Nadezhda Suchkova: “We try to work for a positive picture”

Interview by Maria Sidelnikova, the editor-in-chief of Vestnik Kavkaza

One of the main Caucasus traditions is preservation of the honor and dignity of a family. Women have always been treated respectfully, notwithstanding whether they are Christians, Muslims, highlanders, valley dwellers or people from cities. These days the Women’s Union of Russia is marking its 25th anniversary. Nadezhda Suchkova, the head of the Stavropol Regional Office of the Union, an MP of the Stavropol Duma, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the office’s work.

-       Are women in the Stavropol Territory active?

-       We have women’s councils in every town, every region, every village – more than 360 small women’s councils. All programs of the Women’s Union of Russia are operating in our region. I would like to tell you about an unusual event which we held to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory. We gathered women who were coetaneous with the Victory in every town, every region, every village. We called the action “Coetaneous with the Victory.” Some parents of women who were born in 1945 were heroes of the Soviet Union; some mothers and fathers met during the war; some of them worked at the home front at secret facilities. This action demonstrated how successful women could be. Many of them said: “The year of our birth didn’t allow us to study poorly, choose a bad husband, raise our children badly, as the year made us be successful and beautiful.” Of course, the main goal was to commemorate the parents of the women who were born in the Victory year.

Another arrangement which has been held annually for 13 years is “Ksasachka of the Year.” Cossack women from two federal districts come to us and show how they preserve the traditions of their Cossack families, what ancestors they have, how they keep tablecloths stitched by their grandmothers, and what their mothers have taught them. Cossack women cook special borscht. Then, we choose the main Cossack woman of the year and decorate her with a monist – an expensive necklace. All Cossack women from the south of Russia know about our contest and try to come to us.

Last year we marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WW I. We wanted to commemorate people who were forgotten – in our country we didn’t speak much about the war. One of the heroes of World War I was a nurse from Stavropol, Rimma Ivanova. She died when she was 20. When a commander and officers of a squadron were killed, she gathered soldiers and rushed to the charge. This is the only woman of Russia to be decorated with the 4th Rank Order of St. George.

We established the Rimma Ivanova Prize. We choose women in three nominations – “A Woman in Uniform”, “A Woman in Healthcare”, and “A Woman-Volunteer, or a Woman – Social Worker.” We have recently awarded a birth attendant, Valentina Daineko, who has assisted in the deliveries of 12,500 babies. Imagine how many babies were born thanks to her!

Olga Spirichkina, the head of a children’s hospital in Neftekumsk, was also awarded. Neftekumsk borders Chechnya and Dagestan. She treats all children – from Dagestan, from Chechnya, and of course from the Neftekumsk district.

-       What are the most topical problems of women of Stavropol?

-       We have a wonderful region. The only thing which upsets us is that there are more women (56%) than men here. Women are “competing” for men. But we want our girls to take the right position, so that they choose the one and only man, avoid competitiveness, when they try to get married because everybody does this. We are working with mothers who raise sons. I have a son as well. If my son insults his wife, commits bad deeds in the future, it will be my fault, as a mother. I am responsible for his respectful attitude to women, his love for his wife and children. This is all my responsibility.

And I call on all my friends to be responsible. We call each other ‘friends’ in the Regional Office. It unites us.

-       One of most horrible problems of Stavropol is drug addiction. Are you working in the sphere of struggling against it?

-       In Yessentuki we have a center which helps young women cope with this tragedy. Unfortunately, drug addiction is not rare among women either; but they try to cope with the problem and return to society.

The organization ‘Orthodox Women’ helps us in this direction. They know better words than we, secular women. Last year we invited 50 mothers to our annual session. There were many pregnant women who decorated our event. We try to work for a positive picture, holding many events which bring good things to our Territory.

-       A year ago the Ministry for the North Caucasus Affairs was established in the NCFD, and a new presidential envoy was appointed – Sergei Melikov. Do you cooperate with the envoy?

-       Svetlana Adamenko, a member of our Regional Women’s Council, is a member of the Public Council under the presidential envoy. We delegated her there to explain our problems to the presidential envoy to the North Caucasus.

-       Last year the Stavropol Regional Women’s Council signed a cooperation agreement with our governor. Previously, governors didn’t want to work with the Regional Women’s Council, but Vladimir Vladimirov had the courage to sign the agreement with us.

-       What does one need to join the Council?

-       One should come to us and say: “I want to work here.” And we will find you a job.