copyright of M. P. Gorbunov

Hereditary apiarist, at least in the 5th generation. Father: Pavel Tihonovich Gorbunov, village Gremyachevo, Karakhulino district, Udmurt Republic. Mother: Taisiya Alekseyevna Gorbunova (Varlamova in girlhood), village Lapino, Votkinsk district, Udmurt Republic.

The parents kept bees in Sarapul city, which were brought on horses there by grandmother Marpha Alekseyevna Gorbunova from Karakhulino district by country roads with length of 80 km.
The parents kept within 10-12 beefamilies, which were placed among plantations & vegetable beds, on 2.5 hundredth parts of garden. There has been always plenty of commercial honey.

Parents subscribed regularly to monthly magazine “Apiculture” since 1958, which I studied thoroughly later.

Izhevsk Mechanical Institute, a job of chief engineer, chief of enterprise production, export & import mechanic supervising, tool production, an enterprise chief of mechanic control department (ministry appointment, at that time I was the youngest chief of mechanic control department in the Soviet Union – 1983 – 1984 years) were already behind.

My generalizing of ancestors’ experience by myself, studying of soviet literature & season work of 1993 on the apiary kibbutz “Amir” (Upper Galilee) Israel State with the great apiarist David Tsadeh, studying of publications of the end of XIX - beginning of XX centuries in the Old Slavonic language, personal contacts with present apiarists, specialists in the field of apiculture, including the academician Y. K. Yeskhov, - all this proves that it’s not so easy either for the beginners or people with the big practical & science work experience to perceive the secrets of apiculture. Therefore I always say to my pupils (who have got not only theoretical knowledge but also acquired practical skills): “There are no bad years, but bad apiarists”. And about askopheros disease – that it’s apiarist’s cold. The right care is taken not in spring, but is done from building the nests & preparing of beefamilies for wintering, & successful wintering provides profitableness of apiary.

The work of 1993 season on the kibbutz apiary “AMIR” (UPPER GALILEE) of Israel state with the great beekeeper David Tsadeh… he became a great world – respected beekeeper. He has a lot of pupils around the world, including Arabs. David has been working with bees since 1934. To become a great beekeeper he learnt Russian to be able to read Russian literature about beekeeping in original.

One day he told me: “Misha, I like you. Why? Because you questions about nothing, (in 1993 he was 84) otherwise, I would tell you: LEH MI PO” (Ivrit – “Go away”).

I answered him: “David, if something is unclear to you, than ask, perhaps I can help you somehow”. It was daring. He pretended not to notice it, but in 2 weeks, working on different apiary places (they were not guarded, by the way), asked what I thought about his methods of working. I answered him frankly, that from one place (group of nearby-standing beefamilies in one place) he would get about 150 kg (~331 pounds) of commercial honey from one beefamily at an average, from the second – about 100 kg (~221 pounds), from the third one – about 50 kg (~ 110 pounds), & somewhere else – bees would give no honey at all.

Just for information he wondered how I would work though he continued using his own methods of beefamilies’ development. On the whole David remained unpleasant with weather conditions of 1993, as there was no case in his practice, when the layer of 5-6 nest frames didn’t give 25 kg (55 p.) of commercial honey to the end of season. At the same year the layers provided with feed only themselves. Autumn came. My prognoses came true. Then summing up, David said about his own work with bees: “My mistake is experiment. ” his speech was wonderful, partially in English, partially in Russian, but it was simple for my understanding. I told him: “David, with your work experience!? What experiments? There’s definite SADAR (Ivrit - order)”. The soul of a man is wonderful – aspiration for experiencing of something new. And that’s whys envy him.

