Metinvest's dynasties unite entire enterprises through their mutual history, family traditions, and values of responsible and professional work. 

The families that showed the best results in production are annually presented with awards, in particular the "Golden Dynasty" title. This year, the Potapenko-Ivashutkin dynasty from Zaporizhcoke has been recognised with the highest award. 

Their story began at Bagliysk Coke and Chemical Plant (now Yuzkoks). The founder of the dynasty Yevhenii Ivashutkin joined the enterprise as an electrical fitter in 1966. After his military service, he returned to the enterprise where he worked as an electrician and was responsible for maintaining electrical equipment. 

The young specialist saw his future in this profession, so he pursued higher education in the speciality of Automation and Complete Mechanisation of Chemical and Technological Processes. In 1975, Yevhenii Ivashutkin was transferred to Zaporizhzhia Coke and Chemical Plant (now Zaporizhcoke) as a foreman for the repair of electrical equipment in the coke shop. Throughout 36 years of work at the enterprise, he progressed from an electrical fitter to chief power engineer. 

Alla Ivashutkina worked alongside her husband as an ash handler at Yuzkoks, and then as a tunnel operator at Zaporizhcoke. She is currently retired, having worked for 11 years at the company's enterprises. 

Family and professional traditions have tightly fused, so it is no surprise that their children decided to follow in their parents' footsteps. Their son Kostiantyn Ivashutkin worked for four years as an engineer for automated control systems of technological processes at Zaporizhcoke. Since 1993, the dynasty founder's daughter Oksana Potapenko has been working at Zaporizhcoke. Currently, she works as a senior engineer for project and costing works.

"I had been wondering where my parents work since childhood, that is why I visited Zaporizhzhia Coke and Chemical Plant for the first time when I was 13. I remember being impressed by the coke shop, by its high coke ovens and the large maintenance equipment," recalled Oksana.

She gained experience, learned and improved, which bore fruit.

"I worked for almost 9 years as an engineer for repair preparation in the chief mechanical department, then I moved to the investment department. Having gained experience, I decided to train as a cost estimator. Now I work in this profession. A cost estimator is responsible for calculating and verifying costs for various types of work, participates in the preparation of tender documentation, and interacts with shops and divisions. This is very important work, which makes it so interesting," said Oksana.

Her husband Yevhenii Potapenko is also from a factory dynasty – the Zaporizhstal dynasty. His mother Liubov started to work at Zaporizhstal right after graduating from school in 1967. She qualified as a crane operator and worked in the hot rolling shop until 1977. She then worked as a milling machine operator in the electrical equipment repair shop for the metallurgical shops. In total, she worked for 38 years at Zaporizhstal. 

Yevhenii's father Anatolii also dedicated 11 years of his professional life to Zaporizhstal, working as a fitter in the hot rolling shop. Later, he passed on his love of manual work to his son. 

"My father always taught me to work with my hands, so I started my career at Zaporizhstal as an electrical fitter in the centralised repair of electrical equipment centre. After military service, I studied at the Mechanical Engineering Institute and simultaneously worked as an electrical fitter in the coke shop at Zaporizhcoke. My education and the skills I acquired helped me to progress further in my career: since 2000 I have worked as a foreman for the repair of electrical equipment in the coke shop, and in 2014 I became an electrician in the coke shop," recalled Yevhenii. 

Yevhenii actively participates in the implementation of energy-efficient technologies in the coke shop. His achievements include energy-efficient projects for implementing an impulse coke quenching system, modernising lighting and ventilation in the coke sorting area, improving coke battery tilting winches, reducing contamination in blast furnace coke, and more.

In 2015, he actively participated in restoring coke battery No. 2 to working order, which enabled the enterprise to maintain its production volumes and provided work for over 80 employees. The specialist's achievements have been recognised many times at the highest level: Yevhenii Potapenko was recognised as the best line manager at the enterprise from 2014-2017, and since 2016 he has held the honorary titles "Honoured Power Engineer of Ukraine" and "Gold Star of Metinvest".

Since 2018, the professional has been passing on his experience to young specialists – certifying and providing practical training for students at the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic Centre for Vocational Education and the Zaporizhzhia Metallurgical College. Seven of his student electricians have already joined the shop's team.  Yevhenii imparts not only his professional experience, but also his love for the work. 

Currently, Oksana and Yevhenii Potapenko are working members of the Zaporizhcoke dynasty with a total working experience of 165 years. 

Oksana and Yevhenii say that they are very proud of their dynasty and their work, because it is extremely important during the war. 

"Work lives on when knowledge is passed down through generations. This principle is embedded in our working dynasty, and I share it with my students and young colleagues.  It is a pleasure to understand that each of them carries a portion of my knowledge, experience, and attitude towards work. I sincerely believe that despite all the challenges facing our country, our industry, and our enterprises, we can preserve the values of professionalism, unity, and self-improvement that have been established by hundreds of Metinvest's working families. This is the enterprise's backbone and the key to success for all times," said Yevhenii POTAPENKO.