They advanced the Victory

And this year, as usual, on the eve of Victory Day the elderly of the plant were with honours given vouchers to the rest and recreation sanatorium “Vesna”. There they will not only have the possibility to relax and socialize, but to attend to their health as well. The sanatorium is located at the settlement of gas-and oilmen -  Stepnoye. “Saratovneftegas” bought for the veterans 30 vouchers.
Julia Gusiatnikova, the chairman of the trade union committee addressed the veterans with warm words. She reminded the
Auditory about the high price our country paid for the Victory and great sacrifices our people made to win that war. She underlined the great role of the veterans, those who saved the world from Nazism, defended independence of our country, who fought for the Motherland both at combat fields and at home fronts and later worked selflessly to reconstruct all that was destroyed.   She congratulated the veterans on Victory Day, thanked them heartily for their heroism and noble work and wished them health, optimism and long happy lives.
Andrei Kazbekov, Deputy General Director for human resources and social matters congratulated the veterans on the coming Victory Day and underlined that they not only contributed in advancing the great victory, but also to development of “Saratovneftegas” which celebrated its 60th  jubilee the previous year. Many of the pensioners were the pioneers of the plant, and their heroic work became the example for the next generations of oilmen who are now keeping the glorious traditions of there predecessors. A.Kazbekov said that no economic difficulties will prevent the personnel of “Saratovneftegas” from taking care of its veterans. The vouchers to the rest and recreation sanatorium and financial assistance arranged by the management and the trade union committee of the company at the eve of Victory Day is a good evidence of these words.
The veterans were very glad to listen to the warm and sincere words. They shared some remembrances with the auditory. Vladimir Filippovich Klimenko went to the front in 1944. He was not even eighteen then. He served at the Black Sea Navy, in Sevastopol. The war wasn’t over for him in 1945 – he was transferred to the Danube flotilla and had been at service up to 1951. They had to fight the remnants of armed bands. Klimenko had been wounded, awarded many medals for faithful service. When the army service was over he returned to Saratov region and started working at “Saratovneftegas” as a driver/ than a mechanic.   His wife Kidia Andreevna is also a veteran of war. She was also given a voucher to the sanatorium, so the spouses will  undergo treatment together. Mr. KLimenko thanked the management and the trade union committee of the company for the care they take about the elderly and mentioned, that, in spite of the economic crisis  living conditions and cuisine at the sanatorium were wonderful as well as service and treatment. And he mentioned that it was certainly due to the efforts of the director of the sanatorium, Olga Vassilievna Barkova. 
The woman hard-handed with next to him was Alexandra Timofeyevna Klepova. She had not been at the front, but she had also had her share of the troubled war years. Her father went to the front in 1941, her mother was ill and the 12-year old Sasha had to be the senior in the family. She had two younger sisters to support and she started to work at the collective farm. No men were left, only the elderly, women and children.  There they had to yoke oxen in plows.  Alexandra Timofeyevna had worked as an operator on a plow,  a calf-girl, a poultry-girl. She had taken 15 thousand chicken to feed up and was even awarded as “The best poultry-girl of Krasnoarmeisky District”. It had been difficult time but the people hold on and won. In 1070 Klepova came to Stepnoye and stayed there for ever. She had worked at the canteen for 17 years, feeding oilmen. She was also very thankful for good care about the veterans and pleased with the service and treatment at “Vesna”.
FOR REFERENCE
To support its former employees "Saratovneftegas" annually  arranges monetary benefits   and honoring for veterans. In October 2009 the company assigned 1.2 million rubles for financial assistance to non-working pensioners at the eve of Inernational Day for the Elderly. Also charity funds were assigned to councils of veterans of the Saratov region for targeted help and arranging of events.
This year “Saratovneftegas is planning to continue implementation pf the programs of social support for veterans.