Don't have 100 friends, but have 100 grandchildren

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

A unique family that has been living in the village of Bungur of the Novokuznetsk region for almost all of its members (with the exception of daughters) for more than half a century - 54 years. During this time, there were no drunkards, drug addicts and other asocial elements of society among its members. Everyone in the village knows the Shapoval family: all the children and grandchildren with their great-grandchildren live on the same street. For every holiday, everyone must get together, a big friendly family, sometimes there is not enough space for everyone in the house, they set tables on the street.

The head of the family was awarded the regional medal "Father's Glory" and a prize of 15 thousand rubles for a decent upbringing of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Each family of heirs received a prize of 10 thousand rubles.

It is curious that in Novokuznetsk there is even a "Shapovalov" maternity hospital, where almost all the offspring were born. Alexey Pavlovich took each of the heirs himself. Aleksey Shapoval has been living in Kuzbass since he was 14 years old. He studied at a school for working youth, after graduating from college and until his retirement he worked in a blast-furnace shop at the Kuznetsk Metallurgical Plant, now many of his children and grandchildren work there.

Alexey Pavlovich was married twice, all 13 children from his first wife, Klavdia Maksimovna. He met the mother of his children in 1942. The firstborn - Paul - was born on November 12, 1956. He was followed by ten more sons: Vasily, Ivan, Maxim, Alexey, Joseph, Yakov, Andrey, Nikolai, Peter, Matvey and two daughters, Nadezhda and Elena (one lives in Abakan, the other in Washington, she has 10 children).

Shapoval's second wife, Valentina Efimovna, became a member of this family quite recently. At first, they just wanted to move in together (both widowers), but the children were against: civil marriage, insisted on formalizing the relationship. The children accepted the new wife of the Pope well, they call it their mother. And the jubilee, hundredth, granddaughter was named in honor of Valentina Efimovna. According to Shapoval's wife, the head of the family was worried that he would not live to see her birth. In vain I was worried: after little Valenka, 12 more grandchildren were born in the family.

Valentina Efimovna herself has only one son, and now she bitterly regrets that she did not give birth to more children in her time. Having married Shapoval, she realized what happiness it is - a big family.

Alexey Pavlovich knows all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren by name, and from whom he was born, a son or a daughter, but he does not remember the birthdays of all grandchildren - they are written in a special book.

The main question that everyone asks Alexei Shapoval is whether it would be difficult to raise a dozen children, and how to feed a dozen mouths in general. To which Aleksey Pavlovich always says that if you love children, you don’t feel heaviness. And as for how many mouths to feed, it reminds us that two pairs of hands are attached to each mouth. Each member of a large family is not afraid of work. Each son has a job, a large farm, they are engaged in farming - they grow vegetables for sale, keep cows - sell milk in the market, so no one in the family ever went hungry. And members of a large and friendly family will always come to each other's aid. If you run out of hay or gas cylinders, the brothers will help. Some of the wives went to the maternity hospital to give birth to another family member - other children will not be left unattended. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also friends with each other, the elders look after the younger ones, the younger ones learn from the elders, no one hangs around the doorways. The most interesting thing is that no one is especially involved in upbringing: adults show by personal example how to behave. It is curious that none of the families has a TV set: according to Aleksey Shapoval, it does not bring any benefit. Therefore, everyone reads books, subscribes newspapers. Even small children are not allowed to eat sweets: there is no benefit from them, only harm.

All family relationships are built on respect for elders and minors. The authority of Alexei Pavlovich is indisputable: as the head of the family said, so it will be. In addition, grandfather monitors the progress of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren - during the winter holidays he checks 50 diaries. All 10 days he checks, no other business plans.

Shapovaly's fellow villagers are respected: teetotal, decent, no one ever raises their voice in the family, the atmosphere is always friendly. There were no divorces and scandals after birth. Every house is in order. Old people-neighbors are helped.

Colleagues always sympathized with Alexei Pavlovich: they say, no "joy" for the peasant. Neither a drink nor a visit to the women. But Shapoval only laughs at them: he has only one joy - a large and friendly family, his wealth. The children gave a car for their seventieth anniversary, and there is also someone to give a glass of water.