Why is Borjomi water so expensive. Mineral water - the more expensive, the better? How "Borjomi" gets to Belarus

tour cost

Tour for 5 days for 2 adults cost 15,000 rubles. We got to Borjomi by bus from Saratov. The tour included excursions around the city, its museums, attractions, and the largest national park in Europe, Borjomi-Kharagauli. We were very pleased with the free SIM cards provided to us to call home.

As already noted, excursions were included in the price of the tour. However, the quality of service leaves much to be desired. The guide turned out to be not very knowledgeable and illiterate in Russian. Therefore, my husband and I decided not to go on a guided tour anymore, but to explore the city on our own. Borjomi at night is just a fairy tale: fresh air, clean streets with excellent night lighting, pleasant, friendly and hospitable people.

Food and products

Outside of the tour, in the evenings, my husband and I went to restaurants and cafes. Prices are basically the same in restaurants. So, if you order pizza, salad, cooling drinks, Georgian wine, then all this for two people will cost 1,500 rubles.

Souvenirs and other goods

We bought a lot of souvenirs with national Georgian ornaments (about 500 to 1000 rubles), dolls in traditional Georgian clothes (up to 500 rubles).

Helpful information?

tour cost

Georgia is one of my favorite countries. This time we flew to the city of Borjomi for a week. Tickets Astana - Tbilisi cost us $ 500, then we went to Borjomi by minibus for 15 lari (350 rubles) per person. Visas to Georgia are not required, at the airport there are 4 or 5 windows with passport control. Even if one plane arrives and there are not very many people, everyone starts working. Therefore, it takes no more than 15 minutes to pass passport control for the entire aircraft. In Borjomi, you can book a private room in a hostel from 700 rubles per night. We chose a hostel 1000 rubles * 7 = 7000 rubles for all accommodation. Living conditions in hostels are quite decent.

There are few excursions in the city itself, you can visit the park, you can visit the Romanov Palace and the Green Monastery. We went from Borjomi to the city of Akhaltsikhe (price 20 GEL), there we visited the Rabat fortress, the entrance is 10 GEL (230 rubles) per person, you can pay extra for a guide and go on an excursion. The fortress is very interesting, now it is being restored. From Akhaltsikhe you can visit the cave city of Vardzia, public transport does not go there, if it does, it is very rare, a taxi is about 100 lari (2100 rubles), an entrance ticket is about 5 lari. We also took an audio guide (15 GEL). The audio guide is very easy to use, it will tell you about all the significant places in the city, you will be free to go wherever you want. There are a lot of tourist groups in Vardzia and willy-nilly, you will sometimes have to listen to their guides too. Vardzia left very vivid memories. The multi-storey cave city is very interesting.

Food and products

The average bill for a meal in a cafe was 40-50 lari (900 rubles) for two. In general, Borjomi is a small town, about 14,000 people, but there are many tourists there. My impression is that there are not enough cafes and restaurants in Borjomi, I would like more.

Souvenirs and other goods

Borjomi has a huge selection of jams. Many bring jam as a souvenir as a gift. The price of a jar is from 15 lari (330 rubles) to 60 lari (1300 rubles). Cone jam is especially popular, we tried it. The jam is tasty, but in my opinion unreasonably expensive.

Cost of services and entertainment

The most important entertainment in Borjomi is a trip to the mineral springs and to the Borjomi gazebo, where they give real Borjomi water. The gazebo and springs are located in the park, the price is 1.5 lari (35 rubles) per person. Right next to the entrance you can try fresh water. The water is very different in taste from bottled water, it is very full of flavors and warm. Water is poured for free, you can take a 1.5 liter bottle with you, it will also be filled. If you walk through the park along the river, you can go to the sources of mineral water. Entrance is 5 lari (120 rubles) per person. 3 pools of different temperatures, changing rooms, toilets. Visiting time is limited only by opening hours and your desire.

Total money spent on vacation

Helpful information?

tour cost

A visa for residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan is not required, the cost of a flight from Aktobe, Kazakhstan to Tbilisi, Georgia is 400 US dollars along the route: Aktobe-Aktau-Tbilisi-Aktau-Aktobe, Scat airline. Transfer from the hotel - 120 lari or 80 US dollars, the plane arrives at night, so this is the most reliable way. Stayed at the sanatorium "Borjomi Kheoba", the cost of the permit out of season (November-April) 600 US dollars for 12 days, including meals, accommodation and treatment. I lived for 10 days, because due to the schedule of the planes, it was not possible to stay longer.

