At Central Iron Ore, underground professionals were honoured: on the occasion of their professional holiday, the most deserving and conscientious employees received awards of various levels.
Two teams of the plant are directly connected with Miners’ Day – the employees of Kolachevsky Mine and Hihant-Hlyboka Mine. Experience and professionalism enable miners today to face challenges with dignity and, despite the trials, to fulfil planned tasks, maintain the stable operation of equipment and generate cost-effective solutions, thereby contributing to the overall efficiency of Integrated Iron Ore Mining and Processing Plant.
At present, each mine worker bears a double responsibility: many miners simultaneously perform duties across two or even three specialisations – such as electrician-fitter and supports installer, or gas-electric welder and shaft operator – as numerous colleagues are currently defending Ukraine on the front line. Despite the challenges, the miners remain optimistic, continuing to serve as a pillar of strength for their families, their city and their homeland.
Miners were congratulated on their holiday by the CEO of Metinvest’s mining and processing plant, Ihor TONIEV, and the head of the Trade Union of Metallurgists and Miners of Ukraine at Central Iron Ore, Dmytro VASYLCHENKO.
In recognition of enhanced production efficiency and outstanding performance, the team of Shaft Hoisting Section No. 21 at Kolachevsky Mine, led by Vyacheslav DMYTRENKO, was awarded a Certificate of Honour from Metinvest Group and a certificate worth 40,000 hryvnias.
"It is an important and well-deserved recognition – our team has truly earned it," says Viacheslav Anatoliyovych, who, incidentally, has nearly 32 years of mining experience behind him. "There are many challenges at present – which makes such awards all the more valuable today! We are working under conditions of staff shortages: for example, our section is officially staffed for 65 people, but in reality we have only 50. The responsibilities of our absent colleagues, who are currently serving on the front line, have fallen to those who remain. It is difficult, yet we continue to meet our monthly targets under the current conditions – extracting magnetite quartzites and working to improve efficiency. Miners’ Day is the most important celebration of the year for us. Given my years of service, it feels like a birthday celebrated among close colleagues, friends, and brothers. There are few professions in which, despite the difficulties, people remain so deeply committed to their chosen work. I am grateful to my colleagues for our shared efforts and achievements. Wishing us peaceful days, resilience, and robust health!"
For their high level of professionalism and personal contribution to improving production efficiency, employees of Kolachevsky Mine – electrician-fitter Dmytro KOMOV, mining supervisors Valerii LEBID and Artur CHOZHIIAN, and excavator operator Serhii SHVED – as well as Tatiana SOFEL, hoisting machine operator at Hihant-Hlyboka mine, were awarded Certificates of Honour by Central Iron Ore.
For his high level of professionalism, underground fitter Dmytro MARTSENIUK of Kolachevsky Mine was recognised with a Certificate of Honour from Ternivskyi District Council. Svitlana DUDNICHENKO, head of the explosive materials warehouse at Kolachevsky Mine, also received a letter of appreciation from the district authorities. Serhii STOROZHUK, electrician-fitter at Hihant-Hlyboka mine, was awarded a Certificate of Honour by the executive committee of Saksahansky District Council – a recognition of his professional skill and significant personal contribution to improving production efficiency.
Svitlana DUDNICHENKO has worked at the mine for over 20 years – she began her career as an environmental specialist and now serves as head of the explosive materials warehouse:
“This is an important recognition of my work, and I am grateful to receive this award on Miners’ Day. Miners are exceptional people. They possess a strong team spirit. They are brave and genuinely dedicated to their work. Moreover, the nature of their work fosters a close bond among them. Working underground is inherently dangerous, making absolute trust in one another essential. Just as they become comrades on the frontline, underground in the mine they are comrades with one another as well. This is why such strong friendships develop among miners. I congratulate all my colleagues and wish them victory, good health, and peaceful work!"
On the occasion of their professional holiday, miners were also honoured by the Trade Union of Metallurgists and Miners of Ukraine at Central Iron Ore. Awards for active trade union work were earned by electrician-fitter Vitalii VANDA, deputy head of the underground section Serhii SERHICHUK, chief geologist and deputy head of the mine trade union committee at the Kolachevsky Mine Alina SOLOMAKHA, as well as the trade union group leader and sports organiser of Hihant-Hlyboka Mine, Borys MOSHYCHENKO.
