‘Oskar the Beekeeper’ Takes Second Place at New York State Fair
By LARISSA RYAN
EXETER
When Maria Ilina—mother of Kirill and Oskar Grechkin—brought home a beehive in 2022, she had no idea of the journey it would inspire in her son, Oskar. Now, at 13, Oskar has won second place at the New York State Fair for honey.
Among the many animals Maria added to her farm, the journey began one night in 2022 with the purchase of a beehive. At first the purchase went smoothly, but when it came to unloading the bees, a dropped medium box led to several dozen stings. That’s where Oskar took over.
Unafraid of the thousands of bees, Oskar took up the care of the stinging insects, documenting his journey on his Facebook page, “Oskar the Beekeeper.”
The Grechkin’s bee yard has since grown to seven hives and Oskar’s Facebook page has received much attention from the viewing public, with many of his reels having more than 100,000 views.
When the 2023 State Fair rolled around, Oskar had not planned to enter the honey competition. That was Maria’s idea.
“I entered him for the experience. We didn’t expect to win anything. It was just for learning,” Maria said.
“It was only two weeks to the competition. I would have wanted four [weeks] if I knew I was going to enter, so the air bubbles in the honey would have a chance to rise to the surface and out of the honey,” added Oskar, who is a member of the Leatherstocking Beekeepers’ Association.
Oskar took on the challenge with gusto, getting his honey ready in time and helping with the honey exhibit at the fair.
And his hard work paid off.