Published on: 2026-10-18
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Moscow’s road management is a complex mechanism where every detail matters—from the quality of the asphalt to the condition of the lawns. Behind all this stands the work of thousands of employees. Many of them acquired their profession following the example of parents or relatives, while for others, the profession grew out of a childhood dream.
Drivers of machinery, road workers, asphalt workers, rescuers, soil scientists and landscapers, engineers all work at the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads” — for them, caring for the city has become a common cause. They monitor the condition of major highways, roads, and sidewalks in all administrative districts of the city year-round, perform seasonal work, carry out ongoing repairs and comprehensive improvement, and take care of green spaces.
On Road Workers’ Day, which is celebrated this year on October 18, we tell about those without whom Moscow’s roads cannot do.
It all started with family: hereditary drivers, road workers, landscaping specialists
Members of the Belykh family work in the production complex (PC) “Center” of the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads” and continue a long-standing dynasty of drivers. Yuri Nikolaevich Belykh has been working at the enterprise for almost nine years. He came to the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads” among the first employees when the new site was being formed, and over time suggested that his son Evgeny, brother Viktor, and nephew Denis try working there. Notably, in the Belykh family, the grandfather drove cargo transport for many years, and today members of this family can be seen behind the wheels of crane manipulators, trucks, and KamAZ manipulators.
“The driver’s job requires full dedication, great responsibility, and attentiveness, because we are constantly on the move: routes, roads, and the urban environment change. Coordination and the ability to work the same shift with close people make the work process comfortable and efficient,” says Yuri Bely.
He is convinced that working as a family strengthens relationships among relatives, while still allowing each person to maintain their individuality. For example, his son Evgeny enjoys music in his free time and plays the guitar, and his nephew Denis is raising three children and loves traveling. The fathers support their sons: they go fishing and spend time in nature together.
The road worker profession became a family tradition in the Khalilov family. Khalil Makhmutovich Khalilov and his two sons — Ali and Rail — work at PC “Center-AB” of the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads.” Khalilov Sr. notes that working alongside his sons is his special pride because they are a true team. Ali entered the profession almost immediately after the army and quickly mastered the specialty of asphalt concrete worker. Soon, following his brother’s example, Rail mastered the same profession. In their free time, they enjoy active recreation: going to the gym, playing tennis. Rail practices grappling — a martial art that combines techniques from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, sambo, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. He has been training for several years and also successfully competes, earning prize places.
The total work experience of Nikolay Valentinovich Smirnov and his son Maxim is 23 years. Interestingly, the specialists joined the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads of the North-West Administrative Okrug” together in 2015. Currently, the representatives of the dynasty work in the staff of section No. 2 for maintenance and improvement. The department where the father and son work monitors the condition of park areas: pedestrian paths and quiet rest zones, sports and playgrounds. Nikolay is a mentor for young specialists, happily sharing his rich experience and knowledge, fostering a responsible attitude to work among the youth. According to his son Maxim, one of the important criteria of a professional is the constant improvement of skills, mastering modern equipment and technologies.
A child’s dream to save everyone around and a love for plants led to the profession
Many factors influence the choice of profession, and family is not always the main one. Some follow a childhood dream or adhere to principles. For example, Yulia Allenova has been working as a rescuer in Emergency Rescue Team No. 5 of the Emergency Rescue Formation of the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads” since 2017. She is in the team together with her husband Alexander. With him and her colleagues, she responds to incidents, assesses the situation on-site, and provides first aid in case of accidents on the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD). Yulia notes that her first impressions that led her to this profession were made back in kindergarten: she played with toy medical equipment, “providing help” to her plush friends and dolls. In her teenage years, Yulia watched TV shows about rescuers with interest and dreamed of becoming like them. She considers her team to be a big friendly family united by a common cause.
“Being a rescuer means becoming a thin thread on which someone’s life is held at the very moment when the whole rest of the world is ready to break,” says Yulia.
The story of Tatiana Fomkina, a leading soil scientist at the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads,” shows how love for nature and the desire to preserve it become the main driving force in choosing a life’s work. Moscow is one of the greenest megacities, with numerous parks, squares, and boulevards delighting residents almost year-round. Behind this lies extensive work: since 2016, the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads” has had a special division that monitors the condition of urban soils and plants. Here, since 2017, Tatiana Fomkina researches soil composition, selects fertilizers, oversees agronomic work, and helps choose plants suited to the characteristics of Moscow’s urban soil — the artificially formed soil of the megacity. Tatiana analyzes the level of macro- and microelements and, considering their content, calculates the necessary doses of organic and mineral fertilizers to be applied, and also supervises the implementation of regulatory soil treatments where required. Tatiana also thoroughly studies the composition of the urban soil to determine which plants can successfully grow in specific conditions.