Prices for excursions range from 80 to 100 dollars per car, i.e. $25 per person, the driver will organize the tour himself and tell you everything. But since I was resting alone, I got to the main attractions on my own. For example, I went to the fortress "Akhaltsikhe", otherwise it is called Rabat. You can get from Borjomi to Akhaltsikhe by minibus, which departs from the bus station, the fare is 3-4 GEL (they took 4 from me there, back 3), then you can walk to the fortress itself. The entrance to the fortress costs 5 GEL, the price includes a visit to the museum, you can ask for an audio guide, but I did not take it. You can also buy souvenirs there (wine, crafts, magnets), but you can buy cheaper in the city itself.

Food and products

Since food was included in the price of my stay, I didn’t go to restaurants much. However, food in Georgia is not very expensive. For example, an average dinner (2-3 khinkali, khachapuri and tea) cost 15 GEL per person. You can find more expensive or cheaper.

At local markets, I bought honey - 30 GEL per 1 liter, Wine - 10 GEL for 1.5 bottles, chacha - 15 GEL per 1 liter, and churchhchela (local sweets) for 5 GEL - 2 things.

Souvenirs and other goods

In Tbilisi, you can buy beautiful wrought silver jewelry starting from 50 GEL. Clothes are on average cheaper than in KZ by 20-30%. For example, I bought my son a windbreaker for 50 GEL. I also bought wine and cognac for gifts. On the advice of the locals, I did not go to specialized stores, but bought everything in duty free (hand luggage), you can also in supermarkets, but then you need to take wine in luggage. And the safety of the bottles is not guaranteed. In supermarkets, wine can be bought from 10 GEL per bottle and more. I took cognac "Sarajishvili" - a souvenir bottle 5 GEL, 0.5-0.7 costs from 25.

Even in Georgia, gold is very cheap, I was even able to buy inexpensive gold earrings with pearls for $100 as a gift to my mother.

Cost of services and entertainment

The cost of a taxi is different, as agreed. on average 5-10 lari.

Total money spent on vacation

During the Soviet Union, all members of the Politburo had to have a bottle of Borjomi on their desks. The Georgian mineral water became a brand, or as they used to say, a symbol back in the 1930s. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the brand. “Nothing of the Soviet is left there,” skeptics sometimes say today. What are they right about, and what are they hopelessly wrong about?

“The composition of Borjomi has not changed since 1890, when the first regular water surveys began. It remains that way to this day.”- assures Temur Koroshinadze, Chief Hydrogeologist at IDS Borjomi Georgia. The specialist is ready to talk for hours about the chemical components of mineral water, the content of carbon dioxide in it and other scientific subtleties - after all, he has been working at the plant since 1984.

Unique springs with mineral water have turned Borjomi into a resort town.

Mineral water "Borjomi" is extracted from sources located on the territory of the Borjomi-Kharaguli National Park. The springs themselves were discovered over a thousand years ago. In 1854, the first bottling plant was built in the city. The royal family of the Romanovs "took" the water out of the country - they bought the plant and began to sell mineral water to other cities. And the Borjomi region gradually turned into the Georgian Baden-Baden: people came here to relax and be treated. And in Soviet times, it was "Borjomi" that became the basis for the first "water" GOST.

“You probably saw that if you shake a bottle with Borjomi and then open it sharply, then it will jerk up strongly? Timur asks. — So, our water behaves underground just like a volcano.”

The depth of modern wells - 9 of the existing 22 are currently in operation - from 140 to 1.5 thousand meters. Only one is open to visitors. There you can try the "newborn" mineral water - in its most pristine form.

This is how the first well looks now, where Borjomi began to be produced. Here you can taste freshly extracted water from underground.

- Warm and smells of hydrogen sulfide ...— we grimace under the views of the company's employees, which are accustomed to such a reaction. After a few sips, you get used to it and agree that the difference between what you just poured into a plastic cup and what you buy in a bottle in a store is only in temperature.

Water that has just “carried out” to the surface is warmer than what we are used to drinking from a bottle.

