The exhibition "100 Years of Anykščiai Wine", organized by the Regional Documents and Local History Department of the Anykščiai L. and S. Didžiuliai Public Library, invites visitors to learn about the history of one of the most famous companies in the city of Anykščiai. The exhibition features advertising publications, leaflets, labels, postcards, various prints and periodicals stored in the Public Library's local history document funds, reflecting the development, production, achievements and significance of the Anykščiai Wine Factory to the history of the Anykščiai region.
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see not only Izidorius Girtis' photographs of the Wine Factory, but also photographs from the personal archives of Elvyra Karvelienė, Romualdas Buterlevičius, Laimutė Audenienė and Vytautas Kavoliūnas, and Stasė Karvelienė. Various albums and manuscript documents from the Anykščiai Wine Factory archive, lent for the exhibition by Gintarė Siniakovienė, are also on display.
The history of Anykščiai wine began in 1926, when agronomist Balys Karazija received permission to establish a fruit wine workshop in Anykščiai and fermented the first apple wine. The small workshop soon grew into a successful company – a year later, the production of not only apple, but also various berry wines began.
Balys Karazija – the pioneer of Lithuanian winemaking
In order to ensure high quality production, Balys Karazija purchased the Dabužiai estate, where he grew strawberries and blackcurrants, while sour cherries and blueberries were brought in from other regions of Lithuania. He purchased fruits and berries from all over Lithuania, consistently expanding his business.
In 1930, Balys Karazija purchased a plot of land in the southern part of Anykščiai, near the Šaltupis stream, and built a brick factory with warehouses. From the press of that time, we learn that at first 12–14 workers worked there, in 1939 – about 40, and during the season – up to 75 people. The winemaker took care not only of the business, but also of the employees. Every year, he organized May holidays for the workers and their families in the Anykščiai grove. At Easter, Christmas and New Year, he gave each employee 2–3 bottles of wine, on the occasion of a name day – three, and for weddings or christenings – even more.
In 1940, after the Soviet government nationalized the factory, B. Karazija fled to Germany. In 1943, he returned to Anykščiai and helped his brother Bronis Karazija resume the declining production, but in 1944, as the front approached, he was forced to leave again. In 1949, he emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Chicago.
After World War II, the company was nationalized, later privatized, and today Anykščių vynas, owned by AB MV Group Production, remains one of the oldest fruit and berry wine producers in the Baltic States. The company cherishes the century-old traditions of Lithuanian winemaking, and natural fruit and berry wines under the Voruta brand are well known in Lithuania. Blackcurrant wine Voruta has been recognized as a product of national heritage.
Documents on display at the exhibition
The exhibition "100 Years of Anykščiai Wine" held in the library reveals the history of Anykščiai wine through the heritage of printing and advertising. Visitors can get acquainted with advertising leaflets, product catalogues, labels, commemorative publications, newspaper and magazine publications from different periods, telling about the establishment and development of the factory, its well-deserved awards and its significance for the economic and cultural life of the Anykščiai region. The exhibited publications reflect not only the development of the company, but also the changes in advertising and printing in different periods.
Visitors to the exhibition are also invited to familiarize themselves with the latest issue of the magazine "Cultural Resort" published by the Public Library, issue 2, 2026. Its pages 100–111 contain an article by Karolis Bradūnas "Burgundy in the North: How Lithuania Almost Became a Land of Winemakers", which tells the story of the origins of the Anykščiai Winery, the life and activities of its founder Balis Karazija, and the history of Lithuanian winemaking.
We invite you to visit the exhibition, which will be open at the Department of Regional Documents and Local History until September 30, and to learn more about the history of the company that has been making Anykščiai famous for a century, as well as the legacy of its founder Balis Karazija.
