"Living with the villagers." This is the motto of the dynasty of consumer operators from Grodno region

A small bakery on the outskirts of the city of Svisloch, Grodno region is a place that united the work path of three generations of women. Larisa Akudovich came to the Svisloch land in 1974, marrying a local guy. She has been on a well-deserved vacation for 17 years, but her colleagues still remember the professional with warmth. In the bakery shop, her daughter Elena Chikova once began her activity. And granddaughter Yana Arnolbik, who as a baby came here for fragrant buns, after college returned to her hometown and replaced her grandmother. So this is where we all meet.

Larisa Akudovic, Elena Chikova, Yana Arnolbik. From empty shelves to abundance, even the walls of the Svisloch bakery, known throughout Belarus thanks to the Batskava Bun braid, smell of fresh bread. Bakers, having seen Larisa Alexandrovna Akudovich, vying to ask about health and urgent matters. She warmly greets her girls and tells us how many years ago she followed her husband to a small town on the outskirts of Belovezhskaya Forest:

- I managed the deli – in its place now our “Rodny Kut”. And after a while, I was offered to take over the economic service of the local raypo. He led the industry: a bakery, sausage, fish, sewing shops, a line for the production of mineral water. After retirement, she did not leave for a long time, worked as an accountant in a chain store for six years, mastering new programs at a two-week course in Grodno.

Larisa Alexandrovna recalls how the transformation of rural shops took place - from empty shelves to abundance: Coupons, cards, lists of veterans - everything was before my eyes. The lines are incredible! I remember on January 1st they brought candy from Bobruisk. I came to work, and people lined up like a May Day demonstration. Now the countryside lives in abundance, buyers look at the composition of products, choose to buy fashionable things. Daughter of Larisa Alexandrovna Elena Chikova is an environmental engineer by first education. She was so drawn while studying for a small homeland that without hesitation she agreed to become an analytical chemist at a raypo bakery:

- Our laboratory controlled the quality of all products produced by consumer cooperation - from bread and buns to sauerkraut and pickles. I am still remembered here even though it has been almost 30 years.

Later Elena Anatolyevna graduated from the Belarusian State University of Food and Chemical Technologies, choosing the specialty of engineer-technologist of bakery and confectionery production:

- I know the entire production line from and to. In the Svislochsky raypo, as my mother has already told, once not only bread was baked - various types of products were made. Over time, I was invited to the Grodno Regional Society. I grew up to be deputy chairman of the board. I supervise the areas of procurement, foreign economic activity, industry and catering.

Elena Chikova draws attention to the importance of teamwork - without this it is difficult to achieve the best results: - Our industry is profitable. There are own slaughterhouses, bakery production, meat processing, lines for bottling drinking water, soft drinks, seasonal production of kvass. Products are made from local raw materials with a minimum amount of additives. I note with what tenderness and warmth in the eyes of Elena Anatolyevna says about what active people work in cooperation and how the system is being improved:

- In consumer cooperation, people do not work, they live. There must necessarily be endurance, determination, love for their work. In rural areas, our shops remain objects of attraction. When a car shop comes to remote corners, it is always about live communication.

Another reason for pride is the birth of the Batskawa Bulka brand festival, the origin of which was the bakery.

- You have no idea how pleased we were to hear from the Head of State that our bread reminded him of the taste of childhood, recalls Elena Chikova. Literally the next day, people came up to the kiosk where our products are sold and asked the same bun. But this is a regular wicker, which we have produced for many years. It was decided to give the product the name "Batskawa Bulka", to patent it, developing a designer packaging. And then you know it. Now people come for our brand from all corners of Belarus.

Elena Anatolyevna sincerely notes that consumer cooperation is her whole life:

- My mother worked in this field, now my eldest daughter works. We have a lot to remember together! When we gathered our pensioners to meet for the Day of the elderly, it was so joyful to see how vividly they were interested in everything. You can't let them down! We feel support at the state level, understanding that no network will go to the remote countryside - there is no economic benefit. The cities, of course, felt the competition, but shook up, set goals and work! Even the President once joked that there are only two global systems – solar and consumer cooperation. We really know everyone who has ever traveled beyond the redistribution of a large city. Next year we will celebrate 110 years. The youngest representative of the dynasty of consumer operators - 32-year-old Yana Arnolbik - now holds the position of leading economist of the price and market conditions department in the Grodno regional consumer society.

- With great pleasure I return to Svisloch, where I spent my childhood, says Yana. In memory, it was pictures from the bakery, where at that time an apparatus was installed that cut dough into horns. I remember the taste of those pasta! A warm, even family atmosphere lives there to this day.

After graduating from 11 grades, Yana entered the Molodechnen Trade and Economics College as an accountant, and after distribution returned to her hometown to the place that her grandmother “conceded” to her. Larisa Alexandrovna was sure that the young specialist will cope with the task:

- At first, she often turned to her grandmother for advice and support, but gradually the questions became less, ideas and proposals began to appear. I really appreciate the experience gained at that time. It all came in handy when seven years later they were invited to the regional consumer society. My department controls pricing: it is retail, and industry, and exports with imports. Legislation in the field of pricing is changing – nothing can be missed. It is also important for me not to let my grandmother and mother down, who have always had the motto “Living with the concerns of villagers” in the professional field.

vrublevskaya@sb.by