Jubilees

Work of his life

18 February marked the 70th anniversary of the USSR Master of Sports, the champion of the All-Union competitions, of the Ukrainian and Kazakh SSR, of the USSR Armed Forces in weightlifting, Director of the JINR Sports Complex Vladimir Nikolaevich Lomakin.

His long-term work was awarded the title "Veteran of Nuclear Energy and Industry", Certificate of Honor of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Honorary Badge of the Moscow Region Government "For Merits in the Development of Physical Culture and Sports", Honorary Badge "For Merits to Dubna", title "Honorary Employee of JINR", Honorary Diplomas of JINR and the city administration. Since 1984, he has been the permanent director of the Swimming Pool "Archimedes" that has more than once become the best swimming pool in the Moscow Region, awarded with certificates from the USSR State Sports Committee, the Moscow Region Government and the Central Committee of Trade Unions of the Ministry of Medium Engineering. In 2002, V.N.Lomakin headed the JINR Sports Complex, uniting the pool, the Stadium "Nauka", the Sports Club, tennis courts and a yacht club.

And his love for sports was born in battles with the ball and puck in the yard and on the rink that later contributed to the first results in the weightlifting section.

"My family moved to Dubna from Murom in 1956," Vladimir Nikolaevich recalls. "Those times, not only the Internet, there was not a TV in every family, we spent all our free time in the yard. And it was a sports country, with many sections in schools and in the city. Since elementary school, I have tried myself in various sports. Probably, the influence of my father that was an excellent athlete, the champion of the Kashira Region in ice skating, also affected. Seriously, I took up wrestling first, afterwards, weightlifting. Recently, I have come across a stack of my sports certificates and remembered that I am also a multiple champion in shot put."

It's one case to play sports, another case - to lead people...

- I have always had a desire for sports, just later, it has grown into sports and organizational work. I acquired my first skills at the CE Office, in the Trade Union Committee of which I took up sports and mass work. Usually, I had to persuade the employees much older than me, twenty years old, to agree to take part in JINR championship competitions in various sports after work. Work in the Trade Union Committee of the CE Office has become a good school for me. A.M. Weinstein noticed me and offered to try myself as a pool director. The director of the pool in those years was purely economic work. After some time, Alexander Mikhailovich began to involve me in organizing competitions: a run in memory of V.I.Veksler, Runner's Day and other competitions. I remember even joining the organizing committee of the Russian water-skiing championship held in Dubna in the late 1980s. Here, almost like in sports, you achieve everything by work, focusing and the desire to bring the matter to the end.

How many people does your staff consist of?

- Today, I have 70 employees - those who are in the state, as well as part-time workers. At large competitions, such as a run in memory of Veksler, along with judges, volunteers and participants, 400-500 people are involved that need to be organized, who you are responsible for. I have active assistants among my employees, we have worked together for many years, a good team has developed. I am grateful to them, they all help me a lot.

Have sports changed your character?

- I think so. Of course, my friends-weightlifters V.Yu.Emelyanov and unfortunately, G.A.Kurochkin and my coach Yury Masloboev that have already left us would better tell about me. Classes in the weightlifting section, hard work, overcoming difficulties developed my character. My perseverance was noted by Yu.V.Masloboev. Something is in the genes and then, it develops or not. I think we are largely involved in this process. I didn't always succeed at once, there were mistakes and difficulties and currently, they happen but gradually, we overcome everything.

In previous talks, you spoke about the meetings with G.N.Flerov, Yu.A.Tumanov and the JINR employees involved in his group in the pool - Yu.Ts.Oganessian, V.L.Aksenov, D.V.Shirkov, Yu.K.Nedachin and others. What impression did the communication with them leave on your mind?

- I was lucky to communicate with such outstanding, extraordinary people that visited "Archimedes". Georgy Nikolaevich was very proud that he stood at the origins of constructing a pool in Dubna. Until the last days of his life, he visited it. G.N.Flerov tried to bring all the guests of FLNR to "Archimedes". I enjoyed talking to them, showing the pool. Yu.Ts.Oganessian amazed me with a huge number of different stories. For fifteen years on Sundays we met in a small company and he never repeated himself in his stories! There were interesting stories about France, Italy, Vietnam, of course, scientific problems were also discussed. Communication with D.V.Shirkov also left a mark on my soul. He swam for the rest of his life, actively participated in competitions and always came to the rescue in solving our problems.

Well, Yu.A.Tumanov for me had been generally a close person since childhood, almost a relative. We talked a lot with him, there were disagreements on the case, but we still were friends with him. He even came to my military unit in Balashikha when I was drafted into the army. It was unexpected and enjoyable. No matter how my life changed in subsequent years, these people undoubtedly influenced me.

You said that G.D.Luppov, a well-known physics teacher in Dubna, considered you as an experimental physicist. Don't you regret not choosing science?

I like how my life has developed, I have managed to achieve a lot, I wish to do something else. Although I have been working in the same place for more than 40 years but as if it were not so - the external conditions have been changing all the time: either there is perestroika in the country, afterwards, there is no funding and we are told, "We are closing everything!" Later, we are transferred to the TUC, then - back. The work was added when I headed the JINR sports facilities - the Stadium, the Sports Club, the Yacht Club. We fought for survival, supported the regular functioning of sports facilities, in recent years, we have been developing them - this work does not let you get bored. I like it, it is interesting to me, you communicate with JINR employees, with other townspeople, you find yourself aware of various events. It also helps in my work in the Public Chamber of the city.

Can we say that "Archimedes" has become the work of your life?

- I don't know, probably, it is possible. But it would not have been possible without the support of my immediate directors and the Institute's Directorate. A.M.Weinstein, I.V.Zbrozhek, V.D.Zadorozhny, A.V.Tamonov helped me a lot, I was lucky with all the directors. Directorate helped as much as possible: when JINR had financial problems, we were financed on a leftover basis. Today, JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov is attentive to our plans, we constantly feel support. Look how the Yacht Club has changed, at present, we are finishing the renovation of the Sports Club, further improvement is scheduled at the Stadium.

We kept the pool functioning from the start, maybe, that's why it's in a good condition today. Many pools of our project have already been overhauled up to the replacement of tiles in the bath, having invested a lot of money and therefore, they currently function. We have always had a zealous, economic attitude to the pool, it has been under constant control that allows "Archimedes" to function for more than half a century. This year, we are engaged in filters in the engine room, they have long required replacement and each filter weighs under two tons. Currently, we are looking for a contractor, new filters are already being manufactured at the plant. They will need to be brought, installed, flow pipes are to be prepared - this is a great, difficult job.

What do you want to wish for yourself?

- To keep working, creating more comfortable conditions for JINR employees and residents of the city and so that Directorate goes on supporting us. We still have many problems, regular repairs are needed both in the pool and at the Stadium. It is necessary to complete the second stage of the Yacht Club, put it in order. There is a lot of work.

JINR sports staff and sports fans of our city congratulate Vladimir Lomakin on his anniversary and wish good health, inexhaustible optimism and good luck in all matters!

Olga TARANTINA,
photo by Elena PUZININA

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Vladimir Lomakin is a whole era of sports for Dubna. He is known as a great athlete, Master of Sports of the USSR and an excellent organizer of sports at JINR. We are sure that every athlete of JINR and the city knows him and sincerely respects him as a person and a professional. We would like to express our great gratitude to Vladimir Nikolaevich for giving all of himself to the cause of his life. Under him, the JINR Sports Complex has been truly transformed, has become modern and attractive to all sports fans. We wish Vladimir Nikolaevich a lot of energy, new victories and achievements!

JINR Social Infrastructure Management Office