TIRASPOL 1997 By Editor in Chief

The Oleg Baev’s book “Century Under White Stork Wing» is multiplanned and interesting. This is not just
the enterprise history research, but a scientist thoughts about the ways of wines-cognacs production at the
turn of the second millenium, at the time when the Soviet Union has collapsed and the very economic
system of the society has changed.

A seventeen-year boy the author came to the enterprise and made his way from a worker to the enterprise’s
Director. It should be said that Oleg Markovich Baev headed the distillery at the time when it found itself
in most complex conditions, having become a subject for a thinkless Party sword of Prohibition (Dry
Law). The major merit of the author of the book is that such a complex production was not only kept
untouchy in 80–90-ies cataclysms, but enlarged considerably. The cognacs quality stepped up to a new
world’s level. True “gold» and “silver» rain of medals has topped the labor of Tiraspol distillers.

There is a concrete work of the Director-scientist in this fact who is the co-author himself of one of the
best KVINT cognacs. He reminds a playing coach. Kind of person who is respected by the team as every
of his words has weight. More than once I had heard from him that the distillery’s main part is its people.
They are a gold reserve of the distillery. That’s why they enjoy the major attention in the book. They are
the true history-makers of the oldest vinous distillery of the Transdniestria, the main characters of the
book.

“Century Under White Stork Wing» is not just a book you need to have, it’s really thrilling book. This is
not a bureaucratic inventory of the historic events, this is an inner re-thinking of what had been lived,
thoughts of the present and tomorrow’s day. At the same time the O.M. Baev’s book is a solid work which
will be of certain interest of both wine-makers and historians, as well as every educated person.

Vladimir Poloushin, Member of the Chamber on Commerce, Culture, Health Care and Education of the
Political-Advising Council for the President of the Russian Federation, Member of the Russia’s Writers
Union.

CHAPTER I GOD’S GIFT

Who was the first to look at a grape vine as a source of the future sparkling joy of soul?... The history
holds back about it. But the winemaking history itself is covered with numerous myths and legends.

In the most ancient earthly civilizations a God’s nectar was already known. Yet in Babylonian epos
“Bilgames» (more than twenty centuries B.C.) it’s main character asked his friend , why the latter was
upset, if a woman had given him “the wine, worth of Prince». In ancient Egypt more than five thousand
years B.C. there already were known about ten varieties of red and white wines. When the famous
Tutenkhamon sepulchre was discovered, on one of jugs they found out a curious inscription: “Wine from
the Tutenkhamon estate, from western river...»

They loved wine and were connoisseurs of it in ancient Palestine and Assyria. Phoenician sailors a
thousand years B.C. traded wine in the south of France, in Cyprus and Sicily, and even in Africa. Three
thousand years ago ancient Greeks knew winemaking. The sailors of Hellade did not set off to a
navigation without having filled to the brim their wine-skins with a magic grape drink. Many legends
were composed about wine on coasts of the ancient Hellade. A cheerful god Dionysus was considered as a
patron of wine makers in ancient Greece. As one of legends says Dionysus decided to thank the shepherds
who had fed him. By taking grapes, Dionysus had squeezed out its juice into a vessel. The risen juice had
got taste of wine, and Dionysus gave it to the shepherds. The holidays of Dionysus were marked on the
earth of the ancient Hellade way back in 14-th century B.C., where competitions of singers and poets
were held.

The father of medicine Herodotus said that “wine is an excellent gift of the nature». Here are some curiuos
facts. In ancient Rome they produce little of God’s drink, for one of the Rome founders – Romulus – had
forbidden wine drinking to the women. As a legend says, that interdiction was removed only when the
Romans produced enough wine. And the famous commander of Carthage – Hannibal having routed Rome
citizens had ordered to give the wine to his tired horses.

During the Last Supper Jesus Christ, by pouring the wine in his cup, had addressed to his disciples:
“Drink, this is my Blood». According to Christian teaching, during one of the sacraments – the
Communion – believers enjoy the Communion Bread and Wine.
In pagan Russia, when Kiev Prince Vladimir had been offered a few religions for a choice, he had
reflected and began to find out the difference between them. Missionaries explained the basic rules. The
Prince has chosen Orthodoxy, as the most democratic religion. For in Orthodoxy the wine is the Blood of
our Lord. Answering the question, why he had chosen Orthodoxy, the Great Prince exclaimed: “Drinking
is a soul’s joy!..»

Holidays of Bacchus, the god of wine, were celebrated noisily in Russia under the Emperor Peter the
Great. Those were real fancy-dress masquerades with colourful fireworks.

In the Middle Ages and later curative properties of the wine were recognized by many scholars in Europe.
The great Frenchman Louis Pasteur said that “wine can be rightfully considered as the healthiest hygienic
drink». Russian biologist professor Prostoserdov proved, that “the wine strengthens protective functions of
the body, many sick-making bacteria perish in wine during fifteen minutes; adding one third of the wine
to water makes it disinfected». It is not by chance that during cholera epidemies people were advised to
drink dry wine in the preventive purposes. Even cholera vibrios could not resist the curative effect of this
drink. Many varieties of the red wine help the human body to overcome the influence of high radiation.
Modern science has determined, that chemical structure of the grape wine is unique, a small volume of the
drink contains a set of substances and vitamins, necessary for a human body, including nickel, vanadium,
bromine, fluorine, rubidium, molybdenum, titanium and other vitally important microelements.

In the world of today there exists more than two and a half thousand of varieties of grapes, and the exact
amount of wines made from them no one was able to count yet. But abundance of wine and its availability
impose certain obligations. In Russia always, as a known poet A.K. Tolstoy wrote: “If a feast, let it be the
sumptuous one!». And another remarkable classic exclaimed:

The cup which’s overturned Is not for us among of fun. Drink and sing, my little friend, On the earth we
live for only once!

It is possible to agree with the famous poet, that “the cup is overturned» not for us! But the skill to drink
in a smart manner is the advantage of the highest way, accessible far from anyone. The famous poet of XI
century Guiyas-ad-Dni-Äbdul-Fatkh ém‡r ibn Ibrahim Khayyam (more known in XX century as Omar
Khayyam) wrote:

Drink the wine, for this is human’s friend, For the tired ones – it’s like a lodging for a night. In a World’s
Flood, storming in souls, In the sea of sorrow – it is like the Arc.

In the other, not less known rhyme, the poet wrote:

Before the wine I bow my head. My life for it, I’ll sacrifice without waver. My hand is tired to hold the
bowl, Yet, my soul stretches out to it’s mouth.

Omar Khayyam wrote, that “wine-drinking suits a king, a carouser and a wise man». For one who is
aware of measure comprehends the wisdom of being:

To the wine , that gives the pleasure tous, The fate has ordered vanishing from us, And don’t you look, as I
possess the bowl, You’d better watch as I possess myself.

And this is the major difference of the person knowing how to drink. The wine, as a God’s gift “deity and
inspiration» is accessible only for those, who feel themselves in soul “a king, a poet of life». It’s not in
vain that the ancient Romans used to say “in vino veritas». The wine is like a holiday of Being, like
something which makes our life more beautiful and cheerful! How could one help quoting once again the
king of the philosophers of West and East Omar Khayyam:

Hand me the bowl – the Being’s pleasure, As perfect as my beloved...

Oh, if all the people on the Earth could follow the advice of the Elders, then, “drinking» always would be
only “the joy of soul» and the source of inspiration for the best deeds. And our world would become much
more beautiful!
CHAPTER II ON BANKS OF ANCIENT DNIESTR

The viticulture and the winemaking on ancient Dniestr banks exists from immemorial times. It is hardly
possible to tell who was the first to bring the vine on this soil of plenty, but the historical mentions of this
crop in our region can be found in many sources. Legendary Odysseus, setting off in navigation, had taken
good wines with him. In the same poem of Homer the eleven-year-old wine is mentioned. But where had
Odysseus headed? In one of his voyages he had got just on the banks of íiras (that way the ancient Greeks
called Dniestr).

Probably, it was then when the wine had got on the territory of present Moldavia. It was in VIII-VI
centuries B.C. when the left-bank part of Transdniestria made part of structure of the Great Greek
colonisation, where an intense settling of the handicraftsmen and development of antique manufacture
were held. However, the Greeks had not come into an empty place. Before the settlement in the Black Sea
coast area they had already known the local grounds and yet in the second millennium B.C. they
mentioned them in their myths.

By the time, when Odysseus appeared in the Black Sea coast area, the Scythians (imperial) have already
been living there. Incidentally, ancient Greeks used to dilute wine with 2/3 parts of water. Having got
acquainted with the Scythians, they were surprised, that the latters drank undiluted wine. After it some
Greeks began to adopt the Scythian custom at home. But the local authorities opposed to that, and in
some policies of Greece even a death sentence was entered for such wrongdoing.

After the formation of the Moldavian Principality in 1359, the high quality European varieties of grapes
appeared in landlords’ and monastery estates. And Moldavia began to export its wine to Ukraine and
Russia.

In the book “The Historical Review of Viticulture and Winemaking Development in Moldavia», issued in
Kishinev in 1953, I. Koshelnik wrote: “The famous Moldavian lord and scholar, Peter’s I ally, Dmitry
Kantemir, in his “Description of Moldavia» marks the perfect Moldavian vineyards. He asserted, that the
Moldavian grape wine was better and stronger, than all European wines, that it was better, than Tokay
wine. When Peter I paid a visit to Moldavian lord Dmitry Kantemir, the latter treated him with perfect
Kotnar wine».

About how the winemaking on Dniestr left-bank area in Tiraspol district had been developed, the writer
and local lore expert V. Poloushin has described in the book “Tiraspol on the Verge of Centuries». The
important event for Tiraspol district was the Decree of the Sovereign, Emperor Alexander I of December
18, 1809, ratifying for Newrussia the right to manufacture the fruit vodka. Soon after its promulgation
four vodka distilleries in Kherson and three distilleries in Doubossary had appeared. All these enterprises
were owned by large capitalists. The owners of Doubossary vodka distilleries were: a merchant from
Odessa, Armenian V. Fomin, Nezhin citizen, Greek M. Zouyanov, collegiate secretary Shakhta. The first
had the distillery that was “brick-constructed» and worked on two small stills; the second had the stone-
built premise, and vodka was made on three large stills; the last entrepreneur’s distillery was “wattle-
worked» and acted with breaks on one small still.

The development of winemaking and the fruit vodka production in Tiraspol district can be explained not
only by good climate conditions for that purpose, but also by presence of a plenty of experienced
viticulturists and wine-makers: Moldavians, Bulgarians, Greeks. To the fact, the manufacturing of wine
and vodka was performed mainly by state peasants, colonists and Cossacks from Boug river. There is no
historic evidence that the inhabitants of Small Russia were occupied with winemaking, but in “Military
Statistics Review of Kherson Province», issued 1849, they were characterised in the following manner:
“Their well-being would have been blossoming,, if the passion to the hot drinks did not take away the
surpluses from the prosperous, and the last means to existence from the poor».

There were the wine & vodka making distilleries in XIX century in separate landlords estates. The
winemaking was the most widespread in such settlements of Tiraspol district, as Goyany, Korzhevo,
Pereryta, Dorotskoye, Tchobrouch. A bucket of wine cost there from 2 roubles 50 kopecks up to 3 roubles.
Six local winemaking distilleries belonged to General-Major Katarzhi, lieutenant-colonel Korba and the
other landlords. In 1811 the peasants of the district have made 900 buckets (11,070 L; 5,848 gal) of grape
wine, and the landlords – 1360 (16,728 L; 8,837 gal) buckets. In 1812 the peasants have increased the
production up to 3000 buckets (36,900 L; 19,493 gal), and landlords’ distilleries have remained at a
former level.

But, certainly, one of the most known winemakers of the left-bank area of Transdniestria, who has entered
bright and unforgettable pages into a history of development of high-quality varieties of grapes and wine,
was a well-known commander of the second half of XVIII - beginning of XIX centuries the Prince Pyotr
Christianovich Vitguenstein, Count Zey fon Berleburg. What this person is remarkable of and how had
his destiny developed, that he found himself in our region? Vitguenstein came from a noble German
family and was born in 1768 in town of Nezhin. The Count won military glory in times of Napoleonic
wars in Europe. In the years of the Patriotic war of 1812 Vitguenstein commanded the first separate
corps, and in 1813, for some time, even all Russian armies were under his command.

Prior to the beginning of the war of 1812 the corps of Vitguenstein was deployed on the western border of
Russia. On June 29-30 the Count’s corps had been stationed in a camp in the vicinity of Drissa, where
soon the Emperor Alexander I himself came. The troops of the 1-st West Army were concentrated there.
While the 1-st West Army was crossing the Dvina-river, the Count’s corps defended ways to St.
Petersburg. Napoleon wanted to defeat the 1-st West Army near Vitebsk. On July 13-14 near Ostrovno
there was a fierce combat, where the Vitguenstein’s corps fought. The Count with his armed forces resisted
to the Frenchmen near Smolensk. While the Russian army stood in Taroutino, Vitguenstein was in the
region of Polotsk. The Corps of Marshal Saint-Sir fought against him. On October 19 Vitguenstein had
seized the city of Polotsk, for what he deserved a personal praise of Koutouzov. The Vitguenstein’s corps
participated in keeping down the French troops in a triangle Tolochin–Chereya–Loshnitsa. On November
15, 1812 the Vitguenstein’s troops, after especially stubborn fight near Berezina, have taken in captivity
seven-thousand-strong division of Partouno. Vitguenstein together with the other known commander
Chichagov pursued the rests of French army up to the Neman-river. In December Vitguenstein and
Chichagov had received a mission to cut off deviation ways to the Prussian corps of McDonald, moving
from Riga through Tilsit and Konigsberg. In 1813 the troops of Vitguenstein participated in an offensive
on Berlin. In 1818 Vitguenstein accepted the commandment of the 2-nd Army, whose headquarters was
located in Toulchin, and the headquarters of the 6-th subordinated corps was located in Tiraspol.

In 1826 the Emperor Nikolay I promoted Pyotr Christianovich to the rank of the General-Field Marshal.
In two years a war with Turkey began, during which Vitguenstein commanded the army. Battle at
Shoumlya and capture of Varna increased the list of victories of the commander. The Prince Vitguenstein
was awarded seven diamond marks of St. Andrey Pervozvanny decoration.
In the beginning of 1829 the fortresses Calais and Tourno were captured. At the same time Vitguenstein
for the reason of strong health frustration was forced to refuse to command the army and retired.
He died in 1843.

Pyotr Christianovich enjoyed in Russia and Europe impeccable military reputation and authority.
Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky in the book “1812 Patriotic War» wrote about Vitguenstein: “the name of the
defender of St.Petersburg will remain precious for Russia...». As “the city of St.Peter rescuer» from
Napoleon invasion, P.C. Vitguenstein was remunerated by St. Peterburg’s merchants with 150 thousands
roubles lump-sum . His aide-de-camp P.I. Pestel wrote, that Vitguenstein really had a correct military sight
and remarkable bravery.

A.S. Pushkin in his first printed poem “To the friend verses-maker» (1814) wrote:

“...Good verses are not so easily to write, As for Vitguenstein to defeat the Frenchmen...»

There is an opinion, that the settlement of Kamenka and adjacent lands were presented to the Count P.C.
Vitguenstein by the Emperor Alexander I for his merits in 1812 war. According to historical sources
originally Kamenka had been owned by Princes Lubomirskye and after confiscation of their property,
passed to the Prince S. Troubetskoy, and then to his relative P. Vitguenstein.

The Count decided to use extremely favorable conditions of Kamenka, creating here an industrial
vineyard of high-intensive type. In 20-ies of XIX century he delivered on horses to his estate from Rhine,
from France and other places the vines of qualitative technical and table varieties of grapes (Pinot Black,
Riesling, Traminer, Alvarna, Muscat, Chaoush, Shasla, etc.) The assortment had been chosen with deep
knowledge of the business. For successful running of viticulture P.C. Vitguenstein invited to Kamenka
hereditary viticulturists from Germany, from Rhine, and settled them on estate lands.

The first grape plantations were planted on the southern well warmed and protected slope, on terraces,
supported with thick stone walls which lowered to the southern part of the slope by the picturesque
cascade. This engineer-architectural structure is unique and deserves more detailed description. Its breast
walls are basically single, double if necessary with clearances-deepeners between them in 50 ÒÏ (20”) for
the removal of thawed or rain water. The walls are erected in a more abrupt part of a slope every 6-7 Ï
(20-24’), in a flat part – every 15 Ï (50’), average height of terraces – 3-5 Ï (10-16’), length was
established depending on the slope steepness: on sites with great height difference – 50 Ï (170’) , on flat
sites – up to 300 m (1000’).

General extent of the stone breast walls – more than 4.5 km (2.8 miles), minimum width between them –
4 m (14’). On the border between the breast wall and the retained soil the return filter is provided,
preventing washing away of a bulk ground through the backlashes in masonry. The huge immovable
stones were left in their natural places and were included into the terraces lay-out. The soil was brought
from elsewhere. Two roads were laid along the terraces: one in a flat middle part, other – below. A system
of stone stairs of various lay-outs was constructed for the vertical communication between terraces. A
system of drainage channels was arranged to protect against atmospheric precipitation. Fine architectural
structures were placed on the terraces: wells, tower-shaped lodges serving as a restplace for the
viticulturists and as a shelter for the gathered grapes against rain and sun. The stone terraces still remain
on the area of more than 10 ha (2.5 ac).

The vines delivery from France and from the banks of Rhine on horses, as well as planting of vineyard
on terraces cost huge money. But the expenses were generously compensated: already in 30-ies of XIX
Kamenka estate was the largest center of winemaking of Podolsk Province. In 1836 in Vitguenstein’s
estate there were produced 1500 buckets (18,450 L; 9,747 gal) of wine. The Russian scientist, viticulturist
and winemaker å.ä. Ballas, characterizing condition of viticulture-winemaking in Podolsk Province,
remarked in statistical essay: “In sole Prince Vitguenstein’s estate the facilities were represented in a
perfect condition».

In the second half of XIX the Kamenka estate develops quickly. In the region of Koshary, two - three
verstas (3.2 km; 2 miles) from the first vineyard a new vineyard was laid out with the cuttings taken from
the old ones. There were no continuous terraces there. The planting was made on a slope, cut up by
zigzag paths; to avoid the slipping away of soil a part of grape plantations on the side of laid paths was
reinforced with the same walls, as in the old vineyard. The ground was dug over manually by depth of an
arshin (0.7 m; 28”), the ground was levelled, the excessive stones were taken out, paths were
strengthened with stones where necessary.

In four years expenses on the installation of a desyatina (4.5 ha; 1ac) of vineyard and growing it up to a
complete fruiting were estimated 929 roubles, not taking into account 5000 vines costing from 25 up to 35
roubles. To that were added the charges on plantations’ guards, administration maintenance etc., which
totally made not less than 1200 roub.

The wines produced here were considered best in the Province and were sold at high prices. So, a bucket
(12.3 l; 6.5 gal) of wine from Mogilyov and neighboring settlements in 1846-47 was on sale for 50-75
silver copecks, and in Vitguenstein’s estate the red wine was sold not cheaper than 2 silver roub. a bucket,
while a sparkling wine, made according to a technology close to that of a champaign, cost 1 silver rouble
a bottle.

Then the price for the wines had increased. In 1865 in Kamenka a bucket (12.3 l; 6.5 gal) of table wine
came on 2 roub., Bordeaux from a variety Batout – 3, Rein wine – 3-4, Riesling – 6, Muscat – 6,
Bourgogne – on 7 roub. In year specified there was made 5000 bottles of champaign.

By 1870-73 the area of grape plantations in the estate extended to 36 (164 ha; 40 ac), and by the end of
XIX reached 56 desyatines (255 ha; 63 ac). The viticulture organization in the estate was performed in
strict conformity with the conditions of Northern zone. Mainly white and early-ripe varieties were
selected. Well protected from northern winds and sufficiently warmed slopes exposed southward were used
for plantings both on the first, and on the second site. The stone walls of terraces resisted erosive
processes and, were heated in the sun, accumulated thermal energy all day long, giving it back at night,
thus creating a microclimate, favorable for the better growth, acceleration of crop ripening, increase of
the sugar contents in berries for 3-4 %. Foreign practical orcharders comparedred the influence of a stone
wall, faced south, to an average temperature growth of 20 degree s in the area.
The bushes were placed in rows on a midday line, and were trimmed to make them low and less
shadowed, as bunches, located closer to the ground, accumulating its warmth, ripen better than those
above.

Characterizing culture forms of grapes in Vitguenstein’s estate, Em. Belen de Ballu wrote in 1903: “The
distances between rows and bushes depend on greater or smaller fertility of soil and are equal to 2-3
arshins (1.4-2.1 m; 5-7’), so there are from 2500 up to 5000 bushes on a desyatina (4.56 ha; 1 ac). The
actual size of bushes depends on density of planting , but the basic form of the bush is the same: the trunk
is short to the head, it bears up to 4 branches, on which from 9 to 12 fruity vines are left, cut above the 5-
th or 6-th eye. At each trim, which is made mainly in spring, branches or old tree shortening is observed
to avoid their excessive lengthening; precisely the same way the length and quantity of fruity vines are
proportioned with the strength of a bush».

Under the indication of the estate manager A.I. Ditman another method was used: young plantations were
covered with a mixture of rotten straw and manure (up to 60 carts per desyatina), and then ordinary dry
straw was used to cover bushes for winter.

The soil on vineyard was maintained turned up and was clean from weeds. In Kamenka estate the
vineyards gave on the average 250 buckets from a desyatina (675 l/ha; 1,600 gal/ac) (other vineyards of
Olgopol district – 150 buckets (400 l/ha; 920 gal/ac).
A winery was built. The juice from the grapes was squeezed out with the help of screw presses. A special
machine was used for champaign corking. M. Ballas marked, that distilleries here were arranged
expediently, with few innovations, but there was all, that was available in the best winemaking facilities of
Europe: perfect lever press, solid fermentation tanks, abundance of clean cooperage.

The wine was produced both from grapes of the estate and also the grapes delivered by German colonists.

Vitguenstein had settled them on his land in a village of Antonovka on “rank» terms. It was a special kind
of hiring: the settlers, having received land lots for a long-term hereditary should carry out certain
conscriptions, as well as plant their vineyards with varieties, taken in Kamenka economy, and to sell the
crop only to the Vitguenstein’s estate, always at the same price – 90 copecks a bucket (12.3 l; 6.5 gal) of
wine or a pood (16.4 kg; 40 Lb) of grapes.

In the middle of 80’s a large cellar was constructed in the estate for a storage and endurance of wines
with cellars-corridors going away into the entrails of a stone mountain , where the barrels stood in rows, a
few hundreds buckets capacity each. The cellar was designed to fit 40 thousand buckets ( 492,000 l;
260,000 gal) of wine. Temperature did not vary sharply, there was the apparatus for warming wines,
which were maintained not less than three years.

The winemaking in the estate was constantly supervised by the experienced experts. In the beginning of
the present century – since 1915 – a winemaker in Kamenka was Karl Karlovich Tardan – the son of a
well-known viticulturer K.I. Tardan.

The best white wines in Kamenka were made from the grapes varieties Riesling of Rein and Traminer, red
ones – from Pinot black.

More than 70 years after planting and testing them in Vitguenstein’s estate M. Ballas wrote: “...the wines
made in Kamenka from Riesling and Traminer, as well as Bourgogne with amazing clearness reminded
me Rein varieties of wines... This identity of the best wines of Podolsk and Rein prompts what varieties
should be chosen and what wine local owners should make».

At the end of XIX in Kamenka from 7 up to 10 thousand buckets (86100-123,000 l; 45,480-65,000 gal) of
wine were sold annually. The Kamenka wines were sold locally and in neighboring west-south Provinces,
were exported to Warsaw, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, where the dealers supplied them with French
labels and sold them as foreign ones.

Some varieties of Kamenka wine (Bourgogne and Reinwein) were bought by connoisseurs for 12 and even
18 roub. a bucket.

At the end of the last century in Kamenka estate a desyatina of vineyard (4.56 ha; 1ac) gave 200 roub. of
net income (in vicinities – about 50 roub.). In spite of the expenses connected with the construction of
winery and cellar in Kamenka estate and large sums spent on the equipment, the production there gave
high profits.

The success of Prince Vitgenstein, who was the first in 20-ies of the last century in Kamenka to put the
viticulture and winemaking on a scientific basis and lift them on due height, found followers among the
large farmers of northern Transdniestria.

In 1852 a vineyard was planted in Stroyentsy: vine grape culture was to be maintained by German
colonists invited by the estate owner. In 1870-1873 in Stroyentsy, in estate of the land-owing lady
Zinovyeva there was one vineyard of 6 desyatin (27 ha; 7 ac), whose area had reached 38,5 desyatin (175
ha; 44 ac) by the end of XIX century.

In borough of Rashkovo the first vineyards were planted in 30-ies of XIX. In 1836 the successors of the
general Toutolmin have made 300 buckets (3,690 l; 1,949 gal) of wine. Many years grape vines in
Rashkovo occupied the insignificant areas.

In the estate of the land-owning lady V.F. Rodokanaki there had been laid out a vineyard for 25 desyatin,
which has grown by the end of XIX to 64 desyatin. A cellar for 15 thousand buckets of wine was
constructed. By the end of XIX Rashkovo had become the basic region for viticulture in northern left-bank
area ofTransdniestria. In 1905 its share was 220 desyatin, Kamenka’s – 88 desyatin, Stroyentsy – 58
desyatin.

On the farm Adamovsky close to Rybnitsa in 1873 Artsymovich laid out his industrial vineyard. He
brought grape vines from Kamenka and Nikitsky Botanical Gardens. At the end of XIX the vinyard
occupied already about 20 desyatin. The vines were maintained mostly on trellis wires. The straw-mats
were successfully applied, which covered grape bushes to protect them from spring and fall frosts. Some
sugar was added to the must when necessary. The wines were stored and matured in a cellar for 20
thousand buckets (246,000 l; 130,000 gal).

Large viticulture-winemaking economy was created in Groushetsky estate. On a high stony bank of the
Dniestr, opposite to the settlement of Rezina, for the first time in Podolsk Province the soil was deeply
plowed, the stones were removed and a vineyard was laid out on 20 desyatin (91 ha; 23 ac) with varieties,
brought from å‡garacha (Malbeck, Pinot Franc, Pinot Gris).

To the south of the town of Rybnitsa, in the settlement of Vyhvatintsy a vine-yard of industrial significance
of doctor S.B. Sher was laid out. To cheapen the planting and maintenance of the plants they had chosen
for the vineyard a plot of land located on black soil with a good amount of sand (layer depth from 1.5 to 2
arshin (42-56”)), where a plow could work.

After 1861 reform the grapes cultivation was taken by the peasants liberated of serfdom. The grapes
plantations were laid out and expanded in peasant economies of Kamenka, Mikhaylovka, Alexanrovka,
Boutouchan and Molokisha. However the lack of means and knowledge on how to treat the crop lead to
the bad quality of wine.

Considerable successes in grape crop research were achieved on Plot testing station in Plot estate owned
by Prince P.P. Troubetskoy. P.P. Troubet-skoy had graduated from Artillery Academy, occupied a number of
administration posts, for 15 years he had been the Head of Noblemen Assembly of the Moscow District. In
late 80-s he retired and moved to his estate. Close to the end of his 60-ies he displayed a lively interest in
scientific knowledge and nature research. He moved to Odessa where he entered Newrussian University as
a free attendant. There he studied full course of practical & theoretical agronomical chemistry. Later on
the Prince started building a laboratory edifice having ordered the equipment from St.Petersburg and Mos-
cow, as well as from Vienna, Paris and Germany. By the spring of 1894 a test station with laboratory
began to function in the estate. On the basis of special research conducted at the station a conclusion was
made, that the vineyards installation on the warm slopes was equal to crops transferring hundreds
kilometers south. This discovery opened new horizons in the field of viticulture and wine-making.

In 1906 the station represented to the Department of Agriculture of Milan International Exhibition 10
annual reports with the resume in French, 19 copies of articles and single brochures. The Exhibition jury
awarded Plot station a diploma.

The culture of grapes was not much widespread in southern Dniestr left-bank area before the end of
XVIII. In 1807 Russian government has given to the population privileges on sale of the grape wine, and
in 1810 the Decree of the Senate of the Newrussian territory permitted its duty-free wholesale and retail.
The Transdniester lands were populated by Moldavian and Ukrainian peasants, Bulgarian, German and
other colonists. In 20-s of XIX century there were as much as 730 vineyards in Tiraspol district.

The Bulgarian colony of Parkany was distinguished for its most advanced viticulture and winemaking, not
less remarkable there were facilities of state peasants of Slobodzeya, Malayeshty and Loungou Counties.

In the 1-st half of 70’s the vinyards in Tiraspol District occupied 1049 desyatin. The most suitable for
growing on the specified sites were considered: white varieties – Aligote, red – Game Black. On sandy
soils the best results gave: white varieties – Semillon, from red – Cabernet-Sovignon.

Manufacturing of table grapes developed in vicinities of Tiraspol – by 1913 such table varieties as
Shasla, Portougizer, Senso, Karabournou (Aleppo) were spread.

More and more grapes were taken by railroad from Tiraspol to Warsaw, Elisavetgrad, St. Petersburg, Kiev
etc. In 1890 5000 poods of grapes were sent from here, in 1891 – 7000, in 1895 – 32000 poods. By the
end of XIX Tiraspol District had been selling in a fresh kind not less than 100 000 poods of grapes.

CHAPTER III KVINT BIRTH

Unfortunately, in the second half of XIX century traditions of the Highest Prince Vitguenstein as for the
winemaking have begun to die away on the left-bank Transdniestria. In Tiraspol District worked one
winery with a year revenue of 4350 roubles. By the end of XIX century 30 persons worked at this factory.
Regretfully, the historical archives have no information on its particular location at that time.

But it was possible to find out what the industry of Tiraspol was like at the end of the last century. In
1897local industry was represented by three factories of tallow-melting works, two wax-candle works, one
bone-burning, three works of fruit and sparkling waters, tobacco factory, three waddle factories, two
printing houses, two spice-cake & candy factories, three oil-mills, seven steam cereal mills, 36 wind-mills,
five steam sawmills, ten cooperages, four brick and tile plants, two potteries, two iron-cast works,
workshops of mechanics and agriculture machinery, ten locksmiths and copper-tin workshops, 25
blacksmith’s shops, two furniture shops, joiner’s and carpenter workshops, carriage workshop, four
workshops for carts and wheels. Totally, at that time there were 127 enterprises in Tiraspol where about
270 persons worked.

All this manufacture brought an annual revenue of 41337 roubles. The industry of Tiraspol District
comprised 922 enterprises, where1435 persons worked and the total income from their production
ammounted 425675 roubles annualy. According to the data of the “Collection of Tiraspol Zemstvo
Assembly of 1900» 29 per cent of the city-dwellers were the workers and seasonal workers. In other words
it is possible to speak about serious development of manufacture of a District city.

What was the vineyards condition at that time? It is necessary to tell, that it was not prosperous in the
south of Russia. In 1880 in the Crimean estate of Rayevsky a vineyard vermin was found out –
phylloxera, which until then was met abroad only. The vermin was considered very serious, huge grape
plantations in France, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and even in the neighboring Roumania
perished from it. The threat of vineyards devastation in the country has forced the government of France
to nominate the reward of 300 thousand francs for anyone who would find the way of defeating that
menacing pest. The Russian government, deeply concerned by the imminent threat, had decided to
examine the vineyards of Transdniestria and Basarabia. So, in 1883 a young scientist Afanasy Ivanovich
Pogibko set off to Tiraspol District, where vineyards occupied more than 2600 desyatin. Later he left a
bright trace in a history of development of a scientific idea of our territory in 20-30-s of XX century.
Fortunately, Pogibko had not found then any seriuos t damage of vineyards in Tiraspol District. But in his
report the young scientist noted, that during the last 25 years the local state settlers had increased the wine
produce 13 times.
On the results of this trip Pogibko had written his first scientific work “Report on Examination of
Vineyards in Tiraspol District of Kherson Province, Orgeyev and Soroka Districts of Basarabia Province
and in Podolsk Province on the River Dniestr» and presented it to Odessa City public library.

And in the following year of 1884 he issued a book “Phylloxera – Vineyards Killer», where he had stated
most valuable practical advice on successful protection of the grape vine against phylloxera.

Afanasy Ivanovich had returned to Tiraspol District in 1888, when a new grape disease– mildew began
to spread widely. The scientist-innovator offered to organize testing sites of vineyards on the rivers
Dniestr, Prout, Danube and put forward a number of valuable suggestions by bringing as an example
German Colonies of Tiraspol District which had been making vineyards trimming not in fall but in spring.
A year later a magazine “Notes of Agricultural Emperor Society of the Southern Russia» published an
interesting article about vineyards disease oidiume in Tiraspol District.

From 1896 till 1898 Pogibko supervises over protective measures taken against vermin in Transdniestrian
orchards and vineyards.

It is necessary to mention, that to the end of XIX century basically low-proof wine of low quality was
produced in the District peasants’ economies,. At the same time the high-proof drinks had to be delivered
from Basarabia and Newrussia.

Confirmation to that can be found in many editions of that time. Let us open “Bulletin of Winemaking» #
11 of 1893: “As our correspondent reports from Tiraspol , Pokrovskaya Fair opened there on October 1.
Very little wine (less than 100 barrels) was brought to the Fair, yet of rather bad quality. The prices were
rather high: ordinary simple Basarabia wine was on sale from 1 roub. 20 cop. to 1 roub.50 cop. a bucket,
and a little bit better wine – from 1 roub. 60 cop. and higher».

Next year the same magazine wrote: “Newrussian Telegraph» (# 5994) reports from Tiraspol District of
Kherson Province, that in Transdniestrian part of the District the grapes has given a plentiful crop and the
wine was prepared in great quantities (many land-owners make it by thousands of buckets), though wine
is not of high quality, but the prices for it stay rather high – from 1 up to 2 roub. a bucket, and by spring
would probably double». In 1895 “Bulletin of Winemaking» informed, that in Tiraspol District from a
pood of grapes a bucket of wine was received.

The market was open. Therefore in 1896 in the center of the District, in Tiraspol, construction of the
enterprise called to make high-proof drinks was begun. This new enterprise appeared on Vokzalnaya street
(Railstation Street). Different people recollected different names of that enterprise, which was fated to
grow up in one of the largest distilleries of the wine industry of the USSR. But to be exact, it is necessary
to refer to the documents of that time, which, fortunately, are kept in archives and in the State Russian
library in Moscow.

First of all these are the documents of Kherson Excise Management of the end of XIX - beginning of ïï
centuries. Just in them we find both exact description of the enterprise and what it was dealing with in the
first years of its existence. In 1897 the enterprise was referred to as a clearing warehouse # 9 on
Vokzalnaya street. It was managed by Mikhail Trofimovich Posovsky, his assistant Grigory Vassilyevich
Belokoursky was living at a warehouse. That warehouse was not a warehouse in the present meaning of
this word. To understand better, what it’s business was all about, let us open “Report on State Sale of
Drinks As for Kherson Excise Management in 1899».

In this report the complete list of all enterprises of winemaking industry of Kherson Province is
mentioned. They are divided into two groups depending on kinds of manufacture and on technology they
use. The first group includes distilleries as such, ones where spirits are distilled , and the second group
comprises warehouses where final ready production was made from bought spirits.
There was only one such enterprise in Tiraspol up to 1917 and in 1899 it was referred to as “Tiraspol # 9
rectification warehouse». Just to that enterprise it was fated to grow up to Tiraspol Wines & Cognacs
Distillery.
What was the enterprise occupied with at the end of the last century? Our manufacture was reckoned
under number 9 in 5-th county. In the column “Rests for January 1, 1899» we find: “Excise – 35041 roub.
94 cop., for state drinks – 26373 roub. 06 cop., for unreturned glassware – 204 roub. 29 cop., commission
tax from drinks – 11 roub. 93 cop., total 61631 roub. 22 cop.»

Receipts in 1899 were: excise – 371565 roub. 03 cop., for state drinks – 279697 roub. Other receipts 204
roub. 85 cop. Total sum of receipts 654227 roub. 26 cop. To the Exchequer was handed over in 1899:
excise from spirit and wine 393170 roub. 86 cop. In the column “From sale of state drinks» the sum of
295897 roub. 67 cop. is reckoned. From commission sale of drinks through private firms, through state
management the income of 371 roub. 94 cop. was mentioned. But the most interesting data we find in
section “Preparation during 1899». Tiraspol # 9 rectification warehouse in 1899 had distilled “ordinary
wine in 40 volume proof» – 79427 buckets, “table wine» – (dash), “spirit in 57 volume proof» – 8021
buckets, spirit in 95 volume proof – 196 buckets. Totally 88959,09 buckets in all volume proofs were
produced. Totally recounting in buckets in 40 volume proof – 94119,32 buckets.

The production of that amount of drinks took 11302 working days. One working day gave an output of
“7.63 buckets in recount for 1/40».

On January 1, 1900 in a warehouse remained of rectified spirits 8620.32 buckets in 40 degrees; buckets of
wine in 40 volume proof – 2018.02. Totally was reckoned the rest of 10638.34 buckets in 40 volume
proof. In the column “quantity of glassware with filled drinks, handed over to the cellar for prepared
drinks» the sum of 136533 roub. 20 cop. appeared in 1899.

What was our factory like at that time? The answer can be also found in the same report. In 1899
Tiraspol # 9 rectification warehouse occupied the area of 2400 square fathoms of urban ground. The plot
of land was purchased for 4800 roubles. The construction of necessary buildings and premises cost 57165
roubles. For purchase of the equipment there was spent 20001 roub. 89 cop. For installation of machines
and apparatus, there was spent 1945 roub., 14 3/4 copecks. Drilling of artesian wells, installation of water
pipes and sewage system took 2765 roub. 49 cop. A sum of 294 roub. 23 cop. was paid for machines and
other tools. It is interesting, that city authorities allocated a state-owned building as premises for the
enterprise. But the most curious thing was that neither in 1899 nor in the beginning of XX century no
rectification apparatus was mentioned in the reports of the enterprise. Naturally, there the question arises:
if they had not prepared rectified spirit in the warehouse, so whence it was taken. The answer is in the
same report. The warehouse management bought the primary spirit from tenders.

But, having received necessary raw material, Tiraspol winemakers knew how to make from it a high-
quality product with the minimum expenses. According to calculations an average cost (rectification,
filling and capping) of one bucket of a drink in 40 volume proof was in Kherson Excise Management in
the year of 1899 19.8186 cop. Average cost of preparation of one bucket in 40 volume proof at Tiraspol #
9 rectification warehouses was 18.51 cop. It was a good parameter. From the whole list of warehouses of
Kherson Province (they were 15 at that time) better parameters had only Dobrovelichkovsky # 8 (16.12
cop.) and Alexandrysky # 4 (17,01 cop.) warehouses.

To sell its production, Tiraspol warehouse used services of wine stores. Documents of Excise Management
do not specify on what conditions they traded. But we know for sure how many they were : eleven stores of
the first category; 28 - of the second; 25 - of the third. Totally 64 wine stores sold drinks of Tiraspol
warehouse. It shows a large scale of production of the young enterprise.

In other sheet “About sale of drinks from state-run enterprises by varieties and proof of wines and spirit
(on warehouses) in Kherson Excise Management» dated 1899 we find in the division dedicated to 5-th
county, that Tiraspol rectification warehouse # 9 sold “the ordinary wine 40 volume proof» at price of 7
roubles a bucket was sold 80842.290 buckets on 565896 roub. 03 cop.; “table wine 40 volume proof» at
price of 10 roubles a bucket was sold 317.025 for 3170 roub. 25 cop., spirit in 57 volume proof at price of
10 roubles a bucket was sold 10597.7250 buckets for 74370 roub.; spirit in 80 volume proof at price of 14
roub. a bucket was sold 617.15 buckets for 4320 roub. 05 cop.; spirit in 92 volume proof at price of 16
roub. a bucket was sold 463.9675 buckets for 3227 roub. 60 cop.; the wines and spirits of different proof at
different prices were sold 53.1000 buckets on 278 roub.10 cop. Totally in 1899 there were sold wines and
spirits (recounting in buckets for 40 volume proof) 92891.2575 buckets for 6512262 roub. 03 cop.

The warehouse also dealt with commission drinks meant for the sale in wine stores. The known
winemakers delivered them – vodka plant of Rosenberg from Odessa, vodka distillery of Keller and
Company from St.-Petersburg, ale brewery of Goltyany association, cognac distillery of Reydel from
Kishinev.

