Ivan Nikonenko
From 1978 to 1986 – Head of the Urengoygazdobycha Production Association named after Sabit OrudzhevŠ°.
“He led a very busy life”
The minister often came to our town of Urengoy. We usually tried to find a warm hotel room for him. The local weather is harsh: severe frosts and winds suddenly giving way to a thaw, and vice versa. A windswept wooden hotel is not the best place to stay either.
During one of his visits, I asked him why he was carrying a large but seemingly lightweight fiber suitcase. He said with a sly smile that the one and only thing inside was very valuable: a warm terrycloth sweater. I realized that he was not expecting good accommodation.
That time, we put him in the warmest room. In the evening, we talked business for a long while, so we left at a late hour. By ill luck, the wind changed in the night, starting to blow at a speed of up to 15 meters per second, and the temperature dropped to minus 40 degrees Celsius. It got cold in Mr. Orudzhev’s room, but the hotel staff were too embarrassed to suggest that he move to the opposite side of the building. He chose not to bother anyone either.
In the morning, I found Mr. Orudzhev by the wash stands. Wearing his terrycloth sweater, with a skullcap pulled over his ears, he held the dryer with both hands in an attempt to get warm.
Later on, after some hot tea, he confessed: “You know, I’d never heard my soul tremble before in my life! Next time, make sure to heat the room,” he asked. “You northerners don’t care about the cold, but I am a southern man, I like warmth.”
Sabit Orudzhev was full of optimism and good cheer. He led a very busy life. Even when he received the Hero of Socialist Labor star medal, he told us that his award was made up of little stars from those who work at drilling rigs and gas pipelines. And while he was quite right in that, his outstanding contribution to the industry should not be overlooked.
