I'm going to live to 150! A unique recipe for longevity from the country's main teetotaler

Valentin Tolkachev Topic news

In 20 days, Valentin Andreevich Tolkachev will turn 84 years old. He set himself the goal of living for a century and a half and claims that he knows the secret of active longevity. And today he will share it with us.

If you want to be healthy, jump into the hole

  One could list the achievements of Valentin Andreevich for a long time. He is a master of sports, and the author of more than 50 scientific works, and an honorary academician of several International Public Academies - gerontology, sobriety, chairman of the Belarusian public association "Sobriety-Optimalist". And also a famous walrus in the country, so Valentin Tolkachev and I went for a winter swim in the capital’s Loshitsky Park. Here, near the well, there is an equipped ice-hole and a small building where you can change clothes: everything that lovers of ice water need. The snow has melted, it’s plus 2 outside, but it feels like minus 4. Before diving, Valentin Andreevich fervently pronounces an appeal-spell, raising his hands to the sky: “The universal energy of life pours into me and strengthens me! Mother Nature, give me HEALTH!” Descends down the ladder into the hole, holding on to the handrails. It doesn’t stay in the water for long, it doesn’t completely submerge – it pours water on its HEAD. It comes out calmly, and we ask: how does it feel? With a satisfied smile and a blush on his cheeks, the walrus assures that everything is fine:

  – The body feels cheerful. Do you see steam coming from me?
  We touch Valentin Andreevich’s shoulder – it is warm. He has been hardened for many years; he has been plunging into the ice hole since childhood. When I lived in Klaipeda, I swam in the sea since April, and as a student I swam in the Dnieper all winter.  
  Valentin Tolkachev convinces: cold gives health . But only if you dive correctly, and not set records.
– When people ask me how to be healthy, I advise: jump into an ice hole! – he smiles. – What does cold water do? Body temperature rises to 40 degrees from stress, and diseased cells die. You get healthier, gain energy - you want to live!
    For those who do not have a pond or ice hole near their home, Valentin Tolkachev recommends dousing with cold water. You can do this in the bathroom, but it’s better to do it outside. Without moving far from the well, our hero demonstrates a master class: he fills a large bucket, which is stored right there, with water, lifts it above himself - and an icy waterfall falls on his head and body. The tank capacity is large, lifting it high with outstretched arms is not an easy task, but our hero copes. Let me remind you: he is already 80+, but he cannot dare to call Valentin Andreevich a grandfather. Strong man! After two water procedures, he is ready to show us a special exercise. At the same time, he notes an important detail - after dousing and dipping into the ice hole, you do not need to rub yourself, just blot your body and head with a towel.
  “This way, everything bad is erased from the body, and not rubbed into it again.” “I’ll do a few movements now and dry off,” assures Valentin Tolkachev and begins exercises. Shows only the basic exercises, because in general there are a great many of them. – DOCTOR Sergei Bubnovsky says that three exercises should be done throughout your life. The first is squatting. Before starting it, it is advisable to put some kind of block under your heels. Squat first on one leg, then on the other, inhaling and exhaling. The more times you repeat, the better. I do squats 200 times. During this exercise, the muscles of the heart are activated, and in men also the muscles around the prostate. Push-ups are the second main exercise. You can do this from a bench. It is advisable to follow cycles: do 5 push-ups, shake off your hands, then repeat everything again. 100 push-ups are enough to keep your blood pressure in order. And the third exercise is to pump up the abs. Lie on your back and raise your legs towards you. But the most powerful way to maintain health is walking , including Nordic walking, with sticks in your hands.
  While we watched Valentin Andreevich dipping into the ice hole, dousing and exercising, we were slightly chilled. And he is cheerful and cheerful, as if it were a warm May day outside. Family for healthy lifestyle! Valentin Tolkachev says that during his long life he has never been particularly ill. Yes, there were domestic and sports injuries, there was a viruscatch it, but two days were enough to overcome it. And without pills - only herbs and rest.
But the first years of Valentin Andreevich’s life were terrible, like those of all the children of the Soviet Union born in the 1940s. During the Great Patriotic War, his native village in the Yartsevo district of the Smolensk region was burned by the Nazis. Mom and baby Valentin were taken to Germany. After the Victory, the family settled in the Kaliningrad region. The second part of his childhood passed in Klaipeda. The boy received a male upbringing from his uncle, a front-line soldier, the driver of the legendary Katyusha, because his father, a political instructor, died near Vyazma.
 – Klaipeda is the sea. We kids had competitions to see who could dive into the water first. “I had a record - April 11,” our hero returns in memories of the post-war years.  
  Valentin Tolkachev came to Mogilev after graduating from the 7th grade to study at a mechanical engineering college. Then he was assigned to the MINSK Bearing Plant, got married, and became the father of two daughters - Galina and Anna. His wife Sofia is also an optimist, a tourist and a supporter of a healthy lifestyle.
– He raised his daughters harshly. At the age of one year they were already on their feet, I handed over the stroller to a second-hand store, and they stomped everywhere on their own. The whole family went on a weekend hike. Imagine, each of us walked 20-25 kilometers, my wife and I immediately after returning home took a shower and rest, and children 7-8 years old had a snack and asked to go outside... to run, our hero laughs and assures that an active lifestyle with since childhood had the best effect on the health of his daughters. “Since then I have been a sober person.” Valentin Andreevich admits: understanding the importance of a healthy lifestyle came to him like an insight. In my youth, I used to drink a glass of ALCOHOL at a factory or in a hostel and become addicted to tobacco. But he hasn’t touched this poison for 45 years.
– I read the book by surgeon Fyodor Uglov “A Man Among People,” who was included in the Guinness Book of Records for still operating at the age of 100. He said that he lived absolutely sober. I wrote to him, saying I don’t believe him. After all, people often say one thing in a bathhouse, another in the kitchen at the table, and a third from the podium on a piece of paper. Fedor Uglov answered me, and a correspondence began. Later I did an interview with him for the plant’s large-circulation newspaper. And then I realized: I need to change myself. Although from the very beginning of my passion for sports tourism I noticed thatAlcohol gets in the way here. Tourism is still a very serious test. Many climbers and tourists died in the Soviet Union every year. The biggest tragedy happened in 1971, when an avalanche in the Sayan Mountains buried 11 of our guys, including the bard Arik Krupp. I realized that I need to work on myself. And from July 1, 1979, I gave up alcohol. Since then I have been a sober person.
  Then Valentin Tolkachev got the idea to help other people free themselves from bad addictions. I began to study world experience and became acquainted with the works of Candidate of Biological Sciences Gennady Shichko, our fellow countryman from the Pukhovichi region.  
 – At the Institute of Experimental Medicine in Leningrad, he studied higher nervous activity. Proved thatWe get bad habits from society: a person is shaped by his environment. First of all – parents , then the street, television, now – the Internet. Shichko calls these bad habits “programs.” He proves that it is possible to change the behavior of people with bad habits without drugs. It is important for the addicted person to set a goal to live in sobriety. Then he began to cleanse his body and head, harmonize family relationships, rationalize his diet, and began to pay a lot of attention to physical education and, of course, hardening. And at the same time I kept a diary. Yes, this is a lot of work on yourself, but the method is unique and effective, says Valentin Tolkachev.
  It is important, of course, that a person does not go through the difficult path of transforming himself alone. It’s best when you are around those who have successfully dealt with their addictions and become happy and healthy - for example, members of the Belarusian public association 2Sobriety-Optimalist" named after G.A. Shichko and those who have completed the Republican school of self-recovery "Beloptimalist". Among them are Vladimir Drobakh. Friends from among his former drinking buddies brought him to the Sobriety-Optimalist association. Until the age of 39, he abused alcohol. By this age, Vladimir Drobakh had 50 reports to the police and the second group of disability. Now he is 69 years old. With the beginning of a sober lifestyle he has changed: he runs, participates in marathons, plays football , writes music, traveled to 44 countries. Vladimir is called to head the council of veterans of the enterprise where he once worked. And there are many such examples,” Valentin Andreevich joyfully notes.
 “Our association holds many events. We have a whole program, study, communication. Once a month we go out into nature. The meeting place is the 3rd car of the train to Molodechno, and the place of rest for many years is Vyazynka. I came up with this “Weekend Hiking” movement when I was the chairman of the city’s tourist club,” says our hero.
  In May, the association “Sobriety-Optimalist” named after G. A. Shichko will celebrate its 35th anniversary. During this time, Valentin Tolkachev inspired not only several thousand Belarusians, but also citizens of other CIS countries to live a healthy life without bad habits. Many found friends here , even a life partner. Valentin Andreevich was awarded various awards, including the Union State of Belarus and RUSSIA “For impeccable service.” “
 I am a super happy person,” Valentin Andreevich proudly declares. “I fulfilled my destiny and I can say boldly, like Suvorov: descendants , take me as an example!

