130 years ago, on 23 February 1881, a brewery in Samara cooked up the first batch of beer that became the most popular brand in the Soviet Union.
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The story of Zhigulyovskoe Beer began in 1879, when the Austrian Philipp von Vakano opened up a small brewery in Samara. In the image above, the main building of the brewery.
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About a year later, on 23 February 1881, the company started to brew beer. It was a draft beer made to Viennese specifications. In the image above, the brewery warehouse in Sarapul in the 19th century.
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A lack of funds prompted Alfred von Vakano to look for partners. He attracted investments from Austrian businessman Moritz Faber and wealthy Samara merchant Pyotr Subbotin. In April 1881, they formed an equal partnership, Zhigulyovskoe Brewery Partnership in Samara. However, in August 1899, Alfred von Vakano took over the Board of the brewery completely, renaming the company “A. Vakano and Co, Zhigulyovskoe Brewery Association”.
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By 1914, the brewery produced 3.5 million barrels of beer a year; it was the third-largest brewery in Russia. It had warehouses in 59 cities, it delivered beer to the Volga region, the Urals, Central Asia, and Siberia, and there were even deliveries to Persia. The Zhigulyovskoe Brewery won 15 medals at international exhibitions. In the image above, refrigerated railway wagons owned by the brewery.
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However, when prohibition came in 1914, the brewery buildings became a hospital and a plant to produce grenades. In the above image, the brewery warehouse in Chardzhu (now Türkmenabat) in Turkmenistan.
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Beer production only resumed after the revolution. In 1936, the beer from its Kuibyshev brewery received first prize in a competition of the best brands of Soviet beer. The brewery was brewing beer in the Viennese style again, and it regained the name Zhigulyovskoe. In the image above, a brewery laboratory.
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The Soviet period was the peak of popularity for Zhigulyovskoe beer. One could find this brand of beer everywhere… it was sold in bottles in stores, kiosks on the sidewalks dispensed beer on tap or in bottles, but they only served dried or smoked fish, and crawdaddies as snacks. Competition it were only Dorogomilovskoye and Yachmenny kolos (Barley Ear).
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In 2006, the Institute of Berlin in Germany, with assistance from experts from the Institute of European Integration, awarded the company the “Standards of Quality” International Award.” In Moscow, the brewery received the Order of Pyotr Veliki, First Class, “For outstanding contributions to the economic development of the regions of Russia”.
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Currently, the brewery actively works to modernise and expand its product range.
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A contemporary view of the Zhigulyovskoe Brewery.
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23 February 2011
Voice of Russia World Service
Voices From Russia, Too 
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