Pictured is the main building. famous company. It is in this “booth” that the products that you encounter almost every day are born. Without knowing what's in there, I'd guess it's a server room. The church of St. Nicholas, located on the territory of the Kostroma plant, is an equally important part of not only the brand, but even the production process. Pay attention to the barbed wire and round-the-clock security on duty at the "booth". I will not delay the answer until the end of the article. Let's take a look inside! 
Here, in fact, is all that is inside. There was still a red line on the floor, beyond which it was impossible to go without certain disinfection manipulations. In front of you is a water intake structure or a well pavilion. And the brand is drinking water "Holy Spring" 
I have never seen such a highly regulated company. Here one zone of hygiene, there another. You can't get through here without a bathrobe and special boots, you need to wear a baseball cap there. Moreover, under the supervision of a security guard, wash your hands and process them with a disinfectant solution. And everywhere these red lines! 
Strange, but I did not notice such measures at breweries. I remember museums, I remember tastings, I also remember bottling lines. And I can’t remember the red lines and constant dressing-processing. Probably the tasting is to blame. 
Visitors are given special shoes. On them, without consequences for the legs, a tank can drive. And they give out helmets disguised as baseball caps. Why these precautions are needed, I understood in the administration building. Reply to photo: 
Every year on Epiphany in the chapel of St. Nicholas, which you saw above, the source is consecrated. Why does this procedure need to be done every 365 days? Maybe the divine action loses its power over time? Probably 20 years ago, someone who described technological processes did not bother to call the priest and wrote in the column "Periodicity": "Once a year." Water treatment equipment. Bulk filters and storage tanks. Those that shine are cumulative, on the right are bulk: 
In principle, water from a well can be drunk immediately - nature itself has created natural system filters. Thanks to her, it became possible to use sparing cleaning methods at the enterprise that do not change the natural structure of water. Automatic water flow distribution panel on the bottling line: 
Bottle blowing shop. Let's take a quick look at it from above and take a look at the parameter control area. 
Here they check the bottles for mechanical stability and geometric parameters. They are crumpled 
Dismember: 
Weigh in parts and measure the thickness - check for uniform distribution of the material along the height of the bottle. Wonderful cones that can always be used at home are called PET preforms or preforms from which bottles are blown. 
Here they are delivered ready-made, but still pass the control. In the marriage box, you can find funny art objects made of sticky preforms. 
Each bottle has its own blank standard. On the left - five-liter, on the right 0.33: 
While the preforms are being loaded into the blow molding machine, let's take a look at the lab. 
The quality manager says a lot of unfamiliar words about the control system. But nothing, neither spectrophotometers nor ion chromatographs, can replace the nose. All batches of products must be sniffed. Even traffic jams! 
The control of sniffers is organized in the most original way. In certain, unknown to them bottles, chemicals with odors are added. They must not only detect them, but also identify them. 
They can slip the smell of chlorine, fish, earth, or even rotten cabbage and a doormat - there are many options. Some of them, even in a concentrated form, I practically did not feel, and even diluted in water - and even more so. 
This process is called finished product tasting and sensory analysis of materials. 
Let's get back to blow molding machines. 
Only 2 employees and both supervisors work in the workshop shift: the production manager and the blowing supervisor. Everything is automated. Even in the laboratory there are more living people - five. 
The moving bottles of the air conveyor are mesmerizing. 
They need to be videotaped! 
For 20 years, both the bottle and the label have changed many times, visually moving away from the obvious “churchness”. As a result, the dome became barely visible, a flying dove was added, symbolizing spirituality, a sense of flight and good mood. And the mention of the blessing of the source by the Patriarch of All Russia Alexy II in 1994 became a completely inconspicuous gold medal. 
Previously, people drank water straight from the tap or boiled it. And now they sell water in plastic bottles as if we live in the desert. It is especially strange when it is also called the "Holy Spring". I will never believe that the bottles that flooded the whole country are filled from one spring! Gennady P et r o v, Vladimir
AiF decided to check where the water in plastic bottles comes from. Contacting the management of the Swiss company Nestle, which acquired the Holy Spring several years ago, was not difficult. It turned out that there is only one plant for the production of this water in Russia - in Kostroma.
AiF correspondent went to Kostroma. They drilled surprisingly, but the Kostroma people themselves only know about the Nestle factory that it exists. Somewhere on the outskirts of the city. “I don’t buy this water,” the taxi driver, taking me to the “Holy Spring”, confessed. “Half a liter costs 15 rubles. We have many clean sources around the city, almost every production costs and produces water. And they all bottle 7 rubles are sold, half the price of the Holy Spring.
