Valentina Dukova: from 35 years in economics to gold medals and Apikomora

After a 35-year career in economics Valentina Dukova made a decisive turn: she resigned from her corporate post and, together with her family, built Dukovi Apiary and the visitor space Apikomora DUKOVI. The move transformed a private passion for bees and nature into an award-winning family business known for meadow honey and apitherapy experiences.

Her professional background as a graduate economist and decades of work in different companies, she says, gave her the discipline and managerial skills needed to run a business. Those skills were put to the test when she chose to leave paid employment and invest energy, knowledge and time into a new venture.

From boardroom to beehives

Apikomora DUKOVI was born out of a wish to let people experience the bee world first-hand: the hum of the hive, the scent of wood and honey, and the restorative calm of being close to nature. The site also hosts children regularly, an element Dukova highlights as central to the project's mission of raising awareness about bees and the environment.

She holds professional certificates in apitherapy, apicosmetics and apikomora operation, credentials she says prove that the enterprise rests on knowledge and a professional approach. As a result Dukovi Apiary has collected several gold trophies and gold medals for the quality of its meadow honey and other bee products.

Dukova regards awards as recognition that the long hours, careful bee husbandry and attention to quality are paying off. Yet she emphasises that the goal is not trophies but trust: every jar must justify the buyer's confidence and reflect proper production and care for the bee families.

Her advice to other women is blunt and practical: "Believe in yourself a little more. Don't wait for someone else to tell you that you can." She also repeats a personal motto that guided her choice to start anew: "It's never too late to start something of your own if you truly believe in it."

Photo: приватна архива