In the first year of ïï-th century Tiraspol warehouse # 9 had sold wine and spirit for 383663 roub.86 cop.
The truth was, that the average cost of one bucket in 40 volume proof had increased because of cost
increase of materials up to 21 roub. 10 cop. Yet it was the 4-th result among the Kherson Province
warehouses. However, the failures happened. For instance, in 1900 Kherson Excise Management fined
Isakov the worker of Tiraspol warehouse # 9 for 788 roub. 40 cop for overlimited waste of spirit, wine and
glassware. And by December 31, 1900 (as the manager of Kherson Excise Management I. Dansky wrote)
he was supposed to be fined for 1099 roub. 70 cop. already.

The foundation under the initiative of the editor of “Bulletin of winemaking» V.E. Tairov of a winemaking
station of Russian viticulturists and winemakers in Odessa was of great importantce for winemakers of
south of the former Russian Empire. The station was officially opened on January 23, 1908. And in 1907
a new building was constructed near Dry estuary. Tiraspol District Zemstvo spearheaded by known public
figure of that time Prince Boris Nikolayevich Argoutisky-Dolgoroukov was officially included in the list of
the members-founders of winemaking station. The station had become a scientific laboratory for
winemakers and viticulturists. The scientists who worked there not only summarized the advanced
experience, developed their own new ideas on improvement of quality of produced wine and methods of
vineyards protection.

According to the data of Kherson Excise Management the budget proceeds for state drinks of Tiraspol
rectification warehouse # 9 for 1908 had made 764.675 roub. 41 cop., from denatured spirits and grape
wines sales the warehouse had made 3172 roub. 11 cop., and for private commission drinks 3917 roub. 34
cop. From drinks sale in 1908 there was handed over to Exchequer 589166 roub. 56 cop. And from the
sale of disreparable property the warehouse made 263 roub. 05 cop.

The sheet “About preparation of drinks of ordinary rectification in Tiraspol # 9 state warehouse in 1908»
reports the following: drinks made (40 volume proof) – 102430.975 buckets, manpower spent on 8196
roub. 49 cop., different materials spent on 11278 roub. 99 cop Average cost of 1 bucket of 40 volume proof
wine distillation had made 20.88 cop. Average cost of 1 bucket of 40 volume proof wine distillation on
Kherson Excise Management had made 23.726 cop. Average cost of one working day had made 99.25 cop.
57 volume proof spirit was made 10.322 buckets; 90 volume proof spirit – 408 buckets; 95 volume proof
spirit – 171 buckets. In its total Tiraspol warehouse has made in 1908 97,299 buckets of wine (spirits) in
different proof. It would be necessary to note, that even then (judging by documents) the quality of
production of Tiraspol winemakers was rather high. In 1908 a total quantity of 14526.4635 buckets of
drinks were rejected as defective in all 11 warehouses of Kherson Excise Management. Only one bucket of
them was produced by Tiraspol winemakers. There is no need to comment these figures and facts.
The rent payment for land in 1908 had remained as before (4800 roub.), as well as the territory of the
enterprise – 2400 sq. fathoms. Which means that the enterprise did not expand territorially, and existed in
the same form as it was constructed in the beginning. The truth was that in the column “the expenses on
construction of buildings» the sum of 60234 roub. 35 cop. is stated. On the equipment purchase 25158
roub. 37 cop. was spent. For the equipment installation 2631 roub. 16 cop. was spent. The expenses on
ventilation and the steam heating, as well as on the electric power were not present. Obviously, there were
no such facilities in the warehouse. But for using of urban water pipe, water drain and artesian well the
warehouse paid 11329 roub. 70 cop. On purchase of machines, machine tools and other working tools the
warehouse had spent 924 roub. 60 cop. For wine stores equipment the warehouse had given 1655 roub. 74
cop.

In 1908 the warehouse in Tiraspol was already in the 1-st category. It produced spirits of maximum
rectification 692.39 buckets and ordinary ones – 93272.85 buckets (totally on Kherson Excise
Management 2471585.7 buckets were made then). As reports show there was no rectification apparatus in
1908 at Tiraspol warehouse. From all the warehouses of Kherson Excise Management in 1908 only
Tiraspol warehouse had no coal-burning furnace. The number of wine stores also decreased to 62.
Nevertheless the appearance of the young wine in Tiraspol and its District was always marked as a
holiday. K. Berekashvili reported from Tiraspol in the number ten of “Bulletin of Winemaking» in 1907:
“At the beginning of September Bacchus already began his dances in all of the Transdniestria from
boisterous young wine, and in the middleof this month all grapes will be harvested in the District».

A Congress of viticulturists and winemakers was held on August 20-23, 1910 in Odessa in the premises of
the winemaking station. The Congress was held under the auspices of the Committee of viticulture of
Emperor’s Society of the Agriculture of Southern Russia, under presidency of Prince Pyotr Nikolayevich
Troubetskoy. It is interesting that Odessa City Zemsky Council was represented at the Congress by A.I.
Pogibko, while instructor-viticulturist of Tiraspol Zemstvo Stanislav Fomich Zhoulinsky represented there
Tiraspol District Zemsky Council.

In 1913 in Tiraspol in the house of Moldavsky on Pokrovskaya street the German Christian Philippovich
Shtor founded a cork plant, manufacturing caps of all sizes. They were also used in the warehouse # 9 for
capping glassware with a capacity of 1/4, 1/20, 1/40, 1/100, 1/200 of a bucket. Just in such bottles the
production of Tiraspol winemakers was filled.

In the estimate of the incomes and charges of the city of Tiraspol for 1915 in the column “Assumed by
City Council for 1915 item 4 article 4. The compensation from Treasury» the sum stands in 1592 roub. 68
cop., that Tiraspol warehouse # 9 paid to the city. However in 1915 the warehouse was already exempt
from the rent payment. In 1913 and 1914 the warehouse contributed to the city treasury the same sum.

Certainly, the conditions of work those times at the enterprise were hard. There was no electric lighting.
The workers walked barefoot on a concrete floor. But many workers, having come a 17-year-old person to
the enterprise, had remained and had been working there for many years. Anna Mikhailovna Lesnova had
come to work for the warehouse yet at the end of XIX century at the age of 17. About at the same time
connected their lives with the enterprise Maria Danilovna Sinitsa, Xenia Ivanovna Loukashevich,
Elizaveta Yakovlevna Bob who subsequently became deserved veterans. In 1902 Anna Yakovlevna
Soukhodolskaya had come to the distillery (and then had been working for many years).

With the beginning of the First World War, naturally, the production had gotten in difficult conditions,
though the enterprise was considered to be state-owned. But closeness of front and high prices for the
basic materials played their negative role. At that time underground illegal distilleries worked in the city.
Thus, in 1916 in the house of Fishman the police had found out such a production and has confiscated
everything. A similar production was arrested by officers of excise supervision in bakery of V. Pokhis. The
self-made apparatus distilled spirit of poor quality. The distilling apparatus were confiscated and handed
over for storage to a supervizing policeman of the 1-st rank, and the case was investigated by a court
investigator of the 1-st precinct.
Who knows what the warehouse # 9 would have developed into, if the further events had not happened.
To be objective it is necessary to tell, that, despite the war beginning, the state stores (through which the
state warehouse # 9 sold its production) had opened in Tiraspol and its District since September 1. The
prices were as follows: ordinary wine in 40 degrees – 12 roub. 80 cop. – a bucket, a quarter of bucket – 3
roub. 20 cop., 1/40 part – 32 cop., 1/200 part of a bucket – 6.5 cop. Table wine in 40 degrees cost 16 roub.
80 cop. a bucket, 4 roub. 20 cop. – a quarter of bucket, 1/10 part of bucket – 84 cop., 1/40 part of bucket –
42 cop., and 1/100 part of bucket – 17 cop. The spirit in 90 per cent cost 28 roub. 82 cop. a bucket, a
quarter of bucket – 7 roub. 20 cop., 1/40 part of bucket – 72 cop., 1/100 part of bucket – 29 cop. The spirit
in 95 per cent was on sale for 30 roub. 40 cop. a bucket, a quarter of bucket for 7 roub. 60 cop., one
fortieth part of bucket – 76 cop. March revolution of 1917 affected few the life of the inhabitants of the
district city. The enterprises kept working, though not for a complete capacity.

In September 1917 an independent Bolshevik organization was created in Tiraspol. It was headed by L.Z.
Shepetiyevsky. Difficulties, connected with the continueing war – mobilization of the workers to the army,
production curtailment, poor harvest and shortage of foodstuffs – had heated situation in the city up to a
limit. The discontent of the residents resulted in food riots. Multicrowded lines became a usual
phenomenon, though the City Council made the strict account of the foodstuffs and its selling to the
population. Nevertheless spontaneous pillage of stores and shops begun. Our production was the first to
suffer from disorders, because after the pillage of wine cellar the uncontrolled crowd had rushed to the
territory of Tiraspol state warehouse # 9. As the vets of the enterprise recalled later on, the spirit was
flooding. Everything was plundered and taken away. One hundred strong squad of Red guards was sent
for suppression of “wine riots» in October 1917. The squad was headed by a metalworker Vetlinger. To
help them a group of 70 people led by å. Kanchoun and N. Tomas was sent to Tiraspol from Odessa. The
order was restored, but not for a long time. Shortly the civil war broke out and in 1918 the warehouse was
not only plundered completely, but also had burned down to the ground. The enterprise had turned to the
heaps of ruins, on which hungry stray dogs roamed.

CHAPTER IV THE FIRST REVIVAL

The storms of the civil war have died down, but facilities destroyed by revolutions and wars were not
restored at once. The new authority did not have money or other means for an industry of the former
district city. The territory of the left-bank Transdniestria entered the structure of the Ukrainian Republic.
Our enterprise remained in ruins. The situation with vineyards was not better. Analizing the data of
1921 the famous scientist-viticulturist, distant relative of N.V. Gogol, the professor G.N. Gogol-Yankovsky
wrote in his book, issued in 1925: “... The present culture of grapes on the whole territory of Ukraine
should be considered as very young, being in the age hardly exceeding 50 years. The absence of long
successive accumulation of local experience represents one of distinctive peculiarities of the Ukrainian
viticulture. Almost all methods, ways and the forms of culture acquired here, are brought here from the
outside, are accepted, so to say, a priori and were applied till now almost without any changes. Tiraspol
District and the whole Transdniestrian strip of Odessa and Podolsk Provinces borrowed assortment and all
the modes of culture from the Central Basarabia... All these ways of grapes culture, brought from the
outside, in practice have appeared inappropriate in local conditions and consequently have been changed
with more or less rational additions. In 1915 on the territory of the present Ukraine the total area of
vineyards was equal to approximately 37,000 desyatin. During the war and revolutions 25,000 desyatin
(about 68 per cent) was lost; on the remaining 12,000 desyatin about 20 per cent of bushes were gone for
those or other reasons. Therefore, the area of the survived vineyards in Ukraine is no more than 10,000
desyatin. On this area of 10,000 desyatin the greatest value represent only the vineyards, growing on loose
sands (Transdniestria, valley of the river Kouchourgan close to Tiraspol) and growing on American
rootstocks (and those are safe only, which have not root system from grafts). The vineyards not replanted
with American rootstocks and not growing on loose sands, and those engrafted vines, which are fed from
graft roots, should be considered as plantations of temporary value, doomed to perish.

High-grade vineyards, totally, occupy the area, that does not exceed 3,000 desyatin, and this figure can be
considered exaggerated, if errors made at stock choice, some defects in ways of maintenance for engrafted
vines, etc. are to be taken into consideration. Crop capacity in pre-war time (on the data of Wine Syndicate
of People’s Lands Committee of RSFSR) on its average was about 150 poods of grapes from one desyatina,
so the general productivity of the Ukrainian vineyards was more than 4 million buckets. That figure was
lowered up to 320,000 in 1922 and reached 1,000,000 in 1924”.

Outstanding scientist in the field of Moldavian viticulture, Doctor of agricultural sciences and Deserved
scientist of Moldavia Mechislav Alexandrovich Pelyakh wrote in 1970 in his book “History of Viticulture
and Winemaking of Moldavia”, issued in Kishinev, about left-bank Transdniestria: Тin 1920 wine sale,
forbidden from the beginning of 1914 war was allowed ... 1921 – wine stocks run short, winemaking
equipment and the containers had become unsuitable. In such conditions the work on restoration, and then
and on further development of Moldavian viticulture and winemaking began....”. On July 26, 1921 the
Decree of the Council of the People’s Commissars of Ukrainian SSR offered: ”...To take measures for
cultivation of state vineyards and restoration of former specific and large private economies, to organize
grape and fruit arboreta, to open the winemaking cellars in regions of mass wine production. To charge
People’s Lands Committee to develop system of measures: a) of practical character to incentivize
winemakers activity... to announce manufacturing of grape wine free in places of grapes growing, as well
as fruit-and-berry drinks on the whole territory of Ukraine...”.

In 1921-1922 there were the new resolutions and instructions of the Ukrainian People’s Lands Committee
on organization of winemaking enterprises on the territory of Ukraine.

On June 23, 1923 the Council of the People’s Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR had adopted the new
resolution which read: “ in purpose of raising and development of viticulture in Ukraine... 1) To exempt
new grape vine plantations from all kinds of taxes for 5 years; 2) To exempt labor viticulturists, selling
self-made wines in viticulture regions from the trade tax...”.

Such an attention gave Soviet government of Ukraine to the development of viticulture and winemaking.
But what the actual situation was like? On October 12, 1924 on the territory of Dniestr left bank, which
belonged then to Odessa and partially to Podolsk Provinces of the Ukrainian SSR, an Autonomous
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed with its capital in town of Balta, and then, since 1929, in
Tiraspol.

In September 1926 “Bulletin of Winemaking of Ukraine”reported, that the harvest of wine varieties of
grapes began in Transdniestrian plavni since September 11, having fear, the whole crop would fall off.
The author complained on the fact, that the grapes were half-mature and the wine from it was of low
quality. Young wine was sold at retail at the price of 40 cop. a quart. As a result of harvesting in
Transdniestria the European grapes varieties gave 20-25 buckets from a desyatina, i.e. about 10 per cent of
a normal crop; hybrids – direct producers up to 150 poods. Red varieties of grapes showed sugar content
on Babo scale: Senso – 18 per cent, Rastrepa, Saperavi and Gamais – 18.5 per cent.

Quickly developing vermin mildew kept rendering large loss to the Transdniestrian vineyards.

A.I. Pogibko reported in # 12 (1926) of the “Bulletin of Winemaking of Ukraine” from Tiraspol: “the
country young wines from Zeybel have 8-9 volumetric per cent of spirit, and from Kouderka # 4401 – 9.0
per cent”.

Main wine producers after 1917 in Transdniestria were peasants. Everything was done manually and in
the most primitive way. Recalling those times in 1928 in magazine “Bulletin of Winemaking of Ukraine”
F.A. Sokoulsky wrote in the article about winemaking in Transdniestria: “Winemaking begins bothering a
peasant early in spring yet at trimming, when trimming a bush, with his hands shivering and a pain in his
heart, he makes some thinning out of branches, and at demonstration of works, during his round of
vineyards, when it is necessary to delete superfluous vines from a bush, he catches himself to his hand
with a question: “and what about crop?”... The harvest begins and is made under the own discretion, but
here also there are an imitation and common reasons. The ripening is determined by taste, touch, etc.

Some hasten to collect grapes because the neighbors have collected and it is dangerous to jeopardize the
crop to the risk of theft. The teenagers, guys-hooligans and their fathers, who cannot teach their children
to respect other people's labor, flaunting in the most unscrupulous way, make grape forays by the
beginning of ripening. In any case, if the harvest had already begun, all in succession is harvested, without
sorting on mature and green grapes and mostly, if there are a few varieties, only white and red are
collected separately. About 20-30 per cent of crop is spent as berry, the rest is processed on wine. Process
of treatment is the most primitive. The assembled grapes is delivered home, to a place of processing and
somewhere in a barn or a hut is at best passed through some crusher, usually taken for rent; at worst a
simple knotty stick is chosen and with its help grapes is crushed in a barrel, juice of which, as well as in
the first case, after 3-4 days delay being on must for coloring, is lowered by gravity and already is diluted
at will by little water and is put for fermentation; must doesn’t go under press, and is added by water with
addition of 2-3 pounds of sugar per bucket and again wine ferments; the same is done for the second time
and third, then it is squeezed out with press or by hand and the rests are thrown out. In some places, this
whole procedure is made in cellars. It is out of place to speak about cleanliness and hygienic conditions of
wine preparation under such circumstances. Dealing with sulfur is avoided in every possible way. To the
end of the wine fermentation, the field works end and there is the beginning of claques on corn husking,
holidays with regaling, delivery of wine for sale. If you appear this moment in the lower part of
Transdniestria, ignorant of situation, you’ll think that you have gotten in a country of chimney-sweepers:
you meet people with blueish black hands, lips, beard, mustaches, and most zealous of them have teeth of
the same color, let alone interiors. Having a closer look you notice, that these are those drinking, selling
and making wine from hybrids and painted over by them... Having prepared thus a cheap wine, they find
its sales at fussy consumer... From what have been said, it is obvious, that sometimes the owner himself
does not know where natural wine ends and begins some swill and mash. A characteristic parameter of
this situation is all Moldavian Agricultural Exhibition 1925, on which there was not a peasant wine, worth
a prize”.

That kind of situation could not please authorities of the Autonomous Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
formed in 1924. From the date of formation of AMSSR, as the then chief of “Moldglavvino” N.I.
Koudukin wrote in 1949 in a magazine “Winemaking and Viticulture of Moldavia”: “the Government
gave large attention to the development of this branch. In first years of the existence of the Republic
distilleries were built in Tiraspol, Glinnoye, Grigoriopol, Doubossary, Speya and others”.

Koudukin has made some inaccuracy in his article, namely, he misnamed Tiraspol enterprise, but we will
dwell on it later. The development of viticulture and winemaking was really given great attention. Already
by January 1, 1927, as the known scientist A.I. Pogibko reported in the magazine “Bulletin of
Winemaking of Ukraine”: “... In sole Transdniestria, in five regions of the AMSSR the area under
vineyards was 15,087 ha with production over three million buckets of wine, namely: in Slobodzeya area
2,096 ha; in Tiraspol – 4,760 ha; in Grigoriopol – 3,609 ha; in Doubossary – 3,772 ha, in Krasnye Okna –
850 ha... And if to take into account the area of young plantations from one to three years, the whole
amount of vineyards will exceed 20,000 ha. From the abovesaid amount of vineyards only about 16 per
cent are under European plantations, partly engrafted to American stocks, and partly are placed on bank
ridges of the rivers Dniestr, Tourounchouk and partly Kouchourgan estuary, where in spring high water
they are sunk with vernal floods, and sometimes are wholly filled in by them. The major part of vineyards
is under the direct producers – Zeybel, Goyar, Kouderk, Terrace etc., giving wines of poor quality, besides
on low lands of Dniestr valley, with the insignificant contents of spirit of 7 and 8 per cent. Both the first
and the others vineyards of Transdniestria are in use mainly of former peasants and German colonists.
Therefore the processing of grapes into wine is in a primitive condition among the majority of
viticulturists, for the peasants have no appropriate winemaking stock, they have no special premises for
wine storage, that’s why it is contained in cellars, where orchard vegetables are kept, and what is more
important, there is no appropriate knowledge”.

Taking all that into account, from the first year of existence of the Autonomous Republic and creation of
organization Selkhozkooperatsiya (Agricultural Co-operation), they had begun conducting work on
creation of co-operative winery and construction of spacious cellars for wine storage. It was the
management of Selkhozkooreratsiya who had directed a petition to Ukrselbank (Ukrainian Agricultural
Bank) for allocation of the long-term loans for the installation in Tiraspol of a large co-operative winery
and basic warehouse for wines prepared from local European varieties, with a capacity of at least 50,000
buckets, where the country grapes would come for processing into wine, which “could go as a stable
product not only to the markets of the AMSSR and UkrSSR, but also to the RSFSR”.

However, the loans given out by bank in 1924 were short-term only and with their help it was impossible
to construct a modern distillery. They were to be limited with the preparation of 3-5 thousand buckets of
wine which were sold in the first spring to clear off the short-term loan. That is, low-level co-operation,
having big ideas on serious business, was not able to finish it up to the happy end. But, nevertheless, the
preparation by low-level co-operation of wine from a country grapes in 1924 for Ukrvindelpravlenye
(Ukrainian Management of Wines), and in 1925 – on the short-term bank credit had shown, that the
grapes of European varieties, grown in Transdniestria, gave wines of good quality with the contents of
spirit from 10 up to 13 per cent.

A question of construction of a distillery in Tiraspol had become urgent. How it was solved and what name
the former Tiraspol warehouse # 9 had been given, we will learn by quoting an excerpt from the article of
Afanasy Ivanovich Pogibko “Viticulture in the Transdniestrian part of the AMSSR. Tiraspol cognacs
distillery. Moldavian Union of Fruit Wines “Sogzhim”, published in 1928 in a magazine “Bulletin of
Winemaking of Ukraine”. Depicting the state of affairs in winemaking of Transdniestria, the scientist
wrote: “One should think, that “the Ukrainian Fruit Association” first of all will construct a large winery
and basic wine warehouse for maturing wines of local region first of all of European varieties of grapes,
giving high quality table wine. But instead they constructed “cognacs distillery” for processing wines
mainly from the direct producers; thus, sales of country wines of the lowest quality were improved, and
the wine from European varieties, engrafted on American stocks, again have remained in hands of the
peasants-producers, as before”.

And further the scientist (the founder of the Moldavian fruit and grapes irrigating station in Tiraspol –
nowadays NPO (Scientific Production Association “Dniestr”) describes, how the distillery was revived:
“Cognacs distillery in Tiraspol is constructed on a place of former rectification vodka warehouse, from
which after it destruction and fire during war a chimney-pipe and a part of cellar premises had remained.
Over these cellar premises the present cognacs distillery is constructed, whose capacity is less than that of
the former rectification vodka warehouse, while its equipment can process only a part of local wine
produce in a working season of 200 working days, – 240,000 buckets of wine, i.e. is no more than 6.3 per
cent of wine, received in Transdniestria from 12,656 desyatin, engaged by the direct producers, and to
output a raw spirit in 75 volume proof. For processing the grape wine into raw spirit on the distillery the
apparatus of Gazan is installed, with daily productivity of 1,200 buckets of wine, and for raw spirit
rectification the apparatus of Saval is used, processing 90 buckets in 24 hours. They do not have cognacs
production so far that is why the present Tiraspol cognacs distillery should be called more correctly a
wines distillery. Till now this distillery has been subordinated to the Ukrainian Fruit Association (in
Kharkov), but from fall of 1928 it was transferred to Moldavian Plodvinsoyuz (Fruits Wines Union) –
“Sogzhim” (Union of Gradinary Jiers of Moldavia) which was organized in Tiraspol on February 5, 1928
with participation of 10 orchard-grapes and apiary associations, existing on the territory of Moldavia and
having more than 750 members in its structure”.

Tiraspol distillery was built up anew in 1926. In “Bulletin of Winemaking” # 12 of 1926 we find in the
correspondence from Tiraspol: “Cognacs distillery uder construction in Tiraspol will accept wines on 26
cop. for each proof degree”. A year later the same magazine reported: “In 1926 our wines were sold
mainly through co-operative bodies of Selvinsad (Country Wines Orcharders).... At the moment low-proof
wines are sent mainly to Tiraspol to cognacs distillery, where they pay 27 cop. for a proof degree”.

Enclosed with the wooden palisade Tiraspol cognacs distillery began its work on processing country
grapes already in 1926. Many processes were carried out manually then. The primary processing of grapes
was conducted on tables in the open air. From 1927 till 1932 the distillery was headed by V.P.
Drouchenko, who was replaced at the enterprise by N.P. Onoufrienko. The latter headed the enterprise till
1935.

The 85-year-old inhabitant of Tiraspol E. Dyachenko recalled: “In the building of a former hospital (in
30-s – Author’s note) there was the office of the distillery. One building of the hospital, constructed after
revolution, was there, where the eastern part of the present building of Management of the distillery is....
On the corner of Lenin and K. Liebknecht streets there was a two-floor house, strongly injured during
earthquake in the thirties. Later they have restored only the first floor and in it a club of the distillery was
placed. But as far as I see, today from the old constructions of the distillery nothing was kept. The last
building (main building yet of pre-revolution construction) which had been a spirit works, was demolished
just recently.... When I had been studying in a vocational school and later in Electromechanics Technical
School (graduated in 1932) I worked with comrades on processing of grapes on your distillery. I
remember long lines standing on K. Liebknecht street. Those were peasants on carts who supplied the
grapes to the distillery. In a season the distillery worked day and night. We brought baskets with the
grapes to presses and carried out subsidiary works. For night shift we were paid two roubles. Not bad
money for students, for the scholarship at that time made 12 roubles a month....”.

But winemakers were rapidly gaining experience. The old-timers recalled, that construction was still
underway but the enterprise already began to produce the wine and to distil spirit from winemaking by-
products. From the output spirit (though the distillery was referred to as of cognacs) vodka was made.
Within five years after the beginning of reconstruction works at the distillery the apparatus for boiling
down of wine concentrate was installed. Wine concentrate was produced in large quantity and was shipped
to many regions of the USSR. Proceeding from the main products of its work, in 1931 the distillery had
received the new name of spirit and wine concentrate plant.

During the first two years the concentrate was prepared in primitive steam baths with a double jacket. The
first bath was warmed with steam, the second one, made of tinned copper, was intended for hand-operated
mixing with a special blade. The productivity was very low in the beginning while the need in the
concentrate grew all the time. Therefore the top officials of the Republic paid close attention to the
distillery. The chairman of Sovnarcom (Council of People’s Commissars) of the AMSSR comrade Stary in
1933 in a magazine “Red Basarabia” wrote about the most important objects of the Republic’s economy:
“...in 1-st five-year plan 8 lime furnaces are constructed in the AMSSR... Tiraspol brick plant is
reconstructed, its capacity increased up to 6 million bricks a year and 1 1/2 million of roof tiles, Tiraspol
tare sawmill is built, designed for processing 40 thousand cubic meters of lumber a year. Foundry shop of
Tiraspol mechanical plant is built up anew, manufacturing grader-grain-elevators. Several power stations
are constructed, the construction of the Tiraspol thermo power station for 16 thousand kWt was begun,
three canning factories with a capacity of 125-150 million cans a year are constructed, a number of
processing factories is built, Tiraspol wine concentrate distillery is reconstructed...”.

In 1934 in the AMSSR Moldvintrest (Moldavian Wine Trust) was formed, in which Tiraspol distillery
was the largest enterprise. Those were the great times. Thus only since 1924 till 1934 the area of vineyards
in the Republic had increased from 7,400 up to 28,800 ha. The total crop of grapes had reached 86,850
tons in 1934.

In the article “Industry of AMSSR to the 10-th anniversary of Republic”, published in “Red Basarabia” in
1934 was emphasized: “the construction of spirit and wine concentrate distillery in Tiraspol satisfies the
needs for spirit and wine concentrate for producing dessert wines not only in Moldavia, but also in
Odessa region”. There was the large merit of Tiraspol winemakers in the fact, that winemaking industry of
Moldavia gave in 1934 2.4 times more of wine and 30 times more of the concentrate, than in 1933.

Just 1934 was the year of “birth” on the distillery of fortified and dessert wines. Later on mass bottling of
wine and producing of “Moldavian Sparkling” from the best European varieties of grapes was organized
on the distillery. State farms named after Kotovsky, Mikoyan, Stalin, Gorky gave Tiraspol winemakers
qualitative European varieties of the grapes.

All processes connected with bottling of drinks were performed manually. The wine was filled into bottles
to a level through the “Comet” filter. Vodka, liqueurs, ratafias and cognacs were filled through hand-
operated dosing machine of Kotelnikov. During a season must was prepared, which was pasteurized with
tun pasteurizer and then refilled in a specially processed tuns, in which sterile wooden grooves with a
control glass funnel were inserted. The tuns stood outdoors in a court yard till light frost, and then
gradually the contents were filled in bottles and pasteurized in special baths. The ready bottles were stored
in cellars up to their sending to the consumers. At that time the distillery produced out Moldavian
sparkling wines in bottles of 0.8 liter. That produce was of great demand.

The former chief of wine bottling shop Lubov Alexandrovna Pavlotskaya, who had been working at the
enterprise from 1930 till 1972 and brought up many winemakers, had left interesting memoirs on pre-
war period of the distillery’s work. Since 1930 at the enterprise three specialists-winemakers worked:
Lubov Alexandrovna herself, Nikolay Ivanovich Zakharivich and Grigory Nikiforovich Rakhmanov.

L.A. Pavlotskaya wrote about 30-s: “A small collective of workers and experts was assigned a difficult
task, namely, to start production in conditions of handicraft manufacture. It was necessary to give produce
and to develop production simultaneously. The first equipment, which we received was the apparatus for
boiling down of wine concentrate. How happy we were to get this firstling. In a primitive, in terms of
present day, wineshop no more than 10 workers and two winemakers worked. We carried out: primary
processing of grapes, receiving of sulphite must, neutralization, filtration and filling into the apparatus for
boiling. At that time we already paid great attention to the questions of improvement of wine concentrate
technology . Our concentrate was shipped to many enterprises of the USSR.... From the moment of
Moldvintrest creation (which was on the territory of the distillery) mechanization of processes of treatment
of the grapes begins, first mobile presses, crushers, pumps, filters appear. Just then the experts of the
distillery under the management of Moldvintrest had begun working over creation of qualitative wine
materials and preparation of strong and dessert wines. “Malaga” was considered the best dessert wine
popular among the consumers.

“Malaga” – Moldavian sweet wine, very popular far beyond the borders of Moldavia. High sugar contents
(more than 30 per cent) and high concentration of spirits (16 volumetric per cent) make “Malaga” both
strong and sweet wine. The ratio of strength and sweetnessallows to mature “Malaga” for a long time in
any conditions. “Malaga” is kept for decades and improves with each year of maturing. This wine is
compound and is made from a mixture of different products, some of which are prepared by boiling down
of must on an open fire, others – in conventional way. “Malaga” is made on the basis of a variety Pedro-
Jimenes. The must concentrated on the open fire, acquires burnt taste, at maturing it gives the wine very
pleasant black-prune tone. The best varieties of grapes for “Malaga” producing are considered Delaware
and Isabella.

As there was no special bottling shop (it was under construction), the wine was bottled with the help of
hand-operated machines. Pitching and labeling were also performed manually”.

At that, now already far away time, in spirit shop there were divisions for rectification, pump section,
(steam pumps of “Warkinton”), distilling section for winemaking remains. Yeast distilling and squeezing
out was done.
Cooper’s workshop was headed by G. Yakovlev.

In the same years the construction of the bottling shop and 12 amphorae began. The foremen on amphorae
construction were Vassily Maslennikov and Ivan Smirnov.

In 1935 the first-order program of reconstruction of the distillery was completed. A new director L.N.
August had come to the enterprise. Then was established at last cognacs apparatus, with which low-proof
wines were distilled into cognac spirit.

The following 1936 had become a kind of a landmark for the enterprise. As it was reported in the seventh
issue of the magazine “Red Basarabia” of 1936 in the article “Capital construction in Moldavia”:
“Construction of large wine factory began in Tiraspol. 1 million 600 thousand roubles are assigned for
first-order construction, which will be completed this year”. Construction of a cellar for a wine storage in
bouts (large tuns) and barrels began. Above the cellar a premise for making blendings and wine bottling
was erected.

The large reconstruction of the distillery with the construction of new shops and spacious wine cellar was
completed already in 1941. And since 1937 Tiraspol winemakers have mastered producing of grape juice
from a part of the grapes, supplied to them from collective farms and regions of the Republic. The
distillery began to produce up to 70,000 decaliters of pasteurized grape juice annually, which was bottled
here at the distillery.

But wine and vodka remained the main products. Annually the distillery output 120,000 decaliters of
grape vodka, 150,000 decaliters of wine, 70,000 decaliters of wine concentrate, 50,000 decaliters of
rectified spirit, 25,000 decaliters of fizzy wine “Moldavian Sparkling”, 22,000 decaliters of cognac spirit
and 6,000 decaliters of cognac.

The distillery had become a recognized leader of winemaking industry of the Republic. Its produce was
shipped far beyond Moldavia. In 1937 in the magazine “Red Basarabia” there was the article
“Winemaking in Moldavia in third five-year-plan”, which read: “In 1934 in Moldavia an independent
wine trust is founded. In 1934 the enterprises of Moldvintrest have processed 9,035 tons of grapes, and in
1936 already 17,264 t. The present year up to 20 thousand tons will be processed. A large part of
Moldvintrest products is taken out far beyond Moldavia. Moscow buys Moldavian wines, juices, fruit
liqueurs on 5 million roub. a year, almost as much is taken out to Donbass. Large orders come from Far
East, Northern Caucasus... The winemaking in Moldavia is being improved. A large conveyor is put into
operation at Tiraspol spirits and wine concentrate distillery, installation of which has cost 1.5 million
roubles. The conveyor will mechanize all processing of grapes ... From the last year a system of reception
and processing of grapes according to varieties was entered. It has enabled to organize producing of
Moldavian table wine. Already in the current year there will be made 40 thousand decaliters of red table
wine. Production of Champaign is mastered. The Champagne receives most favorable comment of
experts”.

The scientists of the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking displayed rapt
attention to Moldavian winemakers. In the article “On the prospects of development of qualitative
winemaking in Moldavian ASSR in third five-year-plan”, published in 1939 in a magazine “Winemaking
and Viticulture in the USSR”, they wrote: “Moldavia is one of the most perspective parts of Ukraine for
development of qualitative winemaking. To a greater extent this is due to climate and soil conditions of
the Republic, good sites, being available for vineyards and acquaintance of the collective farms and
collective farmers with the agrotechnical culture of viticulture... The climate of Moldavia on the basic
parameters is rather similar to a climate of Champaign and “Abraou-Durso”. ... Transdniestrian part of
Moldavia, as the “quintessence” of the Ukrainian qualitative winemaking, should be more effectively
planted with vineyards in years of the third five-year-plan”.... The scientists gave their recommendations.
They believed, that the further growth of vineyards should go expanding qualitative European varieties of
grapes for producing premium wines and “Soviet Champaign”. Among the most perspective varieties in 3-
rd five-year-plan for a steppe part of Moldavia the scientists named ordinary table wines – Aligote,
Riesling, Semillon, Cabernet. For Transdniestrian part high-quality ordinary and branded table wines,
Champaign materials, Aligote, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Traminer, Chardonnais, Riesling, Semillon, Pinot
Franc and Cabernet were offered”.

On the kept statistical data there were already 23,600 ha of vineyards in the AMSSR by 1940 .

From 1937 till 1941 the director of the distillery was A.M. Desyatnikov. Under him the enterprise
processed more than two thousand tons of grapes annually, over half-million decaliters of grape wine and
about 100,000 decaliters of wine concentrate were produced.

At that particular time a special premise was constructed, in which they have established vats for must
neutralization, mechanical filtering presses for must filtration after the neutralization. A special apparatus
for boiling down of wine concentrate was made in Odessa. In 1938 the plan of the concentrate producing
had reached 70 thousand decaliters a year. The apparatus was installed in a building of spirits shop and
ready must was pumped to it through a special pipe.

Simultaneously with the plan of reconstruction of the distillery there was the construction of new capital
buildings with cellars. The distillery already had a boiler-house with two boilers of surface heating. The
chief-mechanic of the distillery was an experienced specialist Ivan Petrovich Tyaglovsky, the maitenance
mechanic in spirits shop – Leonid Mileev.

Work of eight maintenance men was headed by a skilled spirit distiller Vasily Mikhailovich Obodinsky.
Among the maintenance men there were such competent experts, as Nikolay Petrovich Kouznetsov
(promoted later to the manager of spirit cellar), Ivan Kovalyov, Nikolay Zheltikov.

The raw spirit was distilled with the rectification apparatus “Saval”. A three-storeyd tower for rectification
apparatus stood in the central part of the distillery. That building was kept until recently and was
demolished only in 1996.

From 1938 till 1941 new competent experts arrived at the distillery: Natalya Yourechko, Anna
Leontyeva, Galina Shevchenko, Nikolay Ostrovsky. An experienced specialist R.N. Shpigel worked in the
laboratory of the distillery since 1932. She supervised technology of wine processing, boiling of
concentrate, juice treatment, bottling of ready produce. A young specialist-winemaker Serguey Koucher
came to the distillery back in 1937. It was them who had begun preparatory work for bottling of wines
and cognacs. But the updated and reconstructed Republican leader of winemaking industry was not given
an opportunity to put into practice the above-stated recommendations of the scientists and its own plans.
The Great Patriotic war burst out. Everyone, who could hold the weapon, had left for front. L.B.
Nepomnyaschy, who had become the distillery director in 1941 and his deputy E. Shwarzman were killed
in the action. Serguey Koucher, I. Kovalyov, A. Zheltikov, mechanic Levchenko have remained on battle
fields.

The tragedy of 1918 repeated. The distillery was again destroyed and plundered. Its main buildings and
wine cellars were blown up by Roumanian occupants before their retreat. Heaps of warped reinforced
concrete and ruins of plundered cellars saw on April 12, 1944 units of Soviet Army coming back in
Tiraspol.

CHAPTER V THE SECOND REVIVAL FROM ASHES

The wooden fence, surrounding the territory of the distillery, had burned down during military
actions. A sad and gloomy picture opened to the first workers who appeared on ruins. Loose pieces of
concrete jutted out from violently growing weeds. The spring sky was shown blue through gaping holes of
window apertures of rare buildings, which escaped total destruction by sheer miracle. Holes and ruts,
weeds – everything mixed up. It was especially painful to observe such devastation, because the distillery
construction was completed just before the war, and it had already reached two thirds of the design
capacity. To the end of the third five-year-plan the distillery should overpass design capacity and to
develop the production of premium cognacs from the matured varieties. Storage of cognac spirits was
made. Now everything was plundered! The truth was, that retreating Romanians had not blown up those
objects, which they had constructed themselves. In one of pre-war cellars (now the winemaking building)
they had built 8 steel-concrete amphorae 800 decaliters each. Here 60 old (yet of imperial manufacturing)
oak capacities (from 500 up to 2000 decaliters) with total capacity of 30 thousand decaliters were installed
after liberation.

Builders-masons V. Kolesnichenko, P. Beloousov, plasterer N. Kozhoukhar, joiner D. Boutsky,

carpenter E. Ivanov, workers M. Sinitsa, E. Moskvichyova were among those, who first came on the
distillery ruins. 1944 was still in progress. The local newspaper “Dniestrovskaya Pravda” wrote about that
period: “The War was somewhere away on Danube. And here, in Tiraspol, already in deep rear,
reconstruction works were in full swing. A cannery bearing the name of the First of May, a similar factory
named after Tkachenko, machine-building plant named after Kirov, residential houses – everything was
under construction or renovation. The ruins conceded place to construction sites, where new walls of
shops grew. Wine shop was under construction, warehouses were erected, boiler-house was restored, fence
was repaired, and courtyard was cleared. Number of the builders grew. The experienced foremen came
there. Among them was Anatoly Grigoryevich Ilyin... He has become the chief supervisor of building
works. First Stakhanovite brigades of Kozhoukhar, Kolesnichenko, Lizogoub have appeared on
construction. The former laboratory chief Spigel having returned from evacuation joined the builders. She
had worked before the war and knew the distillery well, so she was of great use to the builders. Ilyin and
Bougoziyanos were in charge of the technical ideas at the distillery”.
Who was Bougoziyanos?

When the Red Army pursued the enemy to the west, major B.N. Bougoziyanos (engineer-mechanic by
trade) was summoned to Tiraspol Military Registration and Enlistment Office:

– That’s all, your war is over, – the military commissar told, – you’ll go to the wines & cognacs distillery.
It is necessary to help to restore the enterprise.

The major objected that his place is at the front, but the commissar was relentless. He explained that now
the experts are badly needed in the rear. It was necessary to restore the economy destroyed by the war.
Bougoziyanos had to obey and set off to the distillery. There he was met by director Nogayenko who had
recently come back with the units of the Red Army. Together they examined the enterprise or, to be more
correct, ruins and heaps of broken bricks. That is how Boris Nikolayevich met the first builders. Then he
got acquainted with the chief of the department of capital construction Anatoly Grigoryevich Ilyin. They
rolled up their sleeves and proceeded to work. Boris Nikolayevich worked from dawn to dusk. Soon the
first mechanisms were dug out from under the ruins. Bougoziyanos with two workers began restoring
them. By that time already a site for the first part of wine shop was cleared away. The workers begun to
complete partially remained walls, to close up the holes and destroyed places. Simultaneously they started
preparations for roofing. Thus, the second revival of Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery began.
Ilyin and Bougoziyanos used to stay at the distillery till late night – they developed the plan of restoration
of the main shops. Just then the idea came to them to revive cognacs producing which had promised so
much before the war. The ideas of the engineers had found their reflection in the drawings. Nikolay
Petrovich Kouznetsov on his return from the front has rendered assistance to the engineers in restoration
of production. Here as he recalled that time: “More than ten years before the war I had worked on the
wines and cognacs distillery. Here I passed the way from apparatus-man to the chief of the shop. The war
had interrupted my work... In 1946 I again came to my native enterprise. Examining destroyed shop, I
thought, how to restore the production better and faster. Boris Nikolayevich and I have undertaken to
prepare the schemes, drawings, planning not only the restoration, but also the expansion of the distillery.
The whole design phase was ready, but there was not enough equipment. The received mechanisms were
not in complete sets”.

