Rostov Janitor: 'I Studied Hard But Sweep Streets'

‘Only Street Dogs Licked My Boots’

Today«s hero of our column is a janitor who »sweeps the streets as inspiredly as Michelangelo painted ceilings.« He has two higher educations and approaches his work very responsibly, like an accountant with monthly reports. At the same time, there are those who hinder his work, killing faith in decency and humanity. In the column ‘Frustrations’ a janitor from Rostov told why he started cleaning streets, what shocks him, and why he feels sorry for children.

In childhood, I was told: ‘If you don«t study, you»ll become a janitor.’ I studied very hard because that prospect truly scared me. First, I got one higher technical education. Then for a long time, I couldn«t understand why I studied for five years. I didn»t want to work in my field. Not because I studied poorly, but just because my heart wasn«t in it. After the army, I decided to get a second higher education and graduated with a humanities degree.

For many years, I worked as an employee and understood that creativity and employment are incompatible. Searching for myself, the situation in the country, my emerging family and obligations tied me hand and foot. After knowing myself, I, as they say, ‘fled in fear.’ I came to the completely ordinary profession of a janitor, which turned out to be more soulful and warmer than any office job. I won«t say I dreamed of this, but not only did new acquaintances and peace of mind appear, but also new skills, so I continue to learn about myself. At first it was awkward, and I was embarrassed, but then I realized it»s just work. I worked, and the result was visible. It«s not shameful to work as a janitor; it»s shameful not to work.

And now about the work… Janitors, or as we«re often called, ‘territory cleaners,’ are often dissatisfied with the pay first of all. I won»t say I earn millions, but it«s enough to live on. The main thing is that I can regulate my own salary. I work as a janitor in a large residential complex. I have mandatory tasks, and there are those I can take on as extra: pruning plants, treating soil on the yard territory, and so on. In this case, I get more than the regular salary. Moreover, sometimes I myself suggest to the management what can be improved in our residential complex, and they agree to innovations.

Of course, everyone wants to get decent money for their work, especially if this work is hard: in both heat and cold. But what depresses more is something else: people have started to lose humanity, and they treat others« work without respect.

I love my job, believe it or not. Every day I can communicate with many people who walk on the path I«ve cleaned and greet me. Many thank me, many just smile, which means they feel I work with soul. I get up at dawn and see incredible sunrises, and in the windows, lights gradually turn on as my residents wake up. I rise before the sun, greet the trees, the streets, and the whole earth.

I«m not romanticizing, I just understand that I do my job with pleasure. If each of us loves what they do, and doesn»t go to work under duress, then people will be kinder—enjoying their labor.

Sometimes people stop with me, chat, and share some very important things. It«s like with a fellow traveler on a train: they listen, and you»ll never see them again, but you feel lighter. It«s so important to support a person, just like that, from the heart, so they don»t break from pain.

But there are also those who express either pity or disgust towards me; you won«t see warmth in their eyes. At the beginning of my work, only street dogs licked my boots, and even then, only when I gave them food I found for them in the trash bin. Now the situation has changed. And I think I changed it. I greet people, smile at them, and do my job well. They thank me, and the attitude towards janitors is changing.

And this depends first and foremost on me myself. Agree, every broom sweeps in its own way.

‘Expectations Outweigh Duties’

And now about what«s irritating. For five years now, I»ve been working as a janitor. I still don«t understand why a separate category of people throws large garbage, when leaving the house, into the bin near the entrance. The garbage containers are ten meters from the entrance. When I make a remark, I get surprise and the phrase: ‘What, isn»t this a trash can?’ No, it«s a bin for small garbage, which we, janitors, later take to the containers, so that people sitting on the bench near the house feel comfortable. If you put three bags of garbage in this small bin, it just gets clogged and doesn»t serve its function. Unfortunately, you can«t explain this to everyone.

For some reason, people have a wrong impression of janitors. A stereotype has formed that people who lead not quite the right lifestyle go into this profession. But that«s not true. It»s irritating when they ask: ‘What, were you drinking yesterday?’ I ask in return where such an opinion comes from. They tell me: ‘Well, bags under your eyes.’ Genius, right? I don«t drink at all. Bags and dark circles—from a congenital kidney disease. This, by the way, is often irritating.

