Kristall Plant LLC, Moscow: past and future

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Moscow plant "Kristall" was the largest domestic distillery. He survived the Great Patriotic War, a series of dry laws, but today the production of alcohol is stopped here. The main facilities have been moved outside the city limits, to the Korystovo branch near Moscow.

Creation

By the end of the XIX century, the use of alcohol in Russia has become rampant. In order to streamline the alcohol market and accumulate income from its sale, the talented Minister of Finance S. Yu. Witte in 1896 approved the state monopoly on fortified drinks.

In 1901, in the capital on the banks of the river. Yauza, a large wine warehouse was organized, which later became the Moscow Kristall Plant. Annually, up to 2.6 million decaliters (2.1 million 12-liter buckets) of alcoholic beverages of various strengths were produced here. The number of workers reached one and a half thousand. Well-known innovative architects V. A. Velichkin and N. G. Faleev were involved in the construction of production facilities. Their creation is stillpleases Muscovites and is a protected architectural monument.

The official opening took place on 1901-24-06. Initially, the production of the Kristall plant (Moscow) consisted of only three types of vodka: Boyarskaya, Improved and Simple. After a week of work, it turned out that the company's capacity was not enough due to the increased demand for high-quality vodka. I had to increase the number of filters and radically re-equip the premises.

In 1914, the plant produced 5 types of strong drinks. The most popular was "Moscow special" vodka. According to legend, its original recipe was developed by D. I. Mendeleev himself. With the outbreak of the First World War, a temporary dry law was declared. The premises housed a hospital.

Beginning of the Soviet era

In 1923, the release of alcohol-containing drinks at Kristall resumed. Prohibition was abolished in stages, so the basis of production was 20-degree liqueurs. After 1925, the production of vodka was resumed, and Rykovka became the first brand. Over time, the recipes and technologies developed by the plant were transferred to other state-owned enterprises. In 1937, the range expanded with "female" liquors ("Vanilla", "Pink", "Chocolate") and "male" fortified ones ("Curaçao", "Benedictine", "Chartreuse"). During the war, the enterprise combined the production of spirits (liquid and dry) with the production of Molotov cocktails.

Post-war development

In 1945, production was resumed by the Kristall plant in Moscow. In the new shop No. 1 masteredproduction of high quality vodka for the Soviet elite. In 1953, the most famous brand, Stolichnaya vodka, was launched into the series.

After the collapse of the USSR, the enterprise was reorganized into OOO Zavod Kristall (Moscow). In 1998, a branch was opened in the village of Korystovo, where production was subsequently transferred. Back in 2011, Kristall was the largest Russian manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. However, in accordance with the corporate policy and the master plan for the development of the capital, in 2015 the equipment was stopped, gradually dismantled and transferred to another site. The famous brand continues to work, but already in a new place.

From production to art

The area of the enterprise exceeds 9 hectares. Buildings built during the reign of the king have architectural value. In the near future, the territory is expected to undergo a large-scale reorganization. According to the town-planning plan, the external appearance of the industrial premises will be preserved, while they will be redone inside.

The flagship of the new project was the so-called art cluster, in which creative life is in full swing around the clock, seven days a week. Even now, in the spaces previously occupied by vodka equipment, exhibitions are being held, flash mobs and installations are being organized. They seem to breathe life into the empty workshops.

Future of the plant

According to the project, part of the territory is allocated for residential development. The main building will be given over to apartments. Additionally, on the territory of the Kristall plant (Moscow)will accommodate a school, a lecture hall, a kindergarten, restaurants and sports grounds. The premises of the former factory club will be restored, preserving the entourage of the Soviet era. It will include performances by theater companies.

A feature of the reconstruction is the phased implementation of various projects. They will not completely close the territory for a total alteration. Visitors will be able to watch how a large-scale industrial production is transformed into a fashionable vacation spot.

To attract professionals in the field of architecture and design to the project, it was decided to hold a competition for the creation of love-apartments and public spaces. The main capital architect Sergey Kuznetsov was involved in the implementation of ideas.

The Kristall quarter is a pilot city-within-a-city project. In the future, many industries will be moved to the suburban area, and the vacated industrial zones will be transformed into similar cultural, residential, social clusters. The fate of other sites depends on how successful the transformation of the Moscow Kristall Plant will turn out.