The factory is in the forest. On the sides of the road there were signs: "It is forbidden to throw garbage. Ecologically clean zone." Heaps of rubbish lay around them. But what about "sanitary standards"? "Now it's still clean here," said one worker. "There used to be a cemetery nearby, people threw more garbage." Now there is a factory here. Huge trucks rolled in every hour. They left full of bottles.
Between the buildings, only two steel pipes went deep underground, and powerful pumps pumped water. In the first years of its existence, the producers of the "Holy Spring" really took water not from a well, but from natural source. Spring water and now beats out of the ground, but not here, but in the neighboring village of Volodino. Previously, cars came there, filled the tanks with water and took it to the factory to "bring it to mind" - pass it through filters, add the necessary substances and bottle it. The same source became holy: at the request of the entrepreneurs, the Patriarchate consecrated it. But then the factory began to gain momentum, and mother nature could not cope with the industrial production of holy water. The factory owners stopped carrying water in barrels, found a free piece of land, and drilled a well. No one has begun to bless the pipes.
Nestlé has big plans to expand production. Only it is necessary to take into account the Russian unpredictable nature. For example, built near Kostroma nuclear power plant. For 10 years, local environmentalists have been fighting to keep it from starting work. They even held a referendum recently. However, interested parties demand that the nuclear power plant be launched. How the case will end is still unknown. If the station is operational, the question of the safety of water produced in its district will come to the fore.
A profitable business to sell water in Russia is a profitable business, it seems. No wonder the factories work 24 hours a day. In order to drill a well and pump water from underground, it is enough to obtain a license from local authorities. In Kostroma, officials did not recall a single case of someone being refused. For each cubic meter extracted from the ground, the state has to pay a tax - 210 rubles. So for every 15-ruble bottle of "Holy Spring" the state receives a fee for the use natural resources- 10 kopecks.
You can estimate the profit of producers yourself. Moreover, water consumption is growing every year, and it is easy and cheap to fake it - pour it from the tap, in extreme cases, pour soda, add carbon dioxide ... In 2001, the State Trade Inspectorate found such a mixture in every tenth bottle of mineral water, in 2002 - already in every fifth.
Marina Lvova, Kostroma - Moscow
01.06.2017
A once-successful brand collapses due to a stupid advertising campaign.
The well-loved brand of mineral water "Holy Spring" unpleasantly disappointed its main target audience by releasing a series of bottles stylized as characters from the popular Star Wars movie. Now the inscription "Holy Spring" flaunts next to the images:
Movie hero, personifying evil and dark power, "Darth Vader";
A soldier of the forces of evil, a clone stormtrooper (probably, this is how the current owners of the brand see their target audience);
And also next to the unsympathetic images of the hairy “Chui” and the frog-like “Master Yoda” (of course, perhaps this is the effect the consumption of these products should lead to, but earlier, for some reason, the manufacturers did not notify about this).
The reputation of the “Holy Spring”, built for many years, as a brand positioning its traditionalist and Orthodox orientation, collapsed literally within a few days, when the brand owners, having decided to “sit on two chairs”, trying to compete for the youth audience, ignored the values important for their main consumers, clearly demonstrating a pattern of behavior of a famous character from a joke ending with the phrase: “You either take off your cross or put on your underpants.”
Over the long years of its existence, the "Holy Spring" has gained popularity among various segments of consumers. The inscription that the water was "bottled with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch", placed on the bottles in the early 2000s, actively contributed to the growth of the brand's popularity among the Orthodox. The traditionalist design of the products and the name, pleasant to the Russian heart, determined the popularity of the products among the patriotic thinking people and traditionalist citizens who saw in the "Holy Spring" a domestic alternative to the globalist "Bonaquam" produced by "Coca-Cola" and "Aqua Minerale" produced by Pepsi-Cola. The Holy Spring brand has become so popular that without it it has become difficult to imagine any more or less significant event, round table or conference organized by people for whom Russia is more and more important than the globalized world. IN last years, it is for this traditional audience that a sharp struggle has unfolded between product companies. After all, it makes up a significant consumer segment and the absolute majority in the consumer segment among large families. The commercial attractiveness of this segment of customers is clearly shown by the exponential growth in the range of meatless products and products decorated in the traditional Russian style, along with the lenten menu that has appeared everywhere in cafes and restaurants. It is from this segment of consumers, apparently, that the brand "Holy Spring" abandoned overnight, without acquiring anything new in return. After all, the attractiveness of large brands is based on intangible symbols and meanings. And this symbol was suddenly lost, the "source" for many ceased to be "holy" and it became obvious to everyone.
