Today, it is probably not easy to find those who, working at factories, plants, and various enterprises across the country, remember the elders who stood at the origins of their organizations. And this is understandable. Time passes. One generation replaces another. Nevertheless, there are collectives that carefully preserve the memory of war veterans, of workers who left for the front from the very first days of the war, and then, returning, spared no effort or health to revive their native workshops, accelerating production for the sake of victory.

The Gazanjyk (now Bereket) locomotive depot is one of those enterprises where they do not forget and remember their veterans of war and labor. One of those railway workers who went through combat baptism and then worked intensively within the walls of his native depot was Anna Arashev. Many remember him well, especially the depot veterans.

It happened that in 1937, not yet sixteen years old, Anna came to the depot and started working as an assistant locksmith. The times were difficult. It was especially hard for those living on the outskirts, in the desert. Wanting to somehow ease the fate of his children, Anna’s father moved the family to Gazanjyk. And here, as it is now said, the only "system-forming" enterprise was the locomotive depot. So there was not much choice for a workplace.

Energetic and quite cheerful, despite a previously small, closed circle of communication, the young man quickly joined the workforce and earned the trust of those around him. After some time, the depot’s Komsomol members elected him their leader. During his work, curious and hardworking Anna grew professionally and achieved a transfer to assistant driver. Everything was going better than ever; Anna helped his family and relatives. But 1941 came. Despite the acute need for drivers in the rear, Anna went to the front from the very first days. He could not do otherwise since his friends and comrades were leaving one after another to defend the Motherland.

Anna Arashev’s front-line path was as thorny and difficult as the beginning of his work biography. His soldier’s path was marked by many distinctions, medals, and orders. Battles followed one after another. He was informed by the command about the decree of the State Defense Committee. The country urgently needed draft power on the railway; there was a shortage of qualified workers in the rear. So, unexpectedly for Anna Arashev, his front-line path changed to a labor path.

The collective immediately elected the returning front-line soldier as the trade union leader. Combining work as a driver with trade union activities, Anna Arashev proved himself a capable leader. This is what honorary railway worker Sary Keljaev recalled about Arashev, whose memories were published in the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan."

- Arashev said that at first he lacked experience and was therefore sent to special courses in Moscow. There he learned a lot and significantly increased his leadership skills. It was also in Moscow that he learned that railway workers were entitled to special rations during wartime. Returning, he ensured that workers at his depot also received these rations.

Another episode from his life speaks of Arashev’s leadership abilities. When an earthquake occurred in Gazanjyk in 1946, some were confused. The situation was difficult. Arashev decided not to wait and called a high-ranking official in Ashgabat, who listened, thanked him, and arrived in Gazanjyk the same day. Addressing the collective, the official announced that necessary assistance would be provided to all residents and depot workers. Then, criticizing the depot leaders for indecisiveness, he said that people like Arashev, who cared about the fate of others, should be boldly promoted to leadership positions.

Anna Arashev proved the rightness of these words throughout his life. In the difficult post-war years, having gained trade union experience, Arashev achieved the opening of ORSA retail outlets for depot workers, which regularly supplied workers with everything necessary.

In the 1950s, Arashev was elected chairman of the Raidorprofsoyuz of the Mary branch and then deputy head of the political department of the Ashgabat railway. From 1960, he was head of the Trade Department of the Mary Regional Executive Committee. Later, he worked for many years as chairman of the Republican Committee of the trade union of communication workers, motor transport, and highways workers.

For more than 60 years of work, he was awarded two Orders of the Badge of Honor, many medals, and government certificates. During the years of independence, A. Arashev was repeatedly elected a delegate of the Council of Elders of the country. He generously passed on his rich experience of labor and social activity to the youth. Like many front-line soldiers, he preferred to talk more about peaceful life than about the war. Probably, that is indeed the right way, but one must always remember the past.