Interview with Nelly Chomyakova

The employees of the largest Russian international airport “Sheremetyevo”, with route network covering more than 200 directions, have been regularly participating in donor actions since 2008. The Chairman of the Primary Trade Union Organization of Workers of the JSC Sheremetyevo International Airport Nelly Khomyakova told us how the airport management supports the donor movement.

What are the peculiarities of the socially-charitable donor campaign “Ot serdtsa k serdtsu”, regularly held in the company since 2008?

The Sheremetyevo International Airport is one of the largest employers in the Moscow Region with a staff of over 17 thousand people. We actively attract our employees to participate in social and charity events. Sheremetyevo has been a participant of the charity campaign for volunteer donors “Ot serdtsa k serdtsu” since 2008. More than 4 thousand of employees took part in the campaign over the entire period. The proponents of the Sheremetyevo cooperation with the Blood Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency were the Primary Trade Union Organization of Workers, which I have chaired since 2003, and the Airport Public Relations Directorate with its Director Anna Zakharenkova.

At the present moment, the internal communications department, the trade union organization and the Sheremetyevo medical unit provide donor actions and the involvement of workers in it.

I assume, the peculiarity of donor events at Sheremetyevo is a high level of informational and emotional support to employees. We discuss in detail the requirements before and after the donation with the participants, determine a convenient range of time, and other organizational matters. We pay special attention to employees becoming donors for the first time.

The company was awarded the All-Russian Prize for its contribution in the development of blood donation “SoUchastiye”. What brought you this award?

The airport was awarded by the third place in the nomination “For the Contribution in the Development of Blood Donation” of the VI All-Russian Prize “SoUchastiye” among companies implementing volunteer initiatives. Our project is distinguished by a systematic approach, as well as the active involvement of employees of subsidiaries and other organizations working at the airport.

How much has the number of participants in the “Ot serdtsa k serdtsu” campaign increased since its inception? What is the main motivation for employees?

The number of participants in our campaigns has doubled. The first action in 2008 was joined by 170 airport employees. Now about 360 people take part in the action annually. We have many initiative people who are regular donors in our company. Their main motivation is the opportunity to help those who urgently need a transfusion of blood components. It is important for us to personally note the employee’s involvement. After the donation, each donor receives a rose as a symbol of the “Ot serdtsa k serdtsu” promotion, as well as a thematic souvenir. Also, each donor is expected to have snack and something to drink prepared by the union.

How do you organize the blood donation process at the airport, with the impressive number of employees, the shift schedule of their work and the distances between various divisions of the air harbor?

To ensure maximum participation we place special section on donation on the corporate website during the campaign. Information is also published in the corporate newspaper “Nash aeroport”, posted on information boards in production units, distributed by e-mail and provided to employees through line managers.

We try to provide the most comfortable conditions for our donors. As employees work in shifts, the action is held for two days. Donors are received in a spacious hall, which allows you to simultaneously place 10 seats. Regular donors prefer from year to year the same doctors and nurses of the visiting team of the Blood Center, trusting their professionalism.

What employees most often become donors?

About 60% of donors are employees of production units and 40% are administrative staff.

Did you face any difficulties in the process of launching the donor campaign, how did you solve them?

One of the difficulties was the insufficient attention of employees to nutrition in preparation for donation. That is why many of them were denied by medical reasons. To minimize this indicator, the internal communications service conducts an information campaign three weeks before the event, telling employees how to properly prepare for blood donation, which diseases are absolute and temporary contraindications. As a result, there has been a recent reduction in the number of rejections for medical reasons.

What would you say to donors and those who are just going to participate?

The best thing each of us can do is to help preserve human life and health. On behalf of the airport and the Sheremetyevo trade union, we thank all participants in the donor movement for voluntary participation in a charity event.