What's this? Unprofessionalism? Mistake? Or just a dismissive attitude towards the audience, which provides a significant part of the campaign's income? Or is this a natural result of the existence of a brand that has fallen under the control of a transnational corporation, the bulk of whose assets are located in Ukraine controlled by the pro-American Bandera regime?
It turned out that, according to some reports, the brand "Holy Spring" many years ago came under the control of a transnational corporation, which led it to its current deplorable state.
So, a little history.
In 2009, a year after the bloody adventure of the pro-American puppet regime of Saakashvili, in the midst of a ban on the supply of Borjomi products to Russia, IDS Borjomi International acquires the popular Russian brand "Holy Spring", having received the opportunity to earn serious money on a name that is euphonious for Russians. Now IDS Borjomi International owns the largest enterprises for the production of bottled water in Ukraine, Georgia and Russian Federation, balancing on the verge of hot and cold war. War is war, but it should not interfere with making your not small gesheft on both sides of the front. Orthodox peoples can destroy each other with frenzy, to the delight of anti-Christian forces, but the oligarchs must be common to all. The borders between the Ukrainian, Russian and Georgian oligarchy are indistinguishable, often they are the same people.
At the moment, IDS Borjomi International owns the following well-known brands:
In the Russian Federation: "Holy source", "Edelweiss";
In Ukraine: "Morshinskaya", "Truskavetskaya", "Mirgorodskaya";
In Georgia: Borjomi, Bakuriani, Mitarbi.
The investment fund New World Value Fund, established in 2004 with the money of oligarchs Boris Berezovsky and Badri Patarkatsishvilli, played a key role in the development of the company's main enterprises. Then, up to 70% of the company's income was provided by enterprises located in Ukraine. To manage the fund, Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili attracted Salford Capital Partners, which was headed by Evgeny Yoffe, who previously worked at Russia's Alfa Bank.
In 2013, Alfa Group, controlled by transnational oligarchs Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, became the owner of IDS Borjomi.
Thus, at the moment, the Holy Spring is part of a huge transnational corporation.
Taking into account the large range of brands owned by IDS Borjomi, it can be stated that if mineral water, stylized as adepts of the dark force from " Star Wars”, would come out under a different brand name, then there would be no dissonance between the brand and its previous positioning. The use of the "Holy Spring" brand clearly showed the brand's infidelity to the previously declared principles based on traditional values and involvement in Orthodox culture. For mainstream consumers, the Holy Spring brand instantly went rotten. A natural result of the bifurcation of brand values is the refusal of buyers to trust a previously attractive brand.
There are only two advantages to this situation. The first is a kind of coming-out of IDS Borjomi, which clearly showed its value priorities.
Second, a large segment of the market has been vacated in the niche of food products, positioning themselves as traditionalist. Now this segment can be occupied by more patriotic or smarter businesses, or, at worst, by businesses with more professional marketing services that have not lost touch with the culture and people in whose environment they work.
Will the owners of the Holy Spring brand be able to rectify the situation and win back, regaining their traditionalist niche? So far, there are big doubts about this, because the marketing link of the company has shown a dubious level of professionalism. However, among the values declared by IDS Borjomi International is "Willingness to accept criticism and learn." If this is not an empty phrase, then perhaps the brand has a chance.
« » – it is natural drinking water, which is extracted from artesian wells. A careful approach to the choice of source made it possible to use sparing, modern methods filtration that does not change the natural structure of the water. This allows you to keep the optimal content of salts and microelements in the water of the "Holy Spring", retaining all the benefits for humans.
"Holy Spring" is the first bottled water on Russian market that has been in existence for over 20 years. "Holy Spring" is chosen by the majority of Russians who buy bottled water. In 201 5 year "Holy Spring" becomes undisputed market leader and remains so today. * Currently, the "Holy Spring" produces natural bottled water for active people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle.
The "Holy Spring" has a wide range of products for all occasions. Everyone will find a convenient format and volume for themselves: from 0.33 to 19 l - whether it is a compact bottle that fits in a woman's handbag, or a large volume for the whole family. "Holy Spring" pays special attention to the water balance of children, releasing a line of water for schoolchildren "Holy Spring" Sportik ", for babies from the first day of their life "Holy Spring Firefly", as well as a series of licensed products in cooperation with the company Disney in Russia and other major licensed brands.Bright unusual packaging helps parentsinvolve the child in healthy lifestyle life since childhood.
