Such a familiar taste from childhood… A visit by the NIA Belarus team to the Kommunarka confectionery factory

Published: September 26, 2024

On September 25, on the eve of the professional holiday – Archivist’s Day, the trade union committee of the NIA Belarus prepared a fascinating and enchanting trip to the Kommunarka confectionery factory for the archive workers, where each visitor could get acquainted with the process of making such familiar and beloved confectionery products from childhood.

The Kommunarka confectionery factory is one of the largest in Belarus. Its history began on February 15, 1905. Before the revolution, it was called «George» and belonged to the manufacturer G.V.Rachkovsky. The enterprise received its current name, which became famous far beyond the borders of Belarus, in 1935. Nowadays, the factory annually produces up to 20 thousand tons of products of 187 names: sweets, chocolate, caramel, dragee. The tour began in the tasting room, where archivists had the opportunity to enjoy the most delicious new products. Archive director Mikhail Glushakov presented the factory management with a memorable souvenir – a reprint of a very interesting and little-known archival document – «Internal regulations of the confectionery factory «ZHORZH» G.V. Rachkovsky in the provincial city of Minsk» dated July 24, 1914.

During the tasting, the guests were told in detail about the history of the factory, and later were taken to the production workshops, where everyone had a unique opportunity to observe with their own eyes the entire process of the birth of our favorite treats. We saw how the chocolate mass is shaped with the help of complex equipment, the products are wrapped in foil and paper, and prepared for shipment to warehouses and stores.

At the end of the tour, each guest was given a gift in beautiful branded packaging. Well, what’s inside the package, let it remain a mystery…