farmer Leonid Mikhailov

Former Deputy of the Zhitorir City Office, former chief agronomist of one of the collective farms in Zhitomirska Oblast, former prisoner, who was sentenced for the economical crimes and now farmer Leonid Mikhailov shows the five-day piglet on his farm not far from Zhitomir on Saturday, September 9, 2000. After the 5 years of hard fight against the regional bureaucrats in 1996 Mr Mikhailov got sandy, barren area of 20 hectares. On this place he applied his agronomic knowledge, advanced national experience and experience of Western farmers, who worked with him on probation, he established the demonstration farm, which the bureaucrats in their own turn show to the visitors. Probationers work on the farm together with Mikhailov, they also live and study how to work for several months, replacing each other, in order to become the real professionals. According to Mikhailov, the sense of his life is to fight against the Soviet Power in all its manifestations. He considers, that the latter is the main aim of his life, notwithstanding the notes in this work-record book. On September 10 Ukraine celebrates the Day of Farmer. Photo by Alexander Sinitsa/ UNIAN