History of forestry in Belarus (download here)
They lead the industry

Semen Ivanovich KOLESNIKOV
Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus in 1947-1949
Semen Ivanovich Kolesnikov was born in 1893 in the town of Krasnopolye, Mogilev region, in the family of a peasant. In 1929 he graduated from the forestry department of the Belarusian Agricultural Academy on a speciality the engineer-forester.
Until the age of 19 he lived in his father's family in Krasnopolye and worked in agriculture. From 1912 to 1914 he worked at the factory, from 1914 to 1917 he served in the army on the northern front. After the October Revolution in February 1918 he volunteered for the Red Army and served in the reserve battalion until 1919. From 1919 to 1925 he worked as a police chief in Cherikov Mogilev region.
In 1925 he entered the forestry department of the Belarusian Agricultural Academy. After graduation he worked as a forester in educational and training forest enterprise in Gorky. After the transfer of the forests of Belarus to the forest industry in 1930, Semen Kolesnikov was appointed Deputy Director for forestry of the Bobruisk forestry enterprise. From 1934 to 1939 he was the director of the same enterprise and the head of the Brody mechanized forest point.
In 1939, Semyon Ivanovich was appointed manager of the Moglesprom Trust, and in April 1941 was recalled to work in the Mogilev Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), where he worked as head of the forest department before the war began.
From the very first days of the Great Patriotic War, Kolesnikov was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army, where he served as an assistant to the regiment commander in the field until January 1943. Then he was recalled from the Army for economic work and appointed manager of the trust "Tekhlesemkultura" of the People's Commissariat of the USSR. In September of the same year by the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks) he was directed to work in the system of Glavlesoohrana system for the post of Commissioner for Glavlesoohrana under the SNK of the USSR in the BSSR.
In this work, Semyon Ivanovich showed himself to be an energetic, enterprising and persevering leader with good organizational skills. Within a short time after the expulsion of the German fascist invaders from the Belarusian land, all seven territorial directorates of forest protection and reforestation, 85 forestry enterprises and 629 forest districts were quickly restored on the territory of the BSSR.
Under the leadership of Kolesnikov in the post-war period, a great deal of work was carried out to staff the territorial offices, forestry enterprises and forest districts, and also to train the forestry workers through the course network.
Being disciplined and demanding to himself and to his apparatus, he managed to mobilize the whole team to overcome difficulties and achieved the fulfillment of the economic plan for the main types of work. He had done a great job on creating a food base in the forestry enterprises and forest districts, as well as their economic strengthening.
In 1944, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Byelorussian SSR, Semen Kolesnikov received a government award for his labor merits - the Order of Badge of Honor.
In 1947, S.I. Kolesnikov was appointed Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus. In this position he worked until 1949.

Ivan Semyonovich BYLINSKY
Minister of Forestry of the BSSR in 1950-1953
Head of the Main Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the BSSR in 1953-1956
Head of the Main Department of Forestry under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR in 1956-1960
Ivan Semenovich Bylinsky was born on January 28, 1903 in the city of Gomel.
From 1920 to 1931 he worked first as a mechanic at the steam locomotive repair plant in the city of Gomel, then he worked as the secretary of the Komsomol organization, regional and district committees of the Komsosmol, the deputy manager of “Belkolkhozstroy” trust.
In 1936 he graduated with honors from the Belarusian Forestry and Engineering Institute
named after S.M. Kirov, on a speciality the engineer-mechanic-ecotechnology for mechanical wood processing . After graduation from 1936 to 1948, he held various managerial positions: the manager of the “Belfanprom” trust, the head of the forestry department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union/Bolsheviks/of Belorussia, the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR, the secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), the head of the department of the KPRRA at the Council of Ministers of the BSSR. In August 1948 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Forestry of the BSSR.
In January 1950, by decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR, Ivan Semenovich Bylinsky was appointed Minister of Forestry of the BSSR. In this position he worked until May 1953. During this period, there were some organizational changes in the structure of the state apparatus. Several ministries (agriculture, state farms, forestry, land improvement) were merged into one department - the Ministry of Agriculture and procurement of the BSSR. In its structure the Head department of Forestry was created. In staff of the ministry the position of the deputy minister supervising questions of forestry was introduced.
To this post in June 1953 was appointed I.S. Bylinsky. He was also the head of the Main Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the BSSR. In December 1956, the department was directly subordinated to the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian SSR. Thus, Ivan Semenovich headed the Main Forestry Department under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, where he worked until 1960
During his time in forestry, he has proved himself to be a capable leader, energetic, initiative, demanding to himself and his subordinates. He enjoyed great respect and authority among the workers of the industry.

