Zoya Shapochnik with her employees

This is a 1st May demonstration in Bendery in 1958. This is me, the 3rd to the right in the column of workers of the instrument-making plant Elektrotochpribor, where I worked.

I was proud of being part of the great labor and walk in the crowd with the workers. I remembered the words of Mayakovskiy, 'My labor is infused with the labor in my republic.' All of us were full of enthusiasm and belief in a bright happy future and each worker felt his role in making that future and took pride in it. I gladly left on my mandatory job assignment in 1956. Upon graduation I was sent to the Moldovan town Bendery on the recently launched starch plant. I was a young expert and worked as a second technologist of the workshop. I was happy. I especially enjoyed the night when I was responsible for work of all people and each mechanism; when the whole workshop depended on me. I finished the evening department of the supreme party school. I conducted classes on political ideology with the workers after night shift. I took it very seriously. I was called by the Party committee several times and offered to enter the communist party. I sincerely considered myself unworthy and was sure that such honor should be deserved by outstanding and dedicated labor for the motherland.