Taking care of veterans

Marine Technical Academy named after Admiral D.N. Senyavin hosted a pre-New Year's meeting of veterans of the Baltic Shipping Company (BMP). The event is not an ordinary one, since the last time the veterans-mariners gathered in full was almost four years ago - even before the introduction of Covid restrictions.

Veterans who arrived at the event were greeted by a ceremonial squad of the best cadets of the academy; many of the guests wanted to take pictures with the cadets in full dress uniform. This meeting was made possible through the involvement f the Maritime Council under the Government of St. Petersburg, the Seafarers' Union of Russia and the Academy staff themselves, who provided a warm welcome to the veterans at the festive table in the Academy's cosy dining room. On-stage performance groups performed for the guests.

The director of the Academy, Viktor Anatolyevich Nikitin, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech, noting how important is a link between generations in such a difficult time that our country is going through now. He congratulated the veterans on the upcoming holidays and wished them health and prosperity.

The executive secretary of the Maritime Council, adviser to the Governor of St. Petersburg, Tatyana Ivanovna Chekalova, also joined the congratulations. She also thanked everyone who, despite their advanced age, was able to come to this meeting to meet each other and recall bright, memorable events in the life of such a powerful enterprise as the BSC had been. Also, Chekalova expressed her gratitude to SUR Chairman, a member of the Maritime Council of St. Petersburg, Yury Yuryevich Sukhorukov, for the trade union’s attention to veterans of the Russian Maritime Fleet and young seafarers: the head of SUR arranged the giving of New Year's gifts - food sets - to all participants of this memorable meeting.

It should be noted that in addition to the official part, the meeting took place in a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere. Each of the guests had the opportunity to share some interesting episode from their biography, to recall their friends and workmates, and even sing their favourite song. It was particularly gratifying that the oldest BSC employee, Stanley Aleksandrovich Kurochkin, a sea captain, could come to the meeting. By the way, today he turned 97 years old.