Sergei Timofeevich MOISEENKO
Head of the Main Department of Forestry under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR in 1960-1966
Minister of Forestry of the BSSR in 1966-1985
Sergei Timofeevich Moiseyenko was born on March 10, 1920 in the village of Chubakovo, Dubrovensky district, Vitebsk region. In 1938, after graduating from high school, he entered the Belarusian Forestry Engineering Institute named after S.M. Kirov. In 1942 he graduated with the qualification of a forestry engineer and was assigned to the Tambov region as chief engineer of one of the forestry enterprises. However, he did not go to work as he was drafted into the Red Army and sent to the Odessa Artillery School.
On June 24, 1944 junior lieutenant Sergei Moiseyenko was sent to the First Belorussian Front, where he immediately took the first baptism of fire on the attack at Bobruisk. This was the beginning of Operation of Bagration. Then there was the liberation of other cities of Belarus, Poland, the taking of Germany. In one of the battles, the young officer received a multi-fragment wound in the head and limbs. Sergei Moiseyenko was demobilized in August 1946 and already in September, he began working as a forester of the Krasno-Brodsky forest district of the Bobruisk forest enterprise.
In March 1952, Sergei Timofeevich was appointed director of the Bobruisk forest enterprise, in May 1960 - head of the Main Forestry Directorate under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR. In 1966, when the industry again becomes independent and the Union-Republican Ministry of Forestry of the Byelorussian SSR was created, S.T. Moiseenko by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the BSSR was appointed Minister of Forestry of the Republic.
Sergei Timofeevich was an excellent organizer, attentive to people, to their problems. He always supported the ordinary workers and had the mentor's abilities. He gave much energy to the development of forestry, to increase the productivity of forests and the level of mechanization of work, to introduce scientific achievements and best practices, to reproduce and rationally use Belarus' timber resources, improve the living and living conditions of workers in the industry, and train personnel. Under his leadership, the industry successfully coped with the tasks set, fulfilled all the established plans.
The Minister of Forestry also took an active part in the public life of the country. He was a deputy of the Supreme Council of the BSSR, a member of the central government and at the same time chairman of the Belarusian branch of the USSR-Finland Society.
For military and labor merits, Sergei Moiseenko were awarded the Orders of Lenin, the October Revolution, the Red Banner, the Patriotic War II degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky and seven medals. In 1970 he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Forestryman of the Belorussian SSR", and in 1977 - the title of "Honored Forestryman of the Polish People's Republic."
Sergei Timofeevich Moiseyenko led the industry until October 1985.

