Minsk Kristall is the largest distillery in Belarus

Belarus

Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

 and is one of the oldest vodka

Vodka

Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....

 producers in the former USSR.

The company was founded by brothers Yankel Rakaushchyk and Zelman Rakaushchyk in 1893. The distillery was reconstructed in 1910 and by 1913 became the largest distillery in Belarus.

During the Russian Civil War

Russian Civil War

The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...

 the distillery was nationalized by the Russian bolsheviks and used as warehouses. In 1924 the Soviet government allowed production of spirits and the former Rakaushchyk Brothers Distillery was activated again.

The distillery is controlled by the Government of Belarus.