Under the initiative of Bougoziyanos, who was appointed the main mechanic of the distillery, the
collective of mechanical workshops remade the pumps of “PfÂifer» for the mechanical drive. The
application of those pumps increased productivity of wine and spirits-vodka shops almost twice. Other
rationalization proposal of Bougoziyanos allowed to apply the same pumps in blending of the wine
materials, which significantly facilitated the heaviest technological processes.

The work of rationalizers of the production allowed to reduce production losses three times and to improve
quality of produced wines. The tasting commission of the Ministry of Food Industry highly estimated the
quality of production of Tiraspol winemakers.
The wine press “Mobil” restored by Bougoziyanos was the first to start operation yet in summer of 1945.
Then another grape press was mounted beside it. After that blending pits were put into operation, and then
the coopers joined the work. They had to prepare high quality barrels.

On August 22, 1945 there was a resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party which
stated: “The viticulture and gardening are the major branches of the agriculture of the Republic, and also
have nation-wide importance as the largest raw materials base for further development of canning and
winemaking industry of the country and as one of main sources of increase of the incomes of collective
farms and farmers of the Moldavian SSR». For processing grapes in Moldavia it was envisaged to restore
19 winemaking enterprises, to construct nine and to organize in settlements 140 stations of primary grape
processing. On October 25, 1945 the resolution of the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR with the Stalin
signature appeared “About measures on restoration and further development of the viticulture and
orcharding in the Moldavian SSR». That resolution determined specialization of separate regions of the
Republic, specified regions producing cognacs, Soviet Champaign, branded table, dessert and semisweet
wines, outlined particular measures on restoration and development of viticulture as raw materials base of
winemaking industry, provided for a plan of restoration of the destroyed and construction of new
distilleries.
In October 1945 Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery was included in the five-year-plan. The collective of
the enterprise was given a task: to reach the pre-war level of capacity by the end of five-year-plan. And for
this purpose it was necessary to restore further the distillery.

One of the first the shop of winemaking was restored. Here there were the heroes. Preparing the buildings
of winemaking to a season, the plasterer Kolesnichenko and carpenter Boutsky carried out two norms
daily. The plasterers brigade of N. Kozhoukhar had finished the restoration of amphorae ahead of
schedule, overpassing the monthly plan by 250 per cent, and the brigade of carpenters of Ö. Ivanov had
finished the repair of roof ahead of plan. Simultaneously the main forces were directed to the aid of the
builders of wine and cognac shop. The assemblers distinguished themselves there, their mission was to
create a new cognacs apparatus. By that time Bougoziyanos had already organized workshops and
together with the turner Abramov, the mechanics Mileev and Glouschenko had found and restored details
of the old cognacs installation. Assorting fragments from a wreck workers frequently found the necessary
parts, which were at once cleared and restored. Once Glouschenko had come in mechanical workshops. In
his hands he held a small part from the automatic pump “Pfeifer».

– Eureka! he cried joyfully. – Just the missing part! Now the work will go on.

Today it looks a little strange, but then the cognacs apparatus was reconstructed just in this way, by parts.
After the war a winemaking trust shared the building with the distillery in Tiraspol. The task of this trust
(abolished in 1949) was to assist to restoration of the enterprises of primary processing. The trust also
rendered assistance to the distillery in improvement of the “know-how», creation of the new brands of
wine, preparation for a reconstruction of cognacs production, construction of new buildings and learning
to handle new equipment.

Already in 1946 the distillery had produced 140 thousands decaliters of wine materials, and the builders
had restored the major workshops. And in spring 1947 the cognacs installation was put into operation.
After modernization it became much better and more powerful, than until 1941. Pre-war cognacs shop
was capable of producing 20 thousand decaliters of cognacs spirit, the installation, restored by distillery
skilled craftsmen allowed to give already 60 thousand decaliters. It was an essential victory.
On May 28, 1947 an interesting article appeared under the headline “New workshop» in the local
newspaper. It reported: “One of these days the rectification workshop of wines-cognacs distillery has
output the first hundred decaliters of spirit. A year ago there was a shapeless heap of pipes, beam sand
rusty iron on the place of rectification unit. The collective of builders under the management of Ilyin
began the restoration in the beginning of 1946. High speed has allowed to begin installation of the
equipment ahead of schedule. And the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the mechanics-repairmen P.
Mileev and Ä. Abramov (installed the parts on spot) has enabled to put the workshop into operation ahead
of schedule. The shop will give out daily up to 80 decaliters of spirit».

It was a hard after-war year 1947. Among small and large victories of Tiraspol winemakers at that time a
main victory was the commission of the cognacs workshop.

The cognacs production was not a new business for Moldavia.

Before speaking about the history of our cognacs production, it is necessary to tell about the history of this
drink as well. The cognac is a strong alcohol drink, prepared from cognacs spirit, matured in oak tuns for
not less than three years. For ordinary cognacs (which are marked with three stars) it is allowed to mature
spirit in enameled tanks, filled with oak stave. The cognac has goldish color, a characteristic bouquet and
full harmonious taste. The history of the beginning of cognacs production is interesting. It originates from
the French city of Cognac (Department Charente). The city of Cognac is situated on the bank of the river
Charente. It is an ancient city and river port. From ancient times the vineyards have been growing around
it. Nowadays 45-50 million bottles of cognac are shipped from there to all countries of the world annually.
On rather small territory of the Province of Charente from varieties of the grapes – Folle Blanche, Uni
Blanc and Colombar they receive low-alcohol, high-acid white wines, simple and rough, but giving at
distillation the spirits of high quality, and after their maturing in oak tuns – top quality cognacs.
Depending on quality of produced spirit and cognacs the vineyards of Charente are divided into six
regions – Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne, Bois Ordinaire, Borderie, Fin Bois, Bon Bois. The
vineyards are located in concentric circles around Cognac.

The distilling of products of spirit fermentation was known in France for a long time. In the middle of
XVII century they began to distill grape wines with the purpose of making grape vodka – colorless,
transparent, rough on taste. For producing of spirit a second distillation was made. Charente vodka was in
great demand. It was widely exported. How come that vodka had turned to cognac? The sales of vodka in
large quantities quite often encountered the difficulties. There were wars with England. And the
competitors restricted the Frenchmen in the European market. Under such circumstances Charente cellars
were overstocked with spirits and vodkas, which had not been sold in the previous years. And suddenly the
winemakers have noticed, that in time these “aged” spirits and vodkas change their coloring and even
improve taste and bouquet. Then the winemakers began specially store cognac spirits for maturing. That
happened in the cellars of the city of Cognac. A new drink was named “vodka from Cognac». Then
simply the name of Cognac remained. The new drink began its victorious conquer of the countries,
peoples and continents. The cognac was called the “blood of life and soul». Today many books and
scientific researches are written about cognac. But authors writing about cognac, almost always quote
Claude Mass, engineer and cartographer, who wrote, that yet in 1712 as the oldest residents of Charente
witness, they celebrated 90 years from the time, when the local inhabitants first distilled the wine into
cognac and that the local surgeon had been the first to deal with that. In other words the beginning of
cognac production can be approximately related to the year of 1622. But the author of the book “Cognac»
the Englishman Cyril Ray considers this statement as doubtful, as the facts of brandy exports from France
yet in 1529 are known. The appearance and development of cognac producing in Russia was connected
with the activity of two largest trade firms “D.Z. Saradzhev», “K.L. Shoustov and Sons». Saradzhev, a
bright businessman, had quickly estimated the profit of cognacs producing and set off to study its
technology in France. Having come back in Russia, in 1885 he had organized in Tbilisi a central cognacs
warehouse, where he had brought and stored for maturing spirits, and after that started cognacs
production. There to his warehouse cognacs from other countries came. By 1904 the cognacs of firm
Saradzhev were awarded six gold, four silver and one bronze medals, and became in fact full-fledged
rivals to their French prototypes.

Yet the greater popularity in this field was achieved by other firm “K.L. Shoustov and Sons» due to a wide
advertising of its activity. Shoustov cognacs bore a special logo - the golden bell. The main office of
Shoustov’s firm was in Moscow, besides it has branches and factories in Moscow, Yerevan, Samarkand,
Odessa, Warsaw, Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod and Kishinev. About at the same time cognacs production
began in Kishinev and Kalarash on the basis of local spirit.

The quality of cognac depends on many factors, but most important of them are: structure of the wine
materials for cognac spirit production, way of distilling the wine materials into cognac spirit, term of
maturing of the cognac spirit in tuns, composing and processing of blendings.

In Moldavia the cognac spirits were made from the grapes with white or pink coloring of berries with the
contents of sugar in them 15-20 per cent and acidity titrated not less than 6 gr./Lt. The best cognac spirits
are prepared from varieties of the grapes, having flower fragrance, as for example, Silvaner and Rkatsiteli,
or with neutral tints, as Aligote, Fetyaska, Plavay and Sereksiya.

The most valuable for cognac spirits production are the wine materials, enriched with yeast in quantity of
1 per cent and more. It contributes to the increase of the contents of enanthe ether. The latter contains a
number of high-boiling ethers: ethylcaprilate, ethylcaprinate, ethyllaurate and others, giving noble trace to
cognac spirits. The distilling of wine materials into the cognac spirit is a process of separation of ethyl
spirit and other volatile components from wine. To understand all the complexity of cognacs production
revival at our distillery, it is necessary to have at least a general idea of the process of cognac production.
What should be done to make the God’s drink sparkle in a crystal glass?

To make a cognac first of all it is necessary to distill wine materials into cognac spirit. A simple distilling
and rectification are distinguished. A simple distilling is the separation of easily volatile components from
the mix, containing also of non-volatile or hardly-volatile components. More often a simple distilling is
carried out with additional enrichment of distillate with more volatile component with the help of
dephlegmation. In the process of maturing spirits, having a high proof, are enriched with tanning agents.
During the first three-four years the extraction in a low-oxidized form causes their rough taste, and at a
longer maturing the tanning agents are oxidized to the degree that at transition to cognac spirit they give
it softness. It is the maturing of cognac spirit in oak tuns (oxidized tanning agents products) that gives the
cognac the golden amber coloring. After 3 and 5-year maturing a sorting of spirits is made and selection
of the best of them for further ageing. Less qualitative spirits go for ordinary cognacs. The most favorable
conditions for cognac spirits maturing are at 15-20 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity of air should be
75-80 per cent. At long-term maturing of cognac spirits in tuns there are large losses of spirit, which
naturally results in rise in price of the product. From a number of known ways of cognac spirits maturing
acceleration a method of cognac spirits maturing in hermetic tanks, filled with oak stave was introduced
in the USSR.. This method was applied only to production of “three stars» cognacs. It provided the
seasoning of oak stave for not less than three years under an awning and processing of the oak stave in the
same way as new tuns.

And the last thing one should know to appreciate the products of Tiraspol winemakers,– depending on
their quality the cognacs are subdivided into ordinary, fine and collection ones. Ordinary cognacs are
prepared from cognac spirits, aged from three to five years.

For preparation of fine cognacs the cognac spirits, matured on the average not less than six years are used.
The collection cognacs are prepared from fine cognac spirits, matured in oak tuns not less than five years.

On the labels of our cognacs a white stork is depicted. Moldavian winemakers have chosen this emblem
not by chance. A Moldavian legend tracing back to the times of Ottoman yoke tells us about the fortress of
Gorodeshty which was besieged by the Turks. The Moldavian warriors fought bravely with the enemies,
but their stocks of water and food had run out. They suffered from thirst and hunger. Then, as a poet
wrote:

White storks lowered on slopes,

Where the vines were growing,
They have collected bunches of grapes
And to people in the fortress have brought.

And then, in a far away 1947, the start-up of the cognacs production had become a great event in life and
history of the enterprise. In the magazine “Winemaking and Viticulture of Moldavia» there was in 1947
the article “Moldavian Cognacs», in which there was written: “At Tiraspol distillery a new cognacs
workshop is put into operation. With the commissioning of this shop the food industry of Moldavia
enriched itself with the quite modern enterprise for producing branded Moldavian cognacs. The workshop
is equipped with four powerful, successfully mounted Charente-type distilling apparatus able to produce
up to 50 thousand decaliters of high-quality cognac spirit already this year». On August 4, 1947 the State
Acceptance Commission led by the main cognacs expert of the Ministry of Food Industry of the USSR V.P.
Krasnokoutsky, has accepted the workshop without any remarks while it was already in operation. All
equipment worked faultlessly. Therefore the Commission has given a high assessment of works of
designers, builders and assemblers of the shop. The Commission has highly estimated the contribution of
the major mechanic B.N. Bougoziyanos, under whose project the shop was built and equipped.

In connection with the start-up of the new shop a solemn meeting was held at the distillery. The
information on the results of work of the Acceptance Commission was reported by the Deputy Minister of
the Food Industry of Moldavia Zakharov. A.K. Osadchy acting since 1946 as the director of the distillery
reported on the results of the work in the first half-year. The winemakers had much to report about. The
plan had been carried out for 134 per cent while the cost of production have been lowered by 1.9 per cent.
For the high industrial parameters the distillery was awarded with the Challenge Red Banner of the
Ministry of Food Industry of Moldavia and Central Committee of Trade Union of workers of orchard-
grape state farms.

The Minister of the Food Industry of Moldavia Tifanuk arrived in Tiraspol to congratulate the builders and
assemblers of the Tiraspol cognacs shop on the victory. He said at the meeting: “...The putting into
operation of the cognacs shop is the beginning of mass production of premium branded cognacs not only
in Moldavia, but also in the Union».

Then the best workers engineers took floor. As it was a custom in those times the meeting sent salutatory
cables to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldavia and to the Minister of Food Industry
of the USSR Pronin.

In the article “The Distillery of Today» the local newspaper wrote in 1948 about the previous year of
winemakers: “Last year the distillery was already operating in full swing. Its collective has gained a
number of victories. Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery has become one of the leaders of the
competition between the enterprises of the Food Industry of the USSR. For the best parameters, achieved
in pre-October competition, the distillery was awarded with the first prize - the Challenge Red Banner of
the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and Ministry of Food Industry of the USSR. The collective
of the distillery had received the congratulatory Deed of the minister of Food Industry. The distillery
director A.K. Osadchy reported that in 1947 4,500 decaliters of wine of maximum grade over the plan was
shipped to Moscow and Donbass. One of the best foremen of winemaking shop P. Zandelov wrote about
those times: “In winemaking shop it is the hottest time now. Mass receipt of grapes began. So we have to
work sparing no effort, using all means. We use both mechanical and hand-operated presses. Working
with a small hand-operated press, my brigade has achieved successes. The hand-operated press can
process at once only 250 kgs of grapes. To fulfill the norm we should make 4 cycles, i.e., to process one
ton during one shift. We have decided to increase press productivity at the expense of reduction of time
wasted on carrying, crushing, loading and other cycle elements. In days when a plenty of raw material is
delivered, we make 10-12 cycles instead of 4, and we process up to three tons of grapes. We are four in the
brigade». In 1947 the winemaking shop of the distillery exceeded 1.5 times the annual norm of strong
wine production already in May. In the first issue of the city newspaper, printed on May 16, 1947 there
was reported, that “all city knows the names of the distillery Stakhanovites - Zandelov who fulfilled the
April plan for 180 per cent, Abramov – for 155 per cent, Staneva – for 148 per cent...».
For high parameters in work in April 1947 the portrays of Pyotr Galaktionovich Zandelov and Nikolay
Fyodorovich Kozhoukhar - workers of wines and cognacs distillery - were put on the city Panel of Honor.

The chief of the wine shop K. Onischouk wrote on January 1, 1948: “The wine shop of the wines and
cognacs distillery has fulfilled the whole annual program for 1947 ahead of schedule. About 100,000
decaliters of wines of various brands were produced. On every thousand of decaliters of ready product we
save 21 decaliters of wine materials. Annual saving of wine materials has reached 2000 decaliters in our
shop».

High productivity parameters were achieved in 1947 by the cooper’s shop, headed by Tsaryov the former
sailor of the legendary cruiser “Potyomkin”. The workers Bespalov, Stanev, Paskar, who carried out 4-5
norms a day were recognized as the best in the business.

On June 4, 1947 daily “Dnestrovskaya Pravda” reported that the wines and cognacs distillery had
mastered producing of a new product: 100 volume-proof spirit.

Local rationalizers were of great help to their colleagues-winemakers. The turner Abramov had put
forward many valuable rationalizing proposals. A bottleneck of production was turning of auto engines
crankshafts’ crankpins. They had to go as far as in Kotovsk to do it, and that cost much to the enterprise.
Abramov made a special device, which allowed turning of auto engines crankshafts’ crankpins at the
distillery. The turner-rationalizer had taken four semi-flanges, connected them with bolts, made jacks in
them for cutters and the device was ready. The tests were carried out by the main mechanic of the
distillery Bougoziyanos, and they had passed successfully.

Along with the expansion of production assortment the restoration of industrial buildings and cellars of
the enterprise proceeded.

Another very important object of that time was the wine warehouses which during the war were blown up
by Roumanian troops. Work on their clearing-up and restoration was headed by the construction foreman
of the wines and cognacs distillery N. Soulimov. Clearing the warehouse workers confronted with serious
problems. Manual clearing required a lot of workers and took a lot of time. There must be some
solution.The production could not wait and the workers were few.

The chief of the Department of Capital Construction Ilyin came up with a foreman to the main cellar and
put a particular task: “This is the most important object! Look at it yourself. It is necessary to throw out
hundreds of cubic meters of reinforced concrete and to lay again as much. It is needed badly. 50 thousand
of decaliters of fine wine should be placed for storage here. The storage of long-term spirits for cognacs
must be done as well!».

There was no need to explain all that to Soulimov. He was an experienced and understanding builder.
Earlier he had participated in creation of Karagash irrigation system. At the first stage it was necessary to
clear promptly the cellar from heaps of debris. Having thought it over together with the workers Soulimov
suggested to apply an inclined narrow-gauge track. That allowed to throw out upwards over a thousand of
cubic meters of ferro-concrete blocks, ground and trash in the shortest time with a minimum of workers.

At the second stage it was necessary to lay concrete under the columns’ bases and the columns themselves,
and then to proceed to the installation of ferro-concrete ceiling. For the fulfillment of all ferro-concrete
works it was necessary to sort more than 400 cubic meters of gravel. But only five workers could be
involved in its sifting. If that work had been done manually it would have taken more than two months.
Rate-fixer Molokov offered to use a machine like one used in a canning industry in sorting of apples.
Having gotten acquainted with the work of that machine, Soulimov understood, that it was possible to use
the conveyor. A 4-meter tray was attached to the belt conveyor, in middle of which they had mounted a
usual sieve. That tray in the top part of the conveyor was installed with an inclination. The gravel carried
by the belt passed via the tray into the sieve, through which the sand was sifted out. It had allowed to
mechanize the basic labor-consuming processes for more than 70 per cent.

On October 24, 1948 in the city newspaper there was the article “Success of the Distillery Builders»,
which reported: “Having undertaken an obligation to finish the construction of the largest structure of the
distillery – the major wine cellar by 31-st anniversary of the October socialist revolution, they fulfilled the
plan 11 days ahead of schedule... On a place of a huge hollow, filled up with the fragments of ferro-
concrete constructions, trash, a structure has arisen, which will allow the distillery already next year to
expand considerably the production of highest grades of its produce.

The navvy brigade was headed by I. Sazonya. They have prepared a good deal of works for fitters,
concrete workers and carpenters.... All debris were taken out with the help of mechanically driven trolleys
with simultaneous loading into trucks. A welding torch was widely applied for cutting reinforcement iron.
For the first time in practice of construction of our city mechanized gravel sifting with the help of the
conveyor was applied. More than three quarters of all works are carried out by mechanisms. P. Rashkovan,
the fitter, following the advice of the foreman Soulimov has applied a device, designed by Alexander
Bourin the builder known by all country from Gorky Automobile Plant – had made Bourin’s auto-puller
for an extension of the reinforcement iron and the scissors to cut the wire. It has sped up the preparation
of the fixture and has allowed his brigade to carry out 300 per cent of the norm... Three brigades of
concrete workers in 18 days before the holiday of October revolution have laid 500 cubic meters of
concrete. Yesterday the last cubic meter of concrete was laid.

And a year earlier in September 1947 A. Ilyin summarized the activity of the builders in the article: “The
Builders Do Not Lag Behind The Winemakers»: “The builders and the assemblers during a short period of
time have restored and put into operation 1,300 sq. m. of the industrial areas. They have restored the shop
of spirit production, boiler-house, wine shop and other structures»... The smith Lozinsky, despite his 57,
has provided an uninterrupted work for carpenters. A brigade of carpenters of E.M. Ivanov has
preschedully commissioned 4000 sq. m. of roof. The brigade of the joiners of Oykherman has carried out
the norm for 270 per cent and by that fact reduced the time of manufacturing of window sashes for the
main premise. Now the builders carry out an important mission on restoration of a central part of the main
premise. They have undertaken to finish this work by November 7. The site is supervised by N.N.
Soulimov».

Restoring the factory, the winemakers participated in revival of the city. For instance in 1947, beginning
of 1948 the workers of wines and cognacs distillery have fulfilled more than 960 man-hours on restoration
of the city theater. A female brigade, headed by exemplary workers Maslennikova, Pisarenko, Namashko
distinguished itself there. The builders of the distillery participated in restoration of the building of city
railroad station.

In April 1949 the members of Komsomol of the wines and cognacs distillery planted more than 80 trees in
ä. Liebknecht street.

Since 1948 the winemakers began to build three-story dwelling house for their workers. In 1950 twenty-
four families celebrated their house-warming. Among the new tenants there were the experts who came to
the enterprise after the graduation of winemakers' courses in Moscow – Elena and Vassily Lebedev. Thus
together with the city the distillery revived from ashes.

CHAPTER VI BANNERS OF VICTORIES

Today much has changed in our life from that far away after-war time: conditions of work, quality of
production, methods and forms of working encouragement. The life does not stand at spot, all the time it
moves ahead. But, looking back, we should judge that or other event, proceeding from the conditions of
those years. And in those far away years it was a custom to celebrate the successes of labor collectives in
accordance with revolutionary traditions – with Red Banners.

Having started to revive, having gotten scaffolds and new foundation pits, simultaneously the distillery
began to fulfill and overfulfill the tasks put by the Republic’s government.

Already in March 1948 the city newspaper had reported in an editorial: “In compliance with their
obligations to fulfill the five-year-plan in 4 years... the workers of canneries named after May the 1-st and
after Tkachenko, as well as those from the distillery have increased three times gross output of their
production in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year”.

In April 1948 for industrial successes wines and cognacs distillery was awarded with the Challenge Red
Banner of Ministry of Food Industry of the USSR and All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and the
second money prize. The collective of our enterprise had won this then honorable trophy for the third time
in 8 months. Moreover in the same period the Tiraspol winemakers won twice the Challenge Red Banner
of Ministry of Food Industry of Moldavia and three times the Challenge Red Banner of Executive
Committee of Tiraspol City Council.

A half-year’s plan was fulfilled by winemakers in 4 months and 21 days. The total sum of produced wines
was 832 thousand roubles.

Our factory has become the leader of the city competition which was wide-spread in 1948. Already on
October 3 the winemakers reported about prescheduled fulfillment of the annual production program and
decided to produce by the end of the year products worth 400 thousand roubles over and above the plan.

Altogether in 1948 the collective of the distillery headed by A.K. Osadchy three times won the Challenge
Red Banner of Ministry of Wine Industry of the USSR and All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions ,
five times – Republican Banners and repeatedly the city ones. Many workers fulfilled 1.5-two norms daily.
The best of the best were the winemaker Zandelov and cooper Silayev.
The six months plan of the next year was also fulfilled by the distillery ahead of schedule. And already on
July 14, 1949 it had fulfilled the 8-month production program. That time the best among shops was
cognacs workshop, headed by E. Boudanov. Boudanov came to the enterprise just after war. His father
died when he was 14. With the beginning of the war he had left for front where he was wounded and
transferred to the reserve. After his recovery the former soldier had not lost his heart but had entered the
Moscow Technological Institute of Food Industry. After graduation in 1947 he came to work at Tiraspol
distillery. In 1948 the shop, headed by E. Boudanov was also the leader of the distillery competition, it was
the first to fulfill ahead of schedule the annual task and had produced 5,000 decaliters of high-quality
products.

The plan of 1949 was fulfilled by the winemakers for 10 months, and the total output was 60 per cent
more than that of the whole 1948. For the first time the distillery had reached the pre-war volume of
production. The best results were again shown by cognacs shop. In the shop a brigade headed by Nikolay
Zenin had achieved the best parameters. The monthly average output of the distillery in comparison with
1948 had increased by 76 per cent. 16 best workers of the enterprises had been working already on
account of 1952-1953. At that time a movement for trades combination was launched at the enterprise.
The masons Nikolay Kozhoukhar and Vassily Kolesnichenko who had mastered the trade of plasterer were
the authors of that initiative. The labor productivity had grown in 1949 by 52.8 per cent in comparison
with the previous year.

Very successfully the distillery began the season of winemaking in September 1950. Within a few days
more than 300 tons of grapes were processed while the year plan was 500 tons. The season of grapes
processing, as the main engineer of the enterprise N. Kasprevich reported in the city newspaper was over
ahead of schedule. Malaeshty reception station was the best among the enterprises of primary processing.
In October 1950 another important date was entered into the distillery annals. The enterprise of Tiraspol
winemakers was first in winemaking industry of the Republic to fulfill the 5-year plan. In IV quarter the
annual plan was overfulfilled for 7 million roubles, which makes 86 thousand decaliters of various wines.
Annual output of wines in 1950 made 252 thousand decaliters. Totally in 5 years the distillery produced
cognacs and wines for 12 million 780 thousand of roubles over and above the plan. During the first half of
1951 the output over the plan worth already four million roubles. From month to month, from year to year
the distillery kept on increasing its outputs. By November 2, 1951 the annual task was fulfilled. By the end
of the year the enterprise had made wine-cognac produce for 8 million roubles more.

The next five-year-plan was as successful for the collective of Tiraspol winemakers as the previous one. In
terms of gross output the plan was fulfilled 1 year and three months ahead of schedule. In 1954 the
collective had output the production for 13 million roubles over the plan . At the same time the
winemakers decided to fulfill the five-year-plan completely by March 1, 1955 and to give an excessive
produce for 600 million roubles. The winemakers fulfilled their obligation just in time. The annual plan of
1955 was fulfilled by December 2. By the end of the year the collective produced more than 400 thousand
decaliters of wine.

The quality of the produce of Tiraspol winemakers was so high, that it was desired in different parts of
then single and indivisible state. The wines and cognacs of Tiraspol winemakers were shipped in 1957 to
Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Tomsk, Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Khabarovsk, Irkoutsk, Vladivostok,
Sakhalin and Kamchatka, Estonia and Lithuania.

If in 1946 the total volume of the enterprise production made more than 26 million roubles, in 1956 this
figure was already more than 103 million roubles. However alongside with the successes at that time there
were difficulties too. Plan for assortment was not always fulfilled and frequently it was not the winemakers
fault. The main reason was in an unsatisfactory supply with the raw materials. As it was accepted at that
time the state farms and the wineries of primary winemaking to the end of a season submitted data on
amount and quality of wine materials.
On the basis of those data Moldglavvino developed the supply plan of these materials to the enterprise.
But in those times the procedure of drawing up and approving of the plan was involved in red tape. As a
result the plan came to the enterprise at the end of the first quarter of the year. Then, the wine materials
supply did not correspond to the schedule of wine production. This resulted in a complete chaos from
which the enterprise suffered.

The system of book-keeping which existed then at the enterprises of winemaking industry also hampered
the organization of rational production. The chief-accountant of the enterprise A. Neoudagin spent long
hours thinking how to simplify this cumbersome accounting system. In 1957 he had begun introducing it
in the production. In his activity he used an advanced experience of the enterprises of winemaking
industry of Moscow and Leningrad. Before the introduction at the enterprise of the new method of
accounting up to two thousand orders on materials had been drawn up monthly. An innovation in
accountancy had allowed to enter combined monthly intake limit cards, that were spent no more than 15-
20 pieces a month. An operative method of the materials accountancy was introduced instead of the card
accounting. It had enabled to get rid of laborious work on duplication of records in the memory sheets,
cards of the analytical account, turnover sheets..., etc. Instead of all those listed documents one balance
book was entered, and the cards of the materials quantitative account were transferred to a warehouse. As
a result the time of processing of the primary documentation was reduced to 6-7 days. The number of
employees engaged in that work decreased.

A similar method was applied for accounting of the basic raw material, semi-finished and ready products
which allowed not only to simplify the accountancy but also to ensure a reliable control, considerably
reduce the terms of reports representation. But the main thing was that the simplification of the
accountancy released the chiefs and technologists of shops from drawing up of the primary
documentation, that allowed them to give more of attention to the questions of the “know-how» and
organization of labor.

On November 1, 1957 a 7-hour working day was introduced at the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery.
However, the reduction of working time by 1 hour had no effect on production parameters of the
collective. The plan of the first month was fulfilled for 102 per cent.

The high production parameters of the collective in after-war five-year-plans were the result of not only
diligent labor of its workers, but also purposeful activity aimed at growth and reconstruction of the
distillery, creative search of innovators of the production, searching for decisions in the most difficult
situations of the hard after-war period.

CHAPTER VII NEW SHAPE

The distillery reached its pre-war size in 1948, the same year the plan of reconstruction and expansion of
the distillery was adopted. It was implemented under the management of Alexander Kalinkovich Osadchy
who had become the distillery director in 1946.

In 1949 the enterprise was officially given a new name. From that year on it was referred to as the
Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery. According to the resolution of the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR,
issued at the end of 40-s, a complete reconstruction of the distillery was envisaged. There was adopted a
general plan of the distillery development. In 1949 works on construction of the new boiler-house which
capacity should have exceed three times the capacity of the existing one had begun, the construction of
new bottling shop and a new building for producing and maturing of cognacs had begun.

The same year an intensive work on mechanization of labor-consuming processes began. Thus, a press of
continuous operation, pumps for swapping grape juice were installed, the stations of primary processing of
grapes were completely electrified. Implementation of these measures allowed to increase an output of
grape juice by 8,5 per cent, as wella as to improve considerably the quality of the produced wine materials.

On April 6, 1950 a new Madeira chamber was put into operation, and also a powerful for those times
boiler-house was commissioned. The director of the enterprise D.A. Kozlitin wrote about it in 1957 in a
magazine “Winemaking and Viticulture of the USSR»: “At the moment the distillery is completely
mechanized, more than 600 persons work here. The capacity of the enterprise – 1500 thousand dal. of
wine, cognac and spirit a year... At the distillery the new boiler-house with three boilers with a total
surface of heating of 300 sq. m. is constructed».

One of those, who had been building the new boiler-house, was Alexander Andreyevich Dimitrenko . He
came to the distillery in 1928. In 1933 he was selected as the chairman of the Distillery Trade Union
Committee. Next year the fireman Dimitrenko was elected a Member of City Council and Member of
Central Executive Committee of the AMSSR. In 1941 he had set off for front from Tiraspol. In fall of
1944 he participated in forced crossing of Vistula and seizure of Sandamir bridgehead as a commander of
a machine-gun platoon.

The master sergeant Dimitrenko saw action in Czechoslovakia and Germany, attacked Berlin and fought
for Prague. After the war he returned to the home distillery and participated in its restoration. He carried
bricks, erected walls. But as soon as the boiler-house was restored, he returned to his former work of a
senior stoker.

In 1951 in Moscow the first All-Union meeting of active members of winemaking industry was held to
summarize the work of the branch in the previous year. Delivering the opening speech å.Ä. Parshikov
said, that: “...the winemaking industry has successfully managed to fulfill the plan of wine producing.
However, there is a number serious shortcomings in the work of the industry, especially in the field of
capital construction and mechanization of labor-consuming processes at winemaking enterprises».

Chief engineer of the distillery N.I. Kasprevich has also made a speech at the meeting in which she said:
“Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery is the largest winemaking enterprise of Moldavia. After its
reconstruction, which now comes true with the construction of cognac’s workshop its capacity will
increase significantly. In his report Mr. Azarashvili (Chief of Glavvino (Main Wine Dept.) of Ministry of
Food Industry of the USSR in 1951 – Author’s note) has specified, that a number of enterprises do not
spend allocated funds on capital construction. We do not belong to such enterprises. Ministry of Food
Industry of the USSR should render the necessary aid to the distillery – to supply it with construction
materials and equipment. ...Our primary winemaking stations processing dosens of thousands of tons of
grapes and making hundreds decaliters of wine materials, are short of industrial premises. Sometimes
there is a lack of water for processing of containers. Quite often this results in the decrease of quality of
wine materials and sometimes it may cause their complete spoilage. Instead of necessary barrels they send
us 50-liter plywood kegs. The distillery does not receive spare parts for the winemaking equipment and is
compelled to make them in a handicraft way».

However, the wishes and requests spoken out by the chief engineer of the distillery were not heard. The
construction and the reconstruction of the enterprise were delayed. Therefore at the All-Union meeting of
active members of winemaking industry in 1952 N.I. Kasprevich had asked again to be given the floor and
had depicted a situation at the enterprise. The stress in her speech was made on the delay in distillery
reconstruction. The chief-engineer had asked to assist in obtaining the necessary materials to complete the
construction of the enterprise and, first of all, that of spirits depository. Kasprevich emphasized from a
high rostrum: “ it is necessary for the distillery to receive as soon as possible the butts provided in the
reconstruction plan. Not less necessary are the enameled blending capacities, auto-loader and spare parts
to the winemaking equipment. Because of the incomplete delivery of equipment, and particularly of four
distilling apparatus shipped by the Glavpischemash plant named after Yaroslavsky without pipe
connection and fixture, the Tiraspol distillery is unable to begin their mounting. The wine production is
increasing from year to year.., and in this connection there is urgent need for the advanced equipment for
reprocessing of waste products into rectified spirit. In comparison with the production volume of 1946 the
Tiraspol distillery has increased its output about 20 times. With this scale of production the distillery does
not have enough accounting workers».

Today the last question would sound absurd: an enterprise board may take any decisions on the staff of its
employees. But then, in the beginning of 50’s, the procedure of staff revising could take years. There were
too much bureaucratic obstacles. The whole system of production management was bulky and slow.

Nevertheless, the reconstruction of the enterprise kept going, though not so quickly as it should be. In May
1952 the works on the enterprise territory improvement were started, yard and passages were paved. A
front yard at the entrance to the distillery was paved with granite. During 1952 more than three thousand
square meters of the distillery’s territory were covered with stone.
Alongside with the improvement the reconstruction and modernization of the distillery went on. In
February 1956 they installed in wineshop frame filters, allowing to significantly improve wine filtering.
The engineer - technologist of the shop Tamara Mikhaylovna Vinichenko had a chance to see for herself
the use of this innovation.

In the beginning of 50’s the powerful transformer substation was put into operation. Judging by the
statistics it was a period of great changes at the enterprise. In 1955 the rate of mechanization of the
production process was 85 per cent against 7-8 per cent in 1950. In the enterprise’s shops powerful pools
with mechanical mixers for wine blending, mechanical pumps for swapping, pasteurizers and refrigerators
were installed.

The builders erected a warm platform for cargo handling works.

Considerable transformations were planned at the distillery for the sixth five-year-plan. The newspaper
“Dnestrovskaya Pravda» on March 28, 1956 reported in its editorial about wines & cognacs distillery:
“...in comparison with 1955 the output will increase by 20.6 per cent, the labor productivity will increase
by 34.8 per cent. They will construct at the distillery a new modern bottling shop and cellar wine
repository. It is planned to install the elevator for barrels in amphorae section, conveyor for the supply of
cases with ready production from the bottling shop onto the platform and into the car, intercom between
the shops, second compressor in the refrigerator, to mechanize supply of bottles from the warehouse into
the bottling shop and transportation of barrels from one shop to another».

By the way, the built wine repository should hold 600 thousand decaliters of wine materials, that is six
times more, than all predecessors taken together. It was planned to install more than 200 reinforced
concrete reservoirs and tanks of large capacity in it. From 1948 till 1957 for convenient and more effective
handling of production from warehouses, and also for delivery of materials into the warehouses a railroad
track was laid. A refrigerating installation with heat-exchangers and pasteurizer for the improvement of
wine quality and its stabilizing was mounted. A non-stop rectification apparatus of firm Golzem-Grimm,
letting out 600 decaliters of high-quality rectified spirit a day was installed. For that purpose a new shop
had to be constructed. In the first year of the sixth five-year-plan gauges were mounted in wine-blending
shop, passports were attached to all butts and amphorae indicating the data of the wines filled in them, an
obligatory pasteurizing of white and rose wines was introduced. In order to improve the produce quality,
low-temperature processing of wine was applied following an example of the like advanced enterprises.

For transportation of wines and cognacs within the shops of the enterprise they had mounted a 1,750
meters long winepipe from heat-resistant glass which replaced rubber hoses, which significantly raised the
culture of production and, what is more important, reduced losses during the pumping of liquids.

Finally, thanks to the efforts of the chief engineer and service of the chief mechanic the distillery was
supplied with high-duty filters and pumps. Their work was completely mechanized. The enterprise had
received electric cars and autoloaders. The feeding of bottles and cases to the bottlery and ready produce
warehouse was mechanized and was made by special conveyors.

The butts facilities were also modernized. It consisted then of enameled tanks, ferro-concrete amphorae
and other containers for the storage of wine produce of general capacity up to one million decaliters.

This mechanization though was far from perfection, but, nevertheless, had allowed to facilitate
considerably the most labor-consuming processes, had allowed to increase capacity of the distillery and
had enabled to output up to 30 brands of wine and 5 cognac brands.

If in 1946-1955 the distillery output of wine produce (basically in casks) averaged 120 thousand decaliters
a year, then in 1955-1957 it was already more than one million decaliters. By the end of 1957 the
distillery output already up to 1.5 million decaliters of wine produce. And more than 80 per cent of
produce was already bottled. The wine and cognacs preparation for shipment was carried out in a shop of
finished produce.

After the war a bottles preparation shop was created at the distillery which was headed by P. Khasik. Daily
in those years his team unloaded tens of thousands of new and return bottles. After processing they went to
the bottling shop. For the improvement of production process its collective adopted time-saving stacking
techniques from their Odessa colleagues. The workers of the warehouse of this shop N. Louzhanskaya, E.
Kriousha and others reduced twice the time of bottles unloading from cars. The unloading time of a four-
shaft railroad car was reduced from 8-10 hours to four hours.

In 1957 the installation and mounting of the imported equipment – lines of sterile bottling for semi-sweet
wines begun on the distillery. However because of the difficulties with complete sets the commission of the
refrigerating chamber in wine-blending shop was at that time disrupted. On the eve of a new 1958 in the
same shop a new high-duty centrifuge for wine clarification was mounted. A new equipment was
established in spirit distilling shop. And to master it, Tiraspol winemakers had to borrow experience from
their colleagues from the Vinnitsa distillery.

Because of the introduction of powerful rectification plant of continuous operation a sharp shortage of
steam in the other shops had become to be felt. It was necessary to obtain a decision of Sovnarkhoz
(Council of National Economy) of the Republic permitting cooperation with the plant named after May
the 1-st, which had a surplus of steam in winter time. This resulted in a steam pipe-line connecting two
enterprises.

In the second half-year of 1959 and the first quarter of 1960, at last, a new wine repository for 600
thousand decaliters was put into operation and a total capacity of well equipped wine repositories with
large tanks reached more than 1.5 million decaliters. The wine storage in cellars in large capacities
allowed to reduce losses sharply: from 6 per cent to 1.2, which saved more than one million roubles a year.

An additional 400-meter-long railroad branch was laid to the new wine repository.

In 1959 there was established a signal system of production processes, which enabled to reduce the
number of workers and to improve communication between shops. Cargo handling works at the distillery
were 50 per cent mechanized, due to which 10 workers-loaders were liberated. The distillery had received
an opportunity to ship daily from its railroad branch to the different parts of the USSR 10-12 cars of ready
production and to receive 18-20 cars of the most diverse loads.

A complex packing of winemaking produce for northernmost regions where Tiraspol winemakers shipped
annually more than 500 cars was mechanized completely.