Georgy Andreevich MARKOVSKY
Head of the Main Department of Forestry under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR in 1960-1966
Minister of Forestry of the BSSR in 1985-1994
Georgy Andreevich Markovsky was born on March 13, 1937 in the village of Osovo in the Berezinsky district of the Minsk region. After finishing the Pohost secondary school in 1954, he entered the Belarusian Forest Engineering Institute named after S.M. Kirov. In 1959 he graduated it and was sent to work as a senior master in the Ivatsevichi chemical plant of the Brest region.
In June 1960 he was appointed forester of the Bronnogorsk foreft district of the same forest enterprise, and in December 1965 - director of the Stolinsky forest enterprise.
In August 1971, in the Stolin District Council of Working People's Deputies, a department for capital construction was created, the head of which was appointed Georgy Andreevich Markovsky. At the same time, he was also deputy chairman of the executive committee. Then from June 1975 to August 1977 - chairman of the Stolin district executive committee. After graduating from the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee in 1979, G.A. Markovsky was elected first secretary of the Stolin District Communist Party Committee. In this position he worked until July 1984. Then he headed the forestry department of the Brest regional executive committee.
In June 1985, Georgy Markovsky was appointed Deputy Minister of Forestry of the BSSR, in September of the same year, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Byelorussian SSR - Minister of Forestry of the BSSR.
For many years of conscientious work, Georgy Andreevich was awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor", the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the Diplomas of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus. He was a deputy of the district and regional Soviets of People's Deputies of the working people, a member and then an academician of the Belarusian Engineering Academy.
Georgy Andreevich Markovsky in all sectors of the leading work showed himself to be a thoughtful, hardworking person, a good organizer, careful about personnel. He was always attentive to the needs of working people.
Under his leadership new forestry and logging technologies began to be introduced in the industry. It was with him that the first "forest harvesters" appeared - harvesters, forwarders, hydromanipulators. Workers began to be sent to study in Latvia, Finland. New machines appeared in the woodworking shops. This allowed the forestries to organize the processing of small-scale timber which was not in demand on the market.
According to Georgy Markovsky, a forester is as important figure as in the old days was a zemstvo doctor. He should be educated, know thoroughly his forest range, have authority in society and conduct scientific research. A forester should have broad powers to organize his own farm at a decent level. And the minister is, first of all, the organizer, the strategist of the industry. He has all the administrative levers and the most important resource - personnel. It is very important to properly dispose of them, to rally a good team and go with it to the goal.

Valentin Pavlovich ZORIN
Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus in 1994-2001
Valentin Pavlovich Zorin was born on May 2, 1948 in Krivoshin village, Lyakhovichi district, Brest region. His childhood passed in the village of Usovo Kopylsky district of the Minsk region.
After finishing the 8th grade of the local secondary school in 1963 he entered the Polotsk Forest Technical School. In 1967, he graduated and took up employment as an assistant to the forester of the Papernyansky forestry department of the Minsk forest enterprise. Literally a month later, Valentin Zorin was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army. After serving, he returned to forestry as an assistant to the forester, first at Yanushkovichsky, and then Yurkovichsky forest district. In the period from 1970 to 1971 he worked as an assistant of the forester of Kopylsky forest district of Kopylsky forest enterprise, then to 1974 - chief of the workshop of consumer goods of the same forest enterprise. In 1975, V.P. Zorin entered the correspondence department of the forestry faculty of the Byelorussian Technological Institute named after S.M. Kirov. He graduated in 1981. During his studies he headed the Kolosovo forest district. In the period from 1981 to 1983, Valentin Pavlovich worked as the head of the Dretaun military forest enterprise, from 1983 to 1985 - the director of the Puhovichi forest enterprise. In October 1985, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Forestry of the Byelorussian SSR.
Valentin Pavlovich Zorin is a participant of the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Being chairman of the commission of the Ministry of Forestry of the BSSR on elimination of consequences of the accident, he took direct part in the organization of the dosimetry control service, the posts of decontamination of equipment in the forest enterprises, and work to improve the fire resistance of forests in radioactive contamination zones. Under his leadership, methods were developed for sampling forest food products, temporary norms and rules of behavior when working in a forest with an increased background of radioactive contamination. He personally traveled to the scene of the accident on several occasions to carry out tasks to eliminate its consequences.
In 1990 V.P. Zorin graduated from Academy of national economy under the Council of ministers of the USSR in on specialty "Economy, the organization of management and planning of the national economy".
October 17, 1994 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Valentin Pavlovich Zorin was appointed Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus. The branch was headed by Valentin Pavlovich until December 26, 2001.
In all areas of work from the assistant of forester to the minister, he established himself as a good organizer and initiative leader. Under his leadership, new technologies and best practices were introduced into production.
Valentin Pavlovich Zorin was awarded the medal "For Labor Valor". For many years of work in forestry, a large personal contribution to the development of forestry production in 1998 was awarded with the Certificate of Honor of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