In Georgia, every local resident will tell you what is the uniqueness of Borjomi. It is bicarbonate-sodium water with a complex of more than 60 volcanic minerals. Nutritionists recommend drinking this type of water when eating meat, fatty and spicy dishes, as well as after drinking alcohol.

But in fact, water is “born” much deeper (about 8 kilometers) and, due to its “explosive” origin, gets to the surface without the help of pumps and other devices. Scientifically, this behavior of water is called self-spill: how much they got, so much came to replace it.

It turns out that water can never disappear. However, this does not mean that sources can be treated as they please. Since water is a national treasure of Georgia, it can be extracted only with the permission of the state and in approved volumes.

“We won the tender and received a license from the state to develop sources until 2034,- says the first deputy general director of IDS Borjomi Georgia Levan Baghdavadze. — In addition, the company has undertaken to monitor the wells, keep the springs in proper condition and monitor the water level.”

Sales of Borjomi bring every tenth ruble to Georgia's GDP. Of course, it is prestigious to work at such an enterprise.

The amateurish perception that the mineral water business is very simple and inexpensive disappears when you find yourself directly at the plant where Borjomi is bottled. The distance from the wells to the enterprise is about 25 kilometers.

The capacity of this plant allows bottling 1 million bottles of mineral water per day.

“No one carries water anywhere in any tanks, - Levan Baghdavadze immediately debunks the consumer myth. — So say those who are not familiar with chemistry. In tanks, the water will simply oxidize, and you can no longer save it. So Borjomi is bottled only in Borjomi.” According to the legislation of Georgia, mineral waters can be poured and bottled only directly at the place of their extraction.

Levan Baghdavadze, First Deputy General Director of IDS Borjomi Georgia, assures: Borjomi can be both in glass and plastic.

Of course, we also tried the water at the plant: the same as in our stores. By the way, it is worth saying that the assertion that the real Borjomi is only in glass is nothing more than a myth. Water is poured into glass and plastic. The authenticity mark is a deer engraved on the bottle.

The path from the wells to the workshop is made by water through pipes under the influence of powerful pumps. This year, the enterprise underwent a serious reconstruction, high-tech equipment was installed in the workshops, which has no analogues in Europe. The production of "Borjomi" is fully automated.

"We do not use reverse glass, - says Levan Baghdavadze, when we walk through one of the workshops of the plant. — That is, all glass bottles are disposable, we produce them ourselves. It’s cheaper than returning bottles from already sold water, and preparing bottles for reuse is quite expensive.”

In addition, it is not so easy to return the container: almost two-thirds of the plant's products are exported, and the only plans are to expand sales markets.

"Borjomi" is now delivered to 40 countries of the world. Since 2011, IDS Borjomi Belarus has been distributing in Belarus. Today, the brand "Borjomi" is in the TOP-10 import brands of Belarus with a share of more than 60% and in the TOP-6 of the general "water" segment of the country. Belarus ranks 5th in terms of exports.

After the water "arrived" at the plant, it settles and cools. Then it is saturated with natural CO 2 . Control of the chemical composition takes place every hour, so everywhere - in all countries of the world - "Borjomi" tastes the same.

“Since carbon dioxide, which preserves the original purity of water and inhibits the formation of a precipitate of mineral salts, evaporates when it comes to the surface, the extracted water can be stored in this form for no more than 2-3 days”, - Temur Koroshinadze tells the subtleties of the technological process.

After that, the direct bottling of water into bottles - glass or plastic - begins. By the way, everything is “clean” with the latter here too: the bottles arrive at the factory in the form of small test tubes, as they are correctly called, PET preforms. And only then they blow full-fledged bottles out of them. Well, then everything is quite predictable: water is poured, labels are hung on the bottles, packed in packs of 6 pieces and sent to customers. By the way, the plant also has its own railway line.

The bottles are produced in our own factory and are only used once.
Today, the production of the famous mineral water is fully automated.
And once all the water was poured by hand ...
... wrapped in straw and delivered to customers.
A full-fledged plastic bottle is blown out of such PET molds.
According to the law, Borjomi can be bottled only in places where water is produced.

Today, the plant is capable of producing a million bottles per day. For comparison, for example, in 1994, when the company was going through difficult times, the plant produced only 5 million bottles ... per year.

The famous Soviet brand was saved by the arrival of private business. The new owners - the "parents" of the modern company - got not only the running production and the plant with old equipment, but also the old debts.

