Under the wing of “Bely Aist” (White Stork)

Spring of the 1944 brought joy, happiness, freedom in Pridnestrovie. March 24, Soviet troops in stubborn fighting drove the enemy out of Kamenka, March 30 Rybnitsa was released, April 11 - Slobodzeya, a day later - Dubossary and Grigoriopol. April 12 Infantry Division of the 37th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front entered the liberated Tiraspol. 970 tragic days and nights of occupation that took the lives of more than 4000 Tiraspol were finished.

There appeared a peaceful life. It was necessary to restore the war-shattered economy. Many enterprises were in the ruins. Tragedy repeated for Tiraspol winery. The enterprise was devastated and burned during civil war; Romanian invaders blew main facilities and the wine cellars before retreating in 1944. The Soviet Army units entering Tiraspol saw mountains of twisted concrete and debris on April 12.

Workers of the factory in 1941, as well as the entire Soviet people, rose in defense of the Fatherland. The names of the dead are inscribed forever in the chronicles of the oldest enterprises of the republic. The exhibition devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory is located in the days of May in the foyer of the administrative building. Veterans who passed heavy roads of war look at us from old photographs. Gray-haired, and young, those who enrolled forever in the "Immortal regiment" are here. How the employee of the company Anna told, 50 factory workers went to the front.

The plant director L. Nepomnyashchii, his deputy E. Schwartzman, a famous winemaker S. Kucher, A. Zheltikov, I. Kovalev, V. Levchenko, A. Dmitrienko, N. Kuznetsov left on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. A stele was erected in 1980 in memory of them on the territory of the enterprise. This decision was made by Boris Khilkov, who was the head of the plant that time. The monument is unusual. The grapevine stretches up along the granite stone, as the personification of life, fallen leaf - a symbol of a bygone eternity of the soul-veteran winemaker ...

Boris Khilkov was 16 years was assigned by Komsomol to study at a vocational school. The war began, and students were sent to work at Kovrovsky plant where the production of machine guns and automatic rifles was organized. The guy rushed to the front, but he was not allowed - 6th rank locksmiths were needed in the enterprise. New road was opened before him in peacetime, which has become central to his life. 35 years was given to the development of domestic wine, 20 of them - the Tiraspol Wine & Cognac Plant. In 1966 Boris Khilkov headed the company. The eagerness and persistence was in service to young director from the very first days of work. The plant began grandiose reconstruction. There were built new shops and housing, with dining room, club, medical center, shop; equipment was upgraded; brandy production was expanded. Plant was updated.

Chisinau had not given permission for a long time to the completion of the three-storey excerpts cognac shop - the intervention of higher authorities in Moscow was needed. The call of Minister of Interior Shchelokov solved the problem. Boris Mikhailovich, together with a team of like-minded people was able to realize all conceived plans. If in 1966 the plant produced 615,000 decaliters of wine, in 10 years - 3.7 million. The winemaker says with a smile, co-author of the famous "Jubilee" and "Victoria" cognacs, a story about how he persuaded French to recognize the quality of the Tiraspol cognac.

The fate of the plant - veteran of two devastating and terrible wars - is closely intertwined with the fate of people. Winemakers built, rebuilt twice, as well as modernized enterprise, giving their work, knowledge and love. When the Motherland called, they rose to defense. Many returned to their native enterprise after the Great Patriotic War. WWII veterans Alexandra Alekseevna Shvetsova, Gregory Leontievich Shurko, Pavel Afanasievich Borisov, rear workers Maria Savelevna Nisichenko, Maria Ivanovna Rebrova, Ilya Ivanovich Ryabohlyst, Anna Nikolaevna Lupasco and many others worked here at various times.

We want to bow to veterans and home front workers during the holidays, wrapped in an aura of the Great Victory. We live under a peaceful sky, work and raise children because of their military and labor feats.