Anna Toropova: "My Life’s Pillars Are My Family, My Job, Sports, and Volunteering"

28 may 2025

Our May issue of the About People and Good Deeds column features Anna Toropova, a metrology engineer at POLIEF, sharing her initial volunteering impressions, discussing a five-year-long volunteering project, and revealing her plans for the future.

How did you first learn about volunteering opportunities at SIBUR?
As I recall, it happened back in 2017 or 2018. At the time, the city was in the middle of implementing its Street Library volunteering project, and it was then, in 2018, that I saw an announcement for a contest of SIBUR’s employees’ volunteering projects. I decided to give it a try and apply with a project of my own. The idea for my proposal was a no-brainer: each year we spend our family vacations on the banks of the Belaya River not too far from our home, and we’re always appalled by the amount of trash we see there: on river banks, in the forest, and even in the river! That was how my Nature Is the Greatest Treasure project comprised of a series of shoreline cleanups came to exist. The project ended up winning the contest, becoming my first implemented volunteering initiative! My colleagues and local residents supported it enthusiastically. Since then, I’ve been implementing one or two projects every year thanks to the backing from SIBUR’s Formula for Good Deeds social investment program.

What impressions did your first volunteering event leave you on?
So many years have passed since then, but I still remember the anxiety I felt! I was worried whether I would be able to succeed in organizing it all, afraid of a potentially low turnout, or concerned if I could handle all the required reporting. But thanks to the support from the Formula for Good Deeds’ coordinators and local activists, it was a smashing success. That experience was incredibly important to me as it fueled my confidence and the desire to carry on. Back then, we hadn’t put together a core team yet and recruiting volunteers was not easy. But now the situation is very different. We enjoy the support of POLIEF’s large and cohesive team of volunteers and we have a lot of experience under our belts. I’ve already implemented ten projects, environmental and social ones alike. So, now, I feel much less anxiety as it has given way to pure excitement and joy of driving new initiatives!

What does being a volunteer mean to you?
Above all, a volunteer is someone who cares deeply about something. Someone striving to make the world around them a better place. They take good care not just of their own home but also of their neighborhood, city, and workplace. They feel responsible for their environment and view it as an extension of their own home. Volunteering has become a part of my way of living. I enjoy immensely the sense of camaraderie and purpose, the joy of contributing to a worthy cause. Every event I take part in brings me joy, energizes and inspires me. It’s an opportunity to be a part of a team that makes a difference. We have a great time while doing something useful which is priceless!

Your Garbage Hunters project, supported by the Formula for Good Deeds, enters its fifth year. Could you share with us how it all started and evolved? What is the difference between competitive cleanups and the regular ones? What attracts their participants in particular?
After completing my first Nature Is the Greatest Treasure project in 2019, I decided to continue participating and resolved to submit a new project for the coming year. In 2020, despite the challenges that year brought, we successfully executed the Remembering Our Heroes Forever project. We worked together with our local Veterans’ Council to fix and respray the tombs the Great Patriotic War veterans at our city’s old cemetery. Later on, in 2021, I was looking for another novel idea and came across the Clean Games project on social media. I was particularly inspired by the combination of athleticism and conservation it offered as I myself had been actively running since 2016 and taking part in various sports events, and so the idea of a cleanup in a competitive format immediately struck a chord with me. That’s how the Garbage Hunters project came into being. The first event took place in a birch grove, which for years had been considered a no-man’s land by local residents: so littered it had been. Since then, this spot has been converted into a part of the future Health Trail that will run through the city center. The project was well received, and we have been holding it every year ever since. The format might vary slightly from year to year: we’ve had both team competitions involving schoolchildren and friends, and individual tournaments. I try to add new elements every time, including tea-drinking parties, contests, quizzes, gifts to participants. For example, last year, as the city celebrated its anniversary, our participants were asked to look in the forest for what we called 'magical' bottles containing trivia questions about their hometown earning a prize for every correct answer. This was especially exciting for children, but adults, too, enjoyed it a lot! My cleanups are not just cleanups, they’re always fun, exciting, and warm events! We already have a following of regular participants who look forward to upcoming Garbage Hunters events. This is incredibly pleasant and it motivates me to carry on. This year, our project will be taking place at a new location and, possibly, following the familiar format for the last time as I already have ideas for how to transform it going forward.

What is your favorite part of the cleanups?
I just love comparing the 'before' and 'after' photos! It is especially inspiring when you see the result of your efforts right away. You, too, can look up the results of our cleanups in my VKontakte group.

You have won awards at SIBUR’s Corporate Volunteer Forum in Moscow twice: once in the Eco-Volunteering category in 2021 and then again in 2022 for your multi-year contribution to the development of corporate volunteering. What does this recognition mean to you?
This is, without a doubt, a tremendous honor and an important milestone in my volunteering career. Awards like these are a testament that my efforts and energy are not wasted, that my dedication is noticed and appreciated. But the most valuable reward is in being able to see more people get on board, watch our team grow, and appreciate the real and tangible results of our activities. And there is also my inner sense of enjoyment, satisfaction, and inspiration from doing something important and much-needed.

Are there any personal habits you have acquired thanks to your involvement in eco-volunteering?
Yes, there are, and they have become absolutely natural for me. I never litter anywhere whether I walk down the city’s streets or wander in the wilderness. And I also sort my garbage and recycle most of my waste. Eco-mentality has become a part of my daily routine.

Q: What is it that has helped you avoid getting burnt out and stay active over so many years?
This is no longer just an activity, but a whole new lifestyle. The more projects I work on, the more ideas come to mind! We have a wonderful team of volunteers who have become true friends. We implement initiatives together, we support each other, and we simply enjoy our time together. In addition to our eco-projects, I have been implementing a social project for the third consecutive year now: I teach master classes to children undergoing treatment at the local hospital. Bringing children joy and helping them is another powerful source of inspiration. My life’s pillars are my family, my job, sports, and volunteering. That’s what gives me strength, drive, and the desire to keep going!

What do you think constitutes a particularly important aspect of volunteering teamwork?
I think the most important thing that identifies our volunteering team at POLIEF is our friendship and the ability to have fun together! Whatever one does, a lot depends on one’s attitude and approach to what they do. And we definitely know how to set the right tone! I am thankful to our team for their support, energy, and inspiration!

What would you wish for the earlier version of yourself dating back to 2018, that Anna who was just starting out on her volunteering journey?
I would probably just tell her: 'Thank you!' Thank you for not being afraid, for submitting and implementing her first project. This opened a magical door to a new, rich, kind, and interesting world!

Do you have a dream or a goal related to future volunteer projects?
Of course! I really want to try my hand at new different things. I already have ideas for transforming the Garbage Hunters project into another cleanup format. It is with great inspiration that I continue pursuing my social project titled Vibrant Therapy that involves conducting master classes at a children’s hospital, and every year we come up with something new and exciting for the children. I also dream of a project that would be dedicated to our city’s history. I will definitely come up with something interesting! And I really like participating in my colleagues’ and friends’ initiatives: when we are together, we’re a truly powerful and benevolent force!

To learn more about upcoming activities, visit SIBUR volunteers’ VKontakte group and Telegram channel.