Oleg Valenchuk: Gardeners are a reliable support for the country and the President!

      Alexander Alexandrovich Petrov was a purely civilian person until 2022. In Lipetsk, he is known as an active public figure. In addition to leading the Lipetsk branch of the Union of Gardeners of Russia, he served as the deputy chairman of the Public Chamber of the city of Lipetsk, chairman of the Public Council under the Department of Property and Land Relations of the Lipetsk region, and deputy chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lipetsk. Already in February 2022, Alexander Petrov decided that he could not remain indifferent to the fate of the country and, signing a contract, went to serve in the Special Military Operation (SMO). In a short time of service, thanks to his persistence, hard work, and organizational skills, he managed to go through a real combat path from an ordinary private to a senior lieutenant. For his courage and bravery in carrying out combat missions, he has been repeatedly awarded state and departmental awards.

      An amazing fact: following Petrov, 4 out of the remaining 6 members of the board of the Lipetsk branch of the Union of Gardeners of Russia also went to serve under contract. "We would have left in full force," says Alexander Alexandrovich. "But one of our colleagues was not accepted for service due to age, although he went to the military enlistment office 4 times. By that time, he was already 78 years old!" All Lipetsk gardeners ended up serving in the 89th Guards Engineer Regiment of the Southern Military District. The regiment was formed on October 19, 2022, as part of partial mobilization. The main profile of the regiment is demining; in addition, the unit conducts engineering and construction work (building fortifications, repairing roads) and provides technical maintenance of equipment. On March 25, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding the regiment the honorary title of "Guards," noting in the text of the document the "mass heroism and courage, resilience, and professionalism" of the personnel in carrying out combat and peaceful tasks. In 2025, together with the volunteers of "Bars-Kursk," the regiment demined more than 3,000 square meters of border territories in the Kursk region. Alexander Petrov reported that with the help of the chairman of the Union of Gardeners of Russia, State Duma deputy Oleg Valenchuk, many issues with the regional authorities of the Kursk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions, and the Republic of Crimea were resolved. More than one and a half thousand sapper guards have been awarded combat orders, medals, and regional distinctions over the years of the SMO. "For me, the gratitude of our fighters is the most important award," emphasized Oleg Valenchuk. "Gardeners have always been and remain a reliable support for the country. The history of the Lipetsk branch of the Union of Gardeners of Russia is a vivid confirmation of this. These people, who are used to working the land and caring for their neighbors, stood in line during difficult times, shoulder to shoulder with professional warriors. The 89th Guards Engineer Regiment – the pride of our army – has been replenished with true heroes. Helping them, solving their pressing issues is our duty and honor. Because when gardeners stand together with the President and the army – Russia is invincible!"