S.A.Afanasyev - Estimation
The style of Sergei Alexandrovich's leadership was distinguished by one important feature: he as a minister systematically conducted dispatching hearings with enterprise managers. "Once, and sometimes twice a year," Afanasyev recalled, "regularly along with the deputies, the heads of the commanders and all the services, we flew to the east and then flew west, visiting every enterprise. The leaders knew about this in advance, and together with the party and Soviet leaders of the regions and regions, they solved most of the issues. This system fully justified itself."
Afanasyev listened attentively to the reports and at any moment could stop the speaker and ask a question, sometimes seriously changing the course of the discussion. He was by his experience a technologist, production worker and generally had great experience. He understood well, he had experience as a designer. The technique was complete understanding.
In difficult moments, which he had a lot, Afanasyev behaved in an unusual way. He, the minister, could call a factory late at night, go there, walk around the shops for a long time, delve into the details of the problems, talk with the workers, and finally exhale: "Well, now it's gone, sniffed the smell of metal and oil .. . "This meant that during the day he could have had another, very difficult conversation at the very "top "...
A man very strong in spirit, he simultaneously needed to communicate with people, scooped up their energy, self-confidence. He was a clear leader, extremely collected, he demanded the same attitude to business from others. The collegium of the ministry, according to Afanasyev's own self-assessment, he conducted harshly, "on business". The questions were not reported on paper, but on the accompanying visual materials, the conversation revealed what specific proposals are put forward, how well they are substantiated and what they provide. On the screen through computers, specially prepared diagrams, tables, graphs were displayed. Before the collegium, as a rule, comprehensive preparation of the issue was carried out with field visits, problems were discussed in a democratic manner, but after the decision was made, those responsible for its implementation were appointed. There was a period of fulfillment, distinguished by the strictest discipline.
"I have often had to report about trouble in the process of rapprochement and docking of objects," recalled academician B.E.Chertok - and I clearly remember my feeling of a guilty student, examining before the hanging posters. But it's strange: there was no sense of fear, there was an interest in finding out the actual technical causes of the accidents and developing specific measures, hence excluding them. And the minister's merit, first of all, is that such a creative style of work of the colleges was worked out. The conversation was always very demanding, sometimes tough, but not pressing, but rather giving rise to a creative impulse for the guilty."
For the omissions in the work, he punished heads of all ranks. But that's what is typical: under Afanasyev, if they were punished, then within the department, they tried to help the leaders who got into trouble, without substituting anyone "upstairs." And another expressive detail: Afanasyev was not a supporter of punishing his employees financially.
Everyone who knew Sergei Alexandrovich remembered his principledness, will and perseverance in achieving his goals, a sense of duty, concern for people, accessibility. Remember how he worked, what he was at home, in the family. His workday began at eight in the morning, at home, usually at ten or eleven in the evening, he brought mail and office papers-an assignment for himself, which he had to master until morning. And he always had time. For all his severity he avoided conflicts, did not like "noise effects". During banquets and receptions he stayed in the shade, leaving the events among the first. When he was at Baikonur, he tried not to go to the meetings of distinguished guests to the airfield. He could only have a personal vehicle on the test range at the Volga.
If Sergei Alexandrovich sometimes took some spare time, he gave it to fishing or hunting. On his birthday, he himself smoked caught fish. Boiled pork from the wild boar, Afanasyev's hunting prey, was the most delicious of all the dishes on the family table.
Oleg Dmitrievich Baklanov, who replaced Afanasyev in 1983, and served as MOM minister until 1988, recalled "All the 18 years that he was Minister of the General Council, we constantly communicated, interacted, and I received lessons of very different nature - human, managerial, psychological. And when in 1983 he took over the management of the industry from him, he was armed with all the arsenal of means necessary for the minister of such an important and at the same time special production sphere, like ours. How could I assume that Sergei Afanasyev will ask me to become my deputy at the time when 18 charges were hanging on me, including on the party line? I remembered his words that the foreclosure was from work: if they had not been there, there would not have been an invitation to a high post. I think I absorbed his style of work: rather rigid, strict, but at the same time - humane and just. He has these facets of art - to lead people and cherish them - perfectly combined. It was this style that corresponded to the tasks that were then being decided. Almost everything we did was done for the first time.
"The minister had a huge, all-round relationship - with the factories, institutes, general designers, and finally, his employees. The minister should be fully armed - all to know, to have an opinion on the most important issues. Meanwhile, he left work at 10-11 pm. It was not a sign of inability to plan time, but the ability to give up to the end. There was no talk about the weekend. What could be the weekend ?! Rare today, frankly speaking, the ability to recklessly belong to work, although I am also raised in these traditions. All then worked on wear and tear, spent themselves on a matter in which they faithfully believed.
"He possessed a powerful intellect, deep knowledge and a public outlook. With him it was interesting to work, he encouraged a sensible initiative, trusted, in a difficult moment substituted his powerful ministerial shoulder. He did not tolerate lies and show-off. He had a favorite word - "level". The level of scientific development, the level of design work, the level of technological work, the level of production organization, the level of quality. But this is not just a word. This was the definition of everything."
All activities S.A. Afanasyev as a statesman was directly connected with all the tasks solved by the industry - both in the field of advanced rocket and space technology, the national economy, and the social sphere. He was always concerned about the construction of housing, child care facilities, hospitals, recreational facilities, auxiliary agriculture, etc. He went to workshops, construction sites, auxiliary industries, design bureaus and research institutes, stands and laboratories. It’s hard to list everything. According to the current head of Roscosmos A.N. Perminov, for Afanasyev, people have always been in the foreground, and hundreds of thousands of workers in the rocket and space industry supported their minister.
Afanasyev was always the first in critical situations, whether it was a lag in development or testing, a rocket explosion at the launch or at the stand. Detailed reviews were carried out, an action plan was drawn up for the speedy restoration and continuation of work. With these plans, he went to the ministers, directors of enterprises, approved the delivery schedules, with a view to ensuring the previously scheduled deadlines. If necessary, I had to contact the first persons in the country - N.S. Khrushchev, L.I. Brezhnev, A.N. Kosygin, D.F. Ustinov (communication with him lasted over forty years), Yu.V. Andropov and others.
Sergey Alexandrovich raised a galaxy of major managers and specialists, including OD. Baklanov, B.V. Balmont, W.H. Doguzhiev, who held major government posts. But the ministry also had an original, effective system with the selection of personnel not only for senior positions. Those workers who were scheduled to be nominated were sent to the plant or to the research institute, design bureaus who were lagging behind with the order to put things in order. Then they sent to other enterprises or organizations in order to double-check the business qualities of the future leader and not be mistaken. There was also a different system for the appointment and verification of understudies. For example, in Omsk, the entire management of the enterprise was sent on vacation, and capable, promising engineering and technical workers worked instead.
Not everything went smoothly in the organization of production and financing of the industry. As a result, many programs, such as the manned flight of the Moon (UR500-L1), the landing of a person on its surface (H1-L3) and some others proved impossible. Nevertheless, The role of Sergei Afanasyev in the organization of the formation of Russian cosmonautics can not be overestimated. All those who worked under his leadership for many years, spoke about him with great warmth and deep respect. Everyone who knew Sergey Alexandrovich remembers his integrity, will and perseverance in achieving his tasks, a sense of duty, concern for people, accessibility. For all his rigor, he avoided conflicts, did not like “noise effects”.
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