BEYOND THE HORIZON ...
Solkin Simon A.
Chief Engineer ship «XVII Congress of the Komsomol" Volga Joint Shipping Company, Hero of Socialist Labor
People living on the land and labor, not for fame. Semen Solkin also never thought of a laurel wreath. He simply and honestly doing their job. However, over the three decades he spent at the rattling of marine diesel engines, it is a step by step nearer to his stellar minute.
Thirty years of labor on the rivers! Once in a spare moment Simon A. Solkin wanted to calculate how much of that time he passed through miles of "blue veins of the earth." Thought, felt lost and realized that several times already walked around his beloved "ball" and seemed to be "stamped" so all of the Volga Kama. It's only now his distant waterways, roads led away from the native to the shores of Lada sultry African cities to the blue Mediterranean Sea, to the noisy foreign ports. He swims extraordinary vessel that can easily "walk" and on the rivers and seas.
But tell you all about it about the winding path of success, how and why was a simple boatman Senya Solkin first visible, then famous throughout our country. Probably I should take a tour of his childhood and youth Solkin to explain where it came from what is now pushed it into the ranks of the best.
It was awesome ... August 1942. Dusty miserable Way rolled eastward to the Volga tanks with black crosses on the towers. Above the Volga reach predatory enemy planes circled. A huge blaze of fire rising over Stalingrad, somewhere on the distant outskirts of his already bloody battles raged. Here, on the border of a wheat field, in a hastily dug trenches, firing furiously from the pursuing enemy two boatman, two Russian soldiers, a father and son, Alex, and Athanasius Solkin. They will take everything they stand up, will be burned off the walls of the Volga city of Berlin to the vanquished. All of this will be. And in between fierce fighting soldier Alex S. Solkin write a letter to his youngest pupil, Semke:
"We are fighting for the Volga, a son, firmly. What a beautiful she is so broad. We have sworn enemies of the river, do not miss ... "
With this letter came in the seventh-graders Simon Solkin military enlistment office. To ask Commissar send it to the front, to his father and older brother. A commissar, mortally tired man with the twitching of the face of a concussion, and silently read the letter and returned the seeds to home:
- So are you saying that you can run a tractor. That's okay. Appoint you a brigadier, plow the land, it is also the front. When required - call.
And he became a brigadier Senya Solkin tractor brigade, which was soon named the "frontline". Let us then is the name of the best of the best teams, those who did not leave for days off the field, fought for the harvest, as soldiers in the trenches. And there were in the tractor brigade Seeds Solkin a woman so young, kids. The foreman is the most experienced. He will establish CTZ little old, will lead them, put into the furrow, and even then invites his tractor. Himself from dawn to dusk plowing the land, and a little car who go haywire due to a foreman running. Senya Solkin was then, and as a mechanic and repairman, and tanker-all at once.
For some applications it is attributed to the military enlistment office. And in response to hear:
- Wait a minute, boy, will send the agenda.
So do not come this agenda. It can be seen on the front along without Solkin seeds, but the farm-in any way. Otgrohotali fighting in the west and the east. One day in the autumn of 1945 Senya Solkin went to the kolkhoz and met his school friend Lesha Kiseleva, tractor, too, but from a neighboring brigade.
Alex and told him why he came to the chairman of the kolkhoz:
- The day before yesterday went to Kuibyshev, 'said Alex Kiselev, documents filed in the river college, that calculation forward. Hey, Semyon, come with me. Volga us you love cars you know you will. Learning together will be easier and more fun ...
That evening was a conversation with the seeds of his father. It is only a week ago, returned home from the hospital. Caught him a fascist piece is just under the Prague.
- At school, you say, 'asked the father, a good job, son. Yes, I was too bored to you. We spent a little together. Athanasius, then we have in the army. Who raise the economy?
Well, okay, go. I have your team and the car will take.
That's because the course runs through the steering wheel to the wheel of the tractor ship. His first seagoing practice Solkin Simon took on the boat, "Belarus". According to the theory in college, everything seemed like just as well here in rattling a hot engine room "of Belarus' Simon initially timid, and the mechanic Alexei Vasilievich Petrenko was strict. His name was in the navy "blue sea", it's because saying this was the "grandfather."
- Here bachish, blue sea, the nut - Petrenko said, - what to do? That's right, pull up. Bring the key.
Senya will give the key, and the "grandfather" razmahnetsya so throw it away.
