The Moscow factory Kristall was the largest domestic distillery. He survived the Great Patriotic War, a series of prohibitions, but today the production of alcohol is stopped here. The main facilities were transferred beyond the city limits, to the Korystovo branch near Moscow.
Creature
Towards the end of the 19th century, alcohol consumption in Russia became rampant. In order to streamline the alcohol market and accumulate income from its sale, the talented Minister of Finance S.Yu. Witte in 1896 approved the state monopoly on fortified drinks.
In 1901, in the capital on the banks of the river. Yauza organized a large wine warehouse, which later became the Moscow Crystal Plant. Annually, up to 2.6 million decalitres (2.1 million 12-liter buckets) of alcoholic beverages of various strengths were produced here. The number of workers reached one and a half thousand. Famous architects-innovators V. A. Velichkin and N. G. Faleev were involved in the construction of production facilities . Their creation is still pleasing to Muscovites and is a protected monument of architecture.
The official opening took place on 06/24/1901. Initially, the products of the Kristall factory (Moscow) consisted of only three types of vodka: Boyarskaya, Improved and Simple. After a week of work, it turned out that the enterprise’s capacity was not enough due to the increased demand for high-quality vodka. I had to increase the number of filters and radically re-equip the premises.
In 1914, the plant already produced 5 kinds of strong drinks. The most popular was Moscow Special Vodka. According to legend, her original recipe was developed by D.I. Mendeleev himself. With the beginning of World War I, a temporary prohibition was announced. The premises housed a hospital.
The beginning of the Soviet era
In 1923, the release of alcohol-containing drinks on the Crystal was resumed. Prohibition was canceled in stages, therefore, the basis of the products were 20-degree liquors. After 1925, vodka production was resumed, and the first brand was Rykovka. Over time, the recipes and technologies developed by the plant were transferred to other state enterprises. In 1937, the assortment expanded due to “female” liquors (“Vanilla”, “Pink”, “Chocolate”) and “male” fortified (“Curazo”, “Benedictine”, “Chartreuse”). During the war, the company combined the production of alcohols (liquid and dry) with the manufacture of Molotov cocktails.
Post-war development
In 1945, production was resumed by the Crystal factory in Moscow. In the new workshop No. 1, they mastered the production of especially high-quality vodka varieties for the Soviet elite. In 1953, the most famous brand, vodka Stolichnaya, was launched into the series.
After the collapse of the USSR, the enterprise was transformed into Crystal Plant LLC (Moscow). In 1998, a branch was opened in the village of Korystovo, where production was subsequently transferred. Back in 2011, Kristall was the largest Russian producer of alcoholic beverages. However, according to corporate policy and the general plan for the development of the capital, in 2015 the equipment was stopped, gradually dismantled and transferred to another site. The famous brand continues to work, but already in a new place.
From production to art
The area of ​​the enterprise exceeds 9 hectares. Buildings built under the tsar have architectural value. In the near future, the territory expects a large-scale reorganization. According to the urban development plan, the appearance of industrial premises will be preserved, and inside they will be redone.
The flagship of the new project was the so-called art cluster, in which creative life boils around the clock around the clock. Already now, in the spaces previously occupied by vodka equipment, exhibitions are held, flash mobs, installations are being organized. They seem to breathe life into empty workshops.
Plant future
According to the project, part of the territory is allocated for residential development. The main building will be given over to apartments. Additionally, a school, a lecture hall, a kindergarten, restaurants and sports grounds will be located on the territory of the Kristall factory (Moscow). The premises of the former factory club are being restored, preserving the entourage of the Soviet era. Performances of theatrical troupes are scheduled in it.
A feature of the reconstruction is the phased implementation of various projects. They will not completely cover the territory for total alteration. Visitors will be able to watch how large industrial production is transformed into a fashionable holiday destination.
In order to attract professionals in the field of architecture and design to the project, it was decided to hold a competition for the creation of love-apartments and public spaces. The chief metropolitan architect Sergey Kuznetsov was involved in the implementation of ideas.
The Crystal Quarter is a pilot project of a “city in a city”. In the future, many industries will be moved to the suburban area, and the vacated industrial zones will be transformed into similar cultural, residential, social clusters. The fate of other sites depends on how successful the transformation of the Moscow Crystal Plant is.