Other interviews

13.12.24

Interview with Stanislav Davydov

In 2024, for the first time, the All-Russian Professional Skills Competition among Blood Service institutions included a category titled "Best in Profession: Public Relations Specialist." Based on expert evaluation and public voting, the winner was Stanislav Davydov, Head of PR and Blood Donation Advocacy at the St. Petersburg City Blood Transfusion Station. With over 15 years dedicated to promoting blood donation, Davydov has played a key role in shaping the modern Blood Service institution, implementing effective promotional tools, organizing impactful campaigns, and initiating ambitious projects.

12.12.24

Interview with Ilgiz Vafin

Every year, the Blood Service holds an All-Russian contest of professional skills, where it identifies the best doctors in the industry, the best teams and donor projects. In 2024, a representative forum once again brought together delegates from all regions of Russia in Moscow. Ilgiz Akhmatovich Vafin, the chief physician of the Kuzbass Blood Center, won in the Best Transfusiologist Doctor category. We talked to the laureate about his medical and scientific work, as well as about the prospects for blood and bone marrow donation in Kuzbass.

10.10.24

Interview with Egor Dubov

The donor movement became important and unifying for the youth project «Leaders of the Nizhny Novgorod region». The donor days organization is a laborious process that requires attention. How to start preparing the first donor action, how to motivate colleagues, why it is important to provide educational work among future donors, says the activist of the Youth Project «Leaders of Nizhny Novgorod region» and organizer of the donor actions Egor Dubov.

12.08.24

Interview with Evelina Tomilova

Chelyabinsk regional blood transfusion station was the first in the All-Russian competition of professional skills of the Blood Service in the nomination «Do not miss important» and category «Best poster» with the project «Give five!» The author of the project Evelina Tomilova, a PR manager, told about the poster. It is an effective tool of propaganda, thanks to its visual and concise nature, actively used to promote donor actions among residents of the Southern Urals. In addition to blood donation, posters are also about friendship and unity around the good cause of peoples traditionally living in the region.

18.04.24

Interview with Oleg Sheps

In March, a man came to the Samara Regional Blood Transfusion Clinical Station anonymously. He aroused the great interest of many donors and employees. Not everyone recognized Oleg Sheps at once. He registered like all donors, filled out the necessary documents and waited in the corridor. There was a whisper that a participant of the TV show «Battle of Psychics» is in the queue. Fans among donors and their family members turned out to be many. At each stage of the donor journey, Oleg was expected to take a photo. He didn’t refuse to anyone and told what motivated him to donate blood.

21.03.24

Interview with Natalya Demina

Direct interaction with donors and feedback are important in a successful donor promotion. How to make it effective, says Natalia Demina, the PR manager of the District Blood Transfusion Station in Nizhnevartovsk on the example of two projects «There is a contact» and «ABC of donorship». The projects received the recognition of colleagues and became laureates of the All-Russian competition of professional skills of the Blood Service 2023.

06.02.24

Interview with Irina Karikht

The Blood Service of the Republic of Crimea has published a fairy tale “About Vik, Nadezhda and the path to Danar” especially for young patients of the oncohematology department of the Republican Children's Hospital. This project was highly appreciated by the jury of the All-Russian competition of professional skills of the Blood Service and deservedly received a Laureate diploma. Irina Karikht, PR-manager of the Blood Center of the Republic of Crimea and co-author, told us about.

20.12.23

Interview with Aizan Sultanmuratova

The nurse is with donor throughout entire donation journey. Aizan Sultamuratova told us how to be close and how to help donor to be calm and confident. She is the winner of the All-Russian competition of professional excellence of the Blood Service in the nomination “Best Medical Worker 2023”, category “Best Nursing Personnel”, nurse of the Republican Blood Transfusion Station of the Chechen Republic.

20.11.23

Interview with Anna Maximova

The cheerfulness and combat nature helps Anna Valeryvna Maksimova, the daughter of a railway officer, to cope with life’s difficulties. She is a laboratory doctor, head of the clinical diagnostic laboratory of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Blood Center #1, and the laureate in the nomination «Best medical worker 2023».

