Archive record · Brewery
Baltika Breweries
Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Founded
- 1990
- Archive ID
- TB-9J7YZ24R
- Last checked
- 2026-09-13
Who owns this brewery?
Not yet mapped as a company, so the chain above it is still open.
From the record
Summary
The largest brewer in Russia. Built up as Carlsberg's Russian division before the group's exit and the seizure of the business in 2023.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Russia's largest brewer, and a stark case study in what happens when a multinational's local arm is taken out of its hands.
Ownership & corporate history
- Controlled by Carlsberg Group2008 – July 2023
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
Carlsberg became full owner; control interrupted by 2023 state-management decree.
- Controlled by Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo)July 2023 – December 2024
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (tray SUB-00013); no held claim preceded it. Temporary management under a presidential decree of 16 July 2023; a decree of 2 December 2024 removed Baltika's shares from state management. Control, not ownership — Carlsberg remained the shareholder throughout.
- Sold to VG InvestFebruary 2025
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (tray SUB-00013); no held claim preceded it. Russian government commission approved the sale of Carlsberg's shares to JSC VG Invest (registered August 2024, run by Baltika vice-president Yegor Guselnikov) for RUB 34bn in December 2024; Carlsberg reported completion on 6 February 2025. A management buyout vehicle — not a brewing group.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1990Founded
Baltika Breweries begins brewing in Saint Petersburg.
- 2023Expansion
Built up as Carlsberg's Russian division before the group's exit and the seizure of the business in 2023.
The Beer Library
Beers
Baltika
Year-RoundPale Lager
Baltika's first batch left the brewery in St. Petersburg in November 1990 — only 27,000 litres, and not even under its own name yet. The brand itself didn't exist until 1992. Within a decade it was the undisputed leader of the entire Russian beer market, and today it's the second-largest brewer in Europe.
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Common questions about Baltika Breweries
- Who owns Baltika Breweries?
- Baltika Breweries is recorded as owned by VG Invest, which does not yet have a full company profile in this archive.
- When was Baltika Breweries founded?
- Baltika Breweries was founded in 1990 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
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