How charity becomes norm of life for Kazanorgsintez

To support during pandemic

During the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the republic especially needs support of large businesses. As a socially oriented company, Kazanorgsintez intensified help for health care establishments, public organisations, its workers and ordinary citizens of Kazan during these tough times.

The management of the factory understands how important it is to protect the health of the medics themselves who turned out on the forefront of the fight against the virus. Doctors and nurses’ risks of contracting the infection have grown many times. This is why Kazanorgsintez as well as other enterprises of TAIF Group began to supply Tatarstan hospitals with means of protection to combat COVID-19. In April, the petrochemical giant announced a purchase of 1,200 hazmat suits for the Republican Clinical Hospital. The suits are reusable, they can be washed and disinfected. The staff of the reserve hospital of the RCH designed for 200 beds and equipped to receive patients with the severe coronavirus infection received the means of protection from Kazanorgsintez.

“Today many strategic companies of Tatarstan are helping us. TAIF Group of Companies is providing us with special clothes and potable water,” Olga Safina, vice chief doctor of RCH in general affairs, said.

In May, Kazanorgsintez PJSC supported volunteers from Help is Close! Republican Public Movement. The union was created on the Tatarstan president’s initiative to support residents of the republic during the pandemic. Over 60,000 directors of industrial enterprises, businesspeople, athletes, public activists and ordinary citizens became its participants.

Kazanorgsintez’s management allocated several rooms with a total area of about 100,000 square metres in Chemists’ Culture Centre for free. Social Support Centre to coordinate the activity of the movement would be located, a call centre to collect information about what helps residents of Tatarstan need will open, and aspiring volunteers will be trained here.

“Volunteers’ teamwork is as necessary now as never before to help people in self-isolation,” noted coordinator of the volunteers’ office, director of Information and Resource Centre of Volunteering of the Republic of Tatarstan ANO Ayrat Mubarakhskin. “The new area will allow us to launch a hotline to quickly process requests for help. The big area of the rooms enabled us to arrange the office in a way that it would be as comfortable as possible to work in.”

Shortly after the mass transition to the self-isolation regime, at Kazanorgsintez’s trade union’s initiative, activists began to deliver free food baskets to lonely veterans of the enterprise. Due to the unfavourable epidemiological situation, shopping for the elderly became risky. This is why young workers of the enterprise took up this obligation. The food basket of Kazanorgsintez volunteers include cereals, pasta, cans, vegetables, sunflower oil, sugar, tea, cookies and many other basic products. The activists deliver the food to the veterans strictly in masks with prior disinfection of their hands. 90 old factory workers who are members of the Veterans’ Council of Kazanorgsintez PJSC have received such baskets in total.

However, the factory helps not only its employees but also other citizens of Kazan who are in a difficult situation. Citizen Tatiana Dubova who cares for her disabled daughter since her birth alone is one of them.

“My daughter doesn’t see, both lenses were removed, she has been given a general anaesthetic 13 times. I do everything myself. I worked as much as I could. But the situation now is very tough. Unfortunately, I have only one eye that sees, this is why I try to knit for sale, but everything ended with the pandemic,” Tatiana Dubova said.

The factory delivered the Dubovs the food baskets first. The enterprise constantly supports many other families in such situations.

Kazanorgsintez is for families with children

The enterprise dedicates a considerable part of its social work to support families with children. Workers who bring up disabled children receive constant help from Kazanorgsintez PJSC. By Children’s Day this year, money was allocated for 85 children with disabilities. The support is rendered regularly, it is fixed in the extended social package of the employees and collective agreement.

The enterprise has different types of social payouts for the workers: a payout if a baby is born, a one-time payout for large families by 1 September, a payout to one of the parents of a disabled child. For instance, when a baby is born to a family, the worker receives five minimum wages and a short holiday with pay. Kazanorgsintez allocated almost 21 million rubles for these payouts only in 2018. The employees are paid a child benefit for three years. There is a payout equal to one minimum wage a year for families that bring up a disabled child. If the parent is single, the enterprise pays half of the kindergarten fee.

Moreover, the factory helps the workers who are parents of first-graders. It helps to prepare children for school by allocating one-time payouts. All employees of future schoolchildren in families with three and more children receive additional financial aid equal to the minimum wage per capita.

In summer, the factory’s workers who want their child to go on holiday to The Sunny camp can do this for a symbolic fee — 15% of the tour’s price. The workers who go to the resort themselves can count on considerable compensation — up to 60% of the tour’s price. The percentage depends on the working record. Moreover, the enterprise offers the employees preferential tickets Mother and Child to the trade union’s health resorts.