- You're the blue-sea, which gave me the key? Do not you know? After the tractor was to know the need. The size of the nuts on the eye, the first time, blue sea, shall determine. Why are the keys several times to go! You're young though, so take pity on their feet. They were a long time to stomp on the deck. Do you know any work at first in the head do, then faster and better it will be ...
The ship's mechanic Petrenko was cool. All naval machine knew by heart. Sometimes, they will come running after him with a neighboring ship:
- V., the engine knocks something. Help.
Petrenko to come down to the neighbors in the engine room, it will start the engine, it listens for a few seconds, then, as the doctor diagnoses:
- Yes you do, the blue-sea, the left valve is not a ground.
Oh, those valves! Mechanic Petrenko on the first day of practice he said Semyon Solkin:
- You know, blue sea, we have a rule: every motorist must watch for the valve is in store rubbing. See how it's done, remember.
It seems to be easy. And he took Simeon Solkin into the hands of a file, does not work, and that's it. Guys, those who stood vigil with Semyon, a school with a good mechanic Petrenko passed. Be sure handed "grandfather" ground-in valve. He looks-good job. But Simon Solkin beats, beats, and did not get his part, even cry. He started two hours at his watch before leaving. Still does not work. The mechanic glances slyly at him. The day passed, another week ... and in fact got his Senya. Ready to bring the valve. Petrenko just grunted, turned it over:
- Welcome to blue-Sea, now I know you'll be a good ship's mechanic. Thrust. A skill that lad will come, but once you learn to ask more ...
Simon was a good school Solkin to "Belarus". All of their seagoing practice he spent on this boat. On the last day before the defense of the diploma in the college came Alexei V. Petrenko, took the seeds Solkin in the corner:
- Present, blue-sea, brought to you, he did hold on happiness, and he gave the guy elegantly carved brass a little wrench.
Here's what the award for his first practice on the "Belarus" took Simon with gratitude to his mentor and friend. In the spring, after graduating from college, went into Simon Solkin his first independent voyage third assistant engineer on a cargo ship "Ukraine". Mechanic him, Pavel Makarov, an old boatman, too, did much to Simon Solkin loved his profession once and for all life.
It seems to be ... and recently it was, but it's been almost thirty years. How it all has changed since then in the ships engine room!
Many devices, automation, distribution panels, cleanliness, both in the doctor's surgery. And when Simon Solkin on the ship "Ukraine" carried its first independent watch, everything was different. Say, happened, the mechanic Makarov:
- Check Motylev bearings. You open the lid, engine crankcase beast roars, runs on all the momentum. Hand feel for these same bloodworms. Do not overheated, good. Palm otdernesh, thank you finger is not torn. And then your fuel oil from head to toe doused. Then barely otmoeshsya. It is now simple, look at the device, elektrotemperaturny sensor, and all you know. But the mechanics of those cool old ships were professionals, not for nothing that they have naval nickname is "Grandpa." The wisdom of an old man, slowness, thoroughness in all things - that's what they had taught Semen Alekseevich Solkin those old coaches. Yes, even self-sacrificing love of the Volga. This is because Solkin says:
- The main thing in my life-Volga! It is the heart and soul of our nation. Before I took Simon A. Solkin powerful new ship "Nikopol", were his Volga vessels with different names, "Belarus", "Ukraine", "Bryansk", "Chita", "Ivan." He was an excellent teacher taught to treat the machines as a living being. After the ship's engine and the river reaches a depth of feeling, and rocky shoals feels. Every hour watch at the rumbling of diesel engines is a science. In the engine room of their own river sailing directions feel. Here in the subtle tactics, which added momentum, where the "pay off" speed. His work is considered art marine mechanics - some skills there is not enough, special needs and intuition, knowledge and extensive.
Simon A. Solkin always attended with great desire. He had a degree of Kuibyshev River College, and long hours were spent in diesel engines dismantled, there were sleepless nights over his books. And for three decades, Simon A. Solkin collected a large library. Books on his specialty where he could get. They came to the youth and the city of Togliatti in Moscow and in Leningrad and Riga, and from Odessa, and from Vladivostok. Yet he felt that a little more aware that the secrets of his profession for a long time will it still open, that without knowledge there is no road ahead.
Simon finished Solkin special courses for technicians, shipyard "Red Sormovo". Then two winters sent him to Leningrad to improve on the Special Faculty at the Institute of Water Transport.
