Prinbekov Marat Usenovich. Hello, street cleaners!// The Novoye Pokolenie Republic social political newspaper

Perhaps for the first time the leader roles of castings and photo-sessions were played by... the street cleaners of Almaty; as well as teachers, social workers, veterans of the World War II and pensioners...

And now the photos of ordinary residents of Almaly regions of Almaty city have been placed for a month at the Gallery of social advertising which is located at promenade zone of «Stolichniy» supermarket. The city dwellers - representatives of non-glossy professions – became the participants of competition called «We are almalyers», which was held in the framework of «Person is the main wealth of the country» project. The idea of the competition was born from the lines of the President’s decree «New decade – new economic growth – new opportunities of Kazakhstan». A whole project arose which was carried out by Youth media union of Kazakhstan, «Koleso» house of ideas, Citizen alliance of Almaty city, «Dastarkhan» LLC, Almaty union of professional union with support of the Ministry for culture of Kazakhstan, administration of Almaly region of Almaty city, Citizen alliance of Kazakhstan.

The organizing bodies announced about a casting and started to search the heroes for the competition, i.e. the people who heavily contribute into social and public development of the region, do useful and necessary for the society works. They searched for the best professionals, sample show yards and condominiums. The cleanest and well-kept porches. Also the nominations such as «Interesting initiative» and «Live legend» were announced. For the latter nomination they searched for noble city dwellers of Almaty. 

The residents of Almaly region were interested in this non-ordinary competition; over 50 applications were received, of which 7 from street cleaners as they now called workers on sanitary cleaning of the city.

The competition commission chose 20 most significant projects, the authors of which became the heroes of new exposition at the Gallery of social advertising. The whole month it was possible to enjoy the photos of the best street cleaners, doctors, teachers, heads of KSKs, representatives of working professions, noble city dwellers.

Marat Prinbekov, Mayor of Almaly region of Almaty city:

- While we were working on the project called «We are almalyers», at first we were thinking about the troubles that worried the society. Search and formation of new image of Kazakhstan, its citizens is today’s task. For this very reason social advertising and social Kazakhstan become the most important tools of humanization of today’s society and formation of its real moral values. The gallery of social advertising at the promenade zone of «Stolichniy» supermarket is a kind of board of respect. By such projects we would like to tell everyone about the opportunities which are open to every family, to the country, to urge the people to work actively and fruitfully for the sake of our country, to unite to carry out the mission of building independent, prospering and politically stable Kazakhstan.

Shaken Niyazbekov is a live legend. Upon his sketch the national flag of Kazakhstan was created.

Adilya Mansurova-Aysarova, the head of cytomorphology unit of Regional diagnostic centre, a health care expert, cytology scientist with 40-year experience.

Svetlana Galieva, Director of Youth media union of Kazakhstan:

- We wanted to attract public attention to the problems of labor collectives. We tried to create a positive image of a working person in contrast to a glamour and gloss, to find the heroes of our time among ourselves, to show the image of working and thinking person. By our competition we proclaim:
«We all kazakhstaners are one team!». There are not only remarkable artistes, singers, scientists, but also street cleaners, social workers, pensioners. These people often remain beyond public attention. But most of them are real heroes of our time.

Alma Iglikova not only teaches English at gymnasia No.79 but also opens the whole world to her students.

Kovalenko Alexander Petrovich

One of nominees of the competition named «We are almalyers» was Alexander Petrovich Kovalenko, a resident of one of houses in Mir street, between Jambyl and Shevchenko streets. The pensioner has changed his yard which used to be an ordinary stone area with hard like asphalt colorless ground. Alexander Petrovich has been looking after the garden for 5 years. It is worth to mention that at first his activity was not approved by the neighbors, vice versa, the people turned against Petrovich, as the neighbors call him. This person disturbed their style of life. He was angrily called «a botanic» and turned their back on him walking past. To make the botanic angry, they threw the bags with garbage directly to his garden which he had planted with grass and flowers....

Digging of the main plot only took Petrovich about 9 months: one and a half square meters a day with a crow-bar.