Stored experience by me supposes timely fulfillment of season works. Deviation from my elaborated line is a mistake, which even on the apiary of 5 main beefamilies is turned into honey loss of more than 100 kg (220 p). and if we convert it to honey? Skillful care of bees, achievement of high results but only not to the prejudice of apiary, leads to worthy life, prosperity in the family, and according to harmonious family life, not only between husband and wife but also in worthy upbringing of children. So, what was the David’s mistake, apiarist with semi-centennial work experience? It was interesting to watch David, when he was driving peacocks on the apiary; such a firebird with piercing unpleasant for ear shouts, especially for elderly people, enemy of vine, from which he produced a very beautiful vine, - as pure as early dew, and in combination with water as 50/50%, flowing from Holland heights, it stimulate and gave a new surge of strength after exhausting hard work during day-light hours when the temperature reached 30-40 degrees in the shade with dead calm. He learned this trade especially in his time in Europe when there was honey overproduction and, in the conditions of blockade implementing to Arabian countries, they didn’t know where to sell it. Vines were produced on the base of honey. Later on, the situation changed, production of vine on the base of honey became less profitable. But for himself and for guests he made it every year. It was interesting to watch, how David shook off the whole anthills on the ground, nesting during the period of examinations of bee-families between lid and ceiling. I had to tell him, how soviet women saved black currants from aphides and from those who milk them – ants. It helped also in Israel conditions.

What I have drowned from work with David Tsadeh is the construction of apiary. When building main premises for apiarists, everything had been provided for in the building 1942 construction at the end of XIX – beginning of XX centuries, recommended in Russian books. For Russian apiarists it’s an embodied fairy tale, dream, a tangle of low mechanization of XIXth century with industrial technologies of XX century. Though, believe me, who has seen the organization of work on the apiaries of hundreds of beefamilies says that the quality of honey of David in Israel as of mine in Russia, is one of the best (CJSC “SWARM”, where I worked as a chief apiarist in 1997,1998 years; on international fares I was awarded gold medals for production of apiculture). Or like I usually say: “There’s honey of well – known quality – Bashkir’s, but there’s also honey of the best quality – from the apiary of Gorbunov, of my production – Balezino’s”. Moreover, many elderly people, also as my grandmother Vassa Grigoryevna Varlamova, exchanged the 2nd century of her life on September, 1st in 2003 of new style and now healthy, living in Chaickovskiy city (1903 year of birth) has already noticed, that then eating my honey one feels the taste, stored in child’s memory. What is a secret? It’s in method.

It’s not enough raw materials in the methods of beginner – apiarist especially bought in the shop service. By the way, magazine supers can be of different size, including those semi-supers of 145mm with Gofman clamps, which were implemented by state standard by force.

David grew up on the base of Russian literature. I learnt how to value information from David. He came from Poland. The backbone of kibutsa amir was formed by Polish Jewish. By the way almost all the kibutsas are built on the bel of principle of coming back of Jewish on Palestine lands

There’s nothing but information that costs so expensive. That is also advanced experience. It’s a very powerful weapon within the conditions of competition, the source of extra profits. Found out something somewhere from anybody – that’s the industrial espionage. David was occupied with production of medicine preparations on the base of propolis and beeswax during the “dead” season. This occupation, by the way, was new, and was adjusted to him by soviet repatriates – microbiologists with a good soviet experience. This production is sent to private clinics. As a former chief of technical control department (TCD) who passed qualification advance of technical production ministry in group “TCD chief” in 1983, I declare with all born responsibility that quantity if plants – giants of preparation production from unknown raw materials (there’s a definition as culture of production and from it’s quality of produced goods) will always be worse then of a producer with his own raw materials, who considers that its hard to create image, and easy to sully his name. Having prompted to David the sphere of using of hard leftovers after beeswax filtration, I felt in like Japanese – respect. Once during our next meeting David gave me mathanu (Ivr. - present) – 2 nice – sewed sacks with contents of above – mentioned wastes of production: with the words, that it’s a very expensive preparation, helps people a lot. Singed by his hand as gadol knoveret (Ivr. – great apiarist) is my reference, which costs a lot. Of course, in world practice but not for Russia.

Learnt about this, many experienced apiarists tried to hire me for a season as a wageworker for some $1000,00 per month. Brilliantly simple. Example, Avram, who I sometimes played chess with, had a son, who assisted David. Then, he bought business on an installment plan for 3 years (setting by honey) about 800 beefamilies. Now he removes about 24-32 tones of honey per season. About 30-40kg per one beefamily at an average. With my methods of working he would remove min 100 kg per 1 beefamily. It’s extra 48000 kg. I proposed him a contract with share of leftovers for next 10 years. Refuse. Later I learnt that to extend the volume of commercial output they increased the number of beefamilies to 1500. let them leave. But they worried about medicine preparations. I’m the only one from all who worked with David, was admitted to his holy of holies – productions of forms. Besides, it would be shameful to bring up the competitors to David.