The efforts of the collective aimed at perfection of technological processes have resulted not only in the
improvement of the produce quality, but also reduced its prime cost.

The magazine “Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia» wrote in 1959 about Tiraspol wines and
cognacs distillery: “At the moment the distillery outputs 95 per cent of all the cognacs of Moldavia and
more than 20 per cent of bottled wine produce. It has large shops equipped with spacious capacities and
newest machines – plate pasteurizers, refrigerating machinery, mechanized bottling lines... In connection
with impossibility of further expansion of territory of the distillery, the growth of output, increase of labor
productivity and reduction of the cost will be executed due to introduction of new technologies, advanced
methods of labor, replacement of morally obsolete mechanisms and units by new ones, i.e. at the expense
of mobilization of all internal resources and creative initiatives of the working and non-production staff.

In the book “Winemaking and Wines of Moldavia» by G.I. ä‡lougina, Ä.í. Samarsky, N.å. Roudneva
issued in 1957 in Moscow there was written: “The largest distillery of the Republic is the Tiraspol wines
and cognacs distillery». The enterprise became like that at the end of 50’s due to not only reconstruction,
mechanization, but also, mainly, to people, who have become a high-professional collective of
winemakers, defining a new shape of the enterprise.
CHAPTER VIII OUR IDEA’S INQUISITIVE FLIGHT...

One of those, under whose management the distillery found its new shape was Demyan Antonovich
Kozlitin, an athletic-built person, with lively gray eyes. For thirty years he had been working in
winemaking industry. In 1945 Demyan Antonovich had come to Moldavia, and since 1954 till 1966 he
had been heading our enterprise. He was not just a good manager, but also a person, keenly interested in
reconstruction and preservation of a history of our distillery. His articles about advanced experience, about
the people with creative ideas were printed not only in the city newspapers, but also in magazines
“Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia», “ Viticulture and Winemaking of the USSR». He encouraged
work of rationalizers and created all conditions for the implementation of their ideas.

He was a lucky man in that respect. He had an experienced, bright and creative assistant – chief-engineer
of the enterprise Nadezhda Ivanovna Kasprevich. Many after-war achievements and victories of Tiraspol
winemakers were connected with the name of that woman. For long years Nadezhda Ivanovna headed the
Technical Council of the enterprise, supervised the work of the NOT (Department for Scientific
Organization of Labor). Kasprevich was born in 1912 in Riga. In youth she took a great interest in
chemistry. In the second half of 20-s Nadezhda entered the Tiraspol horticulture and viticulture technical
school. In 1930 the young graduate received the diploma of technician-viticulturist and left for work to
Odessa winery. But the destiny again returned her back in our city. Kasprevich became a student of the
Tiraspol agricultural institute. The chemistry gained the upper hand again. From the second year she
began working in a laboratory of agrochemistry. She had to combine the studies with the bringing-up of
her elder son Ilya. But the desire to learn was so great, that in 1932 she had graduated from the Institute
and received an honor diploma. Her obvious faculties for science had been noticed by the Institute
scientists and she was left at the agrochemistry department. At first Nadezhda Ivanovna was an assistant,
then she was promoted to the rank of the assistant professor. In 1938 her husband left for army to serve as
an officer. With the beginning of the war Nadezhda Ivanovna and her two small children – ten-year-old
Ilyusha and two-year-old Volodya – were evacuated to Bashkiria. There she did not sit at home, but
worked as an agriculturist in the collective farm “Krasny Oktyabr» of Bouratayevo area. As for the grapes,
Kasprevich had to forget it. Nadezhda Ivanovna grew the most necessary food products: potato, cabbage,
beet.

As soon as Tiraspol was liberated, Kasprevich returned to her second Native Land. The Institute existed
no more, but she was not despaired and soon she became one of the first experts of the destroyed
enterprise. First she was appointed as a Manager of Laboratory, then as a Senior Technologist of the
enterprise and only after her abilities had been displayed, she became Chief-engineer. Nadezhda Ivanovna
had to care both of restoration of the enterprise and its provision with technological equipment.

At that time the love for chemical experimentation helped Kasprevich to supervise over creation of the
best cognacs in the USSR. Nadezhda Ivanovna was always distinguished by her desire to make the
production more perfect. Thanks to her effortsIn a new equipment for bottling shop was installed at the
distillery in 1955. To use it more effectively, she had set off to liqueurs and wines distillery in Leningrad,
where the similar equipment already successfully worked. Certainly, “the chief» could send somebody else
for an exchange of experience. But she believed, that before requiring anything from anybody, it was
necessary to understand all subtleties by herself. The group of Tiraspol winemakers had thoroughly
studied the peculiarities of the new equipment, and later it helped them with its introduction in
production.

When it was necessary to lower the cost price of the produced spirit Kasprevich went to the similar
enterprise in Vinnitsa. Nadezhda Ivanovna herself was occupied with creativity and encouraged work of
production rationalizers. For many years a technological society worked at the enterprise under her
management. Kasprevich was chosen the rector of people’s university of advanced experience and
technology. Among the first seventeen persons in the USSR Nadezhda Ivanovna was awarded a rank of
the Honorable Member of the Technological Society of the USSR food industry in February 1962. On
November 5, 1965 for merits in development of winemaking industry and achievement of high industrial
parameters, as well as for creation of the new brands of Moldavian wines and cognacs Kasprevich was one
of the first in Moldavia to be awarded with an honorable rank of the Deserved Winemaker of the
Moldavian Republic.
Nadezhda Ivanovna was not only an experienced and skillful winemaker, but also a talented rationalizer.
She helped many innovators at the enterprise to implement their projects. And if she saw, that a person
could do more, than to be just an ordinary executor, she helped and sometimes insisted, that that person
learned further. With her blessing the workers of our enterprise Vassily Semyonovich Lebedev, Boris Ilych
Yampolsky, Vladimir Gavrilovich Serbov got higher special education and later became good winemakers.

Under the directorship of Nadezhda Ivanovna a whole galaxy of workers-rationalizers has grown at the
distillery.

One of the most gifted workers-rationalizers of after-war time was the turner I.å. Abramov. Already in
1949 Ivan Markovich was considered an indispensable innovator of production. In those years there were
serious problems at the enterprise with “Pfeifer” pumps because of their imperfect design. The
replacement of expensive parts and frequent breakdowns of pumps inspired Abramov to improve that
outdated equipment. Ivan Markovich offered to make necessary spare parts from simple and cheap
materials. He made prototypes by himself. The experiment had passed successfully and the modernized
pump began working without failures. Due to this fact its productivity had increased twice. The same time
Abramov invented the machine for clearing sealing wax from bottles, which resulted in four times
increase of labor productivity in that process. After that the restless innovator improved pumps for wine
materials. Only in 1949 the turner Abramov had introduced in production 12 rationalization proposals,
and had fulfilled seven annual plans in 12 months.

Then Ivan Markovich took a great interest in creation of a new type of winemaking pump. On his plan its
capacity should be three or four times more than that of the existing ones.

In 1953 in the magazine “Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia» there was an article of å.Ö.
Kouzmenko and B.N. Bougoziyanos “New Type Of Winemaking Pump» in which the authors wrote: “The
turner Abramov of Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery has designed one-plunger double action pump of
a new type. It can be made at any winery possessing mechanical workshops. The pump has considerably
smaller dimensions and weight compared to the pumps of other systems. Its length is 1.15 m., height –
0.65 m., width - 0.65 m. ...The covers are cast in the form of an isosceles triangle. A number of
constructive units is solved originally in the pump. The gasket between the cylinder and plunger is made
of rubber, which reduces cylinder wear and tear. Sucktion and discharge connection pipes are connected
with the spring valve. At presence of large resistance in the system the pump works partially for itself. The
valve is supplied with an adjustment screw and can be regulated for a certain pressure. Valve distribution
is performed outside cylinder limits and is placed in copper pipes above its level. It enables to create
vacuum in the system during the resumption after halts... All parts of the pump are made from materials
available at the distillery, and rejected details of motor vehicles (pinions, con-rods, grease-cups)».

Abramov improved another existing pump, by replacing its bronze plungers with wooden ones. It reduced
a surface contact of wine with metal and facilitated the pumps repair. Thus, in distillery’s conditions it was
difficult to make moulds and cast plungers. And a wooden piston could be turned out from oak lumber
according to cylinder’s diameter. The subsequent operation of that design had shown the necessity of
transferring of the useful experience to other enterprises of winemaking industry.

Ivan Abramov started his career of innovator with the invention of the machine making four operations in
wine bottling. Once he came up to the chief-engineer Kasprevich and showed her on sheet of paper an
outline of how to make a paper-cutting machine and machine to cut out notches in transport cases.
Nadezhda Ivanovna not only approved of rationalizer’s idea, but also gave him an engineer to help in
practical designing. The paper-cutting machine had liberated in 1955 four workers, engaged in paper
cutting for a wrapper of bottles.

The introduction of another machine – to cut out notches in cases – had facilitated labor of the workers
and had allowed to reduce breakage of bottles during wine delivery to trade bases. In 1956 N. Kasprevich
wrote about that talented innovator in the city newspaper: “ As the degree of mechanization at our
distillery is low, the distillery rationalizers search constantly and find ways to increase labor productivity.
A long time the best rationalizer the turner I. Abramov has been working over a new design of labeling
machine, which is simple in cinematic, economical in spending of materials and improves considerably
the quality of labeling. Also Abramov has offered to install on a conveyor line a device for cutting off corks
after their sealing and another device for imposing seals on bottles necks, which significantly raises the
productivity of labor of the workers, involved in these operations».

Since May 1 to July 31 of the same year under the management of N.I. Kasprevich a public review-
competition of introduction of the inventions, technical improvements and rationalizing proposals was
held at the enterprise, which invigorated winemakers rationalization work.

The engineer Karkhanin and chief of the department of capital construction Ilyin in the beginning of 50-s
suggested essential amendments to the technology of railroad branch construction. Performing additional
prospecting works, they had essentially changed the project of the future line, railroad, which sped up its
input in operation and saved 50 thousand roubles. And the railroad itself liberates 8 trucks and 8 workers,
engaged in loading of ready production.

Pyotr Zandelov came to Tiraspol from the village of Malayeshty at the age of 14. From the first after war
days he worked on restoration of the factory, and then he became a foreman of wine shop. His brigade
from the end of 40-s constantly fulfilled the shift’s tasks for 150-200 per cent. In 1951 his brigade took the
responsibility for mechanisms. Previously they had to call a mechanic on duty when the slightest
malfunction of the equipment occured, which resulted in idle time. By mastering the equipment, Zandelov
with the workers began to make operating repair. The pumps productivity increased at once up to 1
thousand decaliters per shift.

They began to pass through filters 500 decaliters of wine over the task daily. A bottleneck in filters were
cleaning plates, whose replacement took a long time. Their reloading took more than four hours. Then
Stakhin and Vlaschinsky offered not to throw away the plates, but to wash them out and to install them
again. This procedure took only 10-15 minutes.

In 1957 the engineer Ilyin and chief of supply department Perlov suggested to mechanize transportation of
cases and bottles with ready production. Under their initiative there was laid a narrow-gauge railroad
branch from bottling shop to warehouses of ready production and to railroad platform, by which trolleys
began to move. Under the proposition of the chief of mechanical shop E. Bortsch a press for wringing out
filtering cardboard was designed. After the introduction of this innovation the cognac losses considerably
decreased.

The mechanical shop of the enterprise had a small forge headed for many years by an experienced smith
and rationalizer Vladimir Iosifovich Pletsky. Pletsky began his service record in Dongou smithy workshop
in 1905 in Kishinev. Under the Soviet power he worked at the metallurgical enterprises (including those
in Dnepropetrovsk), where he had mastered powerful steam and pneumatic hammers. After 1945 Vladimir
Iosifovich headed the forge of our wines and cognacs distillery, trained youth. One of his apprentices
Leonid Popovich wrote in 1955 in “Dnestrovskaya Pravda» about his work and training with his teacher:
“...What complex details we make! Neither installation of the equipment, nor repair of machine tools are
made without our participation. Here are the examples. In spirit shop the apparatus for cognac spirit
distilling was mounted. But it had some constructive shortcomings. We had to alter one thing or another
so that it could be installed. We have mounted the basis of the apparatus in a new way, and it was
installed. In cognacs shop elevators were mounted. Here something was wrong with elevator fastening. I
offered to make one all-metal plate instead of two plates for fastening. They agreed with me and we have
forged that plate in our forge. Or here’s one more example. Our transports people frequently complained
of a lack of arms to shock-absorbers, fastenings to cabins and other parts, usually hard to get in
warehouses. Now we make them ourselves in the forge and the drivers are grateful to us for that».

In 1957 Vladimir Iosifovich celebrated his 70. All the collective congradulated him on the deserved rest.
The distillery director D.A. Kozlitin had presented the veteran with desktop clock and soft armchair.

At that time many rationalizers and inventors of the enterprise contributed to the introduction of new
equipment. First of all it was the chief-mechanic B.N. Bougoziyanos, chief of shop E.G. Borsch mechanic
S. Koval, serviceman G. Drogan, foreman N. Zenin. In 50-s a group of rationalizers introduced a
reconstructed automatic machine for bottles corking with polyethylene caps. The innovators received
copyright certificates for the improvement, brought into the design of the automatic machine.

The mechanic of bottling shop Nikolay Nikolayevich Omelchenko was sent to the Tula distillery, where he
took part in a start-up and adjustment of bottling line. He used the received experience at his native
enterprise.

The foreman of spirits distilling shop Adolph Dmitriyevich Artyomov exchanged his rich experience at the
Barbarsk winery – helped to mount rectification apparatus. He trained a group of maintenance men to
work on that equipment. At the same time, during their business trips our foremen adopted necessary
experience and used it at the enterprise. Thus, the layout of thermal flows of pasteurizing installation in
shop of wines processing was rearranged the same way as it was done at the Bendery canning factory. To
replace labor-consuming work of gas-cutters, in mechanical shop they have introduced an electromagnetic
saw for cutting metals. From the Odessa cognacs distillery in 60-s they have borrowed the idea of
application in cognacs shop of a centrifugal mixer with the flexible shaft to be used in blending tanks.

In 1957 a 26-year-old fitter-experimentalist Nikolay Fyodorovich Panchenko came to the enterprise.

Before entering the distillery he had time to serve in the Navy, then he was combine-operator, mechanic
on repair of the radioequipment, mechanic in railroad depot. Having come to the distillery, he became
interested in production and equipment new to him. More than once Nikolay Fyodorovich saw how corks
were pulled out manually from the return bottles. Several women were engaged in this labor-consuming
operation. Panchenko thought it over long enough and then invented how to simplify that operation. He
offered an original device, which replaced hand-operated labor.

Just one person was left in that process. In 1958 Panchenko mechanized the bottles corking with crown
cork. For a long time Nikolay Fyodorovich was busy with the labeling machine, replaced its brushes by
rollers from foamed rubber, installed a new arc-shaped guide, improved the punch design. Then
Panchenko improved labels marking. The automatic printer developed by Nikolay Fyodorovich for
printing labels with the automatic machine “Duetta» of the line “Zeiz» had successfully passed tests and
was introduced into production. Panchenko improved as well the filter for water filtering before its feeding
into rinsing machines, created a device for adjustment of the cases feeding to the second floor of finished
products warehouse, which enabled to pass on conveyors cases of the various sizes.

Panchenko was the co-author and rationalizer of the invention “Press for wringing out of a filtering
cardboard». On the account of Nikolay Fyodorovich were such inventions, as, for example, “Screw
double-spindle press», allowing to mechanize labor-consuming process of sealing cases with ready
products sent to the northernmost regions. Together with a group of rationalizers Panchenko participated
in reconstruction of the automatic device “UAZ» and has made a number of units to do with crown cork
caps, was engaged in reconstruction of corking automatic machine of the line “Zeiz» for work on
polyethylene caps. He took part in the work on improvement of electromechanical gasket for a packing
line for ready production intended for Northern regions, reconstructed plate conveyors on standard bush-
roller chains, replaced plate conveyors and driving gears of “Zeiz» line with chains and gears of Soviet
manufacture.

It is difficult to count all what Panchenko made for our production. Among his special certificates were
copyright certificates, issued to the talented innovator by the Committee on Inventions and Discoveries at
the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

Other innovator of those years O.Y. Rykoun developed the project of the mechanism for bottles corking,
created a convenient circuit of the signal system for bottles moving from rinsing sector to the warehouse.
At the end of 50-s–beginning of 60-s a case-free feeding of bottles from the warehouse to the rinsing
sector of the bottling shop was mastered at the enterprise with the help of production innovators.

Just at that time with the purpose of solving complex problems connected with mechanization of
production they began forming combined brigades comprising highly skilled workers. Those teams
participated not only in modernization of production processes, but also in modernization of equipment.
One of such brigades of innovators improved breakage automatic machine for the liquid purity control.
After the modernization the automatic machine could control simultaneously not three, but four bottles
and its productivity reached 2500 bottles an hour, instead of 1800.

A group of rationalizers consisting of Kouznetsov, Artyomov and Roitburd changed a mode and schemes
of operation of rectification apparatus so that an output of the first grades of production increased and
output of rectified spirit increased as well.

The work of other creative brigade allowed reconstruction of the head cleaning machine, to clear bottles of
all sizes. At the same time the cleaning quality was improved considerably and bottles breakage decreased.

The creativity of winemakers-innovators that time was highly appreciated by the branch leadership.
Tkachenko was three times nominated as a participant of the Republican Exhibition of National Economy
Achievements (VDNH). In 1963 he was awarded with the certificate of VDNH MSSR “For development
and introduction in production of corking automatic machine for crown corks and electromechanical
gasket for packing ready cased production”. In 1964 Nikolay Fyodorovich at the same exhibition was
awarded with the certificate “For reconstruction of corking automatic machine VUA-3 for working with
polyethylene corks with blind caps for cognacs bottles with capacity 0.5 liter and introduction of
mechanized line for packing the production for Northern regions”. In 1966 Panchenko received the
certificate of VDNH MSSR “For development and introduction of rationalizer’s propositions”. And a year
earlier Nikolay Fyodorovich by the resolution of committee of the council of the Exhibition of
Achievements of National Economy of the USSR for successes in innovation search was awarded with
bronze medal of VDNH.

The work of the distillery’s Department for Scientific Organization of Labor was highly appreciated the
same year. At the Republican exhibition four persons were awarded with silver and bronze medals, and 17
of our winemakers-innovators were given the certificates of the VDNH participants. The distillery itself
was awarded with the diploma of the first degree.
Thus was appreciated the contribution of Tiraspol winemakers-innovators to the fact that the distillery
equipment became year from year more and more perfect, and its “know-how” more advanced.

CHAPTER IX SOUL OF VITICULTURIST AND WINEMAKER

Many beautiful legends are composed about wine. One of the most known in Moldavia legends is about a
perfect beauty girl Lyana, the heart of which could not be kindled with either fiery words, or ardent songs
of a young viticulturist, being in love with her. And then the young man has planted with his own hands a
grape vine and has brought it up. And from amber berries he has prepared wine of extraordinary taste, by
enclosing in it all force of passion, the love to the young beauty and his very soul. Since then they say, that
one who drinks that magnificent wine, will live in love and consent all his life.

Real viticulturists and winemakers always put in work all their soul.

The production of dry, fortified and dessert wines, as already has been mentioned, was mastered at the
Tiraspol distillery yet in 1934.

In May 1948 the shop of spirit distilling began production of Moldavian fine wines. The production of
bottled wine became a major event in the life of the distillery. That was the beginning, reviving the former
glory of Moldavian wines which the distillery produced in pre-war years. The first wine bottling was
charged to Klavdia Kazachenko one of the best working women of the shop. The distillery had undertaken
to output 150 thousand bottles of vintage wines of different brands – Port, Moldavian Sweet and many
others by the end of 1948. Many brands of grape table and dessert wines, Muscat, Cahor and Vermouth
were mastered later.

It is necessary to note, that having started in after-war years an output of the most diverse wines, Moldavia
already in 70-s made over hundred names of wines, different in chemical structure, taste, bouquet and
other properties. The wines are classified on the basis of the general methods of technology of their
preparation, and also basic parameters of chemical structure: the contents of alcohol and sugar. One of the
main attributes is the content of carbonic acid. In this respect the wines are divided into two large groups:
still wines, containing carbonic acid in insignificant amount; and effervescing, and also sparkling ones
having surplus of this acid.

In their turn by structure the still wines are subdivided into three groups: table, fortified and aromatized
wines. To understand better, what Tiraspol winemakers output, it is necessary to give at least a general
characteristic to these wines. To table wines refer dry wines, prepared by a complete must fermentation.
Semi-dry wines are those, in which residual content of sugar is up to 2.5 gr./100 ml. Wines, prepared by
incomplete must fermentation are considered to be semi-sweet. The sugar content in them is 3-8 gr./100
ml.

Table wines are prepared by fermentation of grape must without additions. They contain 8-16 per cent of
alcohol.

Fortified wines – strong and dessert – are made by incomplete must fermentation with pressings and
addition of ethyl spirit (17-20 per cent vol.) and there is less sugar (up to 14 gr./100 ml.) in them. Dessert
wines contain 12-17 per cent of alcohol, and up to 35 gr./100 ml. of sugar.

Besides, the dessert wines are divided depending on the contents of sugar into semi-sweet (5-12 gr./100
ml.), sweet (14-20 gr./199 ml.) and liqueur – 21-35 gr./100 ml.

Aromatized fortified and dessert wines are regarded as still ones. The fortified wines are prepared with
addition of ethyl spirit up to 16-18 per cent vol., and sugar up to 8-10 gr./100 ml. In fortified wines the
extracts of various plants are also added.

Dessert wines are prepared in the same way, but with other conditions. There is 16 per cent alcohol and 16
gr./100 ml. sugar in them.

Besides, the wines are subdivided into single variety ones, if they are prepared from one variety of grapes,
and blended – if they are made from several varieties. In the production of single variety wines it is
admitted to use no more than 15 per cent of wine materials from other varieties.

In their turn the still wines are divided into ordinary, fine and collection ones. Ordinary wines are young
wines, which have passed the technological processing and are sold not earlier than three months after
pressing of the grapes.

Fine wines are matured wines of high quality, prepared from certain varieties of grapes, grown in certain
winemaking areas or micro areas according to special technology. The maturing term of such wines
cannot be less than two years for fine fortified and dessert wines, counting from January 1 of the year
following the vintage. In the USSR the production of fine wines was to be permitted exclussively by the
Ministry of food industry of the USSR on the resolution of Central Tasting Commission. High
requirements are established for fine wines. They should constantly possess their high quality.

Collection wines are late bottled vintages of high quality, which after termination of maturing term in oak
vats or metal tanks are aged additionally in bottles not less than three years.

In winemaking industry is accepted to divide the wine produce into raw wine materials, processed ones
and ready wine.

Raw wine materials are those which after the end of fermentation (if we talk about dry ones), or after
alcoholization (in case of fortified ones) have not undergone processing.

The wine materials, which have passed technological processing directly in the places of their production
and which after some rest and filtration at the winery of secondary winemaking are bottled, are called
processed ones.
In practice the only difference between the processed wine materials and the wine is that the latter is filled
in transport containers, that is in bottles, barrels and tanks.

Before the war of 1941-1945 and after the war in the second half of 40-s Tiraspol distillery was occupied
with primary winemaking, it had stations of primary winemaking. The primary winemaking includes
processing of grapes (crushing and stalks separation), producing of must and its settling down,
fermentation of pressed must, husks pressing, alcoholization in time of or after fermentation, deposit
removal, wine clarifying by introduction in it of various gluing substances, transfer in sediment of
suspended particles (lees). If necessary the processing of wines with cold and heat (i.e. high temperatures),
and also filtration through porous filters is applied.

On wineries of primary winemaking they receive wine materials in barrels, they should pass a complete
cycle of secondary winemaking.

Today the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery is the enterprise of secondary winemaking. The secondary
winemaking includes wine maturing, accompanied with various methods of maintenance, such as
systematic adding-ups of tun wines, transfusions and many others. As soon as the wine obtains during all
these numerous operations (dependent on winemakers art) a peculiar to its type and variety taste, color,
transparency, stability and bouquet, it is begun to be bottled. And only after bottle maturing this drink gets
to our table.

In 1949 the enterprise yet had stations of primary processing. In the beginning of August daily
“Dnestrovskaya Pravda» wrote: “in connection with a rich harvest of grapes the wine stations of the wines
and cognacs distillery are going to process over a hundred of tons of grapes. The distillery prepares
carefully to this large work. Shop of winemaking (headed by comrade Onischouk) has completely finished
repair. Packing is prepared. The wine station in the settlement of Malayeshty is also ready to receive
grapes of the new vintage. The distillery brigade of the builders has carried out all works here ahead of
schedule”.

In 9 months of 1949 Tiraspol winemakers have made over the plan 19,500 decaliters of tun wine and
9,500 decaliters of bottled wine, and also 3,150 decaliters of wine concentrate. The winemakers have
fulfilled the annual plan by September 28.

In September-October 1949 the brigade of production veteran (then already had been working for more
than 20 years) Pyotr Fyodorovich Mileev from mechanical shop has completed the restoration of the
equipment with heating system for preparing Cahor. N.I. Kasprevich who was at that time a technical
director mastered the output of a new kind of raw material – the Cahor wine material. By the end of the
first season the distillery made 2000 decaliters of that fragrant wine.

Next year Tiraspol winemakers had output over and above the annual plan more than 90 thousand
decaliters of various wines.

In 1950 the quality of Tiraspol wines was studied by the Moldavian scientists. They have made the
conclusion about ways of improvement of the produced wines. The candidate of agricultural sciences A.M.
Shoumakov wrote on that occasion in a magazine “Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia»: “The
wineries of Moldglavvino and Enterprises of sparkling wines produce today a large assortment of table
and fortified-sweet wines. The produced wines are given appropriate names, they adhere to certain
standards. A type and brand of a wine are determined not only by conditions, but mainly, by its peculiarity,
taste characteristics, aroma or bouquet, coloring. Some good and even perfect samples of the output wines
are, as a rule, unique samples. Not only the wines of the same name of different vintages, but even some
separate blendings of the same vintage do not repeat each other.

The main reason is that that the wineries of secondary winemaking work with motley, casual wine
materials, made by stations of primary processing or even bought from contract people. The basic
requirement of qualitative winemaking, especially in manufacturing of fortified-sweet wines, is the
necessity of purposeful production of wine materials. Only then the winery of secondary winemaking will
be able to output original wines of constant quality, when it works not on “fortified” wine materials, but on
materials for Cahor, for Port, for dessert white, etc. At the same time these materials should be
homogeneous in respect of variety, picked from determined geographical points, made according to certain
technology determined for each type of wine. A major enemy of qualitative winemaking is the
depersonalization of variety and regional peculiarities of wine materials in their production.

Acquainting with the samples on Kishinev and Tiraspol distilleries shows, that in some cases even such
varieties, as Sereksiya, Noa and others, which do not belong to high quality ones, give very valuable,
original wine materials. The struggle for quality, originality, constancy of the produced wines should begin
at the stations of primary processing. The primary processing station should make not materials for table
fortified-sweet wines in general, but high-quality, conditioned wine materials for determined numbers of
wine of one or another distillery. Only that way it is possible to create the high-quality Moldavian brands
of wine”.

Though it was written almost half a century ago, but it has not lost it’s topicality today. Our distillery used
to confront with difficulties of that kind.

Among dessert wines, made by Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery after the war was Muscat. This is a
dessert wine, having a perfect color from light-golden to pure gold with soft and constant shine and full
aroma of Muscat berry with the most different touches: from a tea rose to orange and lemon blossoms.
Vintage Muscat produced at Moldavian wineries (including the Tiraspol distillery) had an aroma of tea
rose with a soft harmonious taste. As for the white variety of Muscat, it needs well warmed soils to receive
a dessert wine of high quality from it. Since the most valuable components in Muscat wines are aromatic
substances, the grapes are harvested when the concentration of these substances is highest. This is a
moment, when sugar content in berries reaches 28-30 per cent without drÛing, that is at complete ripeness
of grapes. In Muscat production in Moldavia the must sulfitation is made within the limits of 75-100
mg./l. At a smaller dosing of sulfuric acid or without it the Muscat aroma becomes imperceptible in wine.
Other requirements: alcohol should be 16 per cent vol., sugar 16 gr./100 ml. Muscat wines are matured in
Moldavia in tuns for 1 year, and the wines with higher sugar content and increased aroma are matured
longer, than less sugary ones.

Another wine, which was produced at our enterprise yet in 30-s, was Port. His origin is interesting. In
English “Porto” means wine from the city of Oporto, one of large cities in Portugal, through which
fortified wines produced of grapes collected on slopes of the valley of the river Douro were exported. The
main consumer of those wines in XVII century was England. There that wine was simply called “Wine of
Oporto” or “Porto-wine». As that wine made its long way by sea, the winemakers began to notice, that if
added grape alcohol, it better endures rolling and high temperatures.

It was in XVII century when they began to add spirit to it. As a result the wine acquired cognac tone,
which later became one of obligatory attributes of a typical Port. The second attribute of Port – berry or
fruity tone. Port was the first fortified wine production of which was mastered by Russian winemakers. It
happened more than 100 years ago in Magarach –winegrowing institution of Nikitsky Botanical Gardens.
Anastas Petrovich Serboulenko made the first fortified wine in 1879 and named it “Nikitskoye Fortified».
Already then it possessed all the qualitative characteristics of Port.

In Moldavia Port is prepared, as a rule, from 3-4 or more varieties of grapes. And depending on weather
conditions of a particular year, the percentage of each variety is corrected. The varieties are mixed to
create typical wine qualities and to improve the composition of taste properties. As a result of numerous
experiments there was revealed, that the introduction in blending of such varieties as Aligote, Rkatsiteli,
Malbek, Cabernet improves the properties of wine. Usually a bouquet of White Port has fruity tints with
light touch of almond, orange. In bouquet of Red Port a cherry stone aroma is felt and that of the used
variety. The alcohol content in Port makes 17-20 per cent vol., and sugar – 7-14 gr./100 ml. Port relates to
strong wines.

From variety table wines our distillery used to output “Fetyaska”, “Aligote”, “Rkatsiteli”, “Muscat”,
“Sauvignon”, “Cabernet”, “Rara Neagre”, “Alb de Mase”, “Vin de Mase”, “Pinot”. Hybrid varieties of
wine ## 1, 2, 3 were made. “Fetyaska” in Moldavian means “a girl». This wine is prepared from the
grapes variety of the same name. Among white dry wines it is considered the lightest. This wine is of
light-straw color with a green shade, with a pleasant and slight aroma of the variety taste. In bouquet –
aroma of field flowers. On international contests “Fetyaska” made at Moldavian wineries, was a success
and was repeatedly marked with gold, silver and bronze medals.

The wine “Aligote» is prepared from the French variety of the same name. It has light-straw to golden
color and light harmonious taste. Vintage “Aligote» is matured for two years. “Riesling” was produced at
our enterprise since 1957 from the grapes of varieties Riesling-from-Rhine and Riesling-from-Italy. This
dry wine with sparkling light-green coloring has a slight, harmonious, pleasant sourish taste. At maturing
easy tar tints, especially appreciated by connoisseurs-winemakers appear. Moldavian “Riesling” was
awarded gold and silver medals. It is matured, as a rule, for 1.5 year.

Three years earlier in Moldavia, and then at our enterprise one more dry wine “Dniestrovskoye” began to
be output. It is prepared from grapes of Georgian variety Rkatsiteli. When that variety had been brought in
Moldavia, taste changes had taken place, which allowed to prepare typically French wine from it.
“Dniestrovskoye” has a beautiful light-straw color, gentle taste astringency and tender flower aroma. It
was also repeatedly awarded gold and silver medals. Its maturing term is two years.

One of the best red wines of the former USSR – Cabernet – was also output at our enterprise. This wine is
prepared from the grapes variety Cabernet-Sauvignon, has a dark-pomegranate color with a slight touch of
onion tones. There is a strong bouquet in this wine, in which the aromas of almond and violet with
morocco tones are combined. “Cabernet” has a pleasant astringency. It is interesting, that “Cabernet”
removes radioactive isotopes of strontium from human body. Injured skin quickly heals when treated by
that wine. Moldavian “Cabernet” enjoys a success on the international market and was marked with many
gold and silver medals. Usually it is matured for three years.

Among other semi-dry wines, output at our distillery “Izvorash» (spring) is worth mentioning. White wine
was prepared from the varieties Aligote, Rkatsiteli, Fetyaska, Riesling in the appropriate proportions and
had the color from light-straw to dark-golden with a flower bouquet. Rose “Izvorash» was prepared from
Cabernet-Sauvignon, Fetyaska, Aligote, Rkatsiteli. It had light-pink and light-red color.

Red “Izvorash” was prepared from the grapes Cabernet-Sauvignon. This wine has light-red or dark-ruby
color, with a pleasant variety’s aroma. The distillery used to produce dessert wines: “Gratiyeshte”,
“Muscat”, “Cahor”, “Cahor VK”, Dessert Rose, Red and White “Fraga” (since 1953), and also fortified
wines: “Red”, “Fortified Moldavian Rose”, “Fortified Moldavian White”, Red, White and Rose “Port”.

Tiraspol distillery was also famous for its “Madeira”. In Moldavia dry wines at a storage even in cold
cellars changed their bouquet and taste, getting easy tones of Madeirization. Kishinev affiliate of the
Wine-growing Research Institute “Magarach” used that property of Moldavian wines in experiments
aimed at producing of Moldavian Madeira. For experiments they took dry white wines from Cabernet and
Riesling vintage 1944, which at maturing in a cellar by the end of 1945 began to get Madeirizated
character. Their coloring had changed, darkened and got a brown shade, Madeira tones had appeared in
taste and aroma. For amplification of Madeirization processes these wines, fortified up to 14 volume
proof, in summer of 1946 were subject to a solar maturing in a special solarium. In Tiraspol, as V.S.
Lebedev recalled, the barrels with that wine were simply exposed in a court yard of the distillery and left
under the sun.

A special place among wines, made in 1940 - beginning of 60-s at Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery,
was occupied by Vermouth. Vermouth is an aromatized wine, which received its name from wormwood,
with which in Germany they prepared that drink (in German “Wermut» means wormwood). Therefore
those aromatized wines were called Vermouths. From Germany a custom to prepare wines with herbs
passed to Italy and became widespread there. The first commercial enterprise producing aromatized wines
appeared in Turin back in 1786. Since then Italy has taken the initiative from Germany and became the
leading producer of these wines. And the Italian firms “Cinzano» and “Riccodonna» were recognized to
be the best manufacturers of that wine.

The growing popularity of that drink had forced the winemakers of Russia to begin their own
manufacture. A pilot batch of Vermouth was tentatively made by one of Moscow wineries in 1946. The
commercial production of Vermouth in the USSR began in 1947.

The ingredients used in Vermouth production are kept in secret by foreign firms. The best wine material
for high-quality Italian Vermouth is a white Muscat wine from Muscat, growing in Piedmont. It has:
alcohol 2-5 volume proof, sugar content 12-20 per cent, and a titratable acidity of 4-7 per cent. The wine
is fortified up to 12-15 volume proof. But rather small plantations of white Muscat and its application for
other purposes (for a sparkling wine “Asti») has forced winemakers to limit it’s participation in Vermouth
up to 1/2– 1/3. The same has taken place with other varieties – Pinot White or Semillon. Muscat is
supplemented with the wines of other regions in a certain proportion. For Vermouth they used such
concentrates – frozens, siphoned, vacuum-must.

In the USSR they began to use for Vermouth most diverse wines, without any special selection, and
sometimes even defective ones, with extraneous smacks and smells.

An average composition of classic Italian Vermouth contains: 15.5 alcohol; 150 gr./l. sugar; 4 per cent of
titratable acids, 30 gr./l. extracts; about 2 per cent of ashes. But this composition is not permanent. To
northern countries Vermouth with 18.7 alcohol is exported.

The second essential condition for creation a high-quality Vermouth is a selection of plants. For Vermouth
preparation they use the stalks and leaves of wormwood, hyssop, marjoram, sage, flowers and buds of
camomile, cloves, elder, saffron, coriander, fruits of anise, vanilla, nutmeg, citron rind; roots of angelica,
marshmallow, galangal, elecampane, iris, gentian; wood and bark of cinnamon, China-tree bark,
pomegranate, quassia; plants secretions – balm Styrax benzoin Dr; fungus – Boletus laricis; lichen – Sticta
palmanaria Ach. All herbs should be dried, their total amount is not more than 100 gr. per a decaliter of
wine.

Analyzing known Italian scripts, our winemakers have come to a conclusion, that the mixtures of
ingredients create some sort of “mosaic” background, against which a determined group is emphasized,
which is called active. That’s what gives Vermouth a certain character. This group except wormwood
contains coriander, marshmallow, hyssop. The wormwood in these scripts makes 17–25 per cent of all
others’ weight. In general the active group makes about 32 per cent, and the group of other ingredients
(background) about 68 per cent. In Soviet Vermouth the active group reached 58 per cent. It consisted of
wormwood, coriander and mint (the latter was not used by Italians).

Moldavian Vermouth was closer to its Italian forerunner than any other Soviet Vermouth of that time. The
active group made 38 per cent, and background – 62 per cent. The active group included: wormwood – 14
per cent, milfoil – 10 per cent and prunes – 15 per cent. In Moldavia the first Vermouth was made in
small quantity in 1948. For its preparation they used a hybrid wine, ethyl spirit, sugar powder, herbal
extracts and essences. The aromatization of those wines required a big deal of liqueurs, that, naturally,
reduced the quality of Vermouth and made it inharmonious. Moldavia output Vermouth of two types.
Fortified Vermouth, the content of alcohol in volumetric per cent – 18; the content of sugar in volumetric
per cent – 10; titratable acidity in per cent – 6; the content of volatile acids not more then 1.5 per cent.
The dessert Vermouth contained 16 volumetric per cent of alcohol, 16 volumetric per cent of sugar,
titratable acidity was 6 per cent and content of volatile acids 1.5 per cent.

With respect to perceptible parameters Vermouth was divided by color: white (from light-golden to dark-
amber); rose (from light-rose to dark-rose), red (from red to pomegranate). The taste and aroma:
wormwoody, softened by spices of harmonious smacks and smells. Vermouth was transparent, without
deposits and lees.

As ingredients for one decaliter of liqueur were applied: 14 per cent of wormwood, 8 per cent of angelica
root, 8 per cent of marshmallow root, 5 per cent of melilot or sweet-grass, or trifoil; 2 per cent of valerian
root; 6.5 per cent of thyme, 10 per cent of milfoil; 6 per cent of mint; 6 per cent of elder-blossom or birch
buds, 6 per cent of lime-blossom; 14 per cent of dried prunes or small apricots; 2 per cent of coriander; 2
per cent of nutmeg; 2 per cent of cinnamon; 2 per cent of ginger; 2 per cent of cloves, 4 per cent of citron
rind; 0.02 per cent of vanilla essence or vanillin 1:10 and 0.02 per cent of orange essence. The ratio
between dry ingredients and the liquid made 1 kg. per 10 liters. But the skill of winemakers was the main
component. It was them who varied the ingredients and determined after all the Vermouth aroma.
Tiraspol winemakers were most successful in that respect in Moldavia. In 1953 Vassily Semyonovich
Lebedev returned from Kishinev where he studied at the courses on manufacture of aromatized type
Vermouth. At Tiraspol distillery he became one of the most experienced masters. Under his management
that aromatized drink was improved.

N. Kasprevich wrote in the beginning of 50-s in the newspaper “Stalinsky Put»: “builders have come to
the distillery... Then Vermouth shop was put into operation. It outputs half of all the wine of this brand,
made in Moldavia”. Vassily Semyonovich Lebedev was appointed as a chief of Vermouth shop.

From the very start of its production, Tiraspol winemakers took the first place in the Republic as for
Vermouth output, constantly looking for ways to improve its quality. Already in 1953 in magazine
“Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia» a known scientist-winemaker P.N. Oungouryan wrote: “The
quality of Moldavian wines has significantly raised. The consumers highly praise Moldavian dessert wines
Lidia, Vermouth...”.

In 1959 the director of the distillery Demyan Antonovich Kozlitin (headed the enterprise from 1956 till
1966) had made a decision to unite blending shop with the shop of Vermouth. The decision was approved
in the upper echelons of power and V.S. Lebedev was appointed as a chief of the new incorporated wines
shop. Next year the shop of wines production was incorporated with the shop of wine materials receipt.
This new structure was headed again by V.S. Lebedev.

Tiraspol winemakers not only increased the output of that wine, but also had mastered the art of spices
infusion and creation of an excellent Vermouth bouquet. On All-Union tasting of wines in 1962 Vermouth
made by Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery, was recognized the best in the USSR.