Support for educational and health care establishments

Support for educational and health care establishments in the area of residence of the factory workers is another important sphere in the enterprise’s social work. In 2019, Kazanorgsintez continued a long-term tradition and supported the campaign Help Go to School. The factory annually gifts first-graders in Kirov and Moscow Districts school sets. Last year, 60 children got rucksacks and stationery, 88 future schoolchildren did the previous year. Large families, families with disabled children and families who are in a tough situation receive help within the campaign.

In 2019, Kazanorgsintez allocated 50,000 rubles to a boarding school for talented children with a focus on chemistry of Kazan National Research and Technological University to host the competition All Facets of Chemistry, in 2018, it gave 80,000 rubles to the Zh. Zaytseva Gymnasium No. 22 for events dedicated to the 60^th anniversary of the school. In 2019, the factory repaired April rehabilitation centre. The enterprise annually gives money for the needs of this establishment. In 2018, Major Repair plant helped to repair Comprehensive Tatar-Russian School No. 65 with an in-depth study of some subjects.

Moreover, in 2019, the enterprise financially helped the schools No. 61, 64, 65, 67, 81, 122, 130 to repair and improve territories and host events and excursions for children. Kazanorgsintez also helped to modernise Zarechye centre of extended education, update teaching guidelines at Kazan Suvorov Military College, repair Fakel teenage club.

The factory annually helps health care establishments too. With the financial aid of the petrochemical enterprise, there was purchased equipment for the city’s hospital No. 16 to equip veterans’ wards and children’s hospital No. 1. April rehabilitation centre for children, Regional Public Fund for Children with Leukaemia named after Anzhela Vavilova and Vera Public Organisation of Disabled People receive constant support from Kazanorgsintez.

For city and republic

In the last years, Kazanorgsintez has increased costs on charity and financing of social projects more than 10 times. So the enterprises allocated up to 2,94 billion rubles for these purposes in 2016. The money was spent on one of the biggest environmental projects of the enterprise — restoration of a complex of Swan Lakes — it is another gift for the citizens of Kazan. The Tatarstan president looked over the urban forest where improvement works are underway in late May.

It became possible to restore Swan Lakes in 2016-2018 thanks to efforts of Kazanorgsintez PJSC and TAIF Group, which began unique large environmental rehabilitation of the system of waterfalls. With Kazanorgsintez’s money and equipment, the Small Swan’s Lake was cleaned up in the park, two lost ponds were recreated.

The cleaned and deepened lakes were filled with water, a pumping plant was built for this purpose. Kazanorgsintez laid a pipe underground from the Emerald Lake — waters goes to Swan Lakes through it. Almost 1,5 million cubic metres of water was pumped out.

In autumn 2019, Swan’s Park was recognised one of the best by the international prestigious award International Large Urban Parks Awards in the nomination Eurasian Park Awards.

Kazanorgsintez PJSC carried out major reconstruction of Chemists’ Culture Centre too — one of the leading cultural centres of Kazan, the factory is responsible for it, the centre services both workers of the enterprise and residents of Moscow District and the whole city. It has over 20 different classes where 540 people are enrolled. Constructors reinforced the tightness and insulated the building, completely replaced the lining of the facade, repaired the cinema. The upgraded Chemists’ Culture Centre became a point of attraction for citizens of Kazan again.

In 2015, Kazanorgsintez and TAIF GC were the key investors of the reconstruction of Pine Grove park near the Chemists’ Culture Centre, laid lawns on an area of 27,500 square metres, planted 1,200 bushes and 1,000 trees. The investments totalled 120 million rubles. There were laid walking lanes with modern coating in the park, an area for mass entertainment was paved, an area for doing sport, work-out sites, a yoga zone, two playgrounds for children, sports areas with outdoor equipment for different age groups, a zone for calm rest with benches and gazeboes were improved.

In September 2019, the company reconstructed Orgsintez swimming pool — a popular aquatic venue for many generations where thousands of children and adults swim. Moreover, it is the home venue of Sintez water polo team from Kazan, which began training immediately after the reconstruction. Swimming pools of the venue were repaired, ceiling and wall coating was replaced, a modern lighting system was created, ventilation, dehydrating and air conditioning systems were upgraded.

Support for the needy and help for veterans

Constant help to citizens and public organisations is an example of social responsibility of Kazanorgsintez. The enterprise actively participates in charity campaigns, helps the needy as much as it can.

In May 2017, Kazanorgsintez helped depositors who became victims of a banking crisis and gave 10 million rubles to the Republican Foundation for Tatfondbank and Intekhbank Client Support. The factory also helps smaller organisations. For instance, in February 2018, the enterprise sent money to the S. Ashirova Foundation for Homeless Animals.

