Boris Shcherbina, a Soviet statesman and party leader, one of the founders of the oil and gas complex in Western Siberia, was born

On October 5, 1919, Boris Shcherbina was born in Debaltsevo, a small town in the Bakhmut district of Yekaterinoslav province, which is now part of the Donetsk People's Republic. His father was a railroad worker, and Boris grew up in a family that valued education.

After graduating from high school in 1937, Shcherbina enrolled in the Kharkov Institute of Railway Engineers, but his studies were interrupted when the Soviet-Finnish War broke out in 1939. He volunteered to serve in the army and fought as part of the 316th ski squadron during the war.

Later, Shcherbina continued his education and became a prominent figure in the Soviet economy. He served as a deputy in both the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR, and held various positions in government and industry. In 1973, he became Minister of Construction for Oil and Gas Enterprises of the USSR.

Boris Shcherbina's contributions to the Soviet economy and society were significant, and he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. He died in 2001, but his legacy lives on through his work and achievements.

B. E. Shcherbina received his diploma of higher education in 1942, after which he began working as an engineer and later as a senior engineer in the military transport group of the Kupyansk branch of the traffic service for the North Donetsk Railway. In 1945, he switched to party work, starting as an instructor and later becoming head of the personnel department of the Kharkiv Regional Committee of the CPSU (B). Between 1946 and 1948, he attended the Republican Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (CC KPU). After completing his studies, he served as secretary of the Ordzhonikidze District Committee of the CPSU in Kharkov and later as secretary of the Kharkov City Committee of CP(B).

In 1951, Boris Shcherbina was assigned to work in Siberia. From 1951 to 1955, he served as a secretary, and from 1955 to 1961 as the second secretary of the Irkutsk regional committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Under his leadership, several significant projects were completed, including the completion of the construction of the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (1958) and the beginning of construction of the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (1954). Additionally, he oversaw the establishment of the cities of Angarsk and Shelekhov, and the commissioning of the Angarsk Petrochemical Plant (1955).

After his tenure in Irkutsk, B. Shcherbina moved to the Tyumen region where he served as the first secretary of the regional party committee from 1961 until 1973. During this time, he worked to ensure the active development of the oil and gas industry in Western Siberia, a region that had previously been underdeveloped.

At the end of 1961, B. Shcherbina submitted a report to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), in which he discussed the prospects for oil and gas production in the Tyumen region. Based on this information, after further examination, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution "On measures to enhance exploration for oil and gas in Western Siberia".

In 1962, two oil and two gas fields were discovered. In 1963, four oil fields and four more gas fields were found. In 1964, eight oil fields and two more gas fields were identified. In 1965, industrial-scale operations began at the Shaim oil field.

The Tyumen region, led by B. E. Shcherbina, became the main center for oil and gas production in the USSR. Thousands of cities with well-developed social infrastructure grew here, and the region transformed from an agricultural to an industrial one.

In December 1973, B. Shcherbina was appointed Minister of the Construction of Oil and Gas Enterprises of the USSR, and in January 1984, he became Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and was responsible for the development of the country's fuel and energy complex. Thanks to his energy and organizational skills, new capacities emerged in the energy, gas, oil, and coal industries, and exploration work increased.

In 1986, Boris Shcherbina led the government commission to deal with the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. He was one of the first leaders to arrive at the site and organized the security measures. In 1988, during the earthquake in Armenia, he was again at the forefront, leading the rescue efforts and helping to provide shelter for those left homeless.

Boris Shcherbina passed away on August 22, 1990, at the age of 70. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. In his honor, monuments have been erected in Tyumen and Gyumri (formerly known as Leninakan, Armenia), and he was posthumously awarded the honorary title of citizen of Gyumri.

Streets in Tyumen, Gyumri, Nadym (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug), and Khanty-Mansiysk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) are named after him, as well as a house of culture in Ukhta, Komi Republic, and a charity fund dedicated to veterans of oil and gas construction. In Khanty-Mansiysk, his name is immortalized on the "Alley of Stars of Ugra."

Lit.: Андриянов В. И. Борис Щербина. М., 2009 (серия «Жизнь замечательных людей», вып. 1394 (1194)); В пламени жизни. Книга воспоминаний о Борисе Евдокимовиче Щербине / [под ред. Ю. И. Переплёткина]. Тюмень, 1999; Нагаев В. Г. Борис Евдокимович Щербина: 95 лет со дня рождения / авт.-сост.: В. Г. Чирсков, В. Г. Нагаев. М., 2014; Отечественный трубопроводный транспорт / Б. Е. Щербина, Ю. И. Боксерман, В. А. Динков. М., 1981; Чирсков В. Г. Слово о Борисе Щербине. М., 2019; Щербина Б. Е. Тюменский меридиан. Свердловск, 1966; Щербина Б. Е. Рубежи нефтяного края. Свердловск, 1972.

Based on the materials of the Presidential Library:

Щербина Б. Мощный подъём сельского хозяйства – дело всей партии, всего народа: из доклада первого секретаря обкома КПСС тов. Щербины Б. Е. // Тюменская правда. – 1962. – № 72 (24 марта). – С. 2–3 (доступно в электронном читальном зале)

Щербина Б. О состоянии и мерах улучшения проверки исполнения в областной партийной организации: из доклада первого секретаря обкома КПСС тов. Щербины Б. Е. // Тюменская правда. – 1966. – № 280 (6223) (3 декабря). – С. 2, 3 (доступно в электронном читальном зале)

Щербина Б. Подари народу сокровища // Тюменская правда. – 1970. – № 51 (7210) (3 марта). – С. 1, 3 (доступно в электронном читальном зале)

Щербина Б. Рубежи большой нефти // Тюменская правда. – 1970. – № 256 (7415) (1 ноября). – С. 1 (доступно в электронном читальном зале)

Щербина Б. Отчётный доклад областного комитета КПСС: доклад первого секретаря обкома КПСС Б. Е. Щербины // Тюменская правда. – 1971. – № 55 (7520) (6 марта). – С. 1–4 (доступно в электронном читальном зале)

The article was prepared by the Tyumen branch of the Presidential Library