In a brochure “Distillery celebrating its 70-th anniversary” printed in 1967 its authors gave the following
description of the Vermouth shop: “Rather original is the preparation of Vermouth. In the workshop,
where this liqueur wine is made there reigns a silence uncommon for the distillery premise, broken only
with quiet “sighs” of the pump, feeding ready blend to the bottlery. There is only one worker in the shop –
blender Nikolay Ivanovich Khinevich. For 16 years of work at the distillery he mastered in perfection the
technology of producing one of the most complex on its structure and “bouquet» wine.

However in the course of time the enterprise had lost its positions in manufacturing that aromatized wine.
In 1966 in Moldavia they decided to improve the Vermouth quality. This time the initiative was put
forward by the director of Doubossary winery Sergeyev. In the beginning the winery bought ready extracts
from firms “Cinzano” and “Riccodonna”, mixed them with its wine materials and output red and white
“Vermouth Extra». Later a workshop of ingredients was constructed at the winery and own recipes were
developed. So the wines “Bouquet of Moldavia» and “Utrenniaya Rosa» (Morning Dew) were born. But
one should not forget that it were Tiraspol winemakers who had given their colleagues from Doubossary
all know-how for producing aromatized Vermouths. One day the chief technologist of Doubossary winery
E.A. Zadorozhny visited V. Lebedev and asked him to tell the “know-how” of Vermouth making at their
distillery. Vassily Semyonovich had told and shown everything. Yevgeny Afanasyevich adopted the
experience and began the work not from the scratch, but basing on the knowledge of Tiraspol technology.

Tiraspol wines were highly estimated not only by Moldavian experts. The tasting commission of Ministry
of food industry of the USSR in 1953 had put 8.3–8.4 points to such wines, as “Dessert White” and
“Cahor” of the vintage 1953. It is necessary to note, that, by receiving those times a 7 mark, the distillery
could pretend for one of the first places in All-Union competition.

The wines of our distillery were also highly appreciated by consumers, which can be proved by numerous
favourable references, still kept at the distillery. In 1953 consumers wrote from the city of Chelyabinsk:
“On all buyers conferences in Leninsky District of Chelyabinsk the workers give a high estimation to your
wines and wish them to be always sold in stores”.

Already in 1954 Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery had given to the country more than 750 thousand
decaliters of dessert, fortified and dry wines. In May 1954 the director of the enterprise N.I. Koudukin
wrote in the city newspaper about the geography of the Tiraspol wine produce shipments: “The production
of the wines-cognacs distillery is exported far beyond Moldavia. Every day we ship dozens of cars of wine
and cognac to industrial centers of Ukraine, to Moscow, Leningrad and other cities of our immense
country. Only in 4 months of this year more than 75 cars of wines and cognacs were sent to miners and
metallurgists of Donbass, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye. By the day of celebrating 300-year-anniversary of
the reunification of Ukraine and Russia, the wines-cognacs distillery has shipped to the workers of medal-
bearing Kiev 15 cars of the best dessert wines and cognacs».

In 1954 the shop of winemaking was headed by Fyodor Konstantinovich Moroz. Under his management
the collective overfulfilled production plans month after month. In 1954 the magazine “Viticulture and
Winemaking of Moldavia” wrote: “The best parameters in Moldglavvino were reached by Tiraspol wines
and cognacs distillery, Kishinev, Kotovsk, Chadyr-Lounga wineries...”.

Materials printed in the city newspaper allow us to judge about that working enthusiasm, which pervaded
those years in winemakers workshop. In one of such articles of January 1956 it was reported: “A brigade
of Pyotr Zandelov has come to the wines-blending shop earlier than others. It had to accept the tank of
wine material “Fetyaska”, arriving at the distillery from a state farm “Tsiganka” (Gipsy). Results of the
day have shown, that the brigade fulfilled the task for 150 per cent... Bottles with Vermouth and Port were
moving along the conveyor in bottling shop. The best workers here are the bottler-woman Darya
Kobylyanskaya, label-sticker Julia Grouzinskaya and others. This day 9 cars with production of Tiraspol
winemakers have left for Donbass. Cars loading was carried out by the brigades of Pavel Borisov and Igor
Olin...”.

In February 1957 the All-Union meeting of winemakers and chiefs of winemaking industry was held in
the Ministry of food industry. The meeting summarized the results of 1956 and outlined measures for 1957
to increase the production of semi-sweet wines. Four samples of semi-sweet wines were submitted to the
central tasting commission, including 4 from Moldavia. The blended semi-sweet wine of the Tiraspol
wines and cognacs distillery received a high point (8.25 of ten possible).

Tatyana Vassilyevna Tkachenko who had been working at the distillery for 40 years since 1952 recalled:
“...In April 1956 I was transferred to a post of accounting clerk in Vermouth shop. The workshop was in
an one-storeyed building. The shop housed only a tank for Vermouth producing, and all wine materials
were stored outdoors in wooden barrels. The worker-women Marya Karamanova, Matryona Namashko,
Irina Ozima in summer poured out a part of wine from the barrels, and in winter added wine into the
barrels. Then I worked in the shop of wine materials as an accounting clerk. The wine materials at the
distillery were brought in barrels from different regions of Moldavia by trucks, by railroad, and also on
barges by Dniestr. The wine materials were kept outdoors in aluminium tanks.... A railroad car held 60
barrels, and a barge took about 200 barrels”.

In 1957 at the enterprise a large work was carried out aimed at output of semi-sweet wines with the
content of alcohol 10-12 per cent vol. and 5-8 per cent of sugar. It was a step ahead towards the production
of wines of higher quality.

It is necessary to note that favorable weather conditions of 1957 encouraged the beginning of creative
work. It had enabled to produce quality production, including high-quality vintage wines, varietal and
natural semi-sweet wines.

To improve the quality of output product the processing of all strong and dessert wines by heat and cold
was increased at the distillery since 1959. Later (in 1960-1963) an accelerated mode of oxygenfree
processing of wines was introduced at the enterprise.

Of all output in 1958 wine 880 thousand decaliters were bottled. And till 1965 it was planned to output
annually up to 1 mln. 200 thousand decaliters. The tunned wine and processed wine materials in 1958
made 384 thousand decaliters. In 1965 it was planned to produce already 600 thousand decaliters.

The enterprise increased both output, and its quality.

CHAPTER XI
ON WAY OF MECHANIZATION
AND AUTOMATION

There are divisions at the enterprise, which though do not make products directly, but indirectly influence
their quality. They determine among other things an outward appearance with which the produce reaches
its consumer. At all times the bottling shop was an important link in a production chain of our enterprise.

The first bottling was made in May 1948. On that occasion in 1949 in the magazine «Viticulture and
Winemaking of Moldavia» there was reported: «From the last year many enterprises started bottling of the
produced wine. Bottleries are established at all the wineries outside Moldavia, and also at Kishinev and
Tiraspol wineries... Bottling shops are equipped with filling machines of various systems (Asalchouk,
Gabrielyan and others), giving high efficiency». The chief of the bottling shop at that time was Lubov
Alexandrovna Pavlotskaya. She recalled about that time: «I have been working in wine trust from 1946 to
1949 as the chief of an industrial department up to the moment of its abolition. As it was agreed with the
director of the distillery A.K. Osadchy I was transferred to the distillery as a chief of bottling shop. That
bottling shop was established only in 1948. They worked in a primitive premise. The bottling was carried
out manually through the filter «Comet». The woman-worker E. Konop sat on a little stool and put bottles
under the revolving faucet, but she was very precise in dosing...The production plan grew quickly and it
forced us to look for ways of heightening the productivity. Soon we replaced outdated revolving machines
with more advanced ones - 12-faucet systems of Asalchouk, but also hand-operated... In 1950 the first
bottling apparatus of Zhoukov design was installed».

In September 1949 the builders were already finishing the walls of the edifice of the bottling shop. The
highest parameters were achieved in wall-tiling by the foreman of plastering works Kolesnichenko.

On December 21, 1949 the city newspaper reported about the course of the shop construction: «Among
the obligations undertaken in connection with the upcoming 70-th anniversary of comrade Stalin the
collective of wines and cognacs distillery decided to finish the construction and to commission the largest
in the Republic bottling shop. All finishing works here come to an end for now, the plastering is
performed, the up-to-date equipment is mounted. With its input in action the productivity of labor will
increase 2.5 times».

On what territory was the first bottling shop organized? Some 600 square meters of the industrial area
were freed in cognacs shop thanks to the introduction of multi-level storage of cognac alcohols. On that
very area the bottlery was placed.

The work in the newly built bottlery began in January 1950. In the first day 3000 decaliters of wine were
bottled. The best in work were Konop and Kourlat. By the evening two railroad cars of wine were shipped
to Kishinev.
From the beginning of work the management of the shop thought how to simplify production processes
and had taken the course to a gradual replacement of hand-operated labor with an automated one. The
collective of the shop from the first days began to overfulfill daily tasks due to a correct organization of
labor and introduction of the mechanization of auxiliary operations. Already in 1950 magazine
«Winemaking and Viticulture of Moldavia»reported: «The foremen of bottling shop of Kishinev distillery
P.G. Chebotar and Tiraspol distillery M.P. Pilipenko have organized work in their brigades using line
method. According to the sequence of technological process they have arranged the tables and devices. As
a result the workers of those brigades overdo the norm twice. The line method has given substantial
growth of output, has reduced spoilage and has lowered the cost price of production.

The bottlers Elena Konop and Darya Kobylyanskaya fulfilled two norms in a shift.

Next year the plan for the bottling shop was dowbled though the equipment remained the same. And there
was no any conveyor. The bottles were filled directly from the barrels delivered to the shop. The empty
bottles were placed on long tables. Practically the corking of ready production was conducted manually.
Correct organization of labor meant very much under such conditions. At that time in the bottling shop of
our enterprise they have managed to apply a method, offered by the Moscow engineer Fyodor Kovalyov,
who had generalized advanced methods, used at Moscow wineries. The work in bottling shop was
analyzed. Thus, E.S. Konop filled up to 10 thousand bottles per shift, D.S. Kobylyanskaya - 7500 bottles,
Konoplyova - 6800 bottles. The analysis of their work has shown, that the productivity of labor of the
advanced working women depends on organization of working place and planning of working hours. The
filler Konop placed the bottles at close distance, without making superfluous movements, took bottles with
two hands, holding two bottles in each hand. She put bottles under the filling nozzles starting from the
remotest faucets of the machine. Other bottlers took bottles by one hand and consequently made extra
movements. The advanced working woman Elena Konop taught her methods to Darya Kobylyanskaya,
Konoplyova, Pilipenko, and those in their turn taught the others.

In the shop itself for the improvement of working conditions the equipment was brought in the
appropriate condition, special devices were made. The tables were covered with sheet iron to facilitate
sliding of bottles. A round drum for storing washed bottles was altered into a rotating carousel. The filling
machines for convenience were uplifted to the necessary height, wide trays for bottles submission under
faucets were made. The advanced methods of labor were mastered by other workers too. As a result an
average daily productivity, for instance, of a worker involved in bottles-washing had reached 2300 bottles,
whereas at the Kishinev distillery it was 1600 bottles, and even less in other places.

The experience of introduction of advanced techniques of labor on Fyodor Kovalyov method at the
Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery was recommended to be introduced at the other enterprises of the
Republic.

In summer of 1953 in the bottling shop there was received and installed the first automated filling
machine of Zhoukov design. The first conveyor appeared in the shop and the productivity of labor
increased sharply. The distillery rationalizers have also contributed to the improvent of working conditions
in the shop. For example, for a long time pitching of the cork of a filled bottle with a cognac was made
manually. The turner Ivan Abramov designed an automatic device, which made four operations: pasting of
labels, printing on them the trade mark and date of bottling, bottleneck pitching and its sealing. The
distillery commission had accepted the results of tests, which had passed successfully. The automatic
devices were recommended for serial manufacture at Kishinev repair-mechanical plant. Subsequently
those automatic devices appeared at other distilleries of the Republic. And the distillery innovators had
undertaken the creation of two new automatic lines, capable of carrying out washing, bottling, corking,
labeling and wrapping of bottles.

In 1953 a general reconstruction of the bottling shop in connection with large expansion of the industrial
program was executed. The initiators, authors and executors of that were N.I. Kasprevich, B.N.
Bougoziyanos and L.A. Pavlotskaya.

Prior to the beginning of reconstruction there were three bottling machines in the shop (Kotelnikov's,
Asalchouk's and Gabrielyan's), which were located at a great distance from washing shop. The empty
bottles made a long way from washing to bottling machines on the conveyor belt. After the filling a bottle
passed operations of corking, inspection, pitching, labeling and moved back to the washing shop, as the
conveyor, directing full bottles to the warehouse of ready production, was located not far from the washing
shop. The whole process was considerably protracted by the circumstance, that the feeding of empty
bottles to all three bottling machines was performed by one conveyor. And different bottling machines
frequently filled bottles of different capacity. Because of such layout of conveyors it was necessary to
rearrange bottles manually 5-6 times during their filling, removing them from the conveyor belt on the
stand of the appropriate machine or on a table, or on the belt of the next conveyor.

The creative group, engaged in reconstruction of the workshop, removed all those shortcomings. Besides,
instead of an outdated Asalchouk bottling machine there was mounted a high-duty bottling automatic
device of Zhoukov. All bottling machines were placed next to the washing shop. Each machine was
supplied with a separate conveyor line to feed empty bottles and transport the filled ones to the next stage.
All the operations done the filled bottles got on the general conveyor to be transported to the shop of ready
production.

The shop of ready production where the bottles with the wine produce were wrapped up in a paper and
packed into boxes was significantly extended as well. Such scheme of production allowed to free the
bottlery from ready produce, packing materials and cases and to organize the working places more
rationally.

After the reconstruction the productivity of the bottling shop has increased sharply. It began to output
daily up to 60 thousand bottles of wine produce, filled in containers of various capacity. Before the
reconstruction the shop output only 45-48 thousand bottles.

To reduce to the minimum idle times of shop during the reconstruction, large preparatory works were
carried out. Separate units of the equipment were assembled outside the shop. So that the shop was
practically unoperable for a very short time, when the equipment was being installed.

The collective of the shop had quickly mastered the new equipment and began overfulfillment of the shift
tasks 1.5 times. The best workers of the shop at that time were the foreman D. Kobylyanskaya, corker
Levchenko, pitcher Perstnyova, labeler Zilberberg.

At that time the enterprise was headed by N. Koudukin. He had received the equipment for the bottling
shop from the Kiev Machine-Building Plant: bottle-washing machines, pitch-removers, vacuum-heaters,
glass-pipes. The local experts had to master all that equipment and they coped with the problem
successfully.

In August of 1954 a new equipment was delivered to the enterprise: corking, pitching-sealing, brokerage
automatic machines. The works on installation of the second automatic bottling line for wines and
cognacs were begun. The entering into operation of the new equipment had allowed to increase 1.5 times
receiving of production from the same industrial area. The introduction of the pitching-sealing automatic
device has allowed to eliminate as a separate step the imposing of pitch on the bottle-neck, which until
then was considered to be rather complex operation.

All the new equipment was mounted and mastered in the shortest terms. Already in the fall of that year
the bottling brigades, headed by Elena Fournik, Darya Kobylyanskaya, Maria Roudenko and Elena
Koukol carried out the shift tasks on the new lines for 130-140 per cent. Many working women, such as
Maria Borisova, Anna Novrachouk, Lidia Goyman, had mastered several specialties: bottler, corker, cutter,
pitcher. Anna Shishkina and Alexandra Goulpa had mastered all production operations and began
controlling the quality of ready production.
In IV quarter of 1954 the reconstruction of washing section began. An automatic conveyor was mounted,
that allowed to increase twice the productivity of those operations and to free six workers.

In 1955 the second automatic bottling line was installed, which enabled the shop to output shiftly five
thousand bottles more. And the brigade of the City Council deputy Elena Koukol had reached daily output
of 17 thousand bottles.

In May of that year the installation of a new washing machine and labeling automatic device began. In
June a group of known winemakers and distilleries directors of Georgia had arrived to see the work of the
new automatic lines in the bottling shop and other equipment of Tiraspol winemakers. The Georgian
colleagues were pleased by what they had seen and estimated advantageous qualities of Tiraspol cognacs.

In the summer 1955 an advanced bottle-washing machine appeared at the enterprise.

However another problem appeared in connection with the mechanization of works in bottling shop.
Production handling from shop into warehouse and therefrom onto the platform for dispatching into the
railroad cars was performed with the help of an autocar. That way was ineffective and time-consuming.
There was decided to install conveyors, which would allow to mechanize the dispatching of production
from the bottling shop. It had allowed to free about 20 working persons.

But if the winemakers spared no effort to master the new equipment, the builders, constructing a new
bottling shop, let them down. On August 26, 1955 it was reported in the city newspaper: «A large brake in
further increase of industrial capacities is protraction of current construction. In August a new bottling
shop had to be handed over into the operation. But the construction companies have so delayed the works,
that this site would hardly be ready even by the end of the year. Moreover it is necessary to mount in this
shop 4 perfect automatic transfer lines, three bottle-washing automatic machines, which will ensure the
increase of bottling capacity for not less than 25 per cent».

The new bottling shop was put into operation in 1957. With its introduction the distillery began outputting
daily 70 thousand 0.5 L. bottles of wine and cognac. If in 1950 almost all operations in the bottling shop
were performed manually, now two automatic lines and one coupled line were in operation. All steps from
feeding of wine from wine-blending shop to pitching and bottle labeling were mechanized to that or other
degree.

The production of wine with alcohol strength of 10-12 volume per cent is unstable on it's technology,
therefore it required strictly sterile conditions not only at producing, but also at the stage of bottling. For
maintenance of those conditions a completely automated line was established in the new bottling shop.
The productivity of the new shop was twice above the existed one.

In the shop the conveyors for feeding empty bottles to washing machines and along the stream of
automatic filling devices - conveyors for transport of empty cases - were established for convenience of
those working. The local experts had carried out works on mechanization of cargo handling operations.
For feeding of wine and cognac from the storehouses into the bottlery they had established 3500 meters
(11,500 feet) long glass pipelines.Totally nine washing machines worked then in the bottling shop,
replacing hand-operated labor of many workers.

The new shop was accepted by Pavlotskaya who spearheaded the collective till November 15, 1968. It was
her who had not only to install the received equipment, but also to make the decisions on its
reconstruction and some constructive changes, to adapt it to local conditions. In 1958 washing apparatus
were improved.

The production of Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery occupied a significant place in the economy of
winemaking industry of Moldavia of 1958: almost all Moldavian cognacs and the fifth part of bottled wine
produce were made in Tiraspol. Understanding, that the growth of production volume fixed by the plans
could be achieved only by mobilization of all creative forces, the collective, led by D.V. Kozlitin, had
outlined to carry out a number of serious technical and technological measures by hands of the distillery
employees.

There were enough creative, initiative people at the distillery. Ludmila Mikhaylovna Zabrodskaya, the
author of an invention and twenty rationalization propositions who worked at the distillery for 32 years as
a designer, gives a detailed description of the contribution of the designers, engineers on rationalization
and technical information, fitters-experimentalists. Some of their developments had forestalled the
occurrence of the industrial prototypes of the similar equipment.

One of the most active creators of technical progress at the distillery was designer Oleg Yakovlevich
Rykoun - veteran of war, participant of athletic parades in Moscow, an experienced engineer-mechanic. He
came to Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery in 1958, became the first chairman of the council of the
Society of Inventors and Rationalizers, the first engineer on rationalization, in 1960 became the chairman
of Bureau of Rationalization and Inventions. Actually that year already existed such division as «design
office» of two persons - senior designer Rykoun O.Y. and designer Roudashevskaya K.O. But they faced
very serious problems: the mechanization of labor-consuming processes, rational configuration of the
process equipment, its modernization and all that under condition of maintenance of growth of the
production volume, without slowing down work of the shops. With that purpose for the first time in the
winemaking industry of Moldavia in 1961 at Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery there was created a
design department, a list of staff was authorized, according to which the department had 4 designers
except the chief.

It were those people: Rykoun Oleg Yakovlevich, Roudashevskaya Khana Ovseyevna, Ratkov Alexander
Alexeyevich, Severina Natalya Timofeyevna and Zabrodskaya L.M. together with the experimental group,
whose skeleton were the mechanics Soumchinsky Anatoly Konstantinovich and Panchenko Nikolay
Fyodorovich who provided for all the collective of the distillery an opportunity to manifest the creative
initiative, they made the drawings of fast-wearing parts and rendered professional assistance to the
rationalizers of the enterprise.

The Design Department was placed on the first floor of three-storey wing of the wine-blending shop.
Already in 1961 in compliance with the drawings of the Design Department there were made and put into
operation combined two-level conveyors for caseless bottle feeding, which transported bottles along the
top path from the glassware warehouse into the washing section of the bottlery, while the lower part
carried empty cases for stacking ready production in, which gave a significant economy to the distillery.

All the conveyors units had to be made at the distillery. Rykoun O.Y. and Roudashevskaya K.O. had
developed the swivel mechanism for plate conveyors on anchor chain under any angle in a horizontal
plane, a design of the drive for two conveyors, ensuring the work of both or each separately, had offered
replacement of short-lived welded combined chains for standard chains. Simultaneously a reconstruction
of bottle-washing machine went on, bottles corking varied and in 1962 they reconstructed the automatic
device UAZ, for bottles corking with natural corks, for working with crown cork, and the next year Tbilisi
automatic device was altered for working with polyethylene caps.

Those years rationalization and invention movement at the distillery had reached its peak. A screw double-
spindle press of the mechanized line for ready production packing for the northern regions created by the
distillery skilled craftsmen Rykoun O.Y., Perlov S.D., Soumchinsky A.K., Panchenko N.F. was recognized
as an invention and in 1965 the copyright certificate # 177281 was issued. The same authors received the
certificate # 1988225 for creation of the conveyor for transportation of piece loads, for lifting of cases with
bottled production and for their descent from the second floor to the railroad car.
An interesting development was carried out by the designers Rykoun O.Y., Roudashevskaya K.O. and the
technologist Vinnichenko Tamara Mikhaylovna. Yet in 1961 thei proposed to make the rolling mill with a
mechanical drive for pressing the wine out from the filter cardboard after its use in frame filters. An
output of wine from one load of the filter (65 plates) had made more than 30 kgs., the annual saving of
wine and cognac had made 15.8 thousand roubles. In 1965 that invention held copyright certificate #
236984, and only in 1976 two industrially made presses for rolling filter cardboard MV-VPJ were
installed at the distillery.

The mechanization and rational configuration of the equipment, as well as its modernization were
provided by the collective itself, without closing shops. The new bottling shop was being improved and
was increasing production volumes.
The worker of the distillery N. Tarnouyev in one of July issues of the newspaper «Leninskoye Znamya» in
1964 recalled how the new bottling shop looked like: «Everything pleases an eye in the bottlery: a
matching coloring of walls, fluorescent lamps, four automatic lines stretched row by row. They spread for
about 300 meters (1000 feet). The equipment is shining with nickel, conveyor belts are moving endlessly.
Hundreds of bottles one by one in four streams are moving under the filling automatic devices. A click,
and the apparatus pours into a bottle a strictly dosed portion of amber wine. Then corking, inspection,
pitching, marking and labeling. And all this is carried out by machines. To ensure an uninterrupted work
of all units, the mechanic of the shop Nikolay Omelchenko has to hold under control all the parts of the
automatic transfer lines. And he successfully copes with his rather complex and numerous duties. ...Here
is Anatoly Pimonov, the foreman. He is responsible for all the processes during the shift - from the
washing section to the packing of the production into cases. ... He works at our distillery already for
fifteen years. The working women of the bottling shop more than once complained that they had to run
upstairs to the tanks and to switch over the wine feeding. ...And Anatoly Pimonov has found the way out.
From the main glass-pipe he has installed a branch leading downstairs and equipped it with faucets. ...The
mechanic Victor Tsaryov is also a person of inquisitive mind... has offered a new design of the shaft with
safety coupling for the conveyor. This innovation has helped much to prolong the service of the washing
machines. In the washing plant «ÄåÖ-3» a loading unit has happened to be imperfect. The mechanic
Afanasy Drogan has improved the design of that unit, due to that the productivity of the unit has increased
sharply».

CHAPTER XII
IN THE LABYRINTHS OF THE SEVEN-YEAR-PLAN

On June 7, 1957, in connection with the formation of Sovnarkhoz of the USSR (Council of National
Economy), by the Resolution of Council of Ministers of the åSSR # 297 a Sovnarkhoz of the Moldavian
Republic was formed, which included the Management board of winemaking industry (Moldvinprom),
under which Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery was transferred. And on June 18, 1959 according to the
Resolution of Council of Ministers of the Moldavian Republic # 270 «On the structure of the Council of
National Economy of the MSSR» branch managements of SNH MSSR were abolished, and Tiraspol
distillery was subordinated to the branch departments of SNH MSSR.

Once again a signboard on the distillery was replaced in seven-year-plan begun on April 30, 1960. A
resolution of Council of Ministers of the Moldavian Republic «On the structure of SNH MSSR»,
according to which the branch departments of SNH were abolished and branch managements were
formed. Thus the management of winemaking industry (Uprvinprom) had appeared, to which Tiraspol
wines and cognacs distillery was re-submitted.

The signboards varied and the distillery lived its own life. Much had to be done in the begun seven-year-
plan to carry out those scheduled tasks, which had been planned from the top. The seven-year-plan of
national economy development provided a significant growth of winemaking in the Republic. In that
connection the vineyard area was increased about three times in comparison with 1958. It was planned to
invest two billion roubles into the development of winemaking industry, to construct about 130 wineries
and to increase five times capacities of wine warehouses. It was planned by the end of seven-year-plan,
that the enterprises of the Republic will process daily 40 thousand tons of grapes, i.e. 28 thousand tons
more, than in 1958.

By 1965 the wineries would have to make about 100 mln. decaliters of wine against 15 mln. decaliters in
1958.
According to those plans estimated figures were fixed for Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery. A
significant growth of production volume was planned. If in 1958 the distillery output 880 thousand
decaliters of bottled wine, in 1965 it would have to give already 1200 thousand decaliters. In 1958 they
produced 384 thousand decaliters of barrel wine and processed wine materials, and in 1965 it was planned
to make 600 thousand decaliters. The production of cognac spirit for the same period was planned to be
lifted from 50 thousand decaliters up to 80 thousand; the output of barrel cognac and processed cognac
spirit was intended to increase from 75 thousand decaliters up to 100 thousand; besides, it was planned to
output bottled cognac already not 135 thousand decaliters per year, but 200 thousand. The production of
spirit, grape rectified spirit was also planned to be lifted from 73 thousand decaliters a year up to 100
thousand.
To understand, what place was allocated to Tiraspol distillery in the seven-year-plan, it is necessary to tell,
that by that time at the enterprise they output 95 per cent of all the cognacs of Moldavia and more than 20
per cent of bottled wine produce (Magazine «Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia» # 1, 1959 p. 37).

To put into practice the planned growth of productivity of the enterprise, it was necessary to carry out
serious both technical and technological measures.

The collective, led by D.V. Kozlitin, outlined a number of measures. It was decided to replace in the
distilling shop a section of cube 65 decaliters «Charente apparatus» of periodic action with continuous-
working installation with capacity of 120 thousand decaliters of cognac spirit (in one run) a year. It would
have allowed to increase an output of cognac spirit by two thousand decaliters a year and to reduce the
number of workers.

It was provided to mount a new suspension feeding communication to the rectification installation, that
would have increased its capacity up to 500 decaliters per day and lowered losses at rectification to one per
cent. The introduction of chemical treatment of raw materials should have increased an output of the 1-st
grade product by 2-2.5 per cent.

It was planned to install in wine-blending shop: two blending tanks holding 10 thousand decaliters each;
and also two powerful pump stations with a central control panel, to equip all the bought tanks with
propeller mixers.

In the bottling shop it was planned to mount and put into operation an automatic line; to replace the
bottle-washing machine BÃ-2 with more powerful (type “Zeits” Shille).

To increase the capacity of cognacs-blending shop it was planned to install additionally two enameled
tanks five thousand decaliters each.

It was planned to expand the assortment of output production both for wine, and cognac. And for quality
improvement of the output production to execute a continuous processing by heat and cold of all fortified
and dessert wines. The dry wines were to be processed in oxygen-free mode with an application of cold. To
introduce for wine produce processing diatomaceous filters, centrifuges and bentonites. To raise the
quality of the ordinary cognacs, their thermal processing and application of small and fragrant waters
instead of spirit ones was planned.

Close attention was focused on mechanization of labor-consuming processes. With the purpose to decrease
the cost price of output wine produce and reduce losses at processing and storage of wine materials an
application of large capacities was planned, as well as construction of wine warehouses and glass
pipelines.

The director of the distillery repeatedly came forward with the initiative to make long distance shipments
of ready production not in bottles, but in casks or railroad tanks. And to create in Vladivostok and other
large centers of the North bases for bottling wine and therefrom deliver bottled wine to Okhotsk, Magadan
and other dwelling points by sea.

From the first year of seven-year-plan the outlined plans began to be put into life. In the second half-year
of 1959 and the first quarter of 1960 a new wine storehouse for 600 thousand decaliters was put into
operation. Thus the total volume of well equipped wine warehouses had reached 1.5 million decaliters. A
railroad branch was laid to the new wine warehouse. By November 1959 the extent of glass pipeline was
increased by another 2.5 thousand linear meters (8,200 feet), due to that the enterprise saved more than
200 thousand roubles reducing losses at pumping the wine products through the rubber hoses. The
pumping of wine through glass pipes not only lowered losses and improved the culture of manufacture,
but also raised the quality of production. By January 1, 1960 the wine-makers had put into operation
another 1.5 thousand linear meters (4,900 feet) of glass pipe.
In the same season at the expense of the loans of the State Bank 80 fifteen-cubic-meters tanks and four
capacities for 100 thousand liters each were purchased. It saved to the distillery 900 decaliters of wine
because the storage of wine and wine materials in casks resulted in large losses. All the more so that the
casks at that time were kept outdoors all the year round. Losses of wine in them made up to 7 per cent.

Simultaneously with the installation of glass pipeline an installation of central pumping station was made
in the newly built wine storehouse. Thus the losses were largely eliminated at wine materials acceptance
and their transfer to blending shop.

In 1959-1960 between blending and cognac workshops and the bottlery an automatic device was mounted
to switch pumping units on and off. A similar automatic device was installed in the distilling shop on the
process of feeding of water for the alcohol cooler. A compressor with capacity of 200 thousand kilocalories
an hour and continuously working rectification apparatus were put into operation.

In the cognac shop at the end of the first half-year of 1959 they established a new apparatus with a
mechanical mixer for preparation of the syrup. A problem arose: the loading of sugar into the apparatus
had to be done manually. It was quickly solved by the chief of the shop B. Yampolsky. On his initiative a
mechanical screw sugar feeder was made. Only in the first year of seven-year-plan the winemakers had
submitted 35 rationalization propositions, which saved 125 thousand roubles. What was more important,
the rationalizers and the innovators of the production allowed the enterprise to save those materials, which
were in short supply. Thus during the decade from 1949 till 1959 only one ton of bronze was alocated to
the enterprise from the state funds, whereas the annual need for it was 300 kgs. Due to the innovators of
manufacture, the distillery was not suffering from sharp need for that non-ferrous alloy. The worn out
parts of non-ferrous metals were sent for restoration. Where it was possible, non-ferrous metals were
replaced with other, less valuable ones. Under the direction of the main mechanic of the distillery B.
Bougoziyanos they began applying in the pumps shafts, blinds, pins, made of corrosion-proof steel. The
turners Nikolay Maslennikov and Anatoly Abalmasov successfully used wastes of non-ferrous metals in
manufacturing of necessary parts.

Analyzing that period of work, D.A. Kozlitin in the first issue of the magazine “Gardening, Viticulture
and Winemaking of Moldavia” of 1961 wrote: “In the first half of 1959 we had some difficulties with the
fulfilment of the plan. But due to the efforts of all the collective the work of our winemaking enterprise
was corrected, and the annual plan was fulfilled for 106 per cent. The efforts of the distillery's collective
were appreciated deservedly. In III and IV quarters of 1959 the distillery was awarded the Challenge Red
Banner of Sovnarkhoz and Sovprof of Moldavia, and also money premiums.

The plan for 1960, in comparison with 1959, was increased: for wine by 149.5 per cent, for processed
wine materials by 172 per cent, for cognac spirits at maturing by 130 per cent. A counter plan was
adopted: to reach in 1963 the level of output of wines and cognacs which had been planned for the end of
seven-year-plan. The truth was that in May 1960 the fulfilment of these obligations was postponed to the
first quarter of 1964. An essential addition was accepted that the total volume of production on the same
industrial area would increase 1.5 time.

In the newspaper «Dnestrovskaya Pravda» in May 1960 an article of the director of the enterprise D.A.
Kozlitin «Winemakers Pass the Examination» was published, in which he wrote: « ...We have developed a
detailed plan of mechanization and automation of the distillery. In the near future it is planned to mount a
new continuously working installations in the distillery shop, to install the suspension communications, to
equip all the blending tanks with propeller mixers. To install two bottling productive machines in the
bottling shop. The further mechanization of labor-consuming works will be made at the expense of
increase of the network of stationary glass wine pipes, mounting of a mechanized aerial road, conveyors
for feeding of empty bottles to the bottlery and for transporting of ready production into the railroad
cars...».
In 1960 the Tiraspol distillery exported the first lot of ordinary cognac to the German Democratic
Republic. As subsequently B. Yampolsky recalled: «That cognac was bottled manually by a brigade of six
girls in cognac shop under the management of Dekhtyaryova and careful control of the laboratory».
The cognac “Nistru” was composed yet in 1959, but it was given a start in life only a year later. Being
recognized subsequently by many known winemakers and international fairs the cognac had not at once
gotten to the consumers. One of its developers B. Yampolsky wrote: «A few months of laborious work of
the collective and we have embodied the idea of the chief of Moldvinprom Nikolay Vassilyevich Oreshkin
- we have prepared in 1959 experimental samples of different variants of cognac «Nistru». No one has
ever made such a cognac in the Soviet Union since it was specially prepared for female consumers - its
parameters: sugar content 2.5-3%, alcohol 43 %. Almost for a year it was not approved by the Central
Tasting Commission, though N.V. Oreshkin, as the high expert of an international class (Deputy
Chairman of the Central Tasting Commission and the Member of the World Contest Commission on
Winemaking), insisted that there must be such a cognac in the country. In 1960 after the third
representation the cognac was at long last approved and the distillery begun its production».

For the participation in the development of that cognac and the cognac «Doina» and in connection with
the 50-th anniversary of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 1960 the chief engineer of the
distillery N.I. Kasprevich was awarded the Order of Lenin. And for an active participation in development
of winemaking of Moldavia Nadezhda Ivanovna had received a gold medal of the All-Union Agricultural
Exhibition and a valuable present.

In 1960 the All-Union conference of the experts for consideration of new technological methods in cognac
production took place in Odessa. The reports on accelerated methods of cognac spirit seasoning were
submitted. There could be traced the new tendency in the production of ordinary cognacs - the maturing of
cognac spirits in enameled tanks, loaded with stave, small bars, processed by alkali, split staves, subjected
to thermal processing. After the conference threre was a tasting of the commercially produced Soviet
cognacs, pilot cognacs and cognac spirits. High quality of the cognacs from Ukraine and Moldavia, being
rather new cognac regions, was marked. At the conference the Doctor of Technical Sciences L.M.
Dzhanpolodyan told about so-called step addition of the cognac spirits. The same year Tiraspol
winemakers introduced that method in their production. What did it give? Under the most favorable
conditions of the cognac maturing (especially fine cognac maturing) within 30 years 10 per cent remain,
and 90 evaporate. To prevent complete loss of the spirit the step adding is applied.

The old spirits are diluted with the younger ones with a difference in age of 1-2-3 years. It helps not only
keep spirits, but also receive at exit 100 per cent of cognac. With the help of step adding it is possible to
improve the quality of spirits, as the maturing process is more intensive in the young spirits and it
stimulates the general process.

Complex of measures, carried out at the enterprise, had allowed in 1960 to speed up considerably the rates
of production. By October 1 the plan was fulfilled in complete assortment for 108.7 per cent, and in
productivity of labor - for 102.4 per cent. The enterprise gained over and above the plan the profit of 4
mln. 725 thousand roubles and thus the cost price of products was reduced by 5 mln. 553 thousand
roubles. The collective of the enterprise was awarded the Challenge Red Banner of the Council of
Ministers and Council of Trade Unions of the Moldavian SSR, and also the money premium of 56
thousand roubles. Totally in 1960 the distillery made over the plan wines and cognacs for seven million
roubles.

At last the shipment of ready production to the northern regions was completely mechanized, two corking
automatic devices for crown cork were installed, the process of wine produce feeding from blending shop
into the bottling shop was automated. And in 1961 the wine-makers decided to fulfill the plan of three
years of the seven-year-plan by December 17. It was planned to master the technology of accelerated
seasoning of the ordinary cognacs, developed by the research institute of food industry. The term of three
star cognac maturing was planned to be reduced by two years.

The chief of the department of labor and salary Kirsanov, chief of the department of logistics and sales
S.D. Perlov and senior designer Rykoun had developed the scheme of installation of the conveyor for
caseless feeding of bottles into the washing section of the bottling shop. Until then the bottles were
supplied in cases which not only reduced the labor productivity, but also blocked up the shop. It had
enabled to ship by the end of the year with the minimal manpower involvement 500 railroad cars of
production to the northern regions of the USSR (in special packing) and to export more than 50 cars.

At the distillery the supply of auxiliary materials and wine produce was mechanized with the conveyors,
as well as freight handling works. Daily the distillery shipped to the different parts of the USSR more than
10 cars of production.

In the beginning of 1961 the enterprise daily output 90 thousand 500 ml bottles, whereas in 1958 only 60
thousand bottles. The quality of output wine produce improved. Thus in 1960 at the Republican Exhibition
of Economic Achievments the samples were presented by eleven state wine farms, six wineries, two
scientific-research institutes and Kishinev school of winemaking. Totally 165 samples of various table,
strong and dessert wines, as well as Champaign, Vermouths, Sherry, cognacs and liqueurs were exhibited.
In samples display at the exhibition another 12 collective farms, presenting 76 samples of table wines took
part. As a result of the carried out tastings of the wine samples of the winemaking enterprises, research
establishments and educational institutions of Moldavia, Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery (having
given nine samples) had received the tasting mark of 8.18 points. It was the eighth result.

In 1961 twenty-four organizations demonstrated 151 samples of their wine produce at the Exhibition of
Economic Achievments of Moldavia. This time the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery received the
tasting mark of 8.75 points. It was the second result. Higher result (8.84 points) belonged to the
Moldavian Research Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Winemaking.

The production, despite the objective difficulties, continued to expand in the subsequent years of the
seven-year-plan. Already at the end of 1962 up to ten tanks of wine materials arrived daily on railroad
branch of the distillery from wineries of primary winemaking. The collective of the enterprise coped
successfully not only with their acceptance, but also with their processing. The practice of quitting the
wine storage in small containers introduced in the beginning of 60-s proved to be right. Constructed at the
end of 1959 the wine warehouse for 600 thousand decaliters (on which construction was spent more than
one million of roubles) in the summer of 1963 already completely justified itself. The decrease of losses
due to the wine storage in large metal and ferro-concrete capacities gave the distillery annual economy of
350 thousand roubles.

In 1962 a new cognac «Surprizny» prepared according to new original technology was launched into
commercial production. It was the cognac of cognacs. Cognacs «Nistru» and «Doina» known by that time
were mixed in a certain proportion. Five samples of different variants were submitted to the verdict of the
Tasting Commission of Moldvinprom. Collectively one sample, authorized then in Moscow, was chosen
Accepting the plan for 1964, the winemakers decided to increase the output. The wine output should have
make 105.5 per cent against the level planned for 1963. Moreover the collective decided that in the two-
year-plan (for 1964-1965) it was necessary to provide for an increase of output of bottled dry wines being
in demand among the consumers. Among other things, it gave the economy of sugar, which in a plenty
was spent to produce fortified wines, reduced the labor-consuming of the products output.

However the shipment of ready production to remote consignees still remained a bottleneck at that time.
The enterprise sent annually to northern regions more than 700 cars of bottled wines and cognacs.
Production should be packed into cases with an application of chips, felt and gofer paper with a packing
control tape. 67.5 thousand cases and 2700 thousand bottles left for North and did not come back to the
enterprise. The annual losses exceeded 1100 thousand roubles. And the question of sending in tanks and
opening of the bottleries in the East was not solved yet.

