The History of the Soviet Factory "Svitoch"

The history of the "Svitoch" shows some important strategies for successful development of Soviet industry in Pidzamche by concentration of production as well as an effective use of the pre-war technologies and capacities. The basis of the Soviet enterprise was the candy and chocolate factory "Hazet," founded in the vicinity of vul. Tkatska in 1910. After the war it was turned into a socialist confectionery company "Bolshevik." In 1962 the Lviv Peoples' Economy Council decided to merge the "Bolshevik" and several other factories: the Lviv Kirov confectionery factory (former company "Branka") and the Chortkiv confectionery factory. The joint enterprise, which obtained the status of the production company, was also given the production facilities of the former enterprise "Fortuna Nova" (the first Ukrainian confectionery factory in Lviv, founded in 1922). The association's first name was the factory "Chervona Troyanda" ("Red Rose"), a few months later it was renamed "Svitoch." The confectionery giant was in a special situation. It was allowed some experiments going beyond the general standards of socialist production. In 1967 the factory started working according to a new system of production planning and economic incentives for employees. In the sphere of Soviet confectionery industry, the products of the "Svitoch" were a great success as they were in demand in the central cities and were actively exported.

From an interview with a former worker of the "Svitoch":

"The shop produced sweets, and the shop's sweets were famous throughout the Soviet Union and were sent abroad. (...) And all the workshops of transferring experience, all meetings, all this was held on the basis of our shop [with the people from] around the Union. They came from all over the Soviet Union to visit the "Svitoch." The "Svitoch" was the Union's best factory. So, at that time, I worked already as a master of such a large shop where there were many sections: casting, and candying, and wrapping, and packing, all kinds of things ..."