UrBC, Yekaterinburg, September 28, 2015. Vyacheslav Popov, an electrician from Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant/ChTPZ was awarded the Order For Merit to the Fatherland (1st Class) by the Russian Federation President's decree, the company press service reports.

The award was given out by Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District Igor Kholmanskikh.

'The future of this country depends on just how independent we grow from imported produce and how efficiently we make our own. It's no secret the blue-collar jobs have lost their prestige over the last decades, which is why we need both experienced and newly trained skilled workers so badly right now. This is exactly why your work and your personal achievements present something to be emulated by the younger generation,' Kholmanskikh said.

Vyacheslav Popov has worked as an electrician at the plant's tube-welding department since 1979; he contributed to all of the department's overhauls and reconstructions and helped set up the most sophisticated equipment. The plant's management and Popov's coworkers say he's one of the best technicians at the plant and one of the blue-collar elite.