 - Humanity has always dreamed of living a long time and is gradually moving towards this. The word “man” consists of two parts - man and age, which means we must live for at least a century. I measured out 150 years for myself: 75 for myself and the same amount for his father, who died near Vyazma.

 In 1949, 9-year-old Valentin Tolkachev had a fateful meeting with the creator of the health system, Porfiry Ivanov. The boy and his mother were traveling south by train. At one of the stops, all passengers went out onto the platform to get some fresh air.
“We look, there’s a huge man standing there—gray hair, wearing only underpants, barefoot—and he’s saying something in a deep voice. At that time, Ivanov was already 52 years old. He saw me (I was also only in shorts - it was hot), came up, patted me on the shoulder and said: here is my follower,” laughs Valentin Andreevich.

  Valentin Tolkachev is the author of more than 50 scientific papers and books. For example, on the pages of the publication “The Path Leads Beyond the Horizon,” he talked about his tourist life, because he is a master of sports in tourism of the USSR. Together with colleagues from the Podshipnik tourist club, he climbed to the highest point of Western Europe - Mont Blanc. All his vacations and weekends, Valentin Andreevich spent his time hiking. And the very first famous book of our hero, “The Path to Sobriety,” was published in 30,000 copies.  

 “To change your lifestyle, you need to set a goal,” our hero emphasizes. “As Mark Twain wrote, a person must know two dates: when I was born and when I understood why I was born. Any action of mine should be considered this way: does it lead me to the goal or not. If so, there is no need to hesitate.
Created using funds from a targeted collection for the production of national content 
Svetlana KIRSANOVA, photo - Nadezhda KOSTETSKAYA