“Fortunately, now we do not encounter fakes, and this has never happened on the Belarusian market at all” Levan says. And it explains why Borjomi is not as cheap as many consumers would like.

“In fact, the selling price is the same for everyone, the final cost depends only on the costs of delivery and logistics. But it must be taken into account that we occupy a niche of premium waters and there are simply no analogues to it - it was not for nothing that in Soviet times Borjomi was called the Caucasian Vichy.

By the way, in Georgia there are no sayings about the national treasure. For example, our well-known "late drink" Borjomi "causes a slight misunderstanding: "Why late? It's never too late to shower from the inside" Temur Koroshinadze laughs. Georgians, it must be admitted, drink their water almost in the same amount as wine. Actually, this is so far the only explanation of how the locals remain cheerful after all these khinkali, khachapuri, pkhali, meat and other gastronomic delights.

Afraid you won't be able to try everything? “And you drink it, drink it!” - advise the Georgians before the feast.

"Borjomi" is a mineral water with excellent taste and unique properties, beneficial for the health of adults and children. As we have already said, such a mineral water has been produced in Georgia for 125 years and over all these years many people have fallen in love not only in Europe, but also in the world. People also love Borjomi in Belarus, where, according to statistics, the demand for mineral water is growing every year. And since there is interest, it means that the number of questions related to the famous water is growing. We asked representatives of Georgian Glass & Mineral Water Co. to answer them. N.V., which essentially revived the production of the beloved mineral water in the 1990s.

1. What is the secret of the unique composition of Borjomi?

"Borjomi" - water, which is of volcanic origin. It is saturated with unique anions and 60 types of minerals.

2. Is it true that the composition of Borjomi has not changed for 125 years?

The composition of Borjomi has remained unchanged for more than a hundred years (this fact has been confirmed by numerous studies) and comes to us in its original form thanks to a special technology of carbon dioxide enrichment.

3. Is it true that "Borjomi" has the ability to cleanse the body?

The special mineral composition of Borjomi water is excellent for complex cleansing of the body from toxins and harmful substances, prevention of diseases of the digestive system, and helps to maintain immunity.

4. What is the difference between "Borjomi" in a plastic and glass bottle?

Both in glass and plastic packaging you will find the same Borjomi water. Plastic packaging was introduced for convenience of consumption, so that you can take it with you when you are going out of town, to the country house, for a walk, etc.

5. Why is CO 2 added to Borjomi?

By itself, mineral water comes to the surface already saturated with a small amount of carbon dioxide. However, in order to preserve the chemical composition (in particular, the unique complex of ions and anions created by nature), additional carbon dioxide is used when bottling mineral water.

6. What temperature should you drink Borjomi?

7. Is there a "light version" of mineral water?

Previously, this was produced, but today it is not produced, since in our time the production enterprises of Borjomi produce classic mineral water.

8. Are preservatives used to store Borjomi?

No preservatives are used, while bottling "Borjomi" is saturated with natural carbon dioxide - this is the only human intervention in the pristine nature of this water.

9. Is it possible to drink "Borjomi" as table water, will this cause salt deposits?

Traditionally, Borjomi is used as a table drink. Calcium in "Borjomi" is less than 100 mg/l, which is acceptable for daily use, since the risk of salt deposits occurs only if the calcium content exceeds 200 mg/l.

Subject to certain schemes and conditions of admission, "Borjomi" is an excellent adjuvant in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines, kidneys, liver, urinary and respiratory tract, with impaired metabolism. With prolonged consumption of Borjomi mineral water, the feeling of heaviness in the stomach, heartburn disappears, and overall well-being improves. "Borjomi" is recommended to drink at high physical exertion, when working in a hot climate, as well as in the case of living in high mountainous areas. In any case, when using Borjomi for medical purposes, it is imperative to consult with your doctor and follow his recommendations.

11. How long can you store Borjomi?

12. How does Borjomi get to Belarus?

All products supplied to the territory of Belarus are bottled directly in Georgia at the facilities of Borjomi enterprises. Bottled water is necessarily equipped with all means of protection and is tested for compliance with applicable international standards.

13. How is Borjomi different from other mineral waters?

Its unique composition, which includes more than 60 trace elements of volcanic origin, including sodium bicarbonate, with a relatively low content of chlorides and the almost complete absence of sulfates. Rising through the thickness of rocks from a depth of 8000 meters, "Borjomi" is naturally saturated with these microelements, which help to cleanse the body, acting as a "soul from the inside."