Nikolay Konstantinovich KRUK
Chairman of the Forestry Committee under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus in 2001-2004
Nikolai Konstantinovich was born on August 19, 1955 in the village of Slobodka, Chervensky district, Minsk region. In 1978 he graduated from the forestry faculty of the Belarusian Technological Institutу named after S.M. Kirov.
After graduation from 1978 to 1979 Nikolai Konstantinovich worked as a forester of the Uzrech forest district of the Glubokoe Experimental forest enterprise of the Vitebsk Region, from 1979 to 1988 - the Chief Forestry Officer of the Glofok Experimental forest enterprise, from 1988 to 1991, as an Instructor of the Glubokoe District Committee of the CPB. From 1991 to 2001, he headed the Glubokoe Experimental forest enterprise. In 1999 he graduated from the Academy of Management under the President of the Republic of Belarus.
In 2001 N.K. Kruk was appointed Chairman of the Forestry Committee under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. From October 2004 to September 2010 he was First Deputy Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus.
Heading the industry, Nikolay Konstantinovich proved to be a skilful organizer of forestry production. He personally participated in the development of a number of state normative acts, the introduction of the latest achievements in science and technology. He paid much attention to improving the forms and methods of work as the central apparatus of the Committee, and subordinate organizations.
Nikolaiy Konstantinovich - Honored Forester of the Republic of Belarus, Candidate of Biological Sciences, an experienced practitioner in the forestry sector. Scientific activity of Nikolay Kruk began when he was working in the Glubokoe experimental forest enterprise. He is the author of more than 50 scientific papers. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, selective seed-growing began to develop actively. Glubokoe experienced forest enterprise then became the base in the republic in this direction. Twenty years later, Nikolai Kruk defended his thesis - "Artificial reforestation and conservation of the gene pool of common pine and European spruce on the basis of selection seed production in the conditions of the Belarusian Poozerye." Now the results of these studies are implemented on the territory of the whole republic and bring tangible benefits to forestry. And the seeds obtained in the Glubokoe experimental forestry enterprise are considered by their quality not only the best in the republic, but also beyond its borders.
For his great contribution to the development of forestry Nikolai Kruk was awarded with the Honorary Diplomas of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus in 2005.

Peter Mikhailovich SEMASHKO
Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus in 2004-2009
Peter Mikhailovich was born on October 8, 1949 in the village of Sudobovka, Smolevichi district, Minsk region. In 1972 he graduated from the forestry faculty of the Belarusian Technological Institute named after S.M. Kirov. The second, economic education, Peter Semashko received in 1987, graduating from the Belarusian State Institute of National Economy named after V.V. Kuibyshev.
After graduating from the Belarusian Technological Institute, he was sent to work as a tax engineer in the All-Union Association "Lesproekt". Since 1976, he worked first as a master, then as a foreman in the "Minskzelenstroy" PD. In the period from 1981 to 1985 he was the chief of the road maintenance section, the chief engineer, the chief of the Special administration No. 5 of the UDMSiB Trust in Minsk. Then, in the career of Peter Mikhailovich, there was а work in the Communist party apparatus. From 1985 to 1986 he was the secretary of the party committee of the Department of road and bridge construction and improvements of Minsk. In 1986 he headed the production department for green (landscape) planning and building of "Minskzelenstroy", from 1992 to 1995 he was the general director of this enterprise, after which he was appointed deputy chairman of the Minsk city executive committee. In the period from 2002 to 2004, he headed the administration of the Partizansky district of Minsk. In August 2004, he was appointed Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus, where he worked until December 2009.
Under the direct leadership of Peter Mikhailovich Semashko, the Ministry of Forestry successfully implemented the action program of the Government of the Republic of Belarus on increase in overall performance of a forestry and landscape complex of the country and improvement of processing of wood, increasing its revenues and receipts in the budget from its realization. The organizations of the sector fully implemented target and sector indicators of social and economic development, successfully solved the tasks assigned to them.
Peter Semashko devoted a lot of energy and attention to efficient use of wood and non-timber forest resources, improvement of the quality of forestry operations, technical re-equipment of the industry, introduction of advanced resource and energy saving technologies, development of deep processing of wood and bioenergy.
Peter Mikhailovich Semashko was demanding to his subordinates, but also always took care concerning them, supported the atmosphere of high insistence, interest in achievement of goals and mutual respect in staff of branch. He held deserved authority and respect in republican and local authorities.