There are a hundred examples of individual help. Earlier last year, Kazanorgsintez PJSC received an address from Rimma G. asking them to help her son recover his sight, and the company allocated the necessary sum — 60,000 rubles. The factory helped single mother, third-grade disabled Liliya B. to insulate her flat having paid for the replacement of two windows, balcony and entrance doors for 64,000 rubles.

Financial aid was given to Vyacheslav M. too, the man received 164,000 rubles to repair a prosthesis and purchase covers for his son’s stump. Another 217,000 rubles were given to Marat Kh. to purchase FROGGO wheelchair with additional features for his daughter. Last April, Kazanorgsintez financially helped Railya S. with childhood disability. The girl needed a single race boat for rowing competitions. The enterprise allocated 563,000 rubles to purchase the equipment, and the athlete managed to participate in the tournament. And this March Kazanorgsintez gave Albina M. almost a million rubles (977,100) to treat her child.

Factory workers receive financial aid too. Kazanorgsintez allocates money to treat the workers and their family members, provides financial help to the employees in a tough situation. In 2019, the factory sent 1,2 million rubles for these purposes, 1,7 million rubles a year earlier, of which almost a million was for treatment. In December 2019, the company purchased 120 food baskets for 324,000 rubles for the workers who have a disability or disabled children.

The company especially cares about pensioners and veterans whom the factory constantly supports as much as it can. The Veterans’ Council has 3,450 people, five of them are veterans of the Great Patriotic War, 66 are home front workers, 664 are disabled people, 12 participants in military actions. Targeted help for veterans totalled 7,6 million rubles only in 2018. In 2019, the enterprise solemnly opened a memorial to Kazanorgsintez workers who participated in the Great Patriotic War.

There is another good tradition by Victory Day — honouring veterans and home front workers inviting them to their workplace, organising a concert programme, a festive meal and financial aid. The enterprise does big work during the decade of the disabled and by the Elderly Day. Employees with disabilities and workers with disabled children are given presents. Not working disabled people who are members of the trade union receive financial aid and a chance to improve their health in a health resort of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Volunteers among young workers come over to lonely and old veterans of the enterprise. Moreover, the trade union annually organises visits to concerts, plays and excursions for veterans.

Other workers for whom the factory organises groups visits to concerts, plays and exhibitions get close to art. Kazanorgsintez often buys its employees tickets to the G. Tukay State Philarmonic, G. Kamal Tatar Academy Theatre, K. Tinchurin Tatar State Drama and Comedy Theatre, Bulak Youth Theatre and so on.

Workers of the factory also actively participate in the preparation for urban celebrations, for instance, last year they helped to organise Sabantuy in Swan’s urban forest. Kazanorgsintez is traditionally a sponsor and organiser of children’s and urban holidays adorning Pine Grove by New Year. The main New Year Tree in Moscow and Kirov District is put up in the green area near the Chemists’ Culture Centre, the stage is installed, arches with statnamic equipment at the entrance was adorned together with the enterprise’s effort. The fairytale town was visited by about 40,000 citizens of Kazan on the New Year holiday in 2020. Kazanorgsintez workers with their families were among them, of course. And the winter town created with the enterprise’s effort was awarded the first place in a competition for the best New Year design among urban districts and municipalities. The New Year site in Pine Grove became a favourite place for popular celebrations.

Head of the administration of Kirov and Moscow Districts of Kazan Sergey Mironov has talked about the contribution of the enterprise to the development of the city:

“I would note Kazanorgsintez — the biggest socially responsible enterprise that employs a lot of residents of Kirov and Moscow Districts. The New Year Tree in Pine Grove is under supervision of TAIF GC. This year Ruslan Shigabutdinov, director general of TAIF JSC, and Farid Minigulov, director of Orgsintez, visited the event. This means personal engagement in projects. Kazanorgsintez presented the recovery of Swan Lakes not only to residents of Kirov and Moscow District but also the whole city. The site is amazing, and I think the factory invested over 250 million rubles in it.”

As a token of recognition of achievements in the development of the economy of the Tatarstan capital and active participation in numerous socially important projects — such as the recovery of Swan Lakes, reconstruction of Pine Grove park and some other charity campaign — Kazanorgsintez was included to the Kazan Book of Honour. This was announced at a solemn ceremony where urban and state awards were given in the Kazan City Administration on the Republic day in 2018. Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin handed over Director General of Kazanorgsintez PJSC a certificate on the inclusion to the Book of Honour.

In the 90s and 2000s, Kazanorgsintez not only didn’t refuse its previous commitments but also assumed new ones and considerably expanded areas of charity activity.