Sergei Nikonovich Zaichenko was born on October 28, 1929 in the village of. Omelnik, Kremenchug district, Poltava region. His father, a collective farm beekeeper, often took Sergei with him. His work required precision and patience. He instilled these traits in his sons. Yes, and the brothers Sergei, Nikolai and Pavel were friendly, helped each other in everything. And the times were not easy. In the west, battles were still raging, the country lay in ruins. In the village of Omelnik, everyone, adults and children, worked in the field, sowed the land. Fifteen-year-old Sergei also works 12 hours a day, first as a trailer driver and then as a tractor driver.
The cadre workers of the automobile plant have known S. N. Zaichenko well since 1957, when he, a former tractor driver and a demobilized soldier of the Soviet Army, first crossed the factory entrance.
Even then, the team drew attention to his enviable capacity for work and dedication, craving for knowledge and attitude to technology, modesty, sincere generosity and honest frankness, exceptionally conscientious attitude to work. It is no coincidence that he quickly mastered the profession of a turner, won the right to hand over his products bypassing the Quality Control Department, and after four years of work at the plant he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor.
Avtozavodtsy were the first in Kremenchug to start the competition for the Ukrainian hour – the completion of a seven-hour shift task in six hours. In 1963, 42 stations and shifts reported that their plans had been completed ahead of schedule. About 2,700 workers regularly provided above-plan production in 1964 as well. Among them, the turner S.N. Zaichenko.
The party and the government highly appreciated the hard work of the team in the reconstruction of the plant, the development and production of trucks. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 22, 1966, 87 workers, engineering and technical workers and employees were awarded orders and medals of the USSR, and the turner of the first machine shop, Sergei Nikonovich Zaichenko, was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
In 1974 he was awarded the Order of the October Revolution.
In 1976, S. N. Zaichenko undertook to work on his screw-cutting lathe for ten years without a major overhaul and save 7,350 rubles by reducing repair costs. He appealed to the machine operators of the enterprise to get involved in the struggle for respect for the equipment, lengthening the overhaul periods in order to significantly increase its productivity and service life.
The innovator was widely picked up in the plant team, at other enterprises of the city, region, and republic. In August 1977, the “Day of the Innovator” was held at VDNKh of the USSR, and S. N. Zaichenko shared with his Moscow colleagues his experience in the economical maintenance and operation of equipment and tools.
In 1985, the team of plastic welders of the cabin assembly shop, headed by S. N. Zaichenko, switched to self-supporting. Under these conditions, the trouble-free operation of the equipment assigned to the team became even more important. Realizing this, the team of S. N. Zaichenko came up with the initiative “Extension of the period of reliable operation of the equipment assigned to the team, increasing the efficiency of its use – team responsibility.” This initiative was supported by about 600 teams of sites and brigades of the plant. The experience of this team was summarized in the poster “Machines – a long life.” (From the experience of a team of plastic welders, headed by the Hero of Socialist Labor S. N. Zaichenko, from the Kremenchug Automobile Plant).
More than a dozen skilled workers brought up S. N. Zaichenko. He was rightly called a working teacher here. After all, instilling in young people a sense of organization and discipline, pride in belonging to the working class is an exceptionally responsible task and should be done by the best of the best. And not by order, but by spiritual vocation. S. N. Zaichenko, an advanced worker, a highly qualified specialist, politically literate, with rich life experience and a surprisingly sincere person, who was characterized by high moral qualities, belonged to such people. Therefore, it is no coincidence that for many years he headed the regional council of mentors and the council of mentors of the AvtoKrAZ production association.
S. N. Zaichenko was a delegate to the 14th and 15th congresses of trade unions, a member of the Presidium of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, and deputy chairman of the housing and welfare commission of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions.
S. N. Zaichenko died in 1998. He was buried at the Svishtovsky cemetery.
Based on the materials of the article “KREMENCHUZHANI – HEROES OF SOCIALISTIC PRACTICE”
Authors: Grishko Lidia Vasilievna and Lushakova Alla Nikolaevna.