Earlier it was accepted to dedicate the output of a new product to some or other anniversary. In 1964 to the
40-th anniversary of the Moldavian Republic Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery had output the fine
cognac «Yubileyny», which, as well as another fine cognac «Solnechny» output in 1967, was fated to live
a long and happy life.

In 1964 there was the reorganization of cognacs production: all its divisions were incorporated and B.
Yampolsky became the chief of the new, now already spirits-cognacs production.

At the same time under the order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR the distillery had to solve rather
unusual problem. There appeared “a hole” in the budget of seven-year-plan. It had to be patched urgently
with something. The Finance Ministry of the USSR proposed to use the young cognac spirits with the
purpose of creation of a cognac drink. The authors of the new drink were: the chief of the laboratory of
cognacs production of the Research Institute of the Ministry of food industry of the MSSR E.I.
Shpritsman, the chief of sector of automation of the Research Institute of Technical Industry of the MSSR
G.M. Makarov and the chief of spirits-cognacs production of Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery B.I.
Yampolsky. The plan was simple: using young cognac spirits to prepare during three months a drink
similar to cognac but much cheaper.

The process was aimed at disintegration of oak by processing of oak chips with an acid and ammonia in a
drum-rector at the temperature of 90-95 degrees centigrade during two hours. The cognac spirit was
seasoned a certain time on these chips and the necessary drink was ready. The drink was patented under
the name of «Fokushor». At the request of the leadership of Byelorussia the same installation was started
in Minsk and their drink was named «Ogenchik».A simular drink was produced under the label
«Zironka» at the Odessa distillery on the basis of Tiraspol technology, but with the use of different
hardware. The same drinks were launched in Beltsy, Georgia, Armenia. The chief of cognacs production
of Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery S.A. Chernetsky has told about one interesting fact from a short
life of that drink: «To manufacture this drink, which was imposed upon us, it was necessary to spend the
best cognacs spirits, obviously making the product of a low quality. Once at the All-Union Tasting in
Moscow a number of drinks like «Fokushor» from various Republics was represented. It was a closed
tasting, no one knew the name of the drinks, offered for tasting. E.I. Shpritsman was present at the
tasting. One drink was especially badly spoken of and got the lowest mark. When they have deciphered
the drink - it turned out that it was «Fokushor». In 1967 the best winemakers of Armenia had written to
Kosygin, as the head of government, a letter with the request to remove from the manufacture that drink
and not to waste the best young cognac spirits - the dearest raw material. The drink was removed from the
manufacture».

Despite all the objective and subjective difficulties, the distillery has fulfilled the seven-year-plan ahead of
schedule by July 23, 1965. The plan of 1965 was fulfilled by November 21. The production manufactured
over and above the plan cost 1.28 mln. roubles. Only in the last year of seven-year-plan more than 25
automatic devices, filters, gauges, pumps, pasteurizers were introduced at the distillery. Besides, there was
introduced an advanced technology of processing of wines and cognacs. An application of scorbic acid had
significantly improved the stability of wines. The experts of the distillery had begun working over the
introduction of a new technology of Port wines. In 1965 alone 35 rationalizing propositions were
introduced into production. About one of them the magazine «Horticulture, Viticulture and Winemaking
of Moldavia» wrote a year before its introduction: «The experience of automation of pump de-energizing
at wines and cognacs distillery». The problem was that the pumps, feeding wine and wine products into
the pressure section of the bottling shop were switched off manually. It resulted in overpumpings and
unproductive losses of working hours.

The group of innovators of production (including the author of the article the engineer Y.I. Koushelevich)
had developed and mounted a system of automatic switching of the pumps. They began to be switched off
with the help of the disconnecting relay, built in the case of the magnetic actuator. The system was simple
in handling and convenient in work.

In the last year of seven-year-plan the best rationalizers of the enterprise B.I. Yampolsky, A.D. Artyomov,
V.S. Lebedev, O.Y. Rykoun, A.K. Soumchinsky, N.F. Panchenko, A.R. Kirsanov, N.I. Kasprevich received
the premiums. Efficiency from the introduction of new engineering, advanced technology and
rationalization propositions had exceeded 150 thousand roubles. On October 16, 1965 according to the
Resolution of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldavia and Council of Ministers of the
MSSR # 421 «On the improvement of management of the industry», Sovnarkhoz and its depertments
were abolished and their functions of management of winemaking industry were handed to the Main
Department of winemaking industry (Glavuprvinprom) of the Ministry of the MSSR, to which the
Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery was subordinated

CHAPTER XIII
IN THE VANGUARD
OF ECONOMIC REFORM
In 60-s all major decisions in the country were made and approved at congresses of the ruling Communist
Party. The XXIII Congress of the CPSU emphasized, that the major task was putting into life of a new
system of planning and stimulation of production. As in 90-s words «market» and «market relations» were
in fashion, so in the second half of 60-s «khozraschyot» (self-supporting running, self-financing) and
«new conditions of planning and economic stimulation» were on every economist’s lips. Numerous
articles in the newspapers and magazines appeared, a propaganda campaign began at the bidding of top
officials.

In February of 1966 the 66-year director of the distillery D.A. Kozlitin retired on a deserved pension. P.
Petrik who was at that time the first secretary of the Tiraspol City Committee of the Communist Party of
Moldavia had invited his old acquaintance I.F. Nyagu (he was the director of Beltsy distillery then) to fill
the vacancy, but the collective received him coldly. And Ivan Fomich himself was unhealthy at that time,
while the enterprise was on a brink of large changes and needed a vigorous young director. Then Petrik
had offered to occupy that post to the chief engineer of the Beltsy distillery. Later on B.M. Khilkov
recalled about his assignment: «P. Petrik has arrived at our distillery and said, that he would like to see me
as a director of the distillery in Tiraspol. By that time after the graduation of the department of technology
of winemaking of the Odessa Institute of canning industry I already had been working for 14 years: as the
manager of wine station at the factory of sparkling wines of Strasheny distillery, chief winemaker at the
newly established Vornacheny winery, chief engineer at Beltsy wines and cognacs distillery. Probably they
considered me to be experienced enough to head such large production in that crucial moment. I was
brought in Tiraspol by the minister of food industry of Moldavia I.S. Shkoroupeyev. They brought me
directly to the City Committee of the Communist Party. After the approval of my candidacy at the bureau I
had an interview in the branch ministry. There the chief of the production department N.S. Tokhmakhchi
has told: «The distillery is old, there many old buildings, the collective is good, but some fresh blood is
needed in the management. Go ahead!».

The new director had to embark on the work literally at once. He had gotten, as a proverb goes, directly
from a ship to a ball. During the previous seven years Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery had been
achieving high and stable parameters in work. Therefore, when there was a question of chosing a place for
further experiments, they selected our collective. An analysis of technical and economic working
parameters for the past seven-year-plan was carried out and especially thoroughly was analyzed the period
of 1964 - 1965. They have also analyzed the plan for 1966. The analysis of the technical and economic
data had shown, that the enterprise worked stable and from year to year increased the volume of
production. The volume of sold products in wholesale prices introduced since January 1, 1966 made in
1964 31,864 thousand roubles, in 1965 - 35,318 thousand roubles, and the amount of gross product for the
same years reached correspondingly 22,135 and 26,811 thousand roubles. In 1964 there were output 1,387
thousand dal of grape wine, and in 1965 - 1,498.9 thousand dal. The expenses on one rouble of
commodity production in 1964 were equal to 90.7 kop., and in the last year of the seven-year-plan - 86.1
kop.
As a result of the increase of the volume of production and decrease of the cost price of product the value
of balance profit increased. In the final year of the seven-year-plan it was equal to 4,728.3 thousand
roubles, against 3,393 thousand roubles in 1964. Profitability, calculated on average annual cost of
production assets in comparable with 1966 conditions, had made in 1964 - 69.1 per cent, and in 1965 -
81.6 per cent.

Proceeding from all those data, they decided in branch Ministries of the Republic and the USSR, that the
distillery had all the necessary conditions for realization of the economic experiment.

It is necessary to tell, that prior to the beginning of the experiment the industrial workers were seldom
encouraged with any material incentives and consequently were not interested personally in improvement
of production parameters because according to existing then rules about premiums for workers, executives
and experts of the enterprises of winemaking industry the payment of premiums for overfulfillment of all
the parameters of industrial-economic activities, including decrease of the cost price of product and
increase of its quality, was provided only within the limits of received relative economy of wages. It
resulted in symbolically small premiums.

In winemaking industry the raw materials and basic components make the main part of the cost price of
product and decrease of the cost price of product, for which the major part of premiums was charged,
depended, mainly, on a rational use of raw and other materials and could give a significant effect. But the
economy of wages fund was established as a source of premiums payment, specific weight of which made
only 3.5 per cent in the distillery product cost price.

Besides, in accordance with the acting rules for the increase of product quality there was provided
premiums awarding of a small circle of the executives and experts of the enterprise. The size of fund of
the enterprise made 5.5 per cent from the wages fund of distillery, from which only 20 per cent was
allocated for premiums awarding.

Such a bulky and out-of-date system needed radical changes. It was necessary to create such scheme of
production, which would encourage the enterprise not only to increase the output but also to sell it as soon
as possible. And for that purpose it was necessary to improve the quality of products. Therefore according
to a new rule all the workers had to be incentivized from the fund of material encouragement, formed on
the basis of purposeful deductions from the distillery profit. That could not but improved the use of basic
production assets. The new rules introduced a payment for the basic production assets and circulating
assets in order to increase the extent of their usage. The enterprise became interested in the fastest possible
mastering of the received new equipment so that it would repay for itself.

As an experiment Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery since April 1, 1966 the first of nine designated
enterprises of the Ministry of food industry of the USSR was transferred to the new system of planning
and economic stimulation. The volume of sold products under the plan of 1966 was set in the amount of
42.7 mln. of roubles. The corrected plan according to the new system was determined in 43.4 mln. roub.,
i.e. 686 thousand roubles, or 1.6 per cent more than the previous plan, and made 105.9 per cent of the
report of 1965. The balance profit in the new system was 100 thousand roubles more than the authorized
plan. The fund of the salary of all working under the plan for 1966 in the new system was authorized at
the rate of 832.2 thousand roubles.

The profitability, accepted for calculation of funds under the plan for 1966, in the new system was
determined at the rate of 60 per cent. The payments into the budget of the part of additionally received
profit under the plan for 1966 in the new system had made 32 thousand roubles. The basic deductions
from the profits of the enterprise were fixed in the following manner: into the fund of material
encouragement (in percentage of the wages fund of the production personnel), for each per cent of growth
of sale of the products, stipulated by the plan in comparison with the previous year - 0.54 per cent, and for
each per cent of profitability, stipulated by the annual plan - 0.16 per cent; into the fund of welfare
measures and housing construction (in percentage of the general wages fund) the same parameters were
accordingly - 0.17 per cent and 0.05 per cent; into the fund of development of production (in percentage of
the cost of production of basic assets) - those parameters were equal to 0.032 per cent and 0.010 per cent.

Proceeding from those specifications the deductions into the fund of material encouragement at the
Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery for 1966 were determined in the sum of 139 thousand roubles, that is
82 thousand roubles (or 2.4 times) more than all sums paid from the fund in the previous year. The
deductions for 1966 into the fund of welfare measures and housing construction were determined at the
rate of 29 thousand roubles (in 1965 - 16 thousand roubles). However, from the fund of development of the
enterprise in 1965 it was spent 229 thousand roubles, and for 1966 under new conditions it was planned to
spend 102 thousand roubles.

Certainly, not everything in that initial model of the new economic system has given the expected effect.
Though the list of staff was ceased to be approved, but not to reduce the salary fund, they had to work with
the old staff. The staff reduction due to automation of production and unification of adjacent processes was
not stimulated. But nevertheless the reform was a step ahead. Earlier the plans set from above were
changed repeatedly during a year. There existed a vicious practice of dragging forward those enterprises
which were lagging behind. The plan was reduced for backward enterprises and for those who worked
stable the plan was increased. The profitable enterprises suffered most from that practice. Only in 1965 the
distillery faced 4 increases of planned profit from gross and commodity product , besides, there were three
changes in the salary fund and two changes in the number of personnel. After each change of the tasks it
was necessary to recalculate the technical-production-financial plan of the enterprise. It prevented the
planning men from analysing the economic activity of work shops and the distillery as a whole.

But the most important thing in the reform was the fact, that product sale became a major parameter of
the industrial activity. In the first month of work under new conditions of planning and economic
stimulation of production the Tiraspol winemakers have fulfilled the plan on volume of sold products for
107.4 per cent with the fulfilment of the plan on gross product for 104.3 per cent, productivity of labor
made 103.7 per cent of the plan. The distillery had also successfully fulfilled the plan of the second
quarter on products sale for 106.8 per cent with the fulfilment of the plan on commodity production for
103.7 per cent and on gross product for 103.9 per cent. The rests of unsold products in wholesale prices,
making by the beginning of the quarter 2,055 thousand roubles, decreased by its end to 1690 thousand
roubles, and the rests of ready products in a warehouse made (in the prices of 1966) in the beginning of
the second quarter of 1965 - 420 thousand roubles; at the end of the second quarter - 360 thousand
roubles; in 1966 accordingly 437 thousand roubles and 370 thousand roubles. In the second quarter the
distillery had received 631 thousand roubles of profit. The overplanned profit was formed due to the
increase of sale (58 thousand roubles), decrease of the cost price (15 thousand roubles), shifts in
assortment - increase of the share of the most profitable products (5 thousand roubles).

At transition to a new system the distillery sold the unnecessary equipment and considerably reduced in
comparison with II quarter of 1965 the stocks of commodity-material assets, including reserves of low
valuable and quickwearing stock - by 17 thousand roubles. Reception of the overplan profit and reduction
against the plan of the amount of basic and circulating assets had caused the increase of profitability level
from 11.3 per cent as planned up to 12.7 per cent, 1 per cent of profitability growth was received at the
expense of formation of the overplan profit and 0.4 per cent - at the expense of reduction of cost of key
assets and fixed turnover means. From 631 thousand roubles of received profit 45.3 thousand roubles were
earmarked to stimulation funds of the enterprise. After the transition to the new economic model, already
in the first quarter the enterprise could allocate on formation of stimulating funds 51.6 thousand roubles
more, than in the appropriate period of the previous year. There was allocated 129 thousand roubles
instead of planned 80 thousand roubles on capital construction, and the distillery refused completely from
centralized investments and allotment of means from the budget.

Besides, the new rules of premium awarding of the workers, office and management personnel and other
employees were developed at the distillery. As a result already in the second quarter the share of the
premiums in wages had raised up to 15 per cent among workers and up to 25 per cent among engineering-
technical staff and other employees.

The very scheme of products sale has also changed. There a large work was carried out by Sales
Department of the distillery which thoroughly analyzed the customers. The sales managers came to a
conclusion, that it was necessary to ship products to remote consumers in the beginning of a month. Then
the money from the customers would come to the bank account of the distillery within the same month. In
1966 the volume of sales grew by 9.5 per cent in comparison with the previous year. The fulfilment of the
plan on products sale was explained by the fact that during three previous quarters (the work under new
conditions) the plan of commodity and gross product on all items of assortment had been carried out,
whereas the plan of sales in the first quarter of 1966 was overfulfilled only for 96.5 per cent. As a result of
such productive work the rests of ready products in warehouses of the enterprise as of January 1, 1967
decreased by 45.8 per cent in comparison with the beginning of 1966, in spite of the fact that the
commodity production output in 1966 had been 6.8 per cent higher, than in the previous year.

From all kinds of products on objective reasons there was not fulfilled only the plan of cognac spirits
maturing, becaused the distillery had received tanks of smaller capacity (50 thousand decaliters instead of
100 thousand decaliters).

The economists of the enterprise had analyzed the situation and came to a conclusion, that for the
successful fulfillment of the sales plan the distillery had to ship to the customers more expensive products
(like cognac and Fokushor) in the first half of each month in order to ensure timely money proceedings.

During the work certain problems rose, which were to be solved by higher organizations. A very important
question for work in new conditions was increase of product quality. Already in 1966 at the enterprise a
system of material and moral encouragement of the workers was developed. It provided monthly
premiums for workers at the rate of 15 per cent of earnings for processing wine materials, wines and
cognacs, of determined quality (for wine - not less than 7.5 points, ordinary cognacs - not less than 8.0
points) along the whole technological chain.
The managing and nonproduction workers of the distillery received the premium at the rate of 3 per cent
of the official salary for each 0.1 point of wines quality improvement over 7.5 points, for ordinary cognacs
- over 8.0 points. The workers and engineering-technical employees outputting the produce of excellent
quality were awarded tour tickets and business missions to other similar enterprises of the USSR and to
the Exhibition of Economic Achievements. The main criterion in the competition between the shops of the
distillery was the produce quality.

But not everything in produce quality improvement depended on winemakers. A competition of the
workers of the industrial enterprises and workers of agriculture under the good motto: «Excellent raw
material - excellent products» was announced in the Republic. But raw materials came to the distillery
from a number of suppliers by small lots. The suppliers themselves were far away from the distillery. In
1966, for example, 1,985 thousand decaliters of wine materials came to the enterprise, from which 298.9
thousand decaliters were supplied by four state farms, 76.1 thousand decaliters by three canning factories
and two state farms, and 1,610 thousand decaliters by 14 primary wineries and six wine state farms of
Moldavia. The quality of coming wine materials was not always on the due level. It was necessary to
process it by heat and cold in considerably greater amount, than it was provided by the plan, which
resulted in extra production losses.

As Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery sent the bulk of its produce outside the borders of Moldavia,
including many remote regions of the USSR, most significant expenses were transport ones. An economic
analysis with the purpose of finding ways of curtailment of those charges was made at the distillery. The
data of the analysis allowed to draw an unequivocal conclusion, that long distance transportation could be
most profitably carried out with the help of cars-refrigerators.

However, difficulties of other kind have arisen, because of which the distillery only in 1966 has lost 155
thousand roubles of profit. Tiraspol winemakers sent the bulk of their produce to northern regions, and
also to Siberia and Far East. A question rose: what to do with the return of empty bottles and cases? The
bodies of logistics did not want to tackle that problem. In 1966 the enterprise was allocated 8000 cubic
meters of case containers, that is only 60 per cent of the required quantity. It was prescribed to cover the
rest 40 per cent with returnable containers, in other words the whole plan was beforehand doomed for
failure.

The situation with the glass containers was not better. In 1966 the enterprise was to receive 20,500
thousand new bottles and 12846 thousand return bottles. The distillery had actually received only 17,600
thousand new bottles. Suppliers often let down. Tiraspol wood processing factory should make for the
distillery 600 thousand cases, but only 518 thousand cases were supplied. Funds allocated to the distillery
for material resources did not correspond at times with the plan of production, which brought additional
difficulties during transition to the new conditions of planning and economic stimulation.

The problems of other sort had also arisen. Maturing cognac spirits were considered as an uncompleted
production at the wines and cognacs distillery. It is them that the quality of fine cognacs output by the
distillery depends on. It takes years if not decades to make high-quality cognacs. If you had levied a tax on
fixed turnover means invested in the mentioned kinds of produce, the enterprise would have begun to
carry out to the detriment of quality the policy of reduction of cognac spirits stocks, that would result in
growth of ordinary cognacs and reduction of high-quality fine ones. As an experiment in 1966 no payment
was raised for funds invested in cognac spirits being on long-term maturing.

The analysis of this economic experiment showed that in the first year the circulation of the turnover
means improved. If in 1965 the duration of one turnover was equal to 133 days, in 1966 this figure was
already 110.

Post of the engineer on scientific organization of labor was introduced which was occupied by Pavel
Arsentyevich Filchakov. The measures on scientific organization of labor began to be discussed on a
sessions of permanent production conference and public bureau of economic analysis. They dealt not only
with problems of rational labor sharing, but also with effective utilization of raw materials and
components, operative equipment and industrial areas. The council of scientific organization of labor was
headed by the director of the enterprise B.M. Khilkov. The work of the council was performed in four
stages. At first they found out the narrowest bottlenecks, braking work, and created special brigades to
solve those problems. At the second stage the creative brigades developed their plan of sorting out the
question. At the third stage the would-be works were scrutinized and timetabled. At the fourth stage the
approved and authorized plan was introduced in manufacture.
In 1966 a system of self-financing was introduced at the distillery. The economists counted a concrete
contribution of each division to the production. It allowed to transfer to the self-financing the cognacs
production and wine blending shop by the end of 1966. Those divisions were given a specific plan on
produce manufacture, the volume of uncompleted manufacture and cost of processing, funds profit and
other elements of self-financing. The daily account of fulfillment of the industrial tasks was entered.
Under the new system every worker was interested in economy of raw materials and components, the work
was aimed at the increase of quality and final result.

However, despite of all difficulties, the economic reform put life into the manufacture and helped the
enterprise to pass to a new level of managing, which in due time gave its fruits. The economic reform
created favorable conditions for growth of manufacture and increase of its efficiency. On the results of All-
Union competition of the collectives of the enterprises of winemaking industry for I quarter of 1967
Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery was awarded a Challenge Red Banner of the Ministry of Food
Industry of the USSR and Central Committee of the Trade Union of the Workers of Food Industry.
However, in the same year a failure in the work of the enterprise took place for the reasons beyond its
control. Due to the fact that cognac-like drink «Fokushor» was removed from the production, the plan of
sales for the distillery was reduced in 1967 by 4,467 thousand roubles, or by 16.7 per cent in comparison
with 1966. As a result the size of stimulation funds decreased by 16 thousand roubles while all the
relevant requirements remained at the previuos level.

In 1967 the distillery continued experiencing difficulties with logistics and delivery of wine materials and
spirits to the distillery.

Nevertheless, the experience of Tiraspol path-finders was approved. The deserved economist of Moldavia,
the chief of the economical department of Glavuprvinprom (Chief Board of Wine Industry) of the Ministry
of Food Industry of the MSSR I.A. Petrenko wrote in issues six and nine of the magazine «Orcharding,
Viticulture and Winemaking of Moldavia»: «In 1967 16 enterprises of secondary winemaking of
Glavuprvinprom of the Ministry of Food Industry of Moldavia worked under new conditions of planning
and economic stimulation. Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery was the first of the enterprises of
winemaking industry of the country transferred to new conditions of work since April 1, 1966, the rest 15
enterprises - since April 1, 1967.

Experience of their work shows, that the transition to the new conditions of planning and economic
stimulation stirred up all industrial-economic activity of collectives, promoted increase of volume of sold
products, sum of the profit and increase of the level of profitability of work of the enterprises, increased
the interest of the collective in improvement of all the economic parameters. If Glavuprvinprom as a
whole had achieved the growth of volume of sold product by 2.8 per cent in comparison with 1966, the
enterprises transferred to the new conditions of work had reached the growth of 9.4 per cent ...Its two-year
experience (i.e. Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery - Author's Note) and a year experience of 15
enterprises of secondary winemaking of the Republic, which were transferred since April 1, 1967,
confirm, that... a large influence on the improvement of the work of those enterprises had the change of
sources and ways of formation of the premiums funds. ...On some winemaking enterprises of our Republic
(Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery...) an inner self-financing is well organized».

The results of the new five-year-plan (1966-1970) in conditions of the economic experiment allowed the
enterprise to become one of the most highly profitable in the Republic. It is necessary to tell, that the
profitability of production was included among the parameters, authorized by the Main Management of
Winemaking Industry of the Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR, and was the criterion of their
industrial-economic activity and one of two fund-creating parameters. The funds of economic stimulation
were formed under the new conditions on the basis of two parameters: for each per cent of growth of
volume of sold products and for each per cent of increase of the profitability level. In the conditions of the
economic reform, the profitability parameter reflected not only the work of the enterprise on reduction of
the cost price of production, but also a degree of use of the basic production assets and fixed circulating
capitals.

In winemaking industry in new economic conditions the profitability of the enterprise was authorized and
determined in two aspects: general and calculated. General profitability was calculated as a ratio between
the sum of balance profit and the average year cost of the basic production assets and fixed turnover
means within the limits of specification. That parameter included the cost of vintage wines and ageing
cognac spirits. The level of general profitability characterized the results of activity of the enterprise, the
efficiency of use of production assets.

The dynamics of profitability parameters of Tiraspol wines and cognacs production for 1968 - 1970 shows,
that general profitability in 1970 (26.8 per cent) in comparison with 1968 (17 per cent) had increased by
157 per cent. It was the second result among the enterprises of secondary winemaking of the Main
Management of Winemaking Industry of the Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR. Just one enterprise,
namely the Astrakhan distillery, had better results (220 per cent). In other words Tiraspol winemakers in
that period began to use production assets more than 1.5 times effectively.

And now let us consider the calculated profitability, which was determined as a ratio of balance profit,
reduced by the sum of payments for the basic production assets and fixed turnover means, fixed
payments in the budget, interest rate of the bank credit, to the annual average cost of the basic
production assets and fixed turnover means within the limits of the specification, whereas a total sum of
fixed turnover means should be reduced by the cost of ageing fine wines and cognac spirits. An
estimation of fulfillment of the plan was conducted on the basis of calculated profitability, norms of
deductions from the profit in funds of provision of economic incentives were also determined proceeding
from that parameter as well as the formation of these funds. On that parameter Tiraspol Wines and
Cognacs Distillery was also the second among the enterprises of secondary winemaking of the
Glavuprvinprom of Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR in the period from 1968 to 1970. In 1968 its
calculated profitability was 67.7 per cent, and in 1970 already 116.2 per cent. That is for that time it had
grown by 171 per cent (the higher result belonged to the Astrakhan distillery - 233 per cent). Which
means that increasing products sale, the enterprise steadily reduced the cost price of the output produce.

On March 7, 1972 the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldavia and
the Coucil of Ministers of the MSSR # 76 «On perfection of management of the winemaking industry of
the Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR» was adopted, according to which the Chief Management of
the winemaking industry of the Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR was abolished and a State Self-
Financing Agroindustrial Association of Winemaking Industry of Moldvinprom of MFI of the MSSR
was formed, to which the Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery was re-subordinated.

CHAPTER XIV
ON THE RAILS OF RECONSTRUCTION

The economic reform which began at the enterprise required not only the perfection of laws
regulating production processes, it required the reconstruction of the production itself, replacement of
outdated equipment, expansion of industrial areas and even some re-orientation of the enterprise. It was
then when the right tactics had been chosen which enabled the distillery to withstand cataclysms of 80-
90-s and to develop further. Being a young and energetic man newly appointed director B.M.Khilkov
managed to invigorate the work aimed at the reconstruction of the enterprise. Under the leadership of
B.M.Khilkov there was created a design group comprising L.M.Zabrodskaya, A.O. Rudashevskaya,
O.Y.Rykun, A.V.Flor and B.I. Yampolsky. It was this very group who develped the general plan of the
distillrery reconstruction which was later approved by the branch ministery. The working papers were
mainly prepared by Lyumila Mikhailovna Zabrodskaya. 14 objects were designated for complete or
partial reconstruction. This project was prepared in Kishinev Design Institute headed by Zhurenko. The
whole project was estimated in 800 thousand roubles. But when builders came to the construction site it
turned out that the leadership of Molvinprom had earmarked just 50 thousand roubles. That money
could pay only preparatory works. Further construction was carried out at the expense of state bank
loans taken by the distillery.

All the specialists were uniform in their opinion that cognac production should be expanded firstt of
all. For that purpose the distillery needed a spacious cognac vault.
 Khilkov had already had an experience in such construction: prior to his appointment he had put
into operation a similar vault holding 500 thousand decaliters at the Beltsy wine and cognac distillery.

However they could not start construction works right away. First it was necessary to tear down an
old kindergarten standing in the place of the future industrial building. But before that the enterprise
had to build a new kindergarten instead. No sooner the new modern kindergarten for 150 children was
built in 1967 they began clearing a construction site for cognac vault building. Not to waste time in
1966 a construction of an administrative building was launched. But in those times such initiative
required a special permit since only basic production shops were given green light. Boris Mikhailovich
had to obtain proper authorization for this construction. After all the construction works began.
Engineering-laboratory building was commissioned in 1967. Besides administration it houses a
spacious and comfortable canteen well-equipped with up-to-date electronics, a checkpoint, a club, a
first-aid station and a specialized company shop.

After the transition to new methods of economic management there appeared a possibility to
modernize industrial equipment along with construction. During 1966 the enterprise put into operation
new equipment worth 45 thousand roubles at the expense of centralized funds. In the first quarter of
1967 the distillery bought from other enterprises equipment worth 8.4 thousand roubles using
centralized capital investment funds.

At the same time out of date equipment worth 24 thousand roubles was withdrawn from operation.
According to the plan of technical-organizational measures for 1966 there was made and put into
operation a complex mechanization of distribution unit in the reception department of the bottlery in
order to speed up and facilitate the labour of loaders; there was put into operation a dissolution unit for
preparing alkali for washing bottles in the bottlery. The distillery acquired a set of spare parts for the
automatic device TA-3 designed for corking 500 ml bottles having different diameter of bottlenecks with
polyethylene caps. They mastered a continuous method of making port wines (pilot installation). The
distillery procured the pasteurizer VP 1-45 with productivity 500 decaliters per hour. The working
capacity of refrigerating chamber in the blending shop increased due to the introduction of eight
acrotophors RSM. There were bought and put into operation two heat exchangers VP 41-5 for the
processing of wines with cold. Among other installed at that time equipment one should mention 10
amphorous mixers, bottling, labeling and inspection machines, washing machine BM integrated into
the special bottling line. Water distiller was modernized in the cognac shop and conveyors for empty
and filled boxes in the bottlery line were reconstructed. But what is more important, the distillery
procured all this equipment at the expense of the enterprise development fund. The modernization of
the enterprise was also financed at the expense of bank loans. Thus there was laid one thousand meters
long glass pipeline. Besides, there were bought several electric loaders for palletized handling and
storage of goods. An automatic machine for corking bottles with aluminum foil caps was put into
operation which eliminated pitching of bottles. The very approach to the procurement of equipment has
changed as well. Before the introduction of the new economic model equipment was ordered without
any need, just in case. Now superfluous equipment significantly reduced profits.

That is why they start buying what was really necessary. Thus the distillery refused in 1967 from the
bottling machine which had been ordered beforehand. Following this example other shops also revised
their equipment.

There was one more problem to be solved before clearing the construction site: it was necessary to
tear down a garage on the main territory. In 1967 the local authrities finally alloted two hectare plot for
the new garage. After that it became possible to begin the construction of the cognac spirits seasoning
shop. The territory allocated for the garage was temporarily occupied with wooden boxes requiring
repair. To clear the territory of the distillery from the stocks of empty bottles they organized a special
shop dealing with bottles and boxes. This new shop was located near the adjoining canning factory
named after May,1.

In spring of 1967 the builders at long last began to prepare the construction site for future three-
story building of cognac spirits seasoning shop. The project was ready and the director B.M.Khilkov
had to take it from the Kishinev Design Institute. But when he came to the institute its director
Zhurenko said that he would give the project provided that the latter was signed the chief of the
Republican Fire Department - Zaharov.

Zaharov refused to sign the document under the pretext that fire instructions prohibit the storage of
inflammable substances in multi-story buildings.

Khilkov found himself in an embarrassing situation. The builders were already digging a foundation
ditch, machinery was working, loans were borrowed from the bank, but the project was not authrized.
What was he supposed to do? He did not feel like giving up the original plan and redesigning the whole
project for one-story building which could not provide the necessary capacity anyway. So he had
nothing left to do but appeal to the old patron of the distillery Nikolay Vasilyevich Oreshkin, who was at
that time deputy minister of food industry of the USSR. In Moscow Nikolay Vasilyevich listened to him
and understood that the situation was very seriuos and required his personal interference. As it was
accepted in those years he called the interior minister N.Schelokov to whom the chief fireman of the
country was subordinated. Schelokov heard out the request without any enthusiasm but nevertheless he
phoned the chief fireman and asked him to sort out the problem of Tiraspol winemakers.

The chief fireman met the distillery director with a pile of documents.

- You see, - he said to Khilkov, - this instruction clearly reads that depositories of group A (to which
both petrol tanks and alcohol reservoirs belong) should be housed in one-story buildings, and you
suggest three stories!

Khilkov was prepared to such turn of the conversation, he had thoroughly studied those instructions
and found a small loophole for himself.

- You are quite right, - said Boris Mikhailovich, - but please take notice of the fact that the term “
cognac spirits” is not mentioned here. It is something quite different.

- I don’t see any difference, it’s just the same,- replied the fireman.

- No, they differ. The point is that cognac spirits contain tannins which make them less inflammable
hence more safe.

Was the fireman convinced by such far-fetched explanation or was he reluctant to refuse the interior
minister’s protege? It is hard to say now. But some time later Boris Mikhailovich recollected those
events: “I came back from Moscow and following the instructions of the chief fireman of the country
went again to Zaharov in Kishinev. This time he agreed to co-operate, though he was not happy about
it. He produced a comprehensive list of requirements which had to be satisfied in the constructed
building. Among other 24 items he demanded that the new building should be provided with collapsible
roof. The director agreed with all his requirements and got the signed project. But this was not the end
of the story. When the construction was nearly completed an impressive delegation spearheaded by the
chief fireman and Zaharov suddenly arrived at the distillery. The chief fireman triumphantly produced a
brand new instruction still smelling of printer’s paint and showed an addendum to group A, which went
in black and white: “...alcohols including cognac spirits”. But Boris Mikhailovich knew for sure that the
law did not have back effect. Thus the three-story building of the cognac spirits seasoning shop was the
last multi-story building of its kind built in the USSR.
 The commission at once retaliated in a different manner - they threatened to close down the spirits
shop. The director calmly replied to this threat:

- I would be very much obliged to you. The spirits are supplied here from many regions of Moldavia.
We redistill them here and then ship to Ghidighich in railroad tanks. We bear colossal expenses on that.
It is the only unprofitable shop at the enterprise. And I cannot get rid of it by my own will, because our
distillery is the only one in the republic producing rectified spirits for fortified wines.
The commission was very surprised to hear that the director would be grateful if they closed down
this shop. Therefore after some discussion they once again examined the spirit shop and decided not to
close it down.
However, the commission took into consideration his reasoning and two years later a similar shop
(but meeting all safety requirements) was built in Chimishlia. While on the other hand the Tiraspol
spirit shop was in operation till 1985.

In 1968 the cognac spirits seasoning shop was commissioned and builders launched the construction
of a three story wine vault next to engineering-laboratory building. There the enterprise confronted with
another obstacle. The distillery badly needed a new wine-bottling shop since the old one could not cope
with the increased volume of production. Authrities did not permit the construction of the new bottlery
because it was considered as an auxiliary production. Then B.M. Khilkov provided for a basement in
the three-story wine vault. As the construction was successfully going on, the time has come to procure
the necessary equipment for the future bottlery. Here the whole issue deadlocked. Because officially such
shop (the wine-bottling shop) did not exist, it was not mentioned in any legal documents. N.V. Oreshkin
and N.S. Shkorupeyev, the minister of food industry of Moldavia visited the distillery in 1968. Khilkov
familiarized them with the plan of the enterprise reconstruction, showed them the real state of affairs
and led to the wine-bottling shop which was still under construction. He told them about the prospects
of the future shop, about scheduled terms of its commissioning and explained by the way that there is a
certain problem with the procurement of equipment.

Right on the spot Oreshkin appealed to Shkorupeyev:

- Ivan Semyonovich, give them funds for the equipment. What they do is really good and necessary!
Shkorupeyev replied:

- This object is not reckoned in my register.

- I take the responsibility, - assured him the guest from Moscow.

Though the minister was offended by his subordinate’s tactlessness (the director appealed to the
upper rank without his previous consent) but did settle the problem with funds. The equipment was
received in 1969. The old bottlery allowed to output 1500-2000 decaliters of wine daily while it was
necessary to bottle up to 4 thousand decaliters and to ship 3 or 4 Pullman cars of produce daily. The new
building was completed and fully equipped in 1969-1970. The third floor was occupied by down feed
department where 52 enameled tanks were installed. The wine bottling shop was on the second floor.
There were four automatic bottling lines installed there, which altogether filled six thousand bottles per
hour. This derartment was also equipped with corking, labelling, inspection automatic machines and
with a special counting device to register bottles downstreamed to packing warehouse.

The first floor of the new building was occupied by the packing warehouse of ready products, where
conveyors were mounted to transport boxes and cases in which bottled wine was shipped to customers.
To ship ready products by railroad a special branch was laid to the new building and a loading platform
was made for trucks transportation.
 A special packing for northernmost regions was performed in the basement. Supplementary
materials were also stored there. The new wine bottlery has completely done away with the most urgent
problems of the enterprise. The mechanical-repair department moved to the old bottling shop and the
freed territory was occupied by metal-working machinery, electrical and cooper’s shops, while the first
two floors housed the cognac spirits seasoning shop. All this allowed to increase the output of cognacs
by 100 thousand decaliters.

Four hectares of land were alloted to the enterprise for its new distilling shop near the cotton textile
factory. The plot was enclosed with a high concrete fence and two railroad branches were extended to it.
According to the authorized project they built there a spirit receipt-and-shipment station and spirit vault
holding 100 thousand decaliters. Besides there was built a 400 kWatt transformer substation. However
due to various technical reasons this territory was not fully exploited until 90-s. But it was good
undertaking for the future.

Since the wine vault was remade for maturing of cognac spirits (the production of cognacs was
expanding) it became necessary to take care of a new wine vault. A decision was made to construct a
special module for that purpose on the territory of the distillery. It was so designed that wine tanks
should be arranged in three tiers. But contractors from “Prodmontazh” refused to mount tanks in three
tiers. It was the distillery’s own builders who helped out. Having examined the site, the brigade of
Vyacheslav Fokovich Brodetsky undertook to mount everything with their own forces. And they have
successfully coped with the task. On March 27, 1984 the wine module “Kislovodsk” holding 300-400
thousand decaliters was commissioned.

Under the initiative of builders and their chief Mikhail Stefanovich Lomtev the new two-story
repair-construction shop was built in 1967-1968 in the place of the old one which had been damaged by
fire in 1967. It was equipped with wood-working machine-tools and had a conference hall. On the
second floor it had restrooms and cloakroom.

In the course of fulfillment of the general plan of reconstruction of the distillery the packing
courtyard was remade into the packaging shop. With the help of suspension conveyor it was connected
to the wine bottling shop, where bottles were distributed between four filling lines. Now the capacity of
each line reached 40 000 bottles per shift. There was no longer need to carry bottles by trucks with
loading and unloading.

On the main territory of the distillery there was constructed a 400 kWatt transformer substation.

Fourteen warehouses were built along the railroad branch to store corks, filter-cardboard, furnaces
and other supplementary materials.

Though the main cognac department, built in 50-s, was not reconstructed in any way, the territory
around it was put in order. A fountain appeared near the shop, as well as pets’ corner and decorative
bridge.
 Within the framework of the reconstruction the distillery was connected to the steam mains, so a
compressor, a cooling installation, hot-water and heating terminal and laundry - all made their home in
the unnecessary boiler room. The same building housed the department for railroad cars equipment.

In 1981-1982 the shop of wine materials was reconstructed into the cognac spirits seasoning shop.
On its second floor enameled tanks were installed while on the first floor spirits were matured in the
wood. The total capacity of this vault made 300 thousand decaliters.

The wine-making department was reorganized into the wine production shop. Oak butts were
removed from there and replaced with enameled tanks. The total capacity grew more than twice, losses
reduced.

After the reconstruction the distillery became one of the largest cognac and wine producers in the
country. In 1966 the enterprise output 615 thousand decaliters of wine, in 1975-1977 this figure was as
much as 3 700 000 decaliters. In those years consumers could buy 34 different brands of wine under the
label of Tiraspol Wines and Cognacs Distillery: varietal, table, hybrid, dessert and fortified ones. In
1966 the quantity of seasoning cognac spirits was 477 thousand decaliters, while in 1986 as much as
882 thosand decaliters were maturing. In 1966 the distillery produced 203 thousand decaliters of
cognac, whereas in 1986 the annual output reached 346 thousand decaliters.
In 1966 the distillery did not export cognac abroad, while in 1986 the volume of cognac export
reached 25 thousand decaliters.

On March 25, 1974 there was issued the Resolution #93 of the Council of Ministers of the MSSR
“On the establishment of the union-republican agroindustrial association for viticulture and
winemaking “Moldvinprom”. On the basis of the state agroindustrial association “Moldvinprom” of the
Ministry of Food Industry of the MSSR there was created the union-republican agroindustrial self-
financing association for viticulture and winemaking of the Council of Ministers of the MSSR
(Molvinprom) with its simultaneous subordination to the USSR Ministry of Food Industry. To this very
association the Tiraspol distillery was resubordinated.

In September 1978 the distillery was resubordinated once again, this time to the agroindustrial
association for viticulture and winemaking of the MSSR “Moldvinprom” in accordance with the Decree
of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the MSSR “On the renaming and restructuring of some state
rule bodies in the MSSR”, particularly the agroindustrial association for viticulture and winemaking of
the Council of Ministers of the MSSR.

