News

A delegation arrived in the region for the Penza Oblast Days in the Republic of Belarus.
In the city of Baranovichi, Oleg Melnichenko visited the Trade Machinery Plant and the largest school in Brest Region.
The TorgMash plant has been operating since 1944, producing technological equipment for retail and catering enterprises, as well as household appliances. 89% of its products are exported, with 95% of those exports going to Russia.
TorgMash actively promotes planetary mixers and dough kneading machines on the market.
"This product is related to the products of your Penzmash plant," said the plant's director, Sergey Gerasimchik. "In terms of revenue, we are comparable."
Among the main products are equipment for school, kindergarten, hospital, and health resort canteens. In cooperation with a Russian enterprise, they also produce steam ovens for cooking food with steam. Oleg Melnichenko expressed interest in such equipment, mentioning the ongoing modernization program for school cafeterias in Penza Oblast.
Also in Baranovichi, Oleg Melnichenko visited Secondary School No. 1 named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Sergey Ivanovich Gritsevets.
This modern school, built in 2021, has more than 1,900 students. Since 2022, the school has been in contact with School No. 17 from the city of Kuznetsk in Penza Oblast as part of an agreement to establish twin-town relations between the two cities.
"This is a wonderful school, with good organization, educational and extracurricular activities. There is an excellent tech park at the school — something one can only dream of! The result is, first of all, the education of our children, and their immersion in the world of science and new technologies," commented Oleg Melnichenko.
The school also hosts the only National Unity Museum in the Republic of Belarus.
"You know well that there was a time when our Belarus had to be divided into two parts. Part of it went to Poland, and until 1939, we were part of Poland. On September 18, 1939, our territory joined the eastern part of Belarus, and now this day is considered a holiday — the Day of National Unity. This is the event we dedicated the exhibition to. But here we also tell the story of Belarusian statehood, of the Belarusian people from ancient times to the present. Because there is no present if we do not know the past," noted historian Aleksandr Litvinovich.
Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the heroic defense of the Brest Fortress during the Great Patriotic War and the liberation of Baranovichi from Nazi occupation.
At the end of the visit, Oleg Melnichenko presented the school with a three-volume edition of The History of the Penza Oblast and invited the students to visit the region for the Lermontov Festival to learn about the region’s culture.
"We are ready to arrange a full tour for the students. Accordingly, we have sent an invitation to the principal, and we will cover all expenses as the hosting party. So, we are expecting a delegation of students from this wonderful school in July," concluded Oleg Melnichenko.
As part of the Penza Oblast Days, the delegation is also scheduled to visit the memorial complex "Brest Fortress-Hero."