The largest Belarusian art glass company, the "Neman", will celebrate its 140th anniversary in 2023. Neman is a pioneer in the field of contemporary domestic glassmaking.
Glass factory, located in Berezovka, Lida district, Grodno region, has its history since 1883. In 1908 it was named "Neman" (after the name of the river near which the enterprise was built). At the head of its operations, the plant employed less than 30 people who made simple products by hand: glasses, pharmacy utensils and lamp glass.
Gradually, the range of products was expanded, the skill of glassblowers was improved. And already in 1911, the factory produced more than 1,800 types of goods from luxury vessels and vases to ordinary household items. The products were distinguished by high quality and artistic expression, which made the Neman trademark prestigious and recognizable far beyond the borders of Belarus.
The factory was destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt in 1921. Its activity began with the production of glasses, lamp and pharmacy glass, insulators for railways, mail and telegraph. The production of a wide range of glass and crystal products was established in the late 1930s. The company's activities were stopped during the Great Patriotic War. When the city was liberated, specialists from other countries arrived to help the workers of the enterprise and local residents to restore the factory, which had been ruined. The "Neman" has began to produce window and lamp glass in 1944 yet, and since 1945 – types of a glass vessel. The factory established a vocational school in 1945, where workers of glass specialties were taught. The school has been as part of the Lida State Professional Polytechnic Lyceum since 2021.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the former number of glass products began to introduce a modern aesthetic – simple, lightweight, at the same time, mastering old recipes also helped to make products more refined. Masters recreated the sophisticated method of applying delicate lace patterns to glass, which was practiced in ancient Venice. So, in the late 1970s, a new term "A Neman thread" appeared – beautiful vases, decanters, jugs decorated in this way can be seen in many homes.
The need to increase the output of modern products had led to the radical reconstruction of the plant, new capacities and machine technologies had been introduced. Spacious, bright reinforced concrete buildings of new workshops with modern engineering equipment were built, and glassmaking was fully converted to natural gas.
Today, the plant produces more than 5,000 products of various purposes, shapes, colors and decorative solutions. Glass factory artists preserve the experience and traditions of honored masters, successfully develop modern glass design both in mass-produced products and in decorative and exhibition works. The high skill of Belarusian glass makers is confirmed by numerous awards received at international exhibitions and fairs (in Frankfurt am Main, Madrid, Brussels, Paris, etc.). The Neman Glass Factory is a world–famous brand of Belarus, ranking member leading positions in the production and sale of glass and crystal products.
More information can be found on the company's website, in the online encyclopedia "Belarus in Faces and Events". Bibliographic information about publications dedicated to the plant is available in electronic catalog National Library of Belarus.
The article was prepared by the Bibliography Research Department.