I lived about one year in kibbutsa in general. All the theory of socialistic building was realized into life. However, onu lo yegudi (Ivr – I’m not Jewish), that’s outsider. In other words out of society as all other mixed marriages. Nutrition products, produced by not Jewish, can not be eaten by pure Jewish people. They won’t pass Ravine control. To get permission of being occupied with apicultural business is rather problematic, to be farm laborer is without any problems. As it’s said, it is good where we are not. I feel sorry for those half-bred Jewish people, who were called prosperous in Russia and mi russiya (Ivr. – from Russia) – in Israel. They worked hard 6 days a week for 20 hours a day, like bees. Otherwise, you won’t survive. And still, there’s lack of money, and thus weaker sex of families had to be occupied with the old national trade. Quite big percent of them did like this. That’s the national disease and how it should be cured. We should work. That’s why they don’t pay attention to collective entering. And we work like we live, envy others. At the end of XIX century tsar’s Russia was in advance of all the planet in the field of apiculture, like in many other fields of science.
There was a conception of “industrial apiculture” and how to get 100-200 kg of honey from 1 beefamily. This was proved, by the way, in our time by Volohovich, who removes 4 tones of commercial honey from 12 basic beefamilies. Remember the statement of Nikolai Michailovich Vitvitzkiy (1764-1853): “It’s better to have little, but the most successful beehives, than many but dubious… it’s always necessary to follow one right statement: not a quantity of beehives, but good conditions of their keeping increases profit. Who doesn’t unit weak swarms with strong ones in spring and summer, he wastes plenty of bees”. The methods of working of Volhovich are based on the principles, stated by Vitvitzkiy in XIX century. What were we given during soviet time period? The old Russia was broken, prosperous people were cut off activity (apiarists had a constant profit); thus, they began collecting 7-12 kg of commercial honey from 1 beefamily, “inventing the wheel” again, but yet haven’t invented; this way the secrets were lost. And if you get 35 kg, you will get a place in the RFC and a car as a present. That’s the old apiarists with work experience say like: “we want pood (16,38 kg) for a family and enough for us”.

Thus, we Russian have become shallow – in comparison with XIX century in almost 10 times. In fact, nobody is occupied with apiculture industry at the moment.

Thanks to the 1st president of Russian Federation for not signing the law “about apiculture” in new editorship, already taken by Supreme Soviet. Now swim with a stream though, flounder. But if this law were taken there could be a lot of stumbling blocks on our way, which even now hamper the development of Russia in whole. Now bee is a domestic animal and it’s inviolability is protected by the law, as personal property, which is not supposed to be arrested or withdrawn, even if an owner is over head and ears in debt and according to judgment is recognized as a debtor. And did you know about this?

It has been proved long ago, that higher the usage of apiculture products per capita is, the healthier life duration of nation becomes. The pill has its’ own chemical formula fixed by state standard, but the vermin of health becomes also more stable, and, then the pill doesn’t work any more. There’s also a term as getting used of the organism. So what can we do? There is a choice to work out new, stronger preparation? This problem is being discussed abroad at the moment. But if a new medicine will be worked out too late? Where can we find a way out? The apiculture production has been examined for centuries, as medicine products of nutrition, but their most important quality is their usefulness. Those products don’t have the constant chemical composition, as there aren’t the same years. There’s a unique natural thing, which let the bees in the conditions of great density to survive thanks to the affinities of apiculture products.

If we place the bees within the conditions close to their natural dwellings in a very wide sense of this fraise, instead of making for them a forced system of nest broadening, return will be better. Now it is still like it was in Soviet Union: we make difficulties for us, overcome them heroically, and, moreover, get rewards. But when we make difficulties for us, interfering with the life of beefamilies without having enough knowledge, we also make difficulties for them and then complain of bad weather conditions.

Example, former CJSC “SWARM” Balezino district – Russian program of development of apiculture.