"Holy Spring" proves every day that just one healthy habit, to maintain water balance, can change you for the better!
Origin
"Holy Spring" is minedfrom artesian wells,
from the Jurassic-Quaternary complex, represented by medium and fine-grained sands, forming a single aquifer at depths of 50 meters.
Water passes through the sands formed during the Ice Age. This ensures natural filtration and enrichment of water at the ionic level with microelements, which makes it physiologically complete. Natural water "Holy Spring" is physiologically complete and ideal for daily use.
The mineral composition of the water "Holy Spring"
* - according to Nielsen data, 2015 - 2018
Water manufacturer Aquanika, part of Gennady Timchenko's Volga Group, has signed a contract with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to use its Murom Springs trademark, according to Rospatent. Aquanika will produce bottled artesian water under this brand, Aquanika CEO Vladimir Ivanov told RBC
Volga Group owner Gennady Timchenko (Photo: ITAR-TASS)
"Murom source" - artesian drinking water produced with the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on the lines consecrated by Bishop Tikhon of Podolia,” this is how the new brand is described on the Aquaniki website. Water is sold in bottles of 0.25 and 0.618 liters.
Ivanov clarified that the partnership between Aquanica and the Russian Orthodox Church for the production of water began in 2012. According to him, trademark"Murom source" belongs to the financial and economic department of the Russian Orthodox Church. The use of the trademark is not free, he noted, but he did not name the amount of payments, citing trade secrets. "Muromsky source" is a product of the mass price segment, one of the competitors of which can be considered the "Holy source", Ivanov added.
According to the general director of Aquanica, the share of Murom Istochnik in the company's sales is no more than 5%. According to SPARK, Aquanica's revenue for 2013 amounted to 823.4 million rubles, that is, sales of mineral water from the Russian Orthodox Church could amount to a little more than 40 million rubles.
Igor Berezin, President of the Russian Marketing Guild, says that when the Russian Orthodox Church launched a similar project with Holy Spring water more than 10 years ago, the royalty for using the trademark was estimated at about 5% of the wholesale price (50 kopecks from 10 rubles) of a bottle of water.
It is impossible to guess the amount of royalties in the case of Muromsky Istochnik, because “the branding history of this brand is zero,” one of the founders of the Russian Marketing Guild, Igor Bruk, is categorical. According to him, if Aquanika pays any deductions, then "this is not a market story, and the amount can be any."
A representative of the financial and economic department of the Russian Orthodox Church clarified to RBC that water is sold in Moscow, the Moscow region and other regions. The project, according to him, was launched specifically to finance the 200 Temples church construction and reconstruction program, and Aquanika was chosen as a partner, most likely because the general director and owner of this company wanted to participate in this, in fact, charity program. In 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented Timchenko with the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st class.
Aquanika LLC - manufacturer drinking water"Aquanica" and soft drinks under the brand "Ministry of Soda", founded in 2007. Own production was launched in 2011 in Nizhny Novgorod region, capacity - up to 500 million liters per year. Investments - about 4 billion rubles. The company belongs to the Volga Group of Gennady Timchenko, along with other assets of the businessman, it fell under international sanctions that were introduced in March 2014.
Mineral water "Murom source" is also produced by LLC "Krona", but in other volumes and design. The production is located in the village of Malyshevo, Selivanovskiy district, Vladimir region, and the company, according to SPARK, is owned by Nadezhda Vukolova and Alexander Shirshov (51% and 49%, respectively). A company representative said that Krona has been producing Muromsky Istochnik since 2006, and she has a patent for this name.
A representative of the Financial and Economic Department of the Russian Orthodox Church said that the department had identified organizations that sell water under the same brand, one of them is located in the Vladimir region. “We have no right to file claims and lawsuits, they have different bottles and labels, and they bottle in a different region, but they cause us little damage,” he explained. The Gorodissky and Partners company, which worked in the interests of Aquanika, refused to comment on the situation, referring to the contract with the client.
As of November 25, not a single case of contesting the corresponding trademark was registered in the file cabinet of the Arbitration Courts on the Electronic Justice website.
To finance the construction of churches, the Russian Orthodox Church also entered into an agreement with the Bank of Moscow (the entire commission from the use plastic cards"Gift to the Shrine" is transferred to a special fund) and telecom operators - MTS, MegaFon and Beeline help collect donations via sms.