-    There was stone throughout. I would work a month, then go to the smith to straighten the crow-bar. Then I would go back and continue work. It was very hard then.

The first year Petrovich dug out the stones with his hands; removing them patiently. He dispatched 4 trucks of stones. He paid the truck driver 6000 tenge a trip – at the cost of his pension. At the second plot the pensioner was not able to dig. Alexander Petrovich hired an excavator «Belarus». He invited the driver of «Belarus», who looked at the area and invoiced 45000 tenge.

-    The money was collected from the residents of the neighborhood. I collected from the residents of my porch: 5000 tenge each from those who can afford and who have cars; and 500 tenge each from pensioners. We hired an excavator which for two and a half days made the ground light and dug the soil for 75 cm. We removed the stones, made a scheme and sowed with grass.

Petrovich watered the yard everyday. First, he made a fence and didn’t let anyone in until he made mowing for the 4th time to let the grass settle down. The reformist pensioner has got a grass mower which he had bought for 13500 tenge. From each month’s pension he necessarily buys something for the garden. As soon as he mowed the grass four times he removed the fence and let the children play on the green carpet.   
Alexander Petrovich is a metallurgy engineer and for 24 years he worked in energy sector of which 15 years as a head of administration here in Almaty. He has worked in 5 republics, from Caspian Sea to Kostanay – at heat stations, hydro stations. He was also invited to work in Russian atomic power stations.

-    I had about 400-500 people a month on business trips. We dealt with protection of metallic construction equipment from acid, alkalis and neutral environment. The job was very interesting. I worked in Ekibastuz for 11 years. 15-20 days a month. Now Alexander Petrovich grows his garden with great enthusiasm.

-    You know, I started feeling better; and has had special interest in life.

Sofya Slisenko, Math teacher at lyceum No.24, an education expert.

Viktor Penkov, No. 3 operators team head «Karagay» JSC, has got over 40 years of experience.

Kuzma Iosifovich Minich, 105 years old, a remarkable person, who lived a wonderful life.

The heroes of our time

Alexander Petrovich may well be called the hero of our time. A retired person might simply relax and enjoy his/her life, but he runs the whole yard with entire enthusiasm, passion, unselfishness.

Alexander Kovalenko, the winner of competition «We are almalyers», the representatives of Almaly region administration awarded with a thankful diploma from Mayor of Almaly region, he will also receive seeds and plantlets of different plants, at which Petrovich was surely glad. In addition, his photo is placed at the board of honor at the Gallery of social advertising in promenade zone of «Stolichniy» supermarket.

Thanks to Alexander Petrovich Kovalenko the yard in Jeltoksan street, house No. 137 looks like a wonderful garden.

Alexander Petrovich Kovalenko is the soul of the yard. Due to his efforts the tiny corner of our city has flourished. There where three years ago were stones and dry dead ground, are now a green carpet, pine trees, spruces, flowers... The yard cheers up the soul of the residents and guests. People walk along the green garden inside the yard and stop to enjoy its beauty and breathe in fresh air.

- You know, and the climate changes where you have planted grass, trees, flowers. What is planted here is alive and breathing. In summer it was stuffy at home in the flat. But in the garden it was cool and fresh. The women and children of our and neighboring houses gathered here. Of course, everything depends on human hands. Be kind to nature and home town. And everything will be succeeded; it’s enough to apply your hands.
About them, the participants of «We are almalyers» competition, the representatives of modest, non-glossy professions, the heroes of our time we will tell you on the pages of our newspaper.

Rakhima Kochkarova, Lyudmila Pirog, Violetta Akinfiyeva are partial to Almaly region. Due to their efforts the yard in Shagabutdinov Street has been recognized the best yard in Almaty.

Torymkhan Tagaeva and Asemhan Daurenbaeva are social workers of Centre for rehabilitation and adaption of the disabled of Almaly region.

They are always in good mood and there is always a smileon their faces.
Text by Galya Galkina

Prinbekov Marat Usenovich. Hello, street cleaners!// The Novoye Pokolenie Republic social political newspaper