Were very difficult years of study. Whatever you say, but in fact on your shoulders, repair winter, summer and intense navigation. Yes, and family troubles at home: his father's daughter Lyudmila walk on his heels:
- Dad, Dad, you've promised to tell me a story ...
Simon A. detaches from the drawings, to sit down on my knees and my daughter will tell her about the Volga, about the white steamers, carpet of sunsets. Lucy listens as his father's heart is broken - it still have to look through a textbook drawing of a difficult but was caught. And had the time to save the expense of sleep.
In the backwater ... Togliatti ship repair and mechanical plant by a new ship "Nikopol". Sormovo workers and engineers gathered at his conscience. In the wheelhouse and engine room set of instruments, taking into account all the latest news on the river. Solkin was satisfied, and the captain of his great-Michael Markochev. A young, knowledgeable expert. A. Simon was his mastery sudovoditelstva learn. Watch her watch a roaring diesels separated, and the rest does not go up in the wheelhouse and gets to the steering wheel. The cabin had appeared voluminous atlases of the Volga, Kama, Don, Oka.
- Why do you want?-Captain was surprised at first, Markochev. Anyway, to persuade: I'll read spetslotsii course, and you give me all the "secrets" of diesel engines will discover. Deal?
So the "Nikopol" first opened on the Volga "school" the development of the second river trades. Throughout the winter Solkin crammed sailing directions, sudovoditelskie attended courses in the spring he was the first on the river was given the title of "captain-mechanic."
It's now become a familiar combination of two words, "the captain" and "mechanical." And while they were still so far apart, how far from the commander's bridge hidden in the belly of a ship engine room. But there are people like Simon A., have done much to reconcile these two different professions. Yes, the mechanic Solkin one of the first on the Volga River rose to the helm and led the ship wide stretches. First, even close friends, with whom many experienced and a passer-by the great Russian river, were surprised, "fads" mechanics "of Nikopol."
- Eck, which was enough for A.. But since time immemorial: the captain on the bridge stand as a mechanic in a machine to dig. More from grandparents went - one reaches even rifts know, the other mechanisms conjure with.
But Solkin proved that you can and even must now be to combine these two professions. In vessels appeared automation, advanced instrumentation, and he is not captain, who did not study them, not a "probe" all with their own hands. And his blue road you have to "excellent" to know. So it was broken age-old tradition of a river. Remote control of diesel engines, derived in the wheelhouse, allowed to stop and start mechanism Officer of the Day, which stands at the helm. Now the engine room, the roar and fever, the captain goes down a mechanic for inspection of engines. Solkin insisted navigators too, passed the examinations for engineers and assistants have mastered the second tie-minders profession. Payroll of the crew was reduced from twenty-one to twelve people. The liberated people went to the new ships. They generously riverman shipbuilders. And the twelve nikopoltsev from which the movement began, became famous masters. They were first awarded on the Volga was still very unusual title, "Crew of Communist Labor."
Now, we have thousands of riverine have a dual career: captain, mechanic, motor mechanic, steering, radio operator, sailor. The price of this initiative is enormous. Only the Volga boatman joint shipping company, where he works Solkin SA, saved more than one million rubles.
Well, it was worth fighting for, for this cost does not sleep at night, thinking about the schedule of the crew watches, sitting on the books until they were hoarse arguing with your friends and prove that you're right, it is possible to work on riverboats on the method of combining professions.
A man of creative thought, man-seeker, so you can briefly characterize the seeds Alekseevich Solkin. He loves to go long paved road, and the trail tread on virgin soil. Happiness is the first path is a feeling familiar to Solkin. And yet familiar with the feeling that after you go your way more. It always happens in big business. After all, even a tiny brook Volga begins and then spreads wide and free and easy.
In the winter, "Nikopol" was supposed to stand up to the factory repair. Solkin he did meticulously "audit" ship machines and mechanisms. The conclusion has turned out quite unexpected: a diesel engine in excellent condition. They can work without repairs for another two years.
Six navigations instead of four, under the norms ... Two extra-navigation means tens of thousands of saved the plant rubles. The decision to postpone the repair period did not come out of nowhere. The command "Nikopol" knew by heart their responsibilities are clearly complied with all the technical instructions, and a love for cars guys instilled captain-mechanic.
