OREANDA-NEWS. Eight employees of Mikhailovsky GOK (part of Metalloinvest) received important government awards. Alexander Mikhailov, the Governor of the Kursk region, presented the awards at a special reception. Andrey Varichev, CEO of the Management Company METALLOINVEST and deputy of Kursk's regional Duma; Julia Mazanova, Social Policy and Corporate Communications Director of Management Company METALLOINVEST; Sergey Kretov, Managing Director of Mikhailovsky GOK and deputy of Kursk's regional Duma; and Viktor Solntsev, Head of Zheleznogorsk attended the ceremony.

Alexander Mikhailov addressed the participants at the ceremony opening: “It is my pleasure to carry out the order of the President of the Russian Federation to present government awards to the employees of Mikhailovsky GOK. Thanks to people like you, Zheleznogorsk is known not only for its great reserves of ferruginous quartz, but also for world-scale achievements in industrial production, arts and sports.” The Head of the region also noted that for many years the enterprise remains one of the leaders of the metals and mining sector in Russia. Its sustained performance and profits is a security of a stable future for the people in living in the region.

The Order for Service to the Fatherland II class was awarded to Yury Ivanov, locksmith for test and measurement instruments and automated systems; Alexander Troshin, arc welder; and Nikolay Shakhov, Deputy Head of production department. “The Honoured Worker of Transport Sector of the Russian Federation” title was presented to Leonid Lazarev, operator at the Railway Transport Department, and Andrey Medentsev, Head of the Transport Department of the enterprise's administration. The Order of Friendship was given to Ivan Anpilogov, a crushing operator, and Mikhail Lukin, an operator at the pelletising plant. Vladimir Kozyrov, an excavator operator, was awarded the “Distinguished Miner of the Russian Federation” title.

Sergey Kretov noted: “These high government honours are granted in recognition of our miners' work. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the enterprise's team values them extremely highly. We are proud of them and offer them our sincere congratulations.”

Sergey Kretov also expressed gratitude to the Governor of the Kursk region for his support of the enterprise and his cooperation, which together allow Mikhailovsky GOK to develop, open new production facilities, and, as a result, to improve well-being of the citizens of the town and the region.

Leonid Lazarev, one of the recipients of an award, commented: “For my colleagues and I, it is a great honour to receive such high awards. It is a memorable and important occasion. I am happy that I am a part of big team called Metalloinvest, and that Mikhailovsky GOK, where I worked for over 30 years, successfully develops and implements significant investment projects - with the key project being the construction of the Pellet Plant #3. We are moving forward, and it means success at present and in the future.”