History of TM

Borjomi mineral springs were discovered more than thousands years ago. This fact is confirmed by 7 stone bath-tubs found at the beginning of 20^th century and dated to beginning of the 1^st millennium A.D. Evidently, at those times water was used for bathing and not for drinking. Afterwards the springs remained forgotten for a long time, and places of their local at stayed deserted

Surprisingly, the springs gained their second life from militaries: in 1829 the Kherson grenadier regiment was accommodated in Borjomi. Once soldiers found mineral water spring in the forest, on the right bank of Borjomi River. Colonel P. Popov interested with the spring and gave order to clear it and to bring water in bottles to the regiment. As he had stomach disease he was first person who learned the healing effect of the water. He ordered to surround spring with stones and to built sauna and a little house for himself nearby.

In 1837 Kherson regiment was replaced with Georgian grenadier regiment. Regiment doctor Amirov started to investigate composition and properties of water from the spring. It was he, who sent first samples of water to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

By 1841 water became so famous that tsar governor in Caucasus brought his sick daughter for treatment. Her disease is unknown but water cured her. He named the spring Yekaterininskiy after his daughter and the second one – found end developed by this time – he named in his honor – Yevgenievskiy.

In 1850 a park of mineral water was laid out in Borjomi and in 1854 building of the first bottling factory began.

Meanwhile, heeling springs became famous all over Russia. Borjomi began to enlarge. New castles, parks, squares and hotels were built. Laid in 1894 railway branch from Kharushi to Borjomi significantly improved connection. Before chariots with horses were used as transport and the way from Tbilisi to Borjomy took about 8-9 hours.

In 1894 Mikhail Romanov built the bottling factory in the mineral water park. This factory functioned until 50’s years of 20^th century, effectively pouring water, known by this moment all over the world.

In 1896 the first glass factory was opened. Bottles were blown out manually until 1950.

In 1904 «Borjomi» producing was partly mechanized. Glass was still blown out manually, but bottling became mechanic. With the same year is dated the announcement in newspaper about «selling of «Borjomi» mineral water in wagons». Water bottling is getting ahead – if in 1854 from Borjomi were exported 1350 bottles, then after producing improvement in 1905 export reached already 320 thousands of bottles and in 1913 exceeded 9 millions

Sovietization of Georgia did not damage «Borjomi» popularity. Changes touched only aristocracy and vacationer status: Romanov was changed by Stalin, who also liked this water very much. None of Kremlin affairs was held without «Borjomi».

«Snow break» of the 1960’s gave «Borjomi» one more chance to earn name abroad. In В 1961 423 thousands of «Borjomi» bottles were exported in 15 countries of the world including USA, France and Austria. In 1980-s sales of «Borjomi» reached 400 millions of bottles and this water was the most popular within USSR.

In 1990-1995 the producing has significantly reduced due to inner economic problems in Georgia. But beginning from 1995, when company «Georgian Glass & Mineral Water Co. N. V.» restarted «Borjomi» production at two bottling factories the water production increased by 40 times and now this abundant gift of Georgian nature is known in 30 world countries.