He often said one of his story. One day, already quite late in the autumn, on the Kama, "Nikopol" hit the ice captivity. Reinstall hummocks ship, carried him to the river floodplain, where there were rocky shoals. Nearly two hours working on the ship's machine fullest capacity. Overloaded motors. The vessel came from ice captivity, but one hundred and twenty minutes of hard not gone completely burned, two pistons.
- What does this mean?, Usually asking their kids Solkin, finishing the story, to think. Not valid "eats" the service life of diesel engines, but the wrong mode. Learn all we need to know well, and electrical engineering, and theory of machines and spetslotsiyu and repair technology.
The entire crew of "Nikopol" sat down at the book. Practical exercises carried out directly at Solkin mechanisms. Proper and judicious distribution of forces, with the engineering culture that has begun work. Solkin own schedule, where each crew member was responsible for a specific mechanism. There was also a plan for the optimum operation of all units. This was the law. No one dared to break. Supervision of the engines was particularly severe.
Wherever possible, loading ports in the Volga, in anticipation of crossing gates at the guys with the captain, a mechanic, "conjured" the machines and components. Of course, it would be much better to sit on the deck, play chess, sing, walk on the avenues or squares of Volgograd, Rostov. But he knew the first mate or third assistant engineer, Alexander Kulikov, or steering-minder Vladimir Sudarikov: hours spent with the master-mechanic with diesel engines, then in the course of the work will be rewarded with reliable machines. No one has ever said:
- I defended my watch. Enough. I'm going to rest ...
A. Simon has managed to instill in their children Solkin love for and loyalty to the cause of river trade. Understand all nikopoltsy deeper meaning dull and dry-word "prevention."
- Why do we each spring, doctors at the clinic meticulously inspect the factory? - Simon said Alekseevich.-guard our health. And on the ship. We are also doctors who only work overalls. We need to prevent wear and not to allow any "emergency". Machines can and should work for many years, just need to take care of them but love them.
For six years sailed "Nikopol" without a middle factory repair. There were skeptics who did not believe. Arriving on the ship shook, meticulously examined the schedule of heating control, plan optimal operation of engines, acquainted with the ship's laboratory, making the analysis of fuels and lubricants. Hastily sketched new devices, the ones that have come up with marine innovators. And went on board the "Nikopol" convinced optimists. Yes, you can work without a repair factory for six years instead of four as planned, the mechanisms of a large margin, if carefully and sensitively relate to them. At the Pavilion "Transport" in the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR had a large booth on the work of the crew of the ship "Nikopol". Materials and calculations were talking about one thing: the success of the "Nikopol" is the result of engineering excellence, engineering culture. Simon A. Solkin was awarded the silver medal of the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements.
His initiative, as circles on the water, scattered in all river basins. Hundreds of crews on the Volga, the Dnieper, the Danube, on the Yenisei used nikopoltsev experience. Tens of millions of rubles saved boatman to renew maintenance period. After them, the captain of the ship mechanic "Levshino" Nikolai Groshev lengthened the life of four to eight navigations. A whole group of Volga tugboats worked on a schedule drawn up nikopoltsami. And the "Nikopol" turned into a "floating academy." Semen Alekseevich Solkin school were dozens of young riverine, such as Rostislav Evseev, Anatoly Shein, Alexander Zhuravlev, Anatoly Kabanov. The path to the top of his profession began with these guys in the cabins, "Nikopol", continued in the classroom Gorky Institute of Water Transport Engineers, and brought them to a wide fairway river captains.
How many students and pupils from seeds Alekseevich, a talented teacher and an educator? At home in the family album, he keeps pictures of them. The guys in the riverine form. Who is serious, who is smiling, who are concentrated. More than forty shots. A. Simon remembers all:
- Volodya Donets This is Gennady Potapov, Nicholas and Zoe is Eraginy is Nicholas Kuvakin. All our institutions are so ex-nikopoltsy River College graduates, on all rivers and even swimming in the seas.
Students, alumni and followers! Had to bring together all those who passed the "career academy" Solkin could be quite form a whole Company. A few years Simon A. Solkin was a mechanic, instructor of the crews of ships. I did not want the captain to leave the mechanics of the native ^ Nikopol ', but the party committee of Togliatti ship repair and engineering works, he was told:
- It should, A., teach young ... A group of his ships was the biggest: twenty-two ship. A. Simon spent day and night on the boats. He does not have to send a mission, he left without orders to sail with the young mechanics. My daughter has already graduated from Ludmila Polytechnic Institute. As-grown A. Simon, and did not notice. Like yesterday, escorted to the first class, and now five minutes to an engineer. Once asked where she would go to work after graduation? Do not hesitate to answer:
- To you, to ship repair. And my mom works there, and I will not break the family tradition.
