less responsibility. Production indicators depend on everything: what animals are fed, in what conditions they are kept, how care is organized, whether young animals are transferred from one age group to another on time. The calves are like children. And love them no less! From the state of the Burenka depends directly on its milk productivity. A man came and said, I have a headache. The cow won't say anything. There are a lot of animals, you can’t look into everyone’s eyes every day. Therefore, it is very important that employees pay attention to their duties.

- On the farm, if someone got sick, she cried. Now I am more reserved for this, but still worried. And I rejoice myself as a child when we nurse, snatch a living being from the disease. For example, recently the whole team came out premature, only 11 kilograms, chick. The princess was named..

The safety of young people in the company is very strict. In the dispensary for babies at the complex, comfortable conditions are created, but the human factor is the main one.

By that time, there was already one marriage behind her, and fate was preparing a new meeting. In the team, Julia found not only the support and friendship of colleagues, but also the second half. Her future husband worked as a mechanizer, often came to the complex. Modest courtship turned into a serious relationship. The couple have been together for nine years.

- And we had a wedding with a limousine! recalls Yulia with a smile the beginning of family life. - Friends have prepared a surprise. And it was very useful, because the original wedding transport was not only unfueled, but also with a door opening on the move

Julia describes her husband as someone you can always rely on:

- No matter what happens, he is always there. It's very important to me. We're used to doing things together. There is no such thing as someone lying on the couch, and another spinning in the kitchen or doing the housework. We need to do something on the street, fill the path, plant beds - all together.

Julia Rabekina is also a happy mother of three children. There is an 18-year difference between the eldest and the youngest daughter. Age range does not interfere with their touching family cohesion and attachment to each other. The eldest daughter, Jana, is 26. She also celebrates a professional holiday this Sunday: the girl works as a vegetable grower at a greenhouse plant. His son Maxim recently turned 18 years old. He studies at the Vitebsk State Technological College, masters the technology of woodworking industries. The younger Margarita is a third-grader at Novkin High School. Like her mother, she loves animals. He may choose to become a veterinarian in the future.

Getting together can be difficult. And if it is not always possible to unite everyone at one table with mom's branded treats, then everyone will necessarily join the common business on the household. They are not used to dividing care into male and female. And when you want to relax from household chores and work worries, the family goes to the country. Novka, after all, is adjacent to the regional center, and the village soul of everyone is closer to nature. The cottage is about 60 kilometers from the house. Near the river and forest, around quiet, almost no neighbors. They love Rabekin and travel with tents.

Julia is strong, but at the same time romantic. The fine mental organization of our heroine is also indicated by her passion for floriculture. At home, she grows roses, and together with her colleagues, she also improves the territory of the complex, adding something new to the yard design every year.

- Every year we go out and buy flowers. I want it to be beautiful not only around your family hearth, but also at work. Then it's more pleasant to be on it. And the guests of the complex, the same journalists. But above all, we do it because we feel in our place. And we love this place. Modern agriculture is a developed production, where people can work in comfortable conditions, earn well and receive a fair assessment of their work. We are not deprived of the attention of the state, thanks to which our profession is respected. I want more young people to come here. I wish my colleagues to remain always devoted to their work, their dreams, their family and their country. And then we'll all be fine! Happy holiday!

A favorite book I want to go back to?

Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas.

Which movie or series can you watch endlessly?

The series "Angelica" - all parts.

Sea or forest?

- Les.

What kind of dessert lifts the mood even on the most difficult day?

- Potato cake.

What are you dreaming about today?

- About a log house on the river bank with a huge terrace and silence. The stars say: why does Julia succeed? The fiery element of Sagittarius (the zodiac sign of our heroine) does not let her get tired: while others are looking for excuses, she is an opportunity to lead her team to a new goal.

The energy of Yulia is responsible for the warm atmosphere that you feel at Dobrino from the doorstep. Uncompromising discipline here coexists perfectly with soulfulness.

♦ The main talent: the ability to keep everything in focus at once - from the health and comfort of animals to the mood of each employee. Sagittarius are not exchanged for small things: if they take up business, then with a sweep!

yakovleva@sb.by By the way, the video with Julia can be viewed in our TikTok-account “Village on the Network”. There you will find other videos about people who live and work in Belarus.