Our work isn«t easy; it can be called heavy. Here you can»t work slipshod. Everyone wants to live in a clean, well-kept yard where everything is in its place, but for that to happen, you need to clean the yard, clear the paths of snow now, empty the bins by the entrances, sprinkle the paths with special reagents, clear all icicles from the canopies and roof, free the benches from snow, clean the playground from garbage and snow, because children need to walk in winter too.

Remove dried branches that have broken off, haul away excess snow, improve the roadway, clean ‘speed bumps,’ free signs by the sports ground from snow, cultivate everything—yes, there«s a lot to do. In summer, there»s even more work, as care for green spaces adds up. We paint curbs, clean bins near the porch, sweep, remove cut grass, tidy up around garbage containers after the garbage truck empties them.

So, when you do this every day, and your boss starts yelling at you that you«re working poorly, you feel you»re working for the wrong person. You«re moving snowdrifts and thinking about this. It»s irritating. By the way, not everyone is hired as a janitor. In my management company, there was even this, what«s it called, casting.

A person must be without bad habits, very responsible and decent. Then I find out that the boss yelled because one of the residents didn«t like how loudly I was clearing snow under the window. One person! And thousands of people thanked me in the morning when they ran to work, kindergarten, or school. Such injustice is irritating. Such people shouldn»t go into leadership positions, because you need to first weigh the level of complaint and the level of the employee«s responsibility. Then draw conclusions.

It«s irritating that the management sees the result but pretends it»s not the janitor«s merit. The equipment is old, they don»t even want to buy an extra shovel when you show that the handle is already broken. It«s irritating that the uniform is only one set. You wash it, but it doesn»t dry, and you go in wet. You can«t work without a uniform.

It feels like you«re in slavery, not hired for a salary. Often, when you try to outline to the boss how you can reduce costs by using certain things and save money, he starts yelling only because this idea came to the janitor before him. Even though the plan would work, and everyone would benefit, but no…

At the same time, when higher management arrives, my boss behaves quietly and plays the role of a servant. If you can«t afford to be rude to your boss, don»t be rude to a janitor either.

Some people have also forgotten what humanity and respect for others« work are. Sometimes there»s a feeling that they litter on purpose—throw cigarette butts from the balcony, even garbage, children might break glass. As if testing whether the janitors are working or not. In such cases, I go to the person myself and have an explanatory conversation. They nod, and in the morning, in front of me, they throw a cigarette butt from the balcony onto a blooming, well-kept flowerbed. This, I admit, shocks me.

I Am a Janitor

I believe that the profession of a janitor should also be popularized, like programmers and those same middle managers, like factory workers and engineers. I«ve repeatedly suggested to the management company to organize competitions between courtyards. This would help us, janitors, feel more needed, and people would respect our work more. Among janitors, there are also professionals, and there are craftsmen. The importance, necessity, and value of the janitor profession can and should be emphasized.

Look, progress has long moved forward.

Yes, I«m a janitor. In any case, in my work, I»ve found more beauty than irritation. Everything else is the human factor. In the mornings, I feel sorry for the children who are dragged to kindergartens, schools, and in the evening they wander around the playground by themselves. All this is necessary, but I pity them because they lack parental love. Adults are forced to constantly run somewhere, work, earn money, and the little ones are on their own. This bustling rhythm in the morning sometimes seems to me like ant races. When everyone scatters, the streets become empty, but cozy and clean. Then I again understand that I«m doing a big thing. In the evening, these tired adults will hurry home to their children, and here it will be clean and cozy. Here will be a home where you want to return.

Three years ago, I saw a person lying on the cold ground near a garbage container. He was dirty and unkempt, but not because he was homeless. The man was trying to crawl to the entrance. He had an epileptic seizure. Every day he thanks me for calling an ambulance, giving him first aid, and performing artificial respiration when his tongue blocked his airway.

Then and now, I remain a janitor, and every morning we greet each other, chat, and then he leaves for his beloved job at the bank. On weekends, we play chess, but so far I haven«t managed to beat this devil.