Built something unknown. All bees died three times – during wintering of 1995-1996, 1996-1997,2000-2001. The reason was too obvious: the packaging department of producing center in Novoje Lipovo of Balezino district, UR, processed delivered raw materials from the whole Russia under the brand of its own raw materials. Those people “created” an infected “house” of on a large scale of Russia, they didn’t think that quarantine agents traveled with delivery honey, and that quarantine agents can live environment for dozens of years. Industrial waste was moved away to the open dust-heaps, or, moreover, was fed to the bees through the open feeding troughs. About 1000 of beefamilies died in general, not paying attention to the private ones. Where is our veterinarian Legislation? Where are our Statesmen, who should control normative documentation? I advise to all beginning apiarists: apiary is not a place to rest, but a working place and there’s nothing to do for the strangers there. What not will be promised y big bosses, that’s their ways of life. They’d only like to get something for themselves. But still less strangers will be on the apiary, better the business will go on.

So, what was the end? The eyes of holiday – makers were envy. They put a “hand” on the property CJSC “SWARM”, including the fund “Russian farmer”, headed by V/ M/ Bashmachnikov and CJSC of UR, headed by S. N. Danilov. They bankrupted illegally the CJSC “SWARM” and put a new owner.

Bashmachnikov and Danilov – have incontrovertible proves of illegal actions towards to CJSC “SWARM” but they have done to stop such lawless acts: the 1st one has excess to the Russian Federation president V. V. Putin, the 2nd one – to the Udmurt Republic President – A. A. Volkov.

If they allowed the organization disintegration of run by them, where they would run the country to? But let them leave! What’s the business for them of simple peasants? They solve strategically important problems. It’s a pity to loose the organization experience. There were great achievements – 2 gold medals of international fares in St. Petersburg. Scientific elaborations were left, not put into the practice. The State will not get restitution of purpose credits and taxation in full amount of about 7,000000 rubles. It’s a pity to lose the idea itself – population of Russian middle bee and the help to beekeepers.

People’s wisdom says: “Rescuing of sinking man is the business of his own”. If we want to live, we should work. It’s hard to live without knowledge. It’s hard to start without the beginning capital. But those problems can be solved.

A man doesn’t value anything, but the results of his own work. To become a true apiarist it’s necessary to have earnest intentions. Anyway, almost Russian families buy honey as a medicament product of nutrition each year. And why not to put that money into the development of your own apiary, of cause, if you have living conditions for beefamilies and conditions for successful wintering? You had expanded item, now you have income item.

There are to ways:

1. Beekeeping as production of your own family necessities;

2. Beekeeping as a profit component of family budget, perhaps, the basic one.

I always convince my pupils: money invested in the 1st stage of beekeeping development, are returned in three months by honey, bees are left and plus you have money for improvement of apiary. What bank, except the former MMM, suggested a percent reliance of min 100% on three months or 100%: 3 x 12 months = 400% annually. Extra profit is obvious. And that’s only with good accompanying on the 1st stage of beekeeping.

It offends me that our country was converted from a flourished beekeeping state of the end of XIX century into the crude, where sorry-amateurs are doting upon bad pedigree material, trying to save their own money. A beefamily dies means min 2,0 – 2,5 thousands of rubles. For an average Russian it’s a good sum of money, for a country a weak beefamily means center of infected quarantine diseases. And some “sly” sellers know the proverb: sold – lost, bought – got. Who sells a good beefamily? Usually unworthy beefamilies are lost, but the price should be appropriate.

If you want to star beekeeping, has recently started or has already had good and long experience, also businessmen – profitable suggestions on mutually beneficial conditions, please, inform us about yourself:

1. Surname, name, 2nd name, post address, postcode, country code, telephone number, if have, fax number.

2. Location place of apiary, number of beefamilies, wintering conditions.

3. System of beekeeping, type of hives.

4. Basic principles of work – shortly.

5. Comb providing by nest and magazine beeswax.

6. What medicinal preparations you use when curing the bees.

7. Do you have a job? Family. Monthly average profit for a person. Is necessary for counting financial support, if necessary.

I guarantee the confidence of the information. Point, what volume of commercial honey you’d like to get. Contract signing of mutual financial support is obligatory. If you get some questions, demanding the answers, while reading this article, it means that you are creative person and we will give all the necessary information.

The chairman of
Glazov beekeeping consumers’
cooperative society of people
M. P. Gorbunov.