As I explain, this project is not about me — but people ask who am I? Why I am motivated at so young an age? What happened to me? How do I live? I was born in January 1983. I grew up in Orsha, Belarus with my wonderful family that supports my efforts today.
Our country attained its independence from the USSR in 1991. We have close political and economic ties to Russia, I entered Orsha Technical School of Railway Transport in 1998. It was not possible to finish this educational institution because of accident.

World War II’s Last Victim?

It happens in May of 1999. I saw smoke from the northern part of a fence of the house. It used to be that children from all around came on the fields bordering on my grandfather’s farm to set fires and to burn dry grass and gunpowder in them. This time the smoke was too close to a shed, and I decided to look at what happened there. It turned out that children set the fire too close to wooden constructions that could lead to damage. Having approached the fire I asked children to move far and away. I picked up a stick and began to scatter the flames. At that moment the stick hit something heavy. An explosion occurred. A blast wave rejected me three meters. It was a remaining World War II land mine. Laying on my back I tried to rise. But my hands felt as though failed somewhere through the ground. I could not understand what had happened, as I clearly felt each finger on my hands. Having looked where there were my hands — before I understood with horror, they were gone. And, something was wrong with my legs. It is impossible to describe my feelings at that moment.

A Purpose to Live

A neighbor appeared and stopped the bleeding and bring me to the nearby hospital. It was a day off and the medical staff did not expect to see an accident so bad. They tried everything they could. Everyone was surprised that I stayed in consciousness during the first moment of the tragedy. Doctors told the relatives that I would not stay alive and would have died the next day. I was committed to surviving. After many hours of operations I spent 8 days in intensive care. When gangrene began I was transported to the room for dying. In spite of all their unfavorable forecasts — I was sure I would survive. On the twelfth day in hospital there came a well-known professor Nikolay Alekseevich Abramov from the Minsk military hospital. He had rescued lives of many Afghan soldiers — they say he is the surgeon with golden hands!. He took all the responsibility for my life and took me to his hospital. In hospital I was operated for 7 hours that very day, and that operation gave me more possibilities to survive. After that I was operated each second day for the next one and a half month. Then came the procedures in a pressure chamber. I lost both my legs and my right arm. I am lucky to have kept part of my left arm.

New Outlook

Obviously it changed my life – but probably less physically and more in my heart to help others who have needs. You should know that always I ask myself and my family, “What can I make of myself, how can I be a benefit to society instead of a burden?” While I don’t feel like a burden, sometimes I am treated as such. Or people think I can’t add value to society.

My family is close. It includes my grandmothers and grandfathers, the mother and father of myself and my wife, Maria, and my brother Artura and his wife. I have two small son, Mark and Vladik – who are like young boys in every country. I strive to be the best husband and father while providing for their well-being. I will always work hard to support and care for my family.

They should have confidence that they can rely on me instead of my having to rely on government and business. Personally, this makes me feel like a complete person as a businessman, husband and father. Beyond my family, I don’t want to be considered handicapped and reliant on the care of the government or business. I shall be a useful member of the society, government and the family.

I want to show our business, what the phrase barrier-free and disabledaccessible mean; and to promote independence for disable persons. 
I want to be an example where people respect all people who are among us. I hope to reduce the negative image of invalid and to fully integrate everyone into our culture to live healthy, happy lives. To do this requires resources and a network of friends, organizations and businesses.