Dedicated to the outstanding metro builder

They wanted to organize an evening in memory of Yuri Koshelev last year on his anniversary: in April he would have turned 95 years old. The initiative was put forward by the Council of Veterans of the Moscow Metrostroy, and the widow of Yuri Anatolyevich Bela Abramovna. They were supported by General Director Sergei Zhukov.

Among the guests were veterans of the Ministry of Transport of the USSR and the Main Directorate, associates and students of a major leader and the current management of Mosmetrostroy. With such a composition, the evening could not help but become a bright event, which far exceeded the format of a meeting of friends.

– Yuri Anatolyevich is an excellent organizer, he knew how to rally all the construction managers to bring the job to the end. And the team reciprocated his feelings - they loved him and willingly carried out official assignments. In the 90s, Koshelev did everything to preserve the organization, which became the flagship of metro construction, noted Bela Abramovna.

Almost all the invitees generously shared their memories. Among them are Igor Dorman, Valery Merkin, Mikhail Arbuzov, Nikolay Sorokin, Nikolay Agapov, Alexander Myshenkov, Yakov Bakaleynik, Elena Vechkasova and others. Many kind words were said. In the memory of those gathered, Yuri Anatolyevich remained an excellent specialist and a reliable comrade. Everyone emphasized his high professional and personal qualities.

– Koshelev was one of those bosses for whom you didn’t have to think. He made great interviews. He is a widely educated person, an intellectual, a philosopher. And most importantly, we lived behind him like behind a stone wall. He could stand up for any of us,” emphasized Faina Blinova, former editor of Metrostroevets. She headed the newspaper for 22 years.

Koshelev’s authority was indisputable. His opinion was taken into account at the highest level. They loved and respected him, they looked up to him. His work at the head of Mosmetrostroy came during difficult times. In the 90s, following the country, the company could have collapsed, and he made every effort to keep the organization intact, to prevent it from splitting into separate enterprises and disappearing.

– People like him, unifiers who fought for every organization, saw much further than ordinary people. And this outlook allowed Yuri Anatolyevich to be on an equal footing even with the country’s leaders,” recalled his student, former boss, and now TO-6 veteran Georgy Makarevich.

Under Koshelev, the connections between builders and industry science were not lost.

– He never abused his position, one could argue with him. But only before making a decision. Koshelev knew the value of real specialists, whom he stood behind, and easily introduced advanced technologies, said scientific director of the Tunnel Association Research Center Valery Merkin.

At the end of the evening, Alexey Levin, Chairman of the NGO “Labor Valor of Russia” and the Russian Society of Construction Engineers (ROIS), Hero of Socialist Labor, honorary builder of Russia, veteran of metro construction awarded Sergei Anatolyevich Zhukov and Bela Abramovna with honorary insignia “Labor Valor of Russia” for their active participation in the fate of the Motherland, special merits in labor and patriotism for the glory of Russia.

– We worked with Yuri Anatolyevich at all the most important government facilities hand in hand. And there was never any misunderstanding. This speaks of his highest professionalism. For me, he personifies Mosmetrostroy, of which he was rightfully proud. Now I head the organization “Labor Valor of Russia”. And all of you are honorary members of this organization, every metro builder is a hero. And it doesn’t matter whether he has an award or not. Your work itself is heroic,” he concluded.

The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere, leaving warm memories of an outstanding person who formed a unique community of metro builders.