“In my work, I value most the fact that I contribute to the green appearance of the city and its ecology. In addition, the nature of the job allows me to spend a lot of time outdoors, which is also a pleasure,” notes Tatyana.
From the basics to managing processes and people
Vitaly Petrovich Praded, today a foreman at the GBU “Automobile Roads of the South-Western Administrative Okrug,” has traveled a long professional path and started with a working specialty. Vitaly was employed after the army, but because of insufficient experience, his dream of becoming a driver did not come true immediately. He took a risk and got a job as a road worker, in order to later enter his favorite profession.
“I simply loved machinery, the road, and couldn’t imagine any other work for myself. But at first, there was a shovel and a broom: landscaping, garbage cleanup, asphalt paving,” he recalls.
The management kept an eye on the newcomer, and when he proved that he could be trusted, he was promoted to driver. Over the years, Vitaliy Praded mastered almost the entire fleet of machinery. He operated a snowplow, street sweepers, buses, and even a dump truck.
“I got a great deal of pleasure from my work,” he says. “Even though it wasn’t easy, every task had its own nuances that had to be taken into account. For example, the snowplow. You don’t just remove the snow. You have to adjust to each point and to each specialist doing the loading, coordinate the interaction. And it’s also important not to damage the equipment. We have vehicles here, traffic, and people walking around.”
Over time, Vitaliy wanted to develop professionally. Alongside his job, he began studying part-time. And when a vacancy for a site foreman opened in 2016, his candidacy was approved for the position. Today, Vitaliy supervises drivers, operators, and road workers. The day begins with receiving the assignment, after which the foreman makes a work plan for 12 hours. He allocates personnel and machinery, monitors the cleaning process, and reviews reports. Among his memories of the early workdays, there is one that Vitaliy calls special. His crew was cleaning Vorontsovsky Park — one of his favorite spots in the South-West Administrative Okrug.
“In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful places in the district. Whenever I have a free minute, I definitely go there. I remember how proud I was then: I was tidying up my favorite park,” the specialist shared.
Vitaliy used to come there with his friends. He never told anyone anything but looked at the well-kept paths with quiet pride. Now, walks in the parks remain one of his favorite leisure activities.
Another example of career growth starting from the driver’s seat is the story of Alexey Valeryevich Zakrevsky, the head of the control department at the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads of the South-West Administrative Okrug”. Since 2007, he studied, worked, and developed professionally while working in the organizations of the State Budgetary Institution “Automobile Roads.” Alexey started by driving a “Gazelle” vehicle. Over time, he mastered new areas: interaction with organizations, issues related to roads and road management. In 2012, he headed the information interaction department, and in 2014, he became the head of the control department.
“First, you do the specific work yourself. Then other responsibilities appear: you need to organize, control, interact with people and various organizations,” shares the specialist.
Over the years, organizations have changed, as have their names, structures, and tasks. But the foundation, according to Alexey, has remained the same: roads, landscaping, quality control, and working with people. What he enjoys most is seeing the final result, comparing how everything started from scratch and what was achieved in the end. One of the most indicative examples in his work is the landscaping of Leninsky Prospekt.
“I myself walk and drive along Leninsky, see the positive reaction of my relatives and acquaintances, notice how the city residents appreciated the convenience of the renovated avenue. It is an indescribable feeling to understand that everything worked out and that you also participated in this work,” shares Alexey.
Ruslan Khammyatovich Abdulkaderov’s professional path also indicates that the state institution “Automobile Roads” prefers to cultivate managerial personnel and open career growth opportunities for its employees who are already familiar with the technologies and work methods. Abdulkaderov has been working at the state institution “Automobile Roads” since 2012, and since 2017 his professional activities have been connected with the production of asphalt concrete mixtures. It was at that time that he joined the asphalt concrete plant (ACP) “Kuryanovo” as a production supervisor. Over eight years at the plant, he advanced from the position of supervisor to the head of the entire production. According to him, the main advantage of the job remains the opportunity to be part of a large process and to see the real results of one’s labor.
Today, under his responsibility are the operations of the production divisions of the ABZ “Kuryanovo”, the monitoring of technological processes, and the coordination of staff. Among the main principles in his work, Abdulcaderov highlights discipline, honesty, and strict adherence to safety regulations. He pays special attention to employee training and team development.
“It is important not only to learn new things yourself but also to pass on knowledge to others. This helps the entire team to develop,” notes the plant manager.
To find out how the capital has changed over the past years, what initiatives aimed at making citizens’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future, one can explore a large-scale special project on the portal mos.ru dedicated to the development of key sectors of Moscow. Among them are transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction.
On the project page “Improvement” you can learn how the districts of Moscow are changing. Comfortable public spaces are being created in the city, courtyards and streets, parks, squares, and embankments are being renovated. This allows for the formation of a high-quality urban environment that meets the modern needs of residents.
Get the top news promptly on the official Moscow city channels in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.