25.10.23

Interview with Eduard Bezuglov

Many professional football clubs actively support the donor movement. Fully aware of their responsibility to society, the flags of Russian sport are providing great assistance in the development of blood donation - they are enlisting the army of fans in a noble and important cause. One of the leaders in this direction of social work was the football club of CSKA. Three times a year it holds Donor Days at the stadium «VEB-Arena». The head of the medical department of PFC CSKA Eduard Bezuglov told us how fans of the big game become donors.

29.09.23

Interview with Svetlana Gubskaya

Mother of the many children from Samara gave 200 liters of immune plasma to save hundreds of children’s lives. The Blood Service of Samara region nominated Svetlana Gubskaya to participate in the regional public action «People’s recognition» in the nomination «Recognition and Respect» and asks for donor support in voting.

15.08.23

Interview with Igor Paramonov

The bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells donation is a complex and important topic for promotion. Igor Vladimirovich Paramonov, MD and director of Kirov Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion of FMBA told us how to present this to the largest number of people, and how to fill the Federal Register of Potential Donors of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Bone Marrow.

14.06.23

Interview with Ludmila Podlesnaya

Blood donation is the conscious choice of a strong man. It is only necessary to support - informatively, morally, emotionally - someone who really wants to help. Ludmila Podlesnaya, chairman of the trade union organization of the K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management, believes that this is the main task of the donors' movement.

25.05.23

Interview with Anna Krupko

Donor Day has become a good tradition at the Omsk Technical University. Dozens of students and lecturers are looking forward to this event as an opportunity to express themselves, save someone's life. Anna Krupko, coordinator of the Donor Day and student of the Engineering Institute of the Omsk State Technical University, told us about the main donor event at the university.

04.04.23

Interview with Natalya Zaitseva

The projects of the Samara Regional Clinical Blood Transfusion Station have been nominating at professional medical competitions for several years now. Their creativity and effectiveness are highly appreciated by advertising and pr specialists. This year, the two projects won awards in the professional skills competition of the Blood Service.

09.03.23

Interview with Natalya Volkova

The project «Don't Hibernate» by the Yaroslavl regional blood transfusion station became the winner of the All-Russian competition of professional skills by the Blood Service and underlined the importance of regular blood donation. Natalia Volkova, PR-Manager of the Yaroslavl Regional Blood Transfusion Station, told how the project was created.

15.02.23

Interview with Julia Cheresova

The real story of saving a woman in labor with a rare phenotype by a donor formed the basis of the award-winning project “You can be a superhero!” in the "Best Video" category in the "Don't Miss the Important" nomination of the All-Russian Competition of Professional Skills of the Blood Service. The donor-savior came straight from the tundra on a snowmobile! The work was presented by the Blood Transfusion Department of the Nadym Central District Hospital of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, headed by Julia Cheresova.

30.01.23

Interview with Patimat Abdurakhmanova

The blood transfusion station in the Republic of Dagestan willingly supports volunteers and public figures to promote blood donation in the region. An example of such cooperation came to the original publication - a brochure in which the donor himself talks about stem cell donation. The creator of the booklet is Patimat Abdurakhmanova, volunteer, head of the «Tut Dobro» charity foundation. She told us about the new project, which became one of the winners of the All-Russian Competition of Professional Skills of the Blood Service.

29.11.22

Interview with Irina Lositskaya

The first person the donor interacts with is the nurse. Not only professionalism is very important, but also personal involvement. Laureate of the All-Russian competition of professional skills Irina Lositskaya, operating room nurse, chief nurse of the Blood Center of the FMBA of Russia, told how to combine these qualities, what depends on it and why ethics issues have become so relevant in the age of high technology.

31.10.22

Interview with Alexandra Vnuk

The base for the laureate project of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia Blood Center «On the Pulse of Life» are education, information, loyalty. Alexandra Vnuk, head of the donation development department of the FMBA of Russia Blood Center told us how to implement them on a large scale and in relation to various target audiences of the donor community.