BIOGRAPHY

Valentina Vorobyova was born in the village of Chernoistochinsk in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia (then Russian Empire), on 23 February 1913. She was one of six children born to Sysoy Vasilievich and Avdotya Karpovna Epimakhov, but only three survived to adulthood. The family initially lived in poverty, surviving mostly on what they grew themselves. Her parents cultivated a plowed field, kept a cow, and tended a garden. Even in winter, no one was idle—there was always work to be done. The children, too, had no time to play; they helped their parents with everything. Her father made soap, a labor-intensive process. In their hut, there was a fireplace and a large cauldron used for soap-making. Since the process required a lot of water, she and her sister would go to the well as many as forty times, while their father filled the buckets, and they carried them back. The finished soap was then sold. She completed two grades of schooling at home and the third grade at a school. However, her education ended there, as she had to help care for the cattle.

When a collective farm was established in their area, her father joined, and a sewing workshop was opened. She enrolled there to learn sewing. She crafted short fur coats and full-length fur coats and also repaired old clothing brought to her by others.

At 18, she married Alexander Ivanovich Vorobyov. They had known each other beforehand, living on different streets and occasionally going skiing together, though they were not close friends. The couple had three children: Galina, Boris, and Vera. Her husband worked in a mine in the village of Uralets, living in the barracks and often being away from home for extended periods. This left her to manage the household on her own. After their marriage, she did not take up formal employment. However, when her husband once asked her to mend his jacket, the results impressed him so much that word of her skill quickly spread. Soon, she began sewing at home in her free time, gaining a reputation for her craftsmanship.

At the start of the Great Patriotic War, her husband was sent to the front. He survived his first battle but was severely wounded in the next. In March 1945, the family received a letter from the front confirming he was alive. He returned home in a passenger car, but his injuries had been grave—both his arm and left leg were later amputated. Despite his disabilities, he managed the household on crutches, cooking meals and tidying up, while his wife and children took on the physically demanding tasks, such as gathering firewood and mowing grass. The family kept a large number of cattle, which required substantial haymaking during the summer. However, with few men available to help, her husband arranged for his brother to assist with tossing the hay. During the harsh winters, she chopped firewood and transported it across the ice herself, ensuring the household’s survival. After her husband’s passing, she was unable to receive his pension due to incomplete documentation. From that point onward, her son Boris took care of her. Before his support, she sustained herself by selling wool, meat, and potatoes.

At the age of 111, she had five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, 17 great-great-grandchildren, and three great-great-great-grandchildren.

Valentina Vorobyova passed away in Chernoistochinsk, on 25 March 2025, at the age of 112.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “«В 102 года я ещё копала картошку»: читательница «ОГ» из Черноисточинска отметила 105-летие” – Областная газета, 28 February 2018

* “И больше века длится жизнь” – Пенсионер России, 23 March 2018

* “Жительнице Черноисточинска Валентине Воробьёвой исполнилось 110 лет” – Областная газета, 25 February 2023

* “Её года — её богатство: жительницу Черноисточинска поздравили со 111-летием” – TagilCity, 8 March 2024

* “Светлой памяти Валентины Сысоевны Воробьевой” – grgo.ru, 28 March 2025

GALLERY