2025 has been declared the Year of Blue-Collar Professions in Kazakhstan, a time when special attention is paid to workers whose labor is the foundation of industrial development. This is especially important for defense industry enterprises, where product quality is directly linked to national security.

One striking example of dedication and professional skill is the Zenit plant in the Urals, an enterprise that builds ships and equipment to protect the country's borders. The people who work here have long since turned their jobs into a way of life.

Menslu Karabekovna Vaisupova has been working for over 41 years. Starting her career as a milling machine operator, she mastered related professions – electroplating and insulation – constantly improving her skills and qualifications.

Every part of her work is performed with the utmost precision, because the products she works on are intended for defense equipment.

“When I came here as a young milling machine operator, I never thought that this job would become my life's work. But with each passing year, I realized that the quality of the products and the reliability of the equipment used to ensure the security of our country depend on us,” she says.

Today, Menslu Karabekovna is not only an experienced specialist, but also a mentor for young people. She willingly shares her knowledge, helping novice workers to understand the importance of their profession and their responsibility for the final result.

Rimma Kininaevna Dzhususayeva has spent almost four decades of her life at the Zenit shipyard. She has risen from process engineer to head of the electroplating section, one of the key processes in shipbuilding.

Under her leadership, new technologies are being introduced, and the quality and durability of component coatings are improving. Thanks to such specialists, the enterprise is developing steadily, combining tradition and innovation.

For 22 years, Alexey Nikolaevich Saratovtsev has been working in the production of plastic products used in the assembly of complex defense systems. He is distinguished by his high level of responsibility, attention to quality, and ability to find solutions in non-standard situations.

He is confident that the strength of the plant lies in the people who understand the importance of their work and strive to do it flawlessly.

Over the course of 20 years at the plant, Dmitry Mikhailovich Kotikov has risen from apprentice to 5th grade mechanical assembly fitter. He is responsible for the final assembly of products that become part of Kazakhstan's defense equipment.

“I have always wanted to do something useful for the country. Here I can see the results of my work — ships and equipment that serve Kazakhstan,” says Dmitry Mikhailovich.

The Zenit plant is rightly proud of its veterans. Their knowledge, skills honed over many years, and willingness to share their experience with young specialists create a solid foundation for the future of the enterprise.

Thanks to such people, Kazakhstan's machine-building industry is not only developing, but also preserving traditions, strengthening defense capabilities, and shaping the human resources potential of the future.