On December 29, 1982 there was issued the first decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of
the MSSR according to which the agroindustrial association for viticulture and winemaking of the
MSSR was abolished and there was formed a Ministry of Viticulture and Winemaking Industry of the
MSSR, to which the Tiraspol distillery was resubordinated.

In 1976 the distillery collective, having summarized the advanced experience of enterprises from
Lvov and its region, from Moscow, Riga, Kishinev and having studied the achievements in quality
control at Tiraspol enterprises, embarked on the devepolment and introduction of a complex system of
produce quality management on the basis of standards. At first this work was done by a co-ordinating
working group comprising the leading specialists of the enterprise, then a quality management service
was formed, which in April 1977 was united with production laboratory. Since then the quality of
production from the received raw materials to the output of ready products was supervised by the head
of production laboratory and quality management. Such centralization of power gave its positive effect
and eliminated redundancy in the work of different departments performing similar functions.
 At the preparatory stage of introduction of the quality management system a state of affairs in the
production departments of the enterprise was thoroughly analyzed. Organizational and technical
measures were worked out, aimed at improvement of produce quality in the tenth five-year-plan. The
list of measures was added every year. There were developed job regulations for each white-collar
employee in which their individual duties were clearly stated. There were written instructions for
various structural divisions of the distillery prescribing the relations between them. There were worked
out technical tasks for quality management system, basic standard ot the enterprise “Basic regulations of
QMS” and all functional standards. The enterprise had 34 standards embracing all stages of production,
from the quality control of incoming raw materials and supplementary goods up to the storage and
shipment of ready products.

The quality management system was introduced at the enterprise since July 1978 and gave
conditional annual effect equal to 605 thousand roubles. Appropriate standards established forms, order
and organization of moral and material incentives for workers and necessitated the improvement of
produce quality and reduction of losses incurred by rejection of defective products.

It became a common practice to conclude quality agreements with major wine materials suppliers.
The comprehensive character of this quality management system manifested itself in the fact that it not
only improved the quality of labour and produce at a recipient enterprise but also had a significant
positive influence on the quality of goods delivered by suppliers. The whole thing was not reduced to
claims for defective raw materials and half-finished products, it was real businesslike co-operation. The
relations with Kaushany agroindustrial association of winery farms, which was the supplier of wine
materials, were based on the same principles. The representatives of this association often came to the
distillery to be consulted by its specialists on the problems of wine stabilizing. Heightened requirements
to the quality of port wines made the specialists of the association promptly master the heat processing
of wine. The representatives of the distillery in their turn were getting acquainted with the technology of
preparing of wine materials in the association and all controversies (which grew fewer with each day)
were settled effectively and without delay. Both consumer and supplier gained from that: the quality of
raw materials and ready product considerably improved.

It became a practice to hold a day of quality once a month at every department of the enterprise and
to hold an all-distillery day of quality quarterly. All-distillery days of quality were attended by the
representatives of wineries of primary wine-making. There was developed a standard for preparing the
products to be attested for the State Quality Mark.

With the aim of improving the quality of wines and cognacs great importance was attached to the
observance of sanitary-hygienic requirements. This work was carried out by a special commission under
the leadership of the chief production engineer of the distillery. There was introduced a constant
supervision over the quality of received raw materials, components and half-finished products at all
production stages, as well as cleanness control of technological equipment, tanks and other tools.

In the process of quality management there were used both physical-chemical and organoleptic
methods of control. Besides, there was widely used a microbiological control, which helped to define
microflora and determine the kinds and causes of turbidity.

To insure the proper organoleptical control of the products there was created a tasting commission
comprising chief specialists, heads of production shops, foremen, production engineers. The
commission monthly tasted wines and cognacs output by the enterprise. The specialists of production
laboratory every day checked the quality of raw materials, components, technological processes starting
from the delivery of wine materials, alcohols and supplementary materials and proceeding up to the
output of ready products.

A team form of labour became widespread at the enterprise and labour input ratio was applied in
calculation of wages. In 1981 there were created three complex wine-bottling teams which handed over
ready products directly to warehouse, an all-round team of loaders in the bottle-packing department and
a team of loaders at the railroad branch. In the next year 1982 about 70 per cent of the distillery workers
were united in teams.

Together with Design Technological Institute of the Ministry of Food Industry of Moldavia the
distillery developed progressive norms of electric power and steam consumption. Their introduction
allowed to achieve more reliable insulation of all steam pipelines, eliminate steam and water leakage,
save electric power. Then they start using the process water for premises heating. These and other
measures allowed to save in the tenth five-year-plan 250 000 kilowatt-hours of electric power, 3 500
gigacalories of heat. Innovators of production established close links with the specialists of the foundry
machine-building plant named after Kirov. Together with the designers of this plant they solved a
number of problems connected with mechanization of production and automation of separate
technological processes. For instance they designed a special manipulator for unloading of empty cases
fed from the packing department and for taking down of cases with packed produce.

In the beginning of 80-s the distillery deepened its specialization in the production of cognacs, and a
special scientific laboratory to this effect was opened at the enterprise in 1982.
A creative co-operation established in the beginning of 80-s with the All-Union Design Institute of
Electric Appliances and Devices allowed to develop and mount in the cognacs shop an electric
mechanical installation for preparing of colorant G 7002000. The introduction of this installation not
only automated the preparing of sugar colorant but noticeably improved its quality.

At the same time the managerial staff of the enterprise paid great attention to the improvement of
forms and methods of production management and creation of healthy moral atmosphere in the
collective. With this purpose they made in collaboration with the Economy Institute of the Academy of
Sciences of the MSSR an analysis of economic efficiency and organizational level of production
management. Recommendations of scientists were taken as a basis for the plan of restructuring the
enterprise management system. Under this plan some new structures were established at the enterprise:
a technical department, which integrated the former departments of rationalization and inventions, of
new equipment and know-how, of scientific and technical information, and united in its ranks best
designers and an equipment engineer. Within the same scheme there was created an industrial gauge
and automation laboratory. The new structural departments allowed to concentrate efforts of technical
staff on the further scientific and technological progress of the enterprise. Socio-economic analysis
disclosed production drawbacks and brought to light the reasons of many failures. The results of this
analysis were taken into account in personnel reshuffles. As a result in the first half of 80-s there were
mechanized and automated not only main production operations but also the labour of executive staff.
Eighty computers were at their disposal in 1984. Such time-consuming operations in the sales
department like filling out of bills of lading and other transport documentation were computerized.
Then computers started controlling the course of fulfillment of the taken decisions and resolutions of the
upper organizations.
 CHAPTER XV
IN THE ORBIT OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND LEISURE-TIME

Even in the hard postwar time, when the city and the distillery were rising from ashes, the
leadership of the enterprise took care that its workers had a roof over their head and had a place where
to spend free time on holidays. An article under the heading “Moving to new apartments” appeared in
the city newspaper Dnestrovskaya Pravda in October of 1949: “Not so long ago the masons and stove-
setters of the Construction Company #2 were working at the construction of an 8-apartment dwelling
house for workers of the garment factory #4 and 12-apartment house for winemakers. Now plasterers
are working in these houses. They are doing the last finishing works before the commissioning of the
houses. The apartments on two floors are already ready. By the anniversary of the republic the
winemakers and sewers will get hundreds of square meters of living area.”

In June 1954 the same newspaper published another article “New kindergarten”: “A new
kindergarten for 50 children opened at the wines and cognacs distillery. It is a spacious and cosy
building fully furnished and equipped with everything necessary. Children have many ingeniuos toys,
table games and attractions. The kindergarten has outdoor playground.”

G.A.Derkach, N.M.Shevchenko and A.D.Koverkina worked there as governesses. P.S Goncharova

was a cook and Olga Kucher was a nurse. The leadership of the enterprise regularly paid visits to the
kindergarten. In November of 1956 the new director D.A.Kozlitin, the chairman of trade union
committee Ratkov and the secretary of the communist party organization Tsarev came to children. They
brought presents: bicycles, dolls, blocks and other toys. In 60-s this kindergarten was replaced with a
new modern establishment for 150 children.

Valentina Nikiforovna, who was at that time a chairman of the trade union committee recollected
that in those years “hundreds of workers gave house-warming parties.” With their own forces
winemakers built several multi-story apartment houses. Besides, they had a spacious club and a summer
rest club at the seaside. In those years winemakers not only travelled at the expense of the enterprise
and its trade union, but also had a rest in the best recreational centers of Moldavia and the USSR.

Alexander Kalinkovich Osadchiy, who had been working as a director since 1946 till 1954 had
suffered because of his wish to tidy up the distillery and improve its exterior. V.S.Lebedev, who was at
that time a chairman of the trade union committee, recollected: “Alexander Kalinkovich was by nature
very kind, trusting and sympathetic man, he cared about people. In 1953 he decided to put in order the
territory of the distillery and the courtyards of the workers’ apartment houses. With this purpose he
concluded an agreement with a military unit from Kiev which was temporarily deployed in Tiraspol.
This unit was under command of lieutenant colonel Romanov and one of his subordinates was captain
Kurochkin. On a corner of a street, in the present place of the administrative building at that time there
was a club. For convenience Osadchiy temporarily allocated one room for captain Kurochkin. The
military did quite a job in tidying up the exterior of the enterprise. However, in 1954 it turned out that
the military unit had no right to carry ouy that kind of work. Some formalities were not observed. Just
for that wrongdoing the director A.K. Osadchiy was punished. The representatives of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of Moldavia came to the enterprise with a checking mission and
dismissed the director. And the chief of the higher organization Moldglavvino N.I.Kudyukin was
demoted and transferred to Tiraspol. For two years Nikolai Ivanovich ran our distillery, then he came
back to Kishinev and was again appointed to spearhead Moldglavvino and later was promoted to the
post of Deputy Minister of Food Industry of Moldavia”.

Alexander Kalinkovich was a very good specialist and he did not remain unemployed. He was
offered a job of director at the factory of food concentrates in Odessa. And the workers of the Tiraspol
distillery always remembered him kindly. It was due to him that a campaign against illiteracy was
launched at the enterprise in late 40-s and in the beginning of 50-s. The local newspaper gave the
following comments on this in 1949: “The educational crusader Mitselskaya Maria Trofimovna, a
retired teacher who has been working in a school for more than 30 years, is well-known among the
workers of the distillery. It is her fifth year as a campaigner against illiteracy. Last year there were 12
illiterate workers in her group, whom she has taught to read and write. Now the plasterer
V.Kolesnichenko, builder A.Nomashko and others continue their education. This year they are going to
take an exam for the third grade.” That is how winemakers learned reading and writing in hard postwar
times.

They not only eradicated illiteracy but also learned how to spend their leisure time in cultural
activities. In 1951 the chairman of the trade union committee V.S.Lebedev decided to organize a brass
band at the enterprise. With the assistance of the administration the efforts of the enthusiast bore fruits.
In the same year the newly baked amateur band was already rehearsing and giving concerts. The
winemakers collective was not under-blessed with talents. Nine musicians joined the band. It was
conducted by the former master sergeant Nikolai Chivik who played a trumpet. The worker of the
vermouth shop Lashkin also joined the brass band. There were two drummers - L.Senin and M.Mazur,
and a bass Jacob Diorditsa. Other instruments were played by D.S.Kaldarar, Jacob and Boris Degtyar,
V.I.Nakorenko, V.Melgutskin. There was formed a group of amateur talent activities (more than 20
people) which included the former guerilla Alja Potapova, Lisa Sterpul, M.Zelenkhikova, Nastya
Lobodyuk, M.Kuznetsova...

On holidays and days-off the brass band played in the distillery’s club where the working youth
gathered on the dance floor. During the harvesting campaign the amateur musicians and artists gave
performances on the collective farms named after Kuibyshev (village of Frunzevka), Zhdanov (village
of Vladimirovka), Sverdlov (village of Sukleya) and many other farms which invited them. They
performed right in the field and their concerts were aways a success. Here is what the newspaper
Stalinsky Put wrote about their performance in July of 1955: “Last holiday the artistic amateur group
from the wines and cognacs distillery gave a concert on the dependent collective farm named after
Kuibyshev. Among the performers there were choristers, soloists Snitkovskaya and Lobodyuk,
accordion-players and others. Comrade Djatlov was very good at performing interludes devoted to
collective farming.”

This artistic amateur group gave concerts not only on dependent collective farms but also delivered
performances in many city festivals, took active part in a public life of our city. They prepared a new
concert program to the elections to the local Soviets of People’s Deputies and to the Supreme Soviet of
the MSSR held in 1955 and gave performances at the city polling-stations. The distillery workers
Vorozhtsov and Grabar recited the poems of modern poets. The dance company of winemakers
performed Russian and Moldavian folk dances. Accordion-players Nikorenko and Djachenko
performed an interesting collection of folk songs.

In those years the enterprise held various exhibitions of people’s craftsmanship. One of them was
reported in the local newspaper in November of 1956: “An exhibition of works of the enterprise’s
craftsmen is held in one of the halls of the distillery administrative building: paintings “Troyka”, “Girl
with Rabbit”, “Castle” by Lyudmila Abramova, “Volga-Don Channel” by Zoya Ilyina, self-made toys
(carved wood with poker-work) by the pupil of the third form Mila Kasprevich and other works by
L.Litvin, Zinaida Saiko, Sergey Stanev.”

In the same year the distillery’s trde unuion committee held a chess and checkers tournament among
10 chess players and 8 checkers players. The chairman of the trade union committee A.Ratkov emerged
victorious among chess players and electrician Morozov was the best in checkers.
After work amateur singers and musicians gathered in the distillery club. The worker of the bottling
shop Anna Sitnikovskaya and the laboratory assistant Maria Babaka, worker Natalia Lobodyuk and
engineer Alexei Kolesnichenko and many others used to assemle there in the 50-s. There was also a
reciting circle.

Those fond of chess and checkers could enjoy their favourite games in an arbor, there was also a
billiard room. The whole sports complex comprising volleyball and basketball grounds was built on the
territory of the enterprise. Another volleyball ground as well as a dancing floor was built by the
winemakers in the nearby park named after Kirov.
In the beginning of 1960-s a summer dancing floor was built near the main cognac shop. Under the
initiative of V.S.Lebedev the same place sheltered the pets’ corner inhabited by Australian parrots,
squirrels, pheasants, peacocks, dwarf decorative roosters and pullets, wild goose and swan. Next to it
there was an artificial pond with crucians. A pheasant, a peacock and some decorative roosters still live
in the pets’ corner.
 From the first days after the liberation of Tiraspol from German and Romanian occupants the
distillery workers participated in tidying up of the enterprise and the city. They put in order allocated
territories, improved the exterior of the distillery buildings and dwelling houses, asphalted streets and
repaved the territory adjacent to the distillery. After the World War II the winemakers planted many
hundreds of trees and shrubs within the city limits.

In 1960 the distillery together with the Tiraspol garment factory called for all collectives of
industrial enterprises, organizations and educational institutions to improve the city. The initiative was
supported by all enterprises. Much was done since then to make our city a better place to live. Tiraspol
was considered to be one of the best cities in Moldavia in terms of cleanliness and public facilities.

For decades the trade union committee and activists of the distillery were engaged in cultural and
educational activities for guests of the city, its schools and other enterprises. Almost every week the
distillery accepted excursions. One of such excursions was described in the newspaper Stalinsky Put in
1955: “Dozens of schoolchildren and Young Pioneers visited the wines and cognacs distillery during
their winter holidays. Among them there were pupils of 7-10 grades from the village of Nezavertailovka
of Slobodzeya region, schoolchildren from the city of Bendery and village of Ternovka.” There were
dozens, hundreds of such excursions. Who knows, maybe someone of those children consequently has
become a winemaker.

Not only schoolchildren or local specialists directly engaged in production came on excursion to the
distillery, the guests from other cities also loved to visit our enterprise: Moscow, Leningrad, Kuibyshev...
- one can hardly enumerate all cities whose representatives paid visit to Tiraspol winemakers. And
everyone was pleased with he saw at the enterprise. This can be proved by numerous records in the book
of opinions which is kept during last 40 years.

As the years passed by, the forms of social security changed. Due to the trade union in the 60-s the
workers of the distillery spent their summer holidays at the resort “Golden sands” and other rest homes
and sanatoriums. The distillery administration sold fuel to its workers at a discount. Dozens of
winemakers attended amateur talent groups. There were a vocal ensemble, a group of instrumental
music, a reciting circle, a circle of accordion players, an amateur drama theatre and a brass band of 15
musicians.

In the 70-s the distillery was not only reconstructed but much was done to improve the exterior of
the enterprise and its territory. Hundreds of decorative shrubs and rose bushes were planted annually. In
1980 alone there were planted more than 6000 flowers and 150 rose bushes.

Not only attention was paid to cultural work among employees, but significant sums were allocated
for purchasing books for the distillery library, as well as for organization of chess and checkers
competitions. The enterprise has its own football and volleyball clubs, a group of mass calisthenics. It
has become a good tradition to spend days-off at a holiday home “Sunrise” or boating on the river
Dniester. To hold one or other sports event the enterprise rents a proper municipal facility: be it a city
stadium or a shooting-gallery.

On January 1991 there was created a special fund for extraordinary cash remuneration of the
distillery workers decorated with the medal “Veteran of Labour”. There is a system of additional
payment to the workers for their dinners. According to the official data the dinner in the distillery
canteen was in the beginning of 90-s the cheapest one among the industrial enterprises of our city. The
distillery administration concludes an agreement with a Housing Construction Co-operative on a share
in business to provide its employees with apartments.
 The distillery bought a voyage ship “Amur-M”, built a state-of-the-art sauna. Musical instruments
were bought for the distillery’s club and its vocal-instrumental ensemble.

Despite of the most difficult situation of the 90-s, the time of runaway hyperinflation and collapse of
the state when national economy is paralyzed, the distillery earmarks money for construction and
purchase of apartments for its workers. The line for housing is decreasing. In 1995 the next to get an
apartment was an employee standing in the line since 1988. In 1996 the line was 39 people long. To 14
of them the apartments were bought in the same year. Moreover, one of these apartments was given to
the veteran of the enterprise N.N.Florea.

Billions of roubles are earmarked each year for the development of medical service, as much again is
alocated for the reconstruction of the distillery’s medical centre situated in the administrative building.
The first stage of its reconstruction was completed in the fourth quarter of 1995. Today many kinds of
medical treatment can be administered right on the spot. This medical center is headed by the
experienced doctor K.I.Sivunik who earlier for more than 30 years ran the republican hospital of World
War II veterans. The medical center is located in the former auxiliary rooms owing their present look to
the builders team supervised by the director deputy A.V.Golovnitskaya. There was developed a modern
design. The carpentry made by local specialists is second to no overseas product of the kind. The only
job made by strangers was mounting of Armstrong brand ceiling, which was performed by Bulgarian
contractors. When it is hot outside the patients of the center enjoy the pleasant cool of its spacious halls
furnished with soft cosy armchairs and sofas, while in cold weather it is warm enough here.

The second stage of finishing works was completed in the medical center in May of 1997. Now it
has rooms of physiotherapy, relaxation wards for patients and medical staff, a gynaecologist’s room and
a pressure chamber clad in nice Italian tile. On the first floor there is a reception room, a dentist room
equipped with new import drill, a room of treatment procedures and that of rheumatologist, the
candidate of medical sciences Grigory Nikolayevich Cheresh. In an inhaling room patients are treated
with honey, herbs and volatile oils. The room of electronic diagnostics is equipped with an up-to-date
computerized cardiograph (the only one of its kind in the republic), enabling to decipher cardiograms.
Respiratory diseases are treated in the room of halotherapy as well as prophylaxis of many viral
diseases.

The enterprise spared no means to buy the necessary modern equipment including diagnostic one.
Its installation was carried out with a participation of international association on medical equipment.
The Joint-Stock Company “Aeromed” from Saint-Petersburg has mounted a unique halotherapy
complex designed for treatment of respiratory diseases: bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis of the
upper respiratory tract and some skin diseases. The treatment is administered with the help of regulated
breathing media saturated with dry aerosol of sodium chloride.

Some respiratory diseases are treated in the room of aerophytotherapy. The same treatment also
heightens a capacity for work, eases mental and physical strain and prevents nervous and cardio-
vascular diseases. The pressure chamber helps to treat cardial ischemia, gastric ulcer, diabetes mellitus.
 Those to whom balneological treatment is prescribed have sauna with curative swimming-pool and
underwater massage shower in their disposal.
Every Monday from 10 till 16 retired winemakers come to the distillery veterans organization which
in 1997 consisted of 230 members. In present hard times the administration of the distillery provides
veterans with food products, basic necessities and detergents at reasonable prices. The employees of the
enterprise can also buy foodstuffs at discount price in the grocery store on the territory of the distillery.
Workers can buy foodstuffs and manufactured consumer goods on credit on account of the future wages.
In 1996 alone more than 16 billion roubles were spent on subsidies in order to cheapen foodstuffs. On
the eve of the main holidays like International Women’s Day, May Day, Day of Agricultural Worker
(marked in August), New Year all employees are given free sets of edibles. Pensioners receive such free
victuals to the Day of Aged People. On such holidays like International Women’s Day, Day of Children’s
Protection, Day of Knowledge free snack bars are organized at the enterprise. To the beginning of new
school year children from large families receive presents.

In the middle of March 1996 a pastry-cooking shop was opened in the distillery canteen. On
holidays the enterprise allocates buses to bring employees to their dachas. The distillery transport can be
also taken for funeral ceremonies.

In 1996 alone as much as 673 million roubles were earmarked to the kindergarten #22 and to the
dependant school #18. A charitable aid totalling to 2.6 billion roubles was rendered in the same year to
the Union of Afghanistan War Veterans, to the city department of culture, to the Tiraspol association of
blind people, to the recovery and rehabilitation center for handicapped children, to the republican
orphanage and many other organizations. Twenty-eight winemakers and five teachers from the
dependent school recuperated that year in the sanatorium “Dniester”. Ninety-five per cent of the
expences were paid by the enterprise. Unmarried mothers, eliminators of the consequences of the
Chernobyl nuclear disaster, disabled people, large families, veterans of war in Afghanistan, blood-
donors could have a rest at holiday homes free of charge. In summer time the enterprise gave its
employees construction materials to build cottages, dachas and garages.

The distillery spares no money for cultural activity perfectly understanding that this part of social
life is most vulnerable in times of trouble. The enterprise library alone was earmarked in 1996 more
than 622 million roubles. Ten book exhibitions were arranged for winemakers. It was spent more than
5.5 billion roubles for supporting the cultural center and its dance company “KVINT”. But on the other
hand in 1996 they gave 24 concerts, morning performances, ad hoc performances dedicated to the Day
of Children’s Protection and St.Valentine’s Day. Besides, there were performances on variuos festive
parties, concerts for aged people of the city and for teachers of the school #18. The dance company
“KVINT” is known far beyond the city as a highly professional collective. It was the first in the
republican contest of dance companies. In September of 1996 it has established a dance school.

KVINT sponsored the publishing of books of the late Transdniestrian authors. Thus were published
the book “Collapse” by Boris Shelkovnikov and “Inner Voice” by Peter Ilyukhin. In 1997 the enterprise
sponsored the publishing of the second volume of the book “Tiraspol on the Verge of Centuries” by
Vladimir Polushin.

Clearly understanding that the best worker is a healthy one, the distillery administration pays great
attention to the development of sports. Holding of sports events became a tradition at the enterprise back
in the 50-s. In the 70-s the instructor L.A.Rudenko organized swimming tournaments and competitions
among anglers. It has become a practice to hold fall and winter chess and checkers competitions,
tourists’ contests, shooting competitions and table tennis matches. The distillery athletes took the first
places in Moldvinprom championship and in other athletic events of the city scale.

From January 26 to 28, 1996 Tiraspol hosted the volleyball male tournament to win the prize of the
Transdniestrian Federation of Trade Unions. The distillery team took the third place and was awarded a
third grade diploma.
 The first winter international tennis tournament was held in Kishinev from February 1 to 6, 1996.
Teams from Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova participated in it. The city of Tiraspol was
represented by tennis-players from KVINT. Elena Petrenko was the second among girls in the age group
from 15 to 18.

Moldavia open tennis championship was held in Kishinev in May of 1996. Among the participants
were tennis-players from Moscow, St.Petersburg and 16 other cities of the C.I.S. And again Elena
Petrenko from KVINT beat all 16 rivals in her age group. She took the first place. In March 1997 there
was held an open championship of Moldavia at table tennis among club teams. KVINT male and female
teams were represented by masters of sport G.Krainyukov, V.Sorbalo, O.Sorbalo, A.Fomin, I.Sergeeva.
The main competitors in this event there were KVINT male team and their challengers from the
Kishinev bakery of the joint-stock company “Franzelutsa”.

The team from Kishinev was reinforced by the players of the national combined team of Moldavia
but this did not save them from defeat. KVINT won 4:2. For the first time in the history of
championships the tennis-players from Tiraspol managed to win gold medals. Much to this victory was
contributed by the vice-president of KVINT E.A.Kosovskiy who coached the team and by the
administration of the enterprise which spared no efforts to create good training conditions and purchase
necessary sports equipment. As is well known a baseball was included in the program of 2000 Olympic
games. Today “KVINT” is the best professional baseball team in the city. A baseball congress took place
in Prague in February of 1996. The delegation of the sports club KVINT attended the congress. In the
course of this forum there was held a drawing for teams participation in European Cup tournaments.
KVINT team has got a right to play in the club of the Association of European Baseball (CEB). This
thrilling athletic event took place in the Slovak city of Trnava from 12 to 16 of June 1996. Baseball
players from Hungary, Denmark, Slovakia, Croatia and Ukraine were competing with KVINT team.
Our player Sergey Vasenkov was recognized there as the best player of the tournament. The KVINT
team became the champion of the major league and won the CEB cup. There was one more cup
awarded to our team - the cup to the best batter. Under the auspices of the adult team there was created a
children’s baseball team coached by leading players. It has already achieved certain results. In 1996 the
junior baseball team emerged victorious in the first international tournament among the teams from
Moscow, Kishinev, Simferopol and other cities of the C.I.S. The enterprise spares no expense for sport.
More than 17 billion roubles was spent in 1996 alone to support sports club KVINT.

In 1997 this figure is going to be even higher - 25 billion roubles. It is planned to earmark more
than 8 billion roubles for the development of the distillery’s cultural center. This is the corner stone of
the policy of the working collective and administration, because only healthy and educated people are
able to revive the economy.

CHAPTER XVI
UNDER THE SWORD OF “DRY LAW”

The year 1985 was most complex and difficult for the enterprise. The whole winemaking industry of
the former Soviet Union has suffered greatly from the Prohibition Decree issued in May and subsequent
resolutions of the government. Strange as it might seem, but this notorious decree proved to be one of
the few edicts which was implemented and what is more strange implemented promptly unlike many
other decrees which were not executed for decades after their enactment. The Decree of 1985 was under
strict control of authorities and bodies of the ruling communist party. Numerous inspections frequented
to the distillery: from Moscow and Kishinev, from local committee of the communist party and from
bodies of public control. At the same time there was launched a campaign aimed at reduction of area
under vineyards. All the more so that the situation with vineyards in Moldavia was far from perfection
even before the Prohibition. During the last 22 years 450 000 hectares of vineyards were uprooted while
only 422 000 hectares were replanted instead. The taxation policy of the former USSR was even more
extortionate than that of new post-communist democracies. In France and Italy 48 per cent sales tax was
levied on cognacs (wines were levied less severely) and that was the highest reasonable tax. To compare
with, the sales tax in the USSR vine-growing complex was as high as 80 per cent.
Some of the inspectors understood that they implemented an absurd decree but it was their duty and
they demanded its execution from others. Certainly, the quality of alcoholic beverages in the country
had to be improved, for example by eliminating strong fruit drinks of poor quality. But there was no
need to close down elite enterprises. Sometimes it came to sheer absurdity. Wine was made from
everything: apples, plums, apricots, cherries. Some smart alecks even managed to prepare wine from
sea-buckthorn berries which are suitable for more valuable products including medicinal preparations.
It was not a bad idea to get rid of wines from fruit and berries. And they were done away with. However,
separate enterprises in the course of execution of the Prohibition Decree had reported about its
fulfillment and committed follies. There was such an enterprise as “Bashprombelok” located in Bashkir
steppe. It had spacious underground ferroconcrete reservoirs where alcohol-containing produce, fortified
wines, yeast lees etc. were dumped by freight cars. A sophisticated know-how was applied to turn this
cocktail into protein forage for livestock. Many wineries (including Moldavian ones) shipped there their
produce: strong white and rose wines, certain kinds of port wines and no one cared that transport
expenses to deliver these products to far Bashkiria were greater than procurement price. Moreover, I
doubt if cattle raising gained from this. At any rate there was no tangible increase of the total amount of
livestock after 1985. But the economy of the USSR was definitely undermined by this short-sighted
decree. On the whole our country sustained colossal losses in that action. Eventually the unfeasibility of
the decree came to the inspectors who nevertheless, as a matter of form, kept demanding its execution.
Once the representative of the USSR committee of public control Leonid Georgievich Bulkin came to
the distillery with an inspection mission.

At first his conversation with the chief engineer was of strictly official nature. Leonid Georgievich
demanded that the enterprise should be re-oriented to the production of non-alcoholic products. The
inspector was told that the distillery had already suffered heavy losses in such restructuring, to which he
responded: “You know, my young friend, you could make up losses by producing for instance some
cookies or candies!” The chief engineer said nothing, though he new what happens when a true
professional in one business embarks on a totally different job. Then the high Moscow guest was shown
the enterprise. He was particularly impressed by the Tiraspol cognacs. In those obscure days he was not
afraid to taste the best kinds of produce. Leaving the distillery Leonid Georgievich said that the
production of such premiun quality cognacs shoul be by no means curtailed. They were the best thing
which could be produced from the existing raw materials: both in terms of technology and quality.
However, the distillery administration was compelled to elaborate a complex of measures aimed at
restructuring of the enterprise in the light of the Resolution of the CPSU Central Committee “On
measures for the eradication of drunkenness and alcoholism in 1986-1990”. Such plan was worked out
in July of 1985. It consisted of two parts. The second part declared common phrases in the spirit of
communist ideology, while the first one included concrete organizational and technical measures. To the
credit of the collective it must be said that it was not afraid to defend its position. In its opinion it was
necessary to increase the production of high quality produce at the expense of curtailment of poor
quality drinks. It was planned to purchase in the second half of 1985 an automatic line for bottling of
cognacs in 250 ml bottles and to perform in this connection the necessary re-planning of workfloor,
installation and adjustment of the equipment.

250 ml bottles were meant for ordinary cognacs. It was planned to reduce since January 1, 1986 the
output of rectified alcohol from winemaking by-products. At the same time it was decided to sell fine
cognacs “Doina”, “Nistru”, “Syurprizny”, “Yubileiny” in 300-330 ml bottles increasing their export due
to the improvement of their quality and introduction of new production methods. The plan envisaged
the improvement of quality of fine cognacs and stipulated that their output would reach 30 000
decaliters in 1990. According to the plan the production of fortified wines was reduced by 550 000
decaliters in 1990. Instead of them it was planned to increase the output of high quality dry wines. They
intended to enlarge their production to 250 000 decaliters by 1990 (against 210 000 decaliters in 1986).
However, the higher organization - the production association “Aroma” (to which the distillery was
forcibly subordinated), “Moldvinprom”, local party bodies - all demanded to reduce the output of wine
and to launch the production of carbonated water and other soft drinks. The director was summoned to
the sitting of the Bureau of the City Committee of the Communist Party. His objections that there was
no need in such production in Tiraspol because the similar bottlery was operating in the neighbouring
city of Bendery had no effect on his opponents. Their arguments were simple: Bendery is some 10-15
kilometers west of Tiraspol, transportation expenses add to the price so it would be wiser to bottle soft
drinks in Tiraspol. The distillery had to look for a decision which would have the least effect on the
main production. And such decision was found. Year after year the distillery was made to fill wine in the
800 ml bottles designed for champagne.

The Trade Ministry through the Council of Ministers exerted pressure on “Moldvinprom”, which in
its turn made enterprises accept from population these inconvenient returnable bottles. To utilize these
unsuitable bottles the enterprise filled them with produce of poorest quality. For a long time the
distillery was planning to dismantle this line and replace it with good equipment for high quality
products. Despite the storms raging in the top echelons of power in 1986 the distillery was actively
renewing outdated equipment. The cognacs bottling shop was equipped with a line designed for 250 ml
bottles. An Italian automatic labelling machine “Cosmac” integrated into the line replaced tiring
manual labour of several workers. Within the framework of the distillery re-equipment and with an aim
of expansion of its export prospects there was procured an automatic bottling machine “Kompakt”
(West Germany) which was installed in the line for 500 ml bottles and one more labelling machine
“Supermatik” (made in German Democratic Republic). The wine bottling shop was re-equipped with
four automatic machines putting and extracting bottles from cases. This allowed to mechanize hard
manual labour. Another labelling machine (French-made “Afseika”) integrated into the wine-bottling
line replaced the manual labour of four workers. The specialists of the distillery had to master the
technology of production of soft drinks. The chief production engineer G.Vinokhodova, chairwoman of
trade union committee L.Yakubovskaya, microbiologist L.Chueva and head of laboratory N.Petrushenko
went to the Bendery factory of non-alcoholic beverages to acquire experience. N.I.Kozhuhar, the head of
the bottling shop, was in charge of the new production. The production of soft drinks was mastered in
shortest possible time - 25 days.

The distillery had never before or after seen such rate of reconstruction. The equipment for bottling
of carbonated soft drinks was bought from the Odessa plant “Kislorodmash”. The capping unit was
brought from Leningrad. The mounting of the equipment was carried out under constant control of the
First Secretary of Tiraspol City Committee of the Communist Party L.V.Tsurkan. Notwithstanding the
sweltering summer heat he held everyday conferences in the office of the head of the wine-bottling shop
N.I.Kozhuhar. On one especially blistering day of July 1987 L.V.Tsurkan came to the office of
N.I.Kozhuhar. The host of the office opened a refrigerator, produced several bottles of cool lemonade
and treated the party leader. Leonid Vasilyevich tasted the drink and said: “That’s great! My
congratulations on your victory!” That event could be hardly called a victory. The line which earlier
gave an annual revenue of 273 000 roubles was now yielding just 11 700 roubles. When the enterprise
(used to work according to recipes) began to produce soft drinks, they proved to be sickly sweet. The
question arose, why did it happen? Tiraspol winemakers came to enterprise where they had acquired the
“know-how” from to consult about the problem. Experts shrugged, smiled and gave the following
advice: “Don’t adhere so strictly to the recipe. A bucket or two of syrup can be easily
misappropriated...The formula should be applied with a certain degree of tolerance”. The local
consumers were accustomed to soft drinks with diminished concentration of sweeteners, so in order to
adapt to their taste Tiraspol winemakers had to reconsider the recipe and lessen the contents of syrup.
The permission to produce corbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks (within the fixed assortment) was
signed by a deputy chairman of the state committee for agribusiness, head of chief directorate on
production, procurement and processing of grapes G.S.Kushmaunsa and chief sanitary inspector of the
state committee for agribusiness of the MSSR P.I.Derzhanskaya. However, it was stated in the
permission that personal responsibility rests with the new director O.M.Bayev, who assumed the office
in 1986, and the chief of laboratory N.A.Petrushenko. In 1986-1989 the distillery produced carbonated
and non-carbonated drinks “Tangerine”, “Pine-apple”, white and red “Cup”, “Lemonade”, “Wild
Flower”, “Vine”, “Forest Berry”, “Citrus”, syrups “Tangerine”, “Pear”, “Grapes Must”. In 1987 the
enterprise produced 94 000 decaliters of non-carbonated drinks and 101 000 decaliters of carbonated
drinks, as well as thousands of decaliters of syrup. The total output of all non-alcoholic beverages in
1988 made 128 000 decaliters. In the next two years this figure was 134 000 and 123 000 decaliters
correspondingly.
In the 12-th five-year plan (1986-1990) the distillery did not produce rectified alcohol, though in the
previous years its output was constantly growing. The output of rectified alcohol during the 9-th five-
year plan (1971-1975) made 928 000 decaliters, in the 10-th five-year plan (1976-1980) - 1 353 000
decaliters, in the 11-th five-year plan (1981-1985) - 1 053 000 decaliters. But what is more important,
the enterprise in spite of tough pressing from authorities managed to preserve its cognac production and
improved the quality of cognacs. In 1985 there was output 410 400 decaliters of cognac (including 24
000 decaliters for export purposes). In the next year the output of cognac grew to 425 100 decaliters
with an export share of 25 500 decaliters. Eventually, the pressure from above eased. National economy
faced the overproduction of non-alcoholic beverages. Flagrant pressing, anti-alcohol campaign launched
without any serious analysis resulted in countereffect.

Despite all efforts on the part of the government, the consumption of alcohol grew. Because of the
shortage of good beverages people drank various surrogates of dubious quality. Juices poured into 10-
liter cans were used for preparation of home-brewed beer. That’s why in 1989-1990 a decision was
taken to curtail the production of soft drinks as having no prospects at the enterprise designed for
something quite different. There was one more reason. The distillery used to be proud of its products.
While the soft drinks made here were far from perfection. The point was that local water used for them
contained too much minerals, about 12 mg per liter against the standard of 6 mg. It was necessary to
apply a special installation for its softening and purification. But why all these troubles if smoothly
operating Bendery factory of non-alcoholic beverages was located literally on the outskirts of Tiraspol?
So the distillery stopped inventing a bicycle with triangle wheels. Any production must be based on
reasonalble necessity and should be run by true professionals in the business. In those hard late 80-s the
enterprise faced some problems with the procurement of equipment. Not only producers of alcohol had
suffered from the Prohibition, but also a machine-building industry making equipment for them. It took
just a couple of years to close down manufacturers of technological equipment for winemaking industry.
Bottling lines and bottle-washing machines ceased to be produced at all. Two years later it was
impossible to find decent home-produced equipment for bottling, corking and labelling of wine and
cognac produce.

It is interesting that a number of reorganizations took place at that time: names of enterprises and
higher organizations were changed. Words like “alcohol”, “wine”, “cognac” were removed from the
names with an energy deserving better application. For instance, the Chief Directorate on Vine-growing
“Moldvinprom” was renamed as the Directorate on Viticulture “Moldvinprom”, then the abbreviation
was abolished altogether because of the root “vin” meaning “wine”. The State Agricultural Committee
of the Moldavian SSR became the Union of Agricultural Enterprises and Organizations of the
Moldavian SSR). The Republican Association “Moldvinprom” changed its name for Republican Co-
operative-State Association of Vine-growing Production. The point, however, was not in the name. For
many years the enterprise bore a heavy burden of artificially created production association “Aroma”,
which was established on the basis of small wine and cognac distillery in Kishinev. The Tiraspol and
the Beltsy distilleries were arbitrarily included in this association. The association was mainly
preoccupied with one problem: to develop the Kishinev distillery at the expense of two others. This
enterprise was completely reconstructed and re-equipped to the detriment of the distilleries from
Tiraspol and Beltsy. In fact, such shackling form of association put an end to economic reforms at the
Tiraspol distillery and considerably delayed its development. These relations could not last any longer in
the conditions of arising market economy. The topical question of seceding from this abortive
association became even more acute.

The general meeting of the working collective of the distillery held on March 31, 1989 had adopted
a resolution on the withdrawal from the production association “Aroma”. The same decision was taken
by the collective of the Beltsy distillery. The administration of the enterprise and the council of its
collective appealed to the deputy chairman of the State Agricultural Committee of the Moldavian SSR
V.A.Protsenko with a letter of secession. But there was no answer. The question was deliberately
dragged out. Then a lucky chance came to the rescue. A meeting of representatives of enterprises,
associations, organizations and establishments of winemaking industry was held in the conference hall
of the viticulture college in the village of Stavcheny. There was only one item on the agenda: the
establishment of the republican co-operative-state association on procurement, processing and sale of
products of vine-growing “Moldvinprom”. The representatives from Tiraspol put a question point-
blank: first secession from “Aroma”, then discussion of new associations. The chairman of the Chief
Agricultural Directorate of the MSSR V.A.Ryabchich who was sitting in the presidium was taken aback.
“Don’t you think I will sign this resolution right here. Besides, I have no my secretary at hand to type
the order.” The way out was found promptly. A representative from Beltsy was sent to Kishinev to the
office of Victor Ahdreyevich and asked his secretary to type the order of her boss on the withdrawal of
the Tiraspol and Beltsy distilleries from the production association “Aroma”. When the representative
from Tiraspol sitting in the presidium near Ryabchich handed him the ready text of the order, there was
nothing left to do but sign it.

