Tractor driver starts a business. Story of a Belarusian, who started a farm from scratch and built a church in the village
Vasily Matskevich
Vasily Matskevich is a well-known figure in Dokshitsy District. His fellow villagers unanimously refer to him as the Master with a capital M. And there is good reason for this: our hero has built a strong farm from the ground up, constructed a church in his native village, raised five children, and never refuses to help those who need it most. Reporters from the 7 Dnei newspaper found out how the tractor driver managed to start an agricultural enterprise in the late 1990s and what his key accomplishment is.
No need to leave the home village
“I was born in Vitebsk Oblast, in the village of Berezino. And, as they say, there is no need to leave the place you were born in,” Vasily Aleksandrovich Matskevich said philosophically during our meeting. “My ancestors always had their feet firmly on the ground, this is why they knew the value of a farmer’s labor: working until you’re drenched in sweat. My mom worked on a farm where I’d go from a young age to help her. That’s basically where I spent my childhood: in winter I’d run there after school, and during vacations I’d go there even more often.”
What makes a real man? The boy learned from his father, who worked as a mechanic at the local state farm and, one might say, built a house for his family with his own hands. The son took after him in everything. Later on, when our hero started his own family, he also built a large, sturdy house with his own hands.
After school he enrolled in the Lepel vocational school, which he graduated from in 1980. Then he joined the army.
“I saw how my parents lived and worked: honestly, wholeheartedly, and to the best of their ability. I liked that, which is why after leaving the army I decided to return to my home village,” he notes.
At first, he worked as a tractor driver at the local state farm Krasnoberezsky, then moved to one of the farm’s most critical sections — cattle fattening — where he worked for 16 years.
In the late 1990s agriculture, like many other economy branches, was going through tough times. The state farm was literally falling apart before the workers’ eyes. It pained Vasily Matskevich to watch the once-strong farm crumble, and with it, the long-standing rural way of life. Over time people began to give up keeping large household livestock, including cows, of which there had once been as many as 300 in the village herd.
“That’s when I realized we couldn’t go on living like that. Only those who work hard can earn a living for themselves and their families. The foundation of prosperity is what you earn through your own labor, with your own sweat,” he says with conviction.
The most reliable investor is the state
This is how Vasily Matskevich decided to become a farmer. He approached the local authorities and registered his future business under the name Matskevich Farm. He decided to focus on livestock farming: he bought piglets and two cows. He purchased the simplest equipment for tilling the soil. By the way, the first plot of land was 50 hectares. His father helped our hero build farm buildings for livestock and a garage for vehicles and machines.
“To be honest, I had nothing to start with,” says Vasily Matskevich today, referring to the lack of capital, including seed money. “I mustered all my willpower and forged ahead. Once you start something, you can’t stop halfway.”
His wife, Zhanna Viktorovna Matskevich, who worked as a nurse at a local hospital, supported him. She even left her profession to help her husband with the farm, as he had decided to focus on milk production. And with every passing year the cattle herd at this farm grew, as did milk yields. The quality of this “white gold” was always top-notch.
Seeing that the Matskevich Farm was gaining momentum, local authorities allocated several more plots of land to him. Government support also came in very handy for buying agricultural machines.
Today the Matskevich Farm’s vehicle fleet includes several domestic MTZ tractors, Amkodor loaders as well as a Palesse 1218 harvester and a number of other reliable machines.
According to Vasily Matskevich, the state has become the most reliable investor for his farm. While he purchased the harvester, which has served him faithfully for many years, at its residual value from the previous owner, most of the new equipment was acquired through state programs designed to support the agricultural sector. In other words, through leasing at a very affordable interest rate: 3% per annum.
Give up and leave? I've never thought that!
Vasily Matskevich’s fellow villagers know well how his farm evolved. He has decided not to reveal all the ups and downs he has experienced over the past 25 years. But he states confidently: the desire to give up everything and leave has never crossed his mind.
“I’ve always known that I need to work the land as long as I have the strength until victory. My parents and my wife shared this view and helped me in every way,” he says.
Today the Matskevich Farm has about 140 head of cattle, 73 of which are dairy cows. And it is these cows that are the farm’s main asset.
“Our cows aren’t elite breeds, but ordinary ones — Belarusian Black-and-White — that are milked twice a day,” says Zhanna Viktorovna Matskevich. She is in charge of the milking process.
The milking herd at the Matskevich Farm produces about 350 liters of milk per day in winter and 700-750 liters in summer. The farmer delivers it to the Lepel Milk Canning Plant. Most of it is classified as premium quality.
“Every year our dairy cows produce 3,500-4,000 liters each and some even produce 5,000-5,500 liters. Moreover, we’ve had many of them for nearly 20 years. One dairy cow even lived to be 23 years old,” says the farm owner.
It becomes clear to us that for the farm owner and his family it’s not just milk yield and profit that matter, but also caring for the animals. Careful attention is paid to developing the cattle’s diet. It’s worth noting that the cows aren’t fed commercial feed mixes. The owners believe these don’t always have a positive effect on their health. The feeders are filled with pre-ground grains — rye, wheat, and oats — as well as potatoes and hay, which the farmer grows on his own land.
“A jewel of a man!”
Our hero has five children in total. Each has already chosen their own path in life. For example, his youngest daughter Natalia is a graduate of the Vitebsk Veterinary Academy. She returned to her home village and helps run the family business: she’s in charge of the livestock’s health. She learned to drive a car when she was just 14 and then quickly mastered almost all the types of farm equipment on the farm. She has even successfully completed a tractor driver’s course. But she decided not to stop there and has recently started driving a logging truck. These skills have come in handy, as the farm operates a small sawmill. The Matskevich Farm purchases timber from the exchange for the subsequent production of boards and lumber. In other words, Vasily Matskevich skillfully diversifies his business. He doesn’t know what the future holds, but one thing is clear to us: whatever Vasily Aleksandrovich Matskevich undertakes, it will be a success. At the same time, the head of the farm still finds time to help others.
“Vasily Aleksandrovich [Matskevich] is a jewel of a man!” says Alena Kondratenok, Chairwoman of the Berezino Village Executive Committee, speaking about the hero of our project, and lists a substantial number of his good deeds: “When the grain harvest begins, the farmer goes to help people with personal plots. If the grass in the street needs mowing, a fence needs to be installed in public areas, or an existing one needs a fresh coat of paint, then we turn to Vasily Aleksandrovich [Matskevich] once again. We know he’ll never say no.”
Although he is eager to grow his own business, Vasily Matskevich helps both his fellow villagers and residents of neighboring villages. From the heart and most often for free. After discussing it, the local residents elected him the elder of the village of Berezino two years ago.
On earthly and heavenly matters
That said, our hero is not troubled solely by earthly concerns. He also reflects on matters of eternity: he tends to the memorials honoring those who died during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and the local cemeteries. Since his village is home to many devout people who, like Vasily Matskevich himself, practice Orthodox Christianity, he began building a church in Berezino at the site of an old store back in 2009. However, a serious illness that landed him in the hospital prevented him from completing the construction.
“If I survive, I will definitely finish what I started,” the farmer swore to himself at the time. He recovered, and as soon as he got out of sick bed, he finished the construction. Now the villagers have their own church where the priest conducts services.
We couldn’t help but ask the farmer about his plans for the future, but Vasily Aleksandrovich Matskevich, as a man who has come to know the wisdom of life, the futility of plans in the face of fate, and the unpredictability of the future, merely smiled without answering. Such people do a lot but say very little, yet they keep moving forward all the time, never resting on their laurels. Vasily Matskevich is one of them.