So the team Tolyatti ship repair and mechanical plant came another Solkin-Ljudmila engineer breeze.
Guide a large group of ships brought Semen Alekseevich Solkin more trouble. After all, whatever you say, but they worked for about three hundred people. And the characters are different, and knowledge, and responsibility. But a good organizer and the best specialist of the Volga rallied them together. All twenty-two solkinskih ship worked without accidents, without calling for re-repair. Solkin taught young riverine carefully, prudently spend on fuel, materials, tools and expensive to protect ship equipment.
Solkin always trusted the most crucial and urgent work. Everyone knew it, the night will not sleep for days from the engine room did not come out until not understand why it zakapriznichal, such as an electric generator. He does not find the place, happen to him to hear that at some factory meeting criticized some of the captains of his ships.
The daughter has repeatedly scolded him:
- Who are you, a folder, he looked like. I understand the need to root for the production, but why, for example, yesterday you a tray on the heavy ship the item? I, the guys told me everything.
- Do you keep quiet, 'replied the father, - just do not understand. You see what I am strong. And I dragged myself because it was unable to advance how to dispose of. I still have my first teacher, Alexei V. Petrenko, "blue sea" gave
science: "I do not know how to run head-moving hands." So I paid for my mistakes.
Well, all this is a joke, Ludmila knew that her father was ably commanded by the courts. Over the last two years, his team saved the plant more than 160 thousand rubles and 1,200 tons of fuel. So he heads is working great.
In ... One spring day in 1974 Seeds Alekseevich was summoned to the bitter to the head of the Volga Joint Shipping Company.
- Here's what the case, A. Simon, said the head of the shipping company, the Komsomol-factory "Red Sormovo" a gift train seventeenth Congress of the Komsomol. They collected a new ship mixed "river-sea" vessels. It they give us. This is the first ship of this type in our shipping company. Take it and stay on it the chief engineer. Do you agree? Well and good. In the seventeenth day of the Congress of the Komsomol of the quay wall of the plant "Red Sormovo" went into its maiden voyage a new ship. He was named «XVII Congress of the Komsomol."
He was waiting for 'the distant path-way, they are taken away from their Volga reaches the wrong sea, unknown to foreign ports. One flight Simeon A. Solkin remembered forever. It happened in February 1975. The crew of the ship «XVII Congress of the Komsomol" instructed to urgently deliver goods from Zhdanov in Kerch. The Sea of Azov frozen. Cold stood firm. In the flight out, accompanied by an icebreaker. Powerful "seafarer" broke the ice fields, cleared the way for "Rechnik." It's almost close to Kerch with icebreaker radioed: "Ahead of the divorce, wish a happy voyage." Icebreaker turned around and went in the opposite direction.
Ship was almost to the touch. Under the grind ice screws. Solkin was inseparable from cars. Every minute had to change the mode of their operation. Suddenly the cold sea water zahlyupala feet. Solkin pale. That's right: the ice knocked stern gland bushings. Required to immediately stop a motor. But the captain objected ship lost speed, and then squeeze it into the ice stones.
- Only an hour holds, A., 'asked the captain, get out, because clean water, then stop the car.
It was a difficult time. Minder along with the mechanic had to pump water, to monitor the machines and prepare everything you need for packing seals. Lasted. Emerged from the icy captivity, and removed the damage. Chief Engineer Solkin not resist, and embraced his boys. - Thank you! Well done! It is ... a marine diesel engine roaring high gray-haired man. A calm and focused. And everything seems humdrum and familiar. But recently somewhere in the Mediterranean, the ship's radio operator, Vitaliy Gusev gave their "grandfather" a telegram from Moscow, which stated that the chief engineer motor ship «XVII Congress of the Komsomol" Solkin Semen Alekseevich Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor.
And now they have the ship Hero. He goes to watch and asked sternly, rush jobs running on an equal footing with everyone else. Their mentor, their friend, an old boatman Solkin.
It is ... on the deck of a senior mechanic, someone else around the sea, only a strip of crimson in the east of the dawn. There, beyond the horizon, its great motherland, his great love-Volga!
