Baranovsky Porcelain Factory

In 1802, brothers Mikhail and Francis Meser acquired a land plot on the outskirts of Baranivka, Novograd-Volyn county, Volyn province and organized a porcelain factory ^{[2] [4]} , which worked on local raw materials from a nearby kaolin deposit .

Part of the workers were originally serfs from neighboring villages, serfs were also two artists (V. Koval and Skumarovsky) ^[2] .

After the fire in 1895, the Odessa merchant P.N. Gripari became the owner of the factory.

Until 1917, the factory manufactured porcelain, tiles and bricks , while the work at the enterprise was carried out in a semi-handicraft manner, and there was no mechanization of production processes. After the October Revolution of 1917, the enterprise was nationalized, during the Civil War, the enterprise suffered, but after the end of hostilities, along with other enterprises of the glass and porcelain and faience industry, it was transferred to the Main Committee of the glass and porcelain industry of the Supreme Economic Council, restored and resumed operation ^[5] . In 1922, the restored enterprise received a new name: Baranovsky Porcelain Factory named after V.I. Lenin ^{[2] [6]} .

After the resumption of trade relations with Turkey (interrupted after the outbreak of the First World War), the USSR trade mission concluded an agreement on the manufacture of porcelain ware for Turkey and Egypt, which was carried out by Baranovsky, Budyansky and Korostensky porcelain factories ^[7] .

During the hostilities of the Great Patriotic War and during the German occupation (August 12, 1941 - January 2, 1944), the porcelain factory was damaged, but after the end of the war, in accordance with the fourth five-year plan for the restoration and development of the national economy of the USSR, it was restored and put back into operation. In the 1950s ^[6] - 1980s, the plant was one of the leading enterprises of Baranivka ^{[8] [9]} .

It was here that for the first time in the Ukrainian SSR , utilitarian and decorative firing of porcelain in conveyor furnaces, vacuuming of porcelain mass, accelerated firing of porcelain, semi-dry pressing of capsules, and also some other technologies were mastered ^[2] .

In 1950, the plant produced 17,001 thousand porcelain products ^[2] .

Since 1952, the Museum of the Porcelain Factory ^{[9] [10]} began work.

In the 8th five-year plan (1966 - 1970), the plant was reconstructed ^[11] .

In 1970, the documentary film Poliske Namisto was shot about the Baranovsky Porcelain Factory ^[12] .

In 1971, the plant was awarded the Order of the October Revolution ^[2] , January 14, 1975 became the parent company of the production association "Porcelain Faience" ^[13] .

In 1976, the plant produced 39924 thousand porcelain products ^[2] .

As of the beginning of 1978, the plant was one of the largest and most modern enterprises in the porcelain and faience industry on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR. All production processes were mechanized, the main products were porcelain (primarily tea, coffee and tableware), and figurines and other art products were also made. The plant’s products were exported, art products of several masters of the plant were exhibited at international exhibitions ^[2] .

After the independence of Ukraine, the state plant was transformed into a limited liability company .

In the first half of 2006, the plant produced products worth 37 million hryvnias , but in June 2006 the situation was complicated due to an increase in the cost of natural gas (necessary for the production activities of the enterprise) ^[14] . In July 2006, the plant decided to reduce production, since the use of three out of five furnaces after rising energy prices became unprofitable ^[15] . Nevertheless, in 2006 the plant produced over 20% of all porcelain products made in Ukraine ^[16] .

In 2007, the plant became the property of the Czech company-producer of porcelain "Manufaktura Pirkenhammer" ^[3] .

Ukraine’s entry into the WTO in May 2008 (with a subsequent increase in imports of finished porcelain into the country) ^[3] and the economic crisis that began in 2008 complicated the operation of the plant, due to interruptions in the supply of natural gas in early 2009, the possibility of moving the plant from use of natural gas for wood and peat ^[17] , but in 2009 the plant stopped, after which the sale of production equipment began ^{[3] [18]} .

In March 2011, the regional prosecutor's office in court demanded that the plant pay off tax arrears in the amount of 3.5 million hryvnias ^[19] .

In May 2012, the Pension Fund of Ukraine filed a lawsuit on the bankruptcy of the plant in connection with the presence of a debt of 1.9 million hryvnia. In the course of the court case, it was established that all the assets of the enterprise were sold to private firms that resold the immovable property of the enterprise to many third parties. In 2013, by a decision of the Economic Court of the Zhytomyr Region, the plant was declared bankrupt ^[3] .

• I.I. Moroz, M.S. Komskaya, M.G. Sivchikova. Handbook of the porcelain and faience industry. t. 1-2. M., 1976 - 1980