Borjomi National Park

14. How does the volcanic origin of minerals differ from non-volcanic?

Minerals of volcanic origin are distinguished by the fact that they are formed in the bowels of the Earth under conditions of high temperatures and pressure.

15. Where is Borjomi bottled - in Georgia or in exporting countries?

"Borjomi" is bottled only in Georgia, at the plant, which is located next to the source (legal requirement for the production of mineral waters). Delivery of "Borjomi" to retail outlets in Georgia, as well as to more than 40 exporting countries, is carried out only in packaged form (in glass and / or PET packages).

16. Can "Borjomi" from different bottles be different in taste?

The taste of Borjomi is affected by the temperature of the water. If one bottle of water is placed in a cold place, and another is heated in the sun, then the taste of water in each of the bottles will seem different.

17. Can Borjomi sources run out?

The springs have been known to people for thousands of years, and industrial mining has been going on for 125 years. In the 1980s, about 400 million bottles were produced per year. Today, the Borjomi sparing production mode is used (the production level is about 60% of the possible).

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Today in Moscow "Borjomi" in a glass bottle of 0.5 liters retails for about 120 rubles.

For comparison, the price of Russian mineral water of local brands starts from 25 rubles for the same bottle. And for 50 you can already buy "Narzan" or "Essentuki", which are in demand throughout Russia. Why is Borjomi so expensive here? Timur Nigmatulin, an analyst at the Finam investment holding, says.

Timur Nigmatulin

Analyst at Finam Investment Holding

“The cost of products on the store shelf, conditionally in Moscow, includes large logistics costs. By itself, a bottle of "Borjomi" is an inconvenient product, from the point of view of logistics, i.e. the ratio of the price of a product to its weight, the price of a product to its volume does not allow moving this product without a significant markup. Thus, I do not think that the prices that are currently observed in Georgia are possible, conditionally, on the counter in Moscow.”

However, this does not explain in any way the fact that in other countries where Borjomi is supplied, its prices are lower than in Russia. In Kazakhstan - about 96 rubles, in Latvia - about 80, in Ukraine - about 60. The lowest price of Borjomi, of course, in Georgia itself is about 19 rubles. These are retail prices for the same glass bottle of 0.5 in terms of Russian currency. What is the reason for this distribution of prices across countries? Georgian political scientist Gela Vasadze argues.

Gela Vasadze

Georgian political scientist

“I know that Borjomi is supplied by many countries, especially when there was an embargo on the Russian market, then Borjomi really made a breakthrough. Another thing is that we are not talking about deliveries in general, we are talking about volumes. The volumes are quite small. As for the difference, what can I tell you about this - the damned capitalists are profiting. You see, Borjomi today belongs to a Russian company, so all questions need to be addressed to them, why they sell Borjomi for such a price in their own market.

The manufacturer of the famous Georgian mineral water is IDS Borjomi Georgia, which is controlled by Alfa Group. The structures of Mikhail Fridman completed the purchase of the Borjomi manufacturer from the heirs of Badri Patarkatsishvili in the 13th year. It was not possible to promptly clarify the issue of pricing for Borjomi in the IDS edition of Business FM itself.

Basically, Georgian mineral water is supplied to the countries of the former Soviet Union. There is no Borjomi in Western Europe; in the States, only shops oriented to people from the former USSR sell it. The Borjomi brand was never able to compete with Perrier or Evian. But in Russia, many people remember and love Georgian mineral water, says Ivan Merkulov, president of the National Association of Regional Products.

Ivan Merkulov

President of the National Association of Regional Products

“There is also an internal highest degree of trust in the brand. Borjomi has occupied very important positions since Soviet times, serious positions, and this is a story that affects us as a consumer, and the perceived value is formed accordingly. Therefore, yes, water can cost that much, because Perrier, relatively speaking, or some other waters that can even be bottled somewhere in the Moscow region, also have a value due to the brand value. I would really like Borjomi to remain as an example of how successful a regional brand, a country brand can be.”

But even those Russians who love Borjomi are gradually starting to give it up. There is no point in overpaying for Georgian mineral water when there is almost the same Russian water on store shelves, but at least half the price.