25 years ago, in 1991, Azhargul Izimova got a job at the Atyrau Oil Refinery (AOR). At that time, she had had just graduated with honors from the Guryev Chemical School and received a specialty “machinist generalist.” She also had the practice at the Volga Khimvolokno company. The young girl was assigned to work as the trademark operator at Workshop No. 4.

“Head of the workshop Dauyl Khamitov accepted my application. Two months later, he was transferred to the production department, and his position was taken by Kairat Urazbayev, who had worked as his deputy,” said Izimova. “When I came to the factory, it was unusual for me and difficult. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to handle the job. But, as the saying goes, the eyes are afraid, while the hands are just doing the job. My very first mentor was Gulshat Begiyeva. Soon, I was offered to become the operator of the petroleum accounts.

In childhood Izimova dreamed to become a doctor: to wear the snow-white rope and treat people. But her destiny had other priorities for her. Then, the best graduates of the Guryev Chemical School had the opportunity to study at the Kazan Institute of Chemical Technology and Izimova was one of the candidates. She just had to pass the interview stage. But the then young specialist, having started her career, was passionate about production. Soon enough, the trademark operator of the third category was promoted to the fourth, and after to the fifth category. A little later she got her high school diploma via a distance course at the Atyrau Institute of Oil and Gas.

In 1991, after Kazakhstan got its independence, the AOR started to export its manufactured products. Especially for this reason the refinery opened export a shipping department, and Izimova was among the few who made the first export shipment of vacuum gasoil to Russia and then to Finland. Fuel oil was exported to Bulgaria and diesel fuel to the then Yugoslavia.

“Gulshat Kurmasheva, Aigul Dosanova Svetlana Pikalevo, Kenzhe Dzhanzakova all worked with me in the department. I remember we were working around the clock. We were taken on a bus home, and as soon as the trains with tanks arrived we were brought back to work right away. A RAF – soviet mini bus was especially allocated for our department,” said Izimova.

“Despite the hard work our job was very interesting. I enjoyed the process of estimating and dealing with the paperwork. I really wanted to smooth out the processes to perfection. We worked directly with the Customs, SES, so many documents accompanied declarations. Everything was done manually by hand. I remember that we had to fill the self-copying invoices ‘SMGS,’ we couldn’t afford to make a mistake. We had a typewriter first and then we got a Yatran, and only some time after we had computers. Back then we used abacus, then began to use calculators. We worked in spite of the fact that for months we could not receive the salary. Instead of money we were given food and industrial goods. All these memories put a smile on my face now and some nostalgia.”

AOR was growing as the country got independence. The range of products has increased as well as the volume of oil products expanded.

“When I came to AOR in February 1991, we had a shift supervisor, one record keeper and five fillers on two racks,” said Izimova.

“Today, there are four record keepers, one shift supervisor and 10 fillers on three racks. I remember in the early 1990s we had shipments of AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel, UFS, white spirits, fuel oil and vacuum gasoil, CS-1. Today, the list of oil products has expanded and the responsibilities for our work increased.

The record keeper is responsible for acceptance of oil, documents for the oil products in Kazakhstan and export, accounting of petroleum products according to Izimova.

She is not only a responsible and conscientious worker in the workplace, but also active in the social life of the AOR.

“I started to work at AOR when I was a little girl, I was 19 years old. My adulthood began here. I think that I was really lucky: I got into a good, friendly staff, and was taught by such teachers as Olga Zevakina, Vera Zavyalova, Amankul Mendygaziyev – he was my first shift supervisor, Fatima Kenzhegaliyeva, Marat Karimov, Natasha Karimova, Raya Segizbayeva, Aigul Dzhantlekova. I am grateful to all of them for advices and for their kind mentorship.”

Here at the Atyrau Refinery Izimova met her other half. Today, she and Dauren Izimov, who works in KazGerMunai, have three children. Alikhan eldest son is studying in the KBTU, majoring in chemical engineering, and their daughter Daria and younger son Dastan go to school.