Lida Brewery Museum boasts a new rare exhibit – a glass bottle manufactured about a hundred years ago

The item is in perfect condition, there is a manufacturer's mark clearly visible on it and an original inscription — BROWAR PAROWY M. PUPKO LIDA WŁASNOŚĆ NIESPRZEDAJNA 0,5L.

It translates from Polish as follows: M. Pupko's Steam Brewery. Lida. Unsalable property. 0.5 l. So, it is highly probable that the bottle was manufactured during the interwar period, from 1921 to 1939, when the Western Belarus belonged to Poland. Such bottles were used to pour brand beverages and were marked as "unsalable property" to show that the brewery is the owner of the bottle. Definitely, you were not able to buy bottled beer in the early 20^th century, because glassware was very expensive. When buying beer in a store, people either had to drink it right on the spot or to pour it into their own glasses, cans, or jugs.

In addition, such inscription served as a means of counterfeit protection. The truth is that, every once in a while, some sharp operators would try to bottle counterfeit beer into the original bottles of other manufacturers.

By the way, at that time, beer ad posters stated that bottles were the manufacturer's property and urged the consumers to buy beer in the original bottles only.

This beer bottle, manufactured in the first half of the 20^th century, was found by Ihar Zubko, a citizen of Lida, on his land plot:

– I bought a land plot, where there used to be an old house built in 1939. When I was removing the debris and the ruins, I found a bag with bottles. Most of the bottles did not bear any signs or brands, but there was this one, surely a keeper. Pupko's name and the history of the brewery is known to every person in Lida, so I instantly brought the find to the Lida Brewery Museum.

One of the most important tasks of the Lida Brewery Museum's staff is managing and enriching the Museum's collection. Therefore, the employees do their best not only to preserve, but also to increase the cultural heritage, so that everyone who is interested in the history of Lida beer and the Belarusian brewing industry in general, is able to get access to it.

If you have any items to offer to the museum, we would be glad to consider them for accepting them for our collection.

You have an interesting find? Please email us at: lidski.brovar@lidskae.by