Pearl of the North [Urbex Blog]

Or at least that was the name of one of the beers that used to be produced in this brewery. The town where the brewery is located is a shithole in itself. 

The brewery dates back to 1615, although the main building and the lager cellars are from the 18th century. 

In 1948, the brewery was nationalized - in the words of a normal person, stolen from its original owner by the Communist Party - and beer production survived the new administration for only a few years.

350 years of history survived only 24 years of socialism. 

When the brewery was returned to its owners in the 1990s, all that was left was a dilapidated ruin. In 1997 the city bought it and it was declared a cultural monument, but nothing is being done to preserve it. 

Or at least until this year, when the city reportedly allocated 30 million for the first phase of the reconstruction. Under the plan, the listed buildings would be preserved and the newer part of the site would be demolished. We'll see where this effort goes. 

Knowing how bureaucracies and public contracts work, 30 million is not enough to renovate a brewery, but it is enough to increase the income of a local mayor or councillor's construction company. 

We'll see about that.

In the meantime, enjoy scrolling through the rest of the photos from my winter exploration of the place.