As part of the “Heroes of Silence” project—a series of articles about people who, overcoming personal difficulties and the consequences of war, have dedicated their lives to helping others and to creation—we tell the story of Vasily Tarasov. A veteran of the Special Military Operation from Luhansk, together with engineer Alexander Sokolov, he launched the production of microchips for Russian industry in the LNR.
Returning from war can be more difficult than going to it. Our hero faced this question head-on: “When I came back from service, I didn’t know where to go, what to do with myself.”
After returning from the front, Tarasov headed the Association of Special Military Operation Veterans of the LNR, and then created a production facility unique to the region.
“The initial idea to make such devices belonged to my partner Alexander,” Vasily explains.
Thus began his journey from defender to creator. His partner, with whom the hero had collaborated even in peacetime, needed an assistant for a new project, and the veteran, searching for his place, needed a place to apply his efforts. This is how the paths of the front-line soldier and the engineer converged, and a unique high-tech production facility appeared in the Luhansk People’s Republic.
“The project was initially modest; we each worked from our own homes,” Vasily recalls. But soon the “home-based” format became too confining: “When you work from home, your family thinks you’re resting, not working. It was impossible not to be distracted by household matters. So developing the project was quite difficult, and we decided to move our production to a laboratory.”
Today, the Luhansk laboratory produces remote input-output devices that collect information from various sensors and devices on the production line. The need for such solutions in Russia is immense: “We understood that such devices would be in demand. Previously, industry actively used products from Siemens and Schneider Electric. Due to the sanctions, these companies left, creating a shortage.”
The Luhansk production facility is creating an alternative to components entering the country through parallel imports. Moreover, as Vasily Tarasov stated, the laboratory intends to release not just a similar product, but an effective replacement for Italian-made items.
The enterprise is open to workers from among Special Military Operation veterans, where they have the opportunity to acquire a new profession and develop their skills. Not only specialized professionals can work here, but also people who have never been associated with high technology. The laboratory also needs employees for manual operations that do not require specialized knowledge. About five veterans are already involved in the project, but there are plans to expand production, which will allow for the employment of more people in need not only of work but also of social adaptation.
As Tarasov notes, creating production in Luhansk is also a matter of employee safety. For expansion, the team needs to consider not only all legal aspects but also the specific working conditions in the republic.
Vasily Tarasov and his partners are not just developing import-substituting production—they are creating a new reality that has room for both a technological breakthrough and an important social mission.
