During this year’s Miner’s Day celebrations in Kemerovo, miners from the Vinogradovsky open-pit mine received well-deserved federal and regional awards. We highlight the individuals who work around the clock to extract sources of energy and heat from the earth.
Two excavator operators—Alexander Abrosimov and Vladimir Korshunov—have now added the title of "Honored Miner" to their professional records.
Alexander Abrosimov continued a family tradition of working in the mines; his father, too, operated an excavator. Fate brought him to JSC KTK in 2008. For nearly 15 years now, Alexander has been operating an ESh-13/50 walking dragline.
"Mining operations today focus on minimizing losses and reducing downtime, so monitoring the execution of shift assignments is more detailed than it was five years ago. This places a great deal of responsibility on the outcome of every shift. However, we have a cohesive team, and we successfully handle the tasks at hand."
Alexander does not suggest that his children continue the family’s mining legacy: "In my quarter-century in the coal industry, there were only about five years of stability and relative calm. The situation in global and domestic markets was constantly shifting, and production plans changed accordingly. All in all, resilience to stress is crucial in our line of work. I want my children to have a career path that offers more stability and certainty. So, let them find their own way, without feeling bound by our experience."
Vladimir Korshunov has frequently featured in our news reports, consistently winning the inter-regional production competition with his team. Vladimir has worked at the open-pit mine since its very inception. Over the course of a quarter-century, he drove UAZ, KamAZ, and BelAZ vehicles before eventually becoming an excavator operator. He has repeatedly been recognized as the best in his profession—both as a BelAZ driver and as an excavator operator.
Four miners have been awarded the regional "For Service to Kuzbass" medal.
BelAZ driver Sergey Davydov operates a 130-ton dump truck. He started out driving a small 30-ton model. He came to the coal industry from agriculture and has remained committed to this path for 30 years.
"In 1995, I moved from Tomsk to Kuzbass to be with my family. By then, one of my brothers was already working as a dump truck driver at a coal mine. I decided to give it a try, too, and ended up sticking with it. My younger brother also became a BelAZ operator. Now, all three of us work in the same crew."
Sergey notes that this family arrangement doesn't affect the quality of the work: "Everyone does their job properly during their shift. If you carry out your duties conscientiously and look after the equipment, the work goes smoothly. There’s no need to invent any special secrets for success."
Dmitry Kotlubovsky began his career in coal mining as an assistant operator of a crawler-mounted open-pit excavator before becoming an operator himself, running a P&H electric excavator. He joined the Vinogradovsky open-pit mine 16 years ago and currently operates an ESh-13/50 walking dragline. The miner notes that the key to mastering the profession is desire: "The machinery is massive and complex. In winter, you have to be especially vigilant about the condition of the undercarriage components, as the metal becomes more brittle in the cold. There are nuances to the job that come with experience, but overall, the profession isn't hard to learn if you have a genuine desire and aren't afraid of failure."
Pyotr Beyner, a Komatsu PC1250 excavator operator, has been working at the Vinogradovsky mine for nearly 20 years, spending the last 17 as part of the same crew. He started out operating the wheeled EO-33211 excavator and later worked on the Komatsu PC400. Over time, he became certified to operate all types of excavators used at the open-pit mine. The miner notes that working with coal is more challenging than handling overburden:
"Working a coal seam is more difficult. You have to constantly loosen the stratum. Groundwater inevitably accumulates at the extraction site, forcing adjustments to the excavation method; you have to dig special drainage ditches and build dams. Such work demands heightened attention. Excavating overburden, on the other hand, doesn't require any complex strategies."
BelAZ driver Sergey Chigarev has been working at the Vinogradovsky site since 2006, bringing his total driving experience in the mining industry to over 30 years. Since 2023, Sergey and his crew have consistently met 100% of their scheduled haulage targets. Colleagues note that the dump truck crew avoids major breakdowns and prolonged downtime thanks to the care they take of their assigned equipment.
Bulldozer operator Alexey Dolenko has now added the Medal "For Diligent Mining Work" (3rd Class) to his professional record.
Alexey entered the coal mining industry by chance, even though his father had worked as a walking dragline operator. "After completing my military service, I signed up for a bulldozer operator training course just to keep my friends company; six months later, I received my operator's license. I heard from acquaintances that the new Vinogradovsky open-pit mine was looking for specialists, and for nearly 20 years now, I haven't changed either my employer or the profession I chose back then."
Congratulations to our heroic miners! We are proud of your career choice and the fact that you are walking this path alongside us. Thank you for every shift!