The enterprise could at long last breathe freely and draw up its own plans of long-term development
and production improvement. At the constituent conference of the Agricultural Union a representative
of the Tiraspol distillery raised serious questions: what should the new union deal with if it does not
want to break down under market conditions. First of all it had to put together efforts of its members,
enterprises and scientific institutions, aimed at development of the balanced system of procurement
prices. Then it had to work out a technique of just distribution of the sales tax between all participants
and on these grounds to organize a co-operation with the local and republican budgets. These measures
had to prevent negative tendencies in curtailment of production of agribusiness enterprises and to
preclude deterioration of grapes and ready products. There had to be developed a special program of
improvement of quality of wines and cognacs. One of serious problems was indebtedness of winemaking
enterprises to banks. Being a highly profitable enterprise the Tiraspol distillery however was in
arrearage of 70 million roubles due to the extortionate taxation policy of the former USSR and
exorbitant loan interests of its banks. Instead of replenishing its own turnover means from the profits,
the distillery gave everything to the state and laid spirits for maturing according to decisions of state
bodies at the expense of bank loans. Finally, when the total amount of backpaid loan interests exceeded
four million roubles the enterprise became low profitable and was keeping afloat thanks to budget
subsidies.
 It was a paradox of Soviet epoch. The enterprise annually paid 120 million roubles of sales tax and
at the same time was living on subsidies sinking into debts. While on the other hand the contribution of
this enterprise to the state budget exceeded 1.5 billion roubles. The solution of this problem had to be
put on the top of priorities list because at that time this problem was tantamount to the very existence of
cognacs production at our distillery and other similar enterprises. If the distillery was supposed to meet
loans, the only way to get necessary money was to sell its most precious cognac spirits. This would be
not only the collapse of cognac production but also a big loss for the state budget. The propositions of
specialists from Tiraspol received a cool welcome on the part of the leaders of the new union. The
following events showed that no one of them was going to take serious steps to solve the raised
questions. At first the question of discharging long-term and short-term loans granted for seasoning of
cognac spirits was positively solved for the Kishinev distillery. Then the loan problem of the Beltsy
distillery was settled. The Tiraspol distillery had to count on its own forces. In the end of 80-s -
beginning of 90-s the enterprise was financed and allocated resources in the last place. The enterprise
fell to thinking then: what’s the use of the union which is working in amode of one-way consumption?
To survive under the conditions of the wild market of the 90-s the leadership of the Tiraspol distillery
had to look on its own for ways of solving the problems which life posed to the enterprise.

CHAPTER XVII
IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE BREAKDOWN OF 90-S

At the end of XIX century and in the beginning of XX century Trans-Dniester region was highly
developed in terms of vine-growing but in the second half of the current century the situation changed
drastically. Most favourable for vine-growing period during the Soviet rule was in the late 50-s and
early 60-s. The Dubossary winery had its own testing vineyard and dealt with nursery culture. The vine-
growing and winemaking sector dominated the region’s economy. Then Transdniestria was recklessly
declared an orchard and vegetable-garden of the republic. The vineyards undeservedly fell inti disgrace
of the authorities. The collective farms were demanded more and more fruit and vegetables. Hence they
were forced to reduce the areas under vineyards. With the transition of the region’s collective farms to
the system of complete self-financing, when they were no longer subsidized from the state funds and
new scientifically substantiated relations between the producers of raw materials and processors were
not yet established, while the profits from the sales of wines and cognacs were still appropriated by the
state through excise-duty, the unprofitability of vine-growing became too obviuos. In the situation when
their survival was at stake, collective farms were compelled to get rid of vineyards. The remaining
vineyards were with few exceptions neglected. The agrotechnical condition of Transdniestrian vineyards
had never been so bad in the twentieth century as it was in the 90-s.
 Because of high prices on trellis posts collective farms could not afford the installation of espalier for
almost all cordon vines planted during the last three years. There increased a share of vines growing
without supports. Which means that foliage could not function properly, besides, it was impossible to
work the land and combat pests and weeds. The first 3-5 years in the life of a vine are most important
ones since it is a period of accumulation of vegetative mass. If a due care is not taken at this time a
vineyard will never become highly productive and long-lived. The foundation of the Transdniestrian
Republic did not improve the situation significantly. Although the government had adopted under the
initiative of the Agriculture Ministry the Resolution #228 of September 4, 1995, according to which the
planting of new vineyards and their cultivation until fruiting should be financed from the budget funds,
the state budget is constantly short of money. That is why the distillery had to take care for itself of the
improvement of situation with raw materials. Just at that time a misfortune occured at the distillery. On
August 10, 1991 a fire broke out in the wine shop. It was an old pre-war building reconsructed in 1947.
Leaving the shop on Saturday night its chief E.S.Matruk cut off a switchboard and locked the door
making sure that the shop was empty. On August 10 at 06.30 in the morning the watchwoman on duty
M.L.Korotkova heard a crackling of a fire and noticed a smoke pouring through the chinks in the shop’s
door. One of the windows on the roof of the wine shop was broken. The watchwoman called a fire
brigade which started extinguishing the fire at 08.02 a.m.

The fire was put out by the fire brigade under the command of captain V.H.Rusanovsky. By that time
the fire had spread on large territory. The spirit stocks could catch fire at any moment and then an
explosion would be inevitable. The ceiling of the burning building crashed down but there was no blast
capable to break windows in the surrounding dwelling houses. The tragedy was staved off. As it turned
out later someone got into the shop through the broken window at night, struck matches and smoked.
This caused the fire. The damage was estimated to be 9146 roubles. The distillery overcame the
consequences of the fire on its own. True, the foundry machine-building plant named after Kirov
rendered necessary assistance in making metal constructions. One fire was successfully put out but
another one was flaring up. In the beginning of the 90-s political situation in the republic was getting
tense. The confrontation between the left and right banks of the river Dniester threatened to break
relations altogether. Under the circumstances the distillery could find itself in the most difficult situation
since the bulk of its raw materials was supplied from the left bank. Very shortly “KVINT” felt the
results of the stand-off. There were frequent irregularities in the deliveries of raw materials; suppliers
from the right bank were often behind the schedule. The administration of the enterprise tried to sort
out this problem. As it turned out, the government of Moldavia of that time gave a secret order to supply
with wine materials first of all wineries located on the right bank of the river Dniester, then wineries
situated in Astrakhan, Adler, Lvov, Kiev and other cities of Russia and Ukraine, and if something would
be left unclaimed - that should be given to Transdniestria. The Moldavian president of those days said:
“Two weeks will be enough to close down the distillery in Tiraspol. We cease the supplies of raw
materials and in a fortnight this enterprise will stop.”

To preserve the “golden reserve” of cognac spirits the distillery was forced to reduce the volume of
cognac production. Those spirits were an undertaking for the XXI century. There appeared a real
necessity to expand its own production with an aim of lessening the dependence on Moldavian partners.
It was decided to start preparatory works for launching of vodka production. The specialists of the
enterprise studied the technology of vodka production in Ukraine, Russia and some other republics.
There was created a working group of chief specialists dealt with this program in detail. This group
included deputy director on production Valentina Romanovna Barbarosh, chief production engineer
Galina Vasilyevna Vinokhodova and some time later chief engineer of the enterprise Valery
Veniaminovich Filimonenko joined them. Despite the crisis of 1992 the distillery managed to obtain an
up-to-date equipment for that purpose. It comprised a carbon column, a sand filter and a complex of
technological equipment for the production of water-alcoholic solutions. This equipment was made of
stainless steel at the Berdichev machine-building plant. Had not the administration of the enterprise
procured the equipment at that time, it would have hardly bought it later, because the USSR had broken
down and inflation was growing year after year. The machinery was bought for 150 000 pre-inflation
Soviet roubles. It was installed in the old three-story reconstructed building of the former design
department located between the wines processing shop and that of cognacs bottling. Though, the
installation was 22 meters high. Therefore in 1990-1991 the roof of the building was raised to the
necessary height. The first batch of “Russian Vodka” was produced in 1992. At the same time there was
begun a seriuos work aimed at creation of new high-quality brands of vodka.

Great assistance was rendered in this respect by the former All-Union Scientific Research Institute of
Food Biotechnology in Moscow - arbiter of vodka production in the USSR and later in Russia. The
production of vodka was launched in Tiraspol with the assistance of specialists from this institute. The
vodka production was a very positive step, which helped a lot in time of breaking of economic ties with
partners from the right bank area. The enterprise would not have survived without this production or it
would have wasted the stock of valuable cognac spirits. In the situation of 1992-1995 when wine
materials were in short supply, the vodka production allowed to provide the enterprise with stable work.
Thus in 1992 the distillery output 127 000 decaliters of vodka. In the next year it produced already 258
000 decaliters. The new Tiraspol vodka suited the taste of not only local consumers but was also highly
praised in Ukraine and Russia. The Tiraspol vodka conquered the existing market due to its high
quality. At first vodka was produced according to a simplified scheme, but later there was introduced
one of the most advanced technologies in the C.I.S. with an intricate system of water preparation. The
first Russian Vodka had only one stage of water pretreatment (softenning) and only one membrane filter
was used in its production. The new vodka had three stages of water preparation and water-alcoholic
solution was filtered through carbon filter, sand filter and fine sand filter. Refinements followed one
after another, each component being purified separately. The used raw materials were also of top quality
- the grain alcohol of highest rectification “extra”.

The distillery did not deal with molasses and treacle alcohols. At first the alcohol was procured in
Ukraine. Then the enterprise economists made necessary calculations and came to the conclusion that it
would be much cheaper to buy it in Western Europe. Therefore there were concluded contracts on
procurement of high quality French, Belgian and Finnish spirits. Western partners, unlike suppliers
from the C.I.S., could guarantee the stable high quality of their alcohols, which was tested in the
distillery’s laboratory. A part of the wines processing shop was given to the new production, which was
headed by skilled winemaker Evdokiya Simonovna Matruk having 20-year experience at the distillery.
She had gained a rich practical experience heading a laboratory, then she worked in the production
department, and later headed the production planning department. In the year of the distillery’s
centenary just 14 people work in the shop of vodka production, because all main processes are
automated and mechanized, and all transitions of liquid are performed with the help of pumps. The
ready vodka is pumped to the bottling shop where it is poured into special screw-necked bottles with
caps bearing the inscription “Tiraspol wine and cognac distillery KVINT”. The labels for vodka are
printed in Bulgaria since they charge lower prices and provide higher quality compared to Moldavian
printing facilities. Packaging boxes for vodka are also ordered in Bulgaria. The director of the distillery
could easily find his bearings on the arising market thanks to good training received in 1991 at Fewqua
business school, where educational process was based on a mutual exchange of experience between
promising young managers of the USA and the USSR. The Soviet group sent to this business school got
a preliminary training at the Academy of National Economy of the USSR.
 After that the best 30 people of 90 have left for one month for the city of Durham in Northern
Carolina. Many of those who was in that group, today occupy managing posts in economic sector and
even governments of Russia and Ukraine. The received knowledge of management not only has helped
to expand an outlook, but has also allowed the director of the distillery O.M. Baev to sit as equal at the
negotiating table with western managers, representatives of known foreign firms. It has helped to solve
many problems. Thus, having produced cognacs of high quality, the enterprise has confronted with
problems not having the appropriate bottles, labels, corks and packing material. The administration of
the enterprise has held negotiations with the Finnish, Austrian, French firms. In the beginning of the
90-s the distillery received cognac bottles mainly from the Kishinev glassworks and wine bottles from
the Floreshty glassworks. Years went by and the price grew from year to year though the quality of
output bottles never improved. Therefore, in 1994-1995 the distillery began to buy bottles in Bulgaria.
The Kishinev glassworks still supplies the enterprise with bottles for vodka, ordinary cognac "White
stork", fine cognacs "Nistru", "Doina", "Syurprizny" with a flying stork boldly represented on a bottle
along with the inscription “KVINT". But for its best elite cognacs, the distillery orders bottles from the
western known firms. The decanters for cognacs "Solnechny", "Victoria", "Yubileiny", “Suvorov” were
purchased in Austria and France. France was chosen not by chance. This country is the recognized
arbiter in cognacs and all the world’s best in the field of cognac containers and packing - belongs to this
country. Today French labels decorate such elite cognacs as "Solnechny", "Victoria", "Yubileiny", and,
certainly, super-elite cognac “Suvorov".

These labels are made by known French firm "Domec Raul" from the city of Bordeaux. However
during all the 90-s the main problem still remains the problem of vineyards. When the farms located in
the left bank area of Moldavia were reoriented on vegetable-growing and fruit-growing, the viticulture
was on the brink of extiction. At the same time experts in vine-growing consider that Transdniestrian
region is very suitable for the development of this branch of agriculture. The candidate of economic
sciences, director of the Moldavian economical state farm - technical school marked in 1995: "... soil
and climatic conditions of region allow growing of valuable technical and table varieties of a grapes
both in the southern and northern parts of the region". The Ministry of Agriculture of the Moldavian
Republic of Transdniestria in 1993 elaborated the program of development of vine-growing in the
republic for the next five years with annual planting of two thousand hectares. The fulfillment of this
program began in 1993, but in 1994 planting was suspended in the majority of collective farms which
had serious. intentions with respect to vine-growing. On April 13, 1995 there was held the republican
seminar on fruit-growing, vine-growing and nursery culture in Transdniestria. Concerned by the
existing state of affairs the attending experts in viticulture, winemaking, fruit-growing and nursery
culture have adopted an appeal to the government of Transdniestria in which they wrote: "Vine-growing
and fruit-growing - these two branches of agriculture are traditional for the region, they form the basis
of Transdniestrian economy. Now there is a tendency towards the reduction of volumes of production of
fruit along with reduction of the area under cultivation. The main reason - shortage of material
resources for this branch.

Thus, during the last three years orchards and vineyards have not received a single kilogram of
fertilizers, they were given less pesticides and herbicides, the amount of allocated motor fuel and
lubricants is not sufficient. Because of absence of manufacture of trellis supports, wires, and vine-tying
material, land-working machinery and agrochemicals for protection of plants against pests, the
collective farms of the republic do not have an opportunity to restore the area. of vineyards. The existing
plantations of long-term cultures are on the brink of extinction. The inhabitation of quarantine pests has
increased more than five times, especially dangerous are Californian scutum, oriental fruit-eater. Grown
fruits because of absence of means of protection of plants are up to 60 per cent afflicted with parasites,
as a result our production is uncompetitive even in the countries of the CIS. Nursery culture - a
corner stone of the development of vine-growing and fruit-growing is most vulnerable, the present
situation in this field does not allow to develop these branches on a modern scientific basis. We,
orcharders and viticulturists of the Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria, ask to pay attention to these
branches, which the economy of the republic depends on, and to assist in strengthening material base of
these branches ". The only one who has responded to this appeal was the Tiraspol distillery "KVINT".
Within the limits of the possible it began to render assistance to the producers of raw material. In 1995
for the repair of existing plantations in the collective farm "Dnestrovskiy" of Dubossary region the
distillery has allocated freely 48 thousand high grade seedling vines of variety Aligote.

The enterprise has also given 100 cubic meters of trellis posts and 23 metric tons of wire on a
contract basis. In 1996 "KVINT" has rendered a similar aid to the state farm “Koikovo” of Dubossary
region allocating 40 tons of wire and 273 cubic meters of trellis posts. For the state farm - winery
"Molodaya Gvardiya" the enterprise has got 150 thousand seedlings of the variety “Suruchanskiy white"
and has allocated motor fuel for plowing on the area of 60 hectares. Five tons of wire were allocated by
the distillery to the collective farm named after Sverdlov of Slobodzeya region. The collective of the
enterprise agreed on rendering of such aid at the expense of its own social and cultural programs,
perfectly understanding how important it was to support vine-growing in Transdniestria. For this reason
in the 90-s "KVINT" has come forward with the following proposal: "With an aim of execution of the
Decision of the government of Transdniestria to form at the expense of the enterprises of winemaking
industry a special budget fund for planting of new vineyards with an installation on them of trellis
support including vine posts". The purpose of such special fund - to remove for the producers of raw
material an insurmountable barrier on ways of creation of good highly productive vines with high
viability, because the preparation of ground for planting and also purchase of seedling material and
supporting elements cost a lot of money. Then the farms would be able to ensure a good care after
vineyards. "KVINT" suggested to cover expenses of those enterprises, which carry out scientific work
and raise qualification of the workers engaged in viticulture. Such investments are most profitable and
the ministry of economy could view these expenses as paid taxes.. In this case the structure of farmland
in the region would change, there would be more vineyards.

With the well-thought selection of presently cultivated varieties it is possible develop both table and
technical vine-growing. However the development of this branch with prospects for XXI century is
impossible without use of large reserves. During the last 20-30 years foreign research establishments
and those from the C.I.S. countries have selected many new varieties considerably outstriping classical
ones in resistance to mildew, phylloxera, frost and other environmentally adverse factors. A choice from
this number of most adapted to local conditions varieties and their wide introduction in mass production
will help to lift the winemaking branch to the necessary height. But for this purpose it is necessary to
establish a trials plot which will enable to make a prompt and scientifically substantiated choice of
varieties for further cultivation. The currently used varietal composition excites apprehension as it was
based on the results of variety tests made on trials plots located on the right bank of the river Dniester in
different environmental conditions. The mechanical transition of standard varietal composition of the
central or southern zones of Moldova to Transdniestria can give an unexpected result. It especially
concerns so called plastic varieties whose behaviour is unpredictable and requires check. It has become
clear that the enterprise needs its own trials plot. And here an occasion has helped. As the proverb goes,
there would be no luck were it not for the misfortune. There is a village of Doibany in Dubossary
region. Besides the state farm "Molodaya Gvardiya" there is an old winery here created in the 30-s of
this century. The winery was specialized in processing of local varieties of grapes. When the production
association “Aroma” was arbitrarily created on the basis of the Kishinev wines and cognacs distillery,
the winery of primary processing was renamed into a shop and was subordinated to Kishinev.

"Aroma" forcibly turned the enterprise into the vault for seasoning of cognac spirits, but
reconstruction was not carried out. Kishinev laid 126 thousand decaliters of cognac spirits to be
matured on staves in the enameled tanks for subsequent production of ordinary cognacs - three stars
("White stork"). But then the war of 1992 broke out. "Aroma" abandoned its shop. on the left bank. For
half a year the workers of the shop were not paid wages. The collective provided a round-the-clock
safeguarding of the shop understanding that plunder should be prevented by all means. Tired of all these
troubles the representatives of the collective came the Chief Department on Viticulture and Winemaking
of Transdniestria and asked its head V.I.Glebov to transfer them under Transdniestrian jurisdiction. At
the same time the winemakers from Doibany appealed to the administration of "KVINT" with the
request to include them in the structure of the distillery. It is necessary to tell that by then the structures
of management in Moldavia have also changed. The Agricultural Board “Agropromsoyuz”, which had
been established in 1989, departed from life. On November 23, 1990, there appeared the order N94 of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova "About measures on perfection of
management and increase of efficiency of the vine-growing and winemaking enterprises of the Ministry
of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova ", which prescribed an abolition of co-operative-state
association "Moldvinprom" and its transformation into the basic branch of the Ministry. Thus the Chief
Board for Viticulture and Winemaking of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldavia
has appeared under the name "Dacia-Phoenix".

Just to this Board were subordinated all wineries in the republic. And, neglecting ancient Moldavian
traditions and legends the new structure has rejected the emblem of its predecessors - white stork and
began to propagandize absolutely alien to winemakers and consumers Phoenix bird, which has nothing
to do with Moldavian winemaking traditions. Somebody has tried to throw a yeast of rotten nationalistic
policy in the peace of Moldavian winemakers. But winemakers from Tiraspol refused to play these
games. They remained faithful to ancient white stork, which now decorates production of "KVINT". On
July 21, 1992 there appeared the order N61 of the Department of Agriculture and Processing Industry of
Transdniestria signed by its head V.I.Glebov "About Doibany cognac spirits seasoning shop", according
to which "with the purpose of improvement of work in wines and cognacs production and satisfaction of
the request of working collective of the Doibany shop (record N1 of meeting of July 20, 1992)", the shop
of seasoning and storage of cognac spirits in Doibany was included in the structure of the Tiraspol
distillery "KVINT". Right after reception of this shop the new owner took care of it. The previous
owners from Kishinev preferred not to invest large sums in its development at the same time gaining as
much as possible from it. The new owners from Tiraspol acted quite differently. They treated it not like
a stepson but like their native child. The economists, production engineers, engineers, builders mapped
out the perspective plan of development of the new shop. They calculated what equipment it was
necessary to buy. The reconstruction began in 1992. Today it is completely different production, both
from the point of view of its appearance and internal content. First of all there were created normal
working conditions.

If earlier the winery was surrounded by impassable mud, now all its territory is concreted and
properly fenced. The young trees are planted, the flower beds are laid out. The radical changes have
taken place in the manufacture itself. The distilling of cognac spirits is completely restored. Absolutely
new installation was mounted for making cognac spirits. It was manufactured at the expense of
“KVINT” and according to its special order by the known firm “VAND” of the Krasnodar polytechnical
institute. The capacity of the new installation is 500 decaliters of spirit per day. The old still which had
been staying idle for a long time was restored and reconstructed and resumed its work. The distilling in
the main premises was suspended for economic reasons as the owner of power resources was charging
exorbitant prices. Therefore “KVINT” has built its own boiler-house in Doibany. The Doibany shop
launched the new line for bottling and packing of "Dried Prunes in Wine". There appeared also a line
for bottling of own dry wines. All this expensive equipment was acquired by the administration of
"KVINT" for hard currency. As well as independent power station capable to ensure uninterrupted work
of the distillery in time of scheduled cut-off of the main power supply. Construction and renovation
works are in full swing on the new territory of the distillery in the year of its centenary. Three-story
house of a hotel type for employees with all conveniences is under construction on the territory of the
shop. On the first floor there will be a firm shop where all production of "KVINT" will be on sale. The
reconstruction of boiler-house is planned. There was made a repair and reconstruction of the line for
production of "Dried Prunes in Wine", the processing of grapes will be resumed in 1998 on a new line.

The grapes will be accepted from the individual farmers of Dubossary region. By the year 2000 it is
planned to master in the Doibany shop the production of sparkling vines. This production could be
started in 1997 if not actual blockade of the products of the Tiraspol winemakers since 1996 on the
territory of Russia and Ukraine. For fast revealing of varieties and hybrids having valuable qualities and
resistant to pests, which could become a basis for industrial and environment-protecting technologies,
"KVINT" has created a trials plot on the basis of the state farm "Molodaya Gvardiya". In terms of its
organization and functioning this trials plot already meets the requirements of the state and, unlike
other similar facilities existing in Moldavia, can carry out also tasks of primary reproduction of
perspective and newly cultivated varieties. Just with this purpose a nursery culture base is created here.
The trials plot is 15 hectares of land located near the winery. Already today one can see young sprouts
on the well-groomed allotments. These are the best 80 varieties of grapes brought together from the best
vine-growing regions of Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Moldavia and other advanced
winemaking countries. The grapes of table and technical varieties were planted with an aim creating the
future winemaking basis for cognac production in order to reduce to a minimum procurements of wine
materials on the right bank of the river Dniester. A part of the trials plot is allocated for the nursery
station. A house of viticulturist with a laboratory, in which invited experts already conduct scientific
work, is being built nearby.

Tasks of trials plot include the all-round and profound study of behavior of new varieties and hybrids
in conditions of central Transdniestria, their estimation with respect to the level of productivity, quality
of production, degree of pest-resistance, suitability to become a basis of the industrial winemaking
production in comparison with the standard; making of proposals on the cultivation of varieties,
primary reproduction of perspective and newly cultivated varieties. Its functions include the study of
technological properties of a variety in close contact with "KVINT" and refrigerating facilities. The
grape nursery will be able to give in the near future the rootstocked planting material according to
generally accepted technology. At first it deals with reproduction of already adapted varieties but after
creation of the nursery of stocked vines it will also produce new varieties and sell planting material to
the collective farms and population of the region. The commercial grape plantations will ensure
cultivation of grapes of table and technical varieties. Table grapes will go for local consumption and
winter storage, its varietal composition will be constantly coordinated with trials plot. The technical
grapes will be sold to wineries, which will previously determine the varietal composition of cultivated
grapes. The auxiliary refrigerating facilities will carry out a storage of table grapes in refrigerating
chambers and its subsequent sale; the specialists from the refrigerating department together with the
experts from the trials plot will carry out research work on technological estimation of table varieties
tested on the trials plot. The wine shop in this technological chain is called to carry out an important
task on processing of grapes into wine materials and spirits, to make together with the trials plot a
technological estimation of tested technical varieties, to carry out scientific research aimed at creation of
new brands of wine on the basis of newly selected mildew-resistant varieties.

One can hardly say that the former owners from the right bank of the river Dniester were indifferent
to the successes of the new shop. The former temporary owners of the shop from the production
association "Aroma" suddenly remembered it in 1993. However, they were not going to render any
assistance, they just wanted to take away cognac spirits belonging to the shop and to lay claims against
"KVINT". They intended to claim against the enterprise at whose expense during the years of Soviet
rule they carried out a reconstruction of the Kishinev wines and cognacs distillery when "KVINT" was
forced to join "Aroma". The then deputy vice-premier of Moldavia Valentin Kunev has sent a letter on
June 9, 1993 addressed to the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian Republic of
Transdniestria G.S.Marakutsa (naturally not referring to his position), in which he has laid claims to
the Doibany cognac spirit and oak staves of "Aroma", emphasizing that Moldavia provides the Tiraspol
wines and cognacs distillery with raw materials for distilling of cognac spirits and production of
cognacs at a rate of 2 million decaliters in 1992-1993. The truth, mister Kunev has held back that the
budget of Moldavia had got 931,1 million roubles from the excise tax and VAT for the supplied wine
materials, as this produce was shipped to the distillery with an application of taxes established for
distant foreign countries. On July 29, 1993, there appeared the decree of the president of Transdniestria
"About transfer of the Doibany shop on maturing and storage of cognac spirits to the Tiraspol wines and
cognacs distillery". On November 23, 1994 the minister of agriculture of Moldavia V.Goringoy has
issued the order N317 " About return of property belonging to production association "Aroma", in
which he fulminated against the negotiations conducted between the representatives of PA "Aroma" and
the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery "KVINT".

Naturally, the Moldavian minister was so dissatisfied with the course of the negotiations, that "For
conducting of negotiations without the authorization of the ministry of agriculture and foodstuffs of the
Republic of Moldavia and unscrupulousness, shown at it, power abuse, dodging from the management
of the association, that has resulted in sharp recession of manufacture and indebtedness to the budget, to
dismiss the general director of the PA "Aroma" Mr. Kushmaunse G.S. Probably the minister would have
targeted his anger at "KVINT", but he could not do anything, though the fifth item of his order read:
"Pending the final decision of the question on return of cognac spirits, oak staves and other property
belonging to PA "Aroma", to forbid realization of wine materials and other production of the enterprises
of winemaking branch to the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery "KVINT " without the prior consent
of the ministry of agriculture and foodstuffs of the Republic of Moldavia". Despite of all arrogant claims
and ultimatums of the Kishinev ministers, "KVINT" continued its work and expanded the enterprise. In
1993 the distillery was already seasoning more than a thousand of lots of spirits laid in enameled tanks
on oak staves (for ordinary cognacs) and over 20 thousand of oak barrels with capacity 300-500 liters
each, and the number of personnel increased by 60 employees. Since 1995 "KVINT" output up to 1.5
million decaliters of wine and cognac production. At the same time, the number of personnel of the
distillery has increased more than twice compared to the period of 1990-1995.

The specialists of the distillery have established close cooperation with the scientists from the
national research institute of grapes and wine of Moldavia, Krasnodar polytechnical institute, research
center "Biotech". They carry out research work in the field of blending of spirits, study the questions of
intensifying of processes of extraction of substances from vegetable raw material with the purpose of
receiving of concentrates for blending of wine materials. With the breakdown of economic
commonwealth the export of the Tiraspol cognac to its former member-countries ceased as well. To
survive in new conditions it was necessary to reorientate sales to Russia, which used to be KVINT's
major market. But most of all "KVINT" was always oriented to the Moscow market where more than 40
distributors traded its produce. From 30 to 40 cars of cognac left from wines and cognacs distillery for
Moscow every month. But with the beginning of privatization of retail trade, old trade associations in
Moscow ceased to exist and all deliveries were decentralized. "KVINT" has found itself in very difficult
situation. Now the distillery had to co-operate with hundreds and thousands of different shops. Newly
organized structures were private ones and not all of them were prepared to pay in advance. The
distillery confronted with another sore problem: how to ensure the return of means for the shipped
produce. The enterprise was compelled to search for ways of establishment of its representation on the
territory of Russia. Certainly, the best place for this purpose was Moscow (the capital and business
center). Just here the Tiraspol distillery set up the trade house "KVINT" together with a Russian
mediator firm as a partner. This trade house deals with such problems as the return of means,
distribution of products among the trade enterprises of Moscow. The share of the distillery in the fixed
capital of this partnership made 25 per cent.

For a year and a half the trade house has created the ramified structure of trade, has concluded
contracts with more than fifteen hundred trading enterprises of Moscow, including such famous
supermarkets as "Eliseevsky", "Smolensky", "The 7-th Continent", "Novo-Arbatsky". Until March 1996
up to 20 cars of vodka and cognac were shipped monthly to the trade house, that is up to 40 thousand
decaliters of ready products. In 1994 in Moscow there was published a catalogue "Elite business". An
introduction to this edition went as follows: "You hold in your hands a really unique book. It is the first
attempt to present within the framework of one colorful, illustrated edition the most significant
entrepreneurial structures of the CIS... Elite means first of all a good name of a firm, its high
intellectual, technical and creative potential. Just these criteria were used when we selected firms for the
present catalogue. Selection of firms and analysis of their work was made by the International Panel of
Experts under the direction of the academician Jermen Gvishiani (enterprises and organizations of the
Russian Federation), and also by the chamber of trade and industry, embassies and trade representations
of the C.I.S. states". The Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery was mentioned in the chapter "Golden
firms of the year". However, from the middle of March 1996 "KVINT" was compelled to stop deliveries
to Russia. On March 18, 1996, Russia passed the Law on excises on imported cognacs, wines and
vodka. Now 1 liter of the imported cognac was levied with the excise tax of 5 ECU, 1 liter of vodka -
3,5 ECU (1 ECU is equivalent to 1,63 US dollars). In spite of the fact that the Law was published for
promulgation on March 18, the new rates of excises were levied from February 1. It had heavy
consequences for the importers including "KVINT". In one day the enterprise has become a debtor of
the government of the Russian Federation.

If before the introduction of the Excise Law a bottle of ordinary cognac "White stork" cost in Russia
15-16 thousand roubles, now it was necessary to pay as much only for an excise. At the moment of the
introduction of the Law in Russia there were 6 cars with "KVINT" products standing on rails in
Moscow. The distillery had to pay so great excise, that it wiser not to accept it from the carrier leaving
everything to the Russian authorities. The backdated introduction of the decree has put the Moscow
trade house and the enterprise in the whole in difficult financial conditions. The trade house simply had
to be closed and re-registered anew. During the next year "KVINT" delivered nothing to the Russian
market. On November 19, 1996 the customs committee of the Russian Federation addressed the letter to
the manufacturers of alcoholic production of the Republic of Moldavia "About the order of accounting
of the sums of excises paid on the territory of manufacture of this production". The manufacturers
situated on the right bank of the river Dniester were now compensated through the Russian buyers the
difference of the excise paid on the territory of Moldavia. This provision was not applied to the
manufacturers located on the left bank. Again "KVINT" found itself in a crisis because of political
games. The financial policy of Transdniestrian authorities is not well thought either. In 1996 there was
issued a decree of the president of the Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria I.Smirnov N82, which has
obliged the enterprises of all forms of ownership making consumer goods and foodstuffs to ship their
production to state trade and consumer cooperation of the republic with the postponement of payment
for the period of 25 bank days from the date of its reception. Then this decree was cancelled and instead
of it has appeared a new one (N98), which required of the same enterprises to ship production already
30 bank days before the payment. Thus, the trade organizations had an opportunity to take an interest-
free credit (in this case in the form of ready products) actually for a month and a half.
All 1996 "KVINT", carrying out the governmental instruction, shipped its produce without an
advance payment to 63 trading enterprises of Tiraspol, Bendery, Rybnitsa, Dubossary and village
consumer societies of Slobodzeya, Grigoriopol and Kamenka regions. The problems have arisen at once
- 90 per cent of trading organizations, having received the production forgot about their obligations to
the suppliers, and money for the received produce usually reached the distillery's bank account two or
three months later because of complete insolvency of trade organizations and Agricultural Bank with its
branches, and also because of practical absence of crediting of trading organizations. Consequently by
the beginning of 1997 "KVINT" had debts totaling 364 000 US dollars for the production which had
been sold on conditions of payment "not earlier than 30 bank days". The situation with the return by
trading organizations of turnaround containers having hypothecation value was not any better.
"KVINT" bought bottles in Moldavia for their national currency lei so that every bottle cost 100
thousand roubles in recount to the Transdniestrian currency. And hypothecation value of a bottle handed
over to a trade network was fixed by higher organization at the rate of 15 thousand roubles, which is
much cheaper than its procurement price. Because of delayed return of this container to the distillery,
the trade once again received from it a sort of soft loan at a rate of 64 billion roubles of the Moldavian
Republic of Transdniestria (about 100 thousand US dollars). Therefore, since 1995 the distillery began
to develop a network of firm shops. A turnover of only one shop in 1995 has exceeded 20 billion
roubles. In 1996 "KVINT" opened 11 shops, which to a certain extent has solved the problem of
backpaid debts.

Nevertheless, there remained the main problem - that of purchasing of foreign currency, as many
materials necessary for the production (including wine materials) the distillery was forced to buy outside
Transdniestria. Having lost its main market in Russia, the distillery was transferred to a single-shift
regime, because of reduction of volumes of manufacture in 1997. In these conditions the Finance
Ministry of the Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria should react and reconsider the rate of excises in
view of the existing economic circumstances, but it was not made. On March 4, 1997, the government
of Ukraine has adopted the decision signed by Lazorenko, which provided (at transportation of excisable
cargoes through the territory of Ukraine) for the payment of the customs taxes (one more excise). One
can suppose that this excise should be paid back at crossing the border of Ukraine and at entrance of
products to the territory of Russia, but the documents did not stipulate either terms, or conditions, or
sum of surcharge. The transit of one car of cognac was levied with the customs tax of 180 thousand US
dollars. At the end of 1996 the trade house "KVINT" was opened in Odessa. The enterprise had
managed to make first deliveries of assorted cognacs, wines and vodka there before the introduction of
extortionate taxes. The "KVINT" produce due to its high quality was in great demand, though the prices
were higher than those of similar Ukrainian production. That was not the first crusade of KVINT
beverages to the Ukrainian market. In the beginning of the 90-s 4 firm shops of the distillery were
functioning in Donetsk. In return, Ukrainian consumers gave Transdniestria coal and other goods.
Then, there was introduced a 280 per cent tax on the goods which were produced not in Ukraine. The
deliveries of the goods were stopped.

For more than three years since 1992 to 1995 the Ukrainian market has not seen a single bottle with
"KVINT" production. Adventurers very quickly have taken advantage of this situation. The market was
dumped with the forged cognac "White Stork". Then false "Doina", "Nistru", "Syurprizny" appeared.
Above all, it rendered a moral loss to the enterprise. "KVINT", outputting products of the highest
quality suffered because of poor quality of the copied false cognacs. The trade house in Ukraine was also
involved in enlightening work. Its employees explained the customers how to distinguish the authentic
produce of "KVINT" from numerous forgeries. The new Tiraspol vodka "Bogatyrskaya", "Triumph",
"Stolichnaya", "Moskovskaya" were also a success in Ukraine. Today one can meet judges of the
Tiraspol produce not only in Odessa, Donbass, but also in Kherson, Nikolaev, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk.
The Ukrainian consumers market after a four-year break welcomed the return of high-quality Tiraspol
production. In 1995-1996 the agrarian shop for the needs of the workers of the enterprise was created in
the village of Ternovka. Despite of objective difficulties, the administration of the enterprise never
forgets about the main value of the distillery - its "gold reserve", people who have made its glory. The
necessity of creation of the farm has arisen in 1985, when the Tiraspol meat processing and packing
factory ceased to work and dairy factory was about to stop. Therefore, it was necessary to create the part-
time farm to support the workers. The Ternovka collective farm named after Kotovsky has allocated to
the distillery a plot of land on conditions of long-term rent. It is necessary to tell that the enterprise for a
long time assists the collective farm in the solution of many industrial and social problems.
 The skilled worker M.A. Vatavu has headed the new farm. Originally, it was a pig-breeding farm.
Then in 1996 they have bought 20 bulls for cattle breeding. It is planned to create a dairy herd by the
year 2000, and to increase the total amount of pigs to 1200. The farm is properly equipped and has all
the necessary facilities: a powerful heat-generator, lamps of infrared radiation to protect cubs from
colds. Today the farm has modern feed-preparing shop, steam boilers, an independent power
transmission line, a well for round-the-clock feeding of water. There are refrigerators to keep the meat.
The vet surgeon Sergey Shemchuk provides veterinarian service. A little over 10 men work on the farm:
operators, electricians, mechanics, and security guards. The distillery cares of forage. The farm-workers
are in charge of about half-thousand pigs. Even now the farm completely provides the distillery with
meat. Therefore, the dinners in the canteen are free of charge. On certain scheduled days the distillery
pensioners are given free meat together with the usual food kit. Feeling such care, the people work
conscientiously. The glory of the Tiraspol winemakers does not know borders and customs barriers. The
production which is made today by the Tiraspol "KVINT", causes respect and admiration in the
winemakers of many countries and continents.

CHAPTER XVIII
KVINT’S “GOLDEN AND SILVER RAIN”

A man grows wiser with years, an enterprise with years may become famous. But this applies to
ordinary enterprises, while special ones may reach not only fame and prestige but also a wisdom of their
legendary produce. Should we treat a cognac as an ordinary production?
Winemakers generation after generation nurture this amazing beverage, which has absorbed
Herculean energy of the sun and the warmth of human hands. All his life a winemaker learns the
complicated and delicate art of creating high quality fine cognacs. This drink appeared “by chance” in a
small French town several centuries ago and conquered the whole world without a single shot. The
Frenchmen, arbiters in cognacs and legends about it, consider that only those drinks can be called
cognacs, which were distilled in strict accordance with classical scheme of production. Firstly, there
must be used a traditional still (the so-called Charente still) with a fire-heated or electrically heated
boiler, distilling retorts made of handchased copper, with an additional heat(electric) capacity for wine
and a coil. Moreover, the capacity must not exceed 30 hectoliters and the volume of filled wine should
not be greater than 25 hectoliters. The capacity up to 140 is admissible only at the first stage of the
process. The cognac should be distilled in two stages. Just this classical scheme of cognac production is
used at the Tiraspol wines and cognacs distillery. Being in the town of Cognac or any other place of the
Charente Province one can easily distinguish by blakish facades and roofs houses where cognac is
seasoned or just stored. Likewise, being in Tiraspol one could find the distillery with closed eyes due to
the specific aroma of cognac spirits when barrels were stored in the open air. Now these aromas have
obtained a roof over their heads. This department is headed by the chief of cognac production,
experienced winemaker S.A.Chernetsky.

Like a magician he walks between the many-tier rows of barrels, diversified glass containers,
between the cold and the warm, between youth, maturity and age of wisdom. Exactly so, the age of
wisdom, not the old age. For cognac is eternal, it never gets old. This divine beverage may turn to ether,
but it cannot get old! Cognac has two hierarchies of quality, which do not coincide absolutely: they are
intersecting. Their combination results in a huge variety of features, which distinguish congac from all
other cognac spirits. They are hierarchy of origin and hierarchy of age. The diversity and uniqueness of
cognac can be exemplified by the fact that it is very difficult to find two alike batches of the same brand
of cognac. It is impossible for many reasons to make absolutely identical blendings. One mother cannot
bear two completely identical children. Even twins differ from one another, not to mention cognacs.
True experts of cognac production, tasting it, feel its body and soul. The cognac technology is uniform
throughout the world, but cognacs differ, each one is peculiar. Land, vine, caring hands and soul of
winemaker, and even oak give surname, name and patronimic to the newly-born drink. It is mother
nature who bears cognac while man can only assist to the delivery by making blendings. Professionals
can easily determine the age of cognac. They do not drink by glasses, they taste by grams. The only
country in the world where people drink cognac by glasses is Russia. The rest of the world drink it by
grams. Old cognacs are rather expensive: 500 or 1000 DM per liter, sometimes even more. At the
auctions of the last century cognacs prices range from 1000 tо 5000 DM per bottlle.