In Zainsk, a combine operator found his calling in the road industry.

      How former combine operator of the Zainsk district, Nikolai Vladimirov, found his calling in the road industry, and what harvesting grain and laying asphalt have in common.

      On October 19 people in one of the most difficult and responsible professions — road maintenance workers — celebrate their professional holiday. Our protagonist is Nikolai Isakovich Vladimirov, an asphalt paver operator at the Zainsk Road Administration of Tatneftedor LLC.

      An asphalt paver is a complex piece of industrial equipment that requires knowledge of many technical nuances to operate. But for Nikolai nothing is impossible. His career is a vivid example of how a true professional can find himself in different fields. He worked as a combine operator his whole life, but several years ago he radically changed his life and moved into the road industry. And for the fifth year now he has confidently been operating his new equipment on the road surface.

      Born in the village of Popovka, he was accustomed to hard work from childhood. Behind him are school and vocational school SPTE-98, where he learned the specialty of a farm machinery operator, military service, and then more than 30 years of conscientious work as a combine operator and farm machinery operator at the agricultural production cooperative "Niva."

      In the road field Nikolai Isakovich began working on a "Belarus" tractor, using a milling machine to remove old asphalt. Later he became an asphalt paver operator, and in winter he switches to a K-700 tractor to fight snow drifts.

      If wheat fields used to be his element, now it is the boundless roads that he paves and clears of snow in winter. In the summer season the working day lasts from six in the morning to nine or ten in the evening. They have to build as many new roads as possible. His shift starts early in the morning and continues until all the prepared asphalt has been laid.

      The scorching sun overhead, hot asphalt underfoot, the deafening roar of the machinery — this is the usual atmosphere of Nikolai Vladimirov's work shift. His world is confined to the cab; behind him are rollers, and in front — the dump truck's bed from which a steaming mass pours out, which must be turned into a smooth road surface.

      "In summer the work goes actively, because the heat contributes to better quality of asphalt laying," Nikolai notes. "Our profession is only for those who are resilient both in body and spirit. And everything must be done not quickly but correctly and according to technology. That's why patience and a healthy lifestyle are essential, so one has the strength."

      This year he and his colleagues built roads in the villages Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, Svetloe Ozero, Chubukly, in Zainsk, and he is currently working on the construction of Prospekt Pobedy. He works in a crew together with roller operators Nikolai Mineev and Ilsur Kashafeev.

      "I'm satisfied with the work, the pay is decent, the team is excellent," Nikolai Vladimirov says confidently.

      Despite a busy schedule, he finds joy and solace in his family. At home, in his native village, Nikolai Isakovich has his own life — a family, a vegetable garden, poultry and, of course, grandchildren. A father of five children and already a grandfather of five grandchildren, he knows the true value of labor and family warmth.

      Photo by the author Roza Ilaltdinova

      More news about the event:

      In Zainsk a combine operator found his calling in the road industry

      How former combine operator of the Zainsk district, Nikolai Vladimirov, found his calling in the road industry, and what harvesting grain and laying asphalt have in common. 11:09 19.10.2025 Novosti Zainska - Zainsk

      In Zainsk a combine operator found his calling in the road industry

      How former combine operator of the Zainsk district, Nikolai Vladimirov, found his calling in the road industry, and what harvesting grain and laying asphalt have in common. 11:08 19.10.2025 Zainsk-inform - Zainsk