All types of cigarettes in Belarus. How cigarettes are made in Belarus. Belarusian cigarettes and their manufacturers

Tobacco products are precisely those goods that are strictly regulated and controlled in Belarus. Prices are set in accordance with Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated December 17, 2002 No. 28 “On state regulation of the production, circulation and consumption of raw tobacco and tobacco products.” This means that the price level is now set not by the Ministry of Economy or the President, but by the manufacturers themselves and the importing companies.

Local producers and importers have the right to declare maximum retail prices every month. As a result of this, cigarettes become more expensive little by little, but often. Wholesale prices are, of course, significantly lower than retail prices. Below we will give examples of today's prices for some types of cigarettes in Belarus in regular stores or kiosks.

Imported:

• “Davidoff” Classic – 3.10 Belarusian rubles (31,000) or $1.55
• “Dunhill” Blue – 2.95 BYR. (29,500) or $1.48
• “Kent” HDi Blue – 2.30 BYR. (23,000) or $1.15

Cigarettes made in Belarus:

• “Minsk” and “Premier” – 0.96 BYN. (9,600) or 48 cents
• “FEST” – 0.81 Belarusian rubles. (8,100) or 40 cents.

It is no secret that the cost of cigarettes in Belarus is significantly lower than in other countries in Europe and the world. Below we suggest that you familiarize yourself with statistical data that will tell you about the average cost of tobacco products in different countries (converted to Russian currency).

1. Residents have it worst Great Britain. In their country, the cost of one pack of cigarettes exceeds 950 rubles.
2. In 2nd place - USA. Here the average cost of tobacco is 900 rubles.
3. 3rd place is taken French people selling cigarettes for 540 rubles per pack.
4. Austrians got into 4th place for their “endemic” prices for tobacco products 500 rubles. By the way, in this country the majority of smokers are women: (41% of women who smoke versus 27% of men who smoke).
5. The top five is completed by Germany. In this state, a pack of cigarettes will cost a smoker at 390 rubles.

Note: the average cost of cigarettes in Belarus is considered to be 64 rubles (data as of February 2017). The cheapest tobacco products can be purchased within 35 Russian rubles.

In 2017, another increase in the retail price of tobacco products is planned due to an increase in the excise tax. If in Russia the increase in prices for cigarettes can be called rapid, then in neighboring republics (including Belarus), such a trend is not observed. For example, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation states that the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in Russia in 2017 will be 220 rubles (today this figure is 90 rubles). An increase in excise tax awaits not only Russia, but also other countries. But, for example, in Belarus such “awesome” prices will not be observed. Those cigarettes that cost 29 Russian rubles can be purchased for 34 rubles in the new year.

It is definitely clear that Belarusian smokers still have it easier financially than any other. This creates interest among resourceful Belarusians in the illegal export of cigarettes and resale in the nearest neighboring countries.

They are gaining more popularity in the Russian and world markets.

They differ in composition, quality of tobacco, strength, taste parameters and price characteristics.

They leave a lot of positive, enthusiastic reviews about them.

Find the answer

Are you having any problem? Need more information?
Type in the form and press Enter!

Belarusian cigarettes and their manufacturers

The Republic of Belarus has only 2 factories for the production of tobacco products - Tabak-Invest LLC and Neman. The first is localized in the capital of the republic - Minsk, and the second - in the city of Grodno.

The Neman tobacco factory was founded in 1861 and has been producing cigarettes for over 150 years. During this period, performance improved markedly. The quality of products is controlled at every stage of production. Technical equipment is purchased from Italy, Germany and the UK.

This makes it possible to increase the number of tobacco products for production - about 10-12 thousand per minute and packaging of six hundred packs per minute. The speed of production does not affect the excellent quality of the finished product.

The tobacco plant Tabak-Invest LLC was founded in 1998. Cigarettes are produced using high-quality equipment purchased from Switzerland and the UK. International standards for the manufacture of tobacco products are used.

The reasons for the popularity of Belarusian-made cigarettes are quality and price parameters.

The main difference between Belarusian cigarettes on the tobacco market is their affordable price. It is several times lower than what is offered, for example, by Russian companies. Purchasing wholesale quantities in Belarus and retail sales in the Russian Federation is a well-established work of small businessmen.

There are also differences in the raw materials from which cigarettes are made. All raw materials are from abroad. Each batch has its own variety. This is due to the climate of the republic - tobacco leaves do not have time to ripen. The raw materials are of low quality and lose all properties.

Test for smokers

Models sold and composition

Tobacco factories produce different types of Belarusian cigarettes. They vary in appearance, taste, nicotine and tar content, price, and much more.

There are several well-known models:

• “Fest”;
• "Crown";
• "Magnate";
• “Premier”;
• "Fort";
• Winston;
• Kent;
• Alliance;
• Queen and others.

Some of these brands are also manufactured in Russia. But due to the high price with the same quality, Belarusian ones are still more sold. Now in detail about the individual models.

NZ

This model appeared at the Neman tobacco factory in 2006. It changed and variations expanded. In addition to the standard cigarette, recessive filters and mint-flavored capsules were added.

There are several types of packaging for cigarette packs:

• King Size;
• Super Slims;
• King Size Compact;
• Queen Size.

The cigarette range comes in King Size packaging format and has a pleasant smell. Carbon filter technology better purifies inhaled smoke, which significantly affects the quality of the product. Nicotine content per cigarette is 0.6-0.8 mg, tar content is 8-10 mg.

In the King Size Compact packaging format, the amount of nicotine in one cigarette is 0.5-0.7 mg, tar content is 5-7 mg.

The Super Slims packaging format contains nicotine per cigarette - 0.5-0.6 mg, tar - 5-7 mg.

Cigarettes are packed in packs. There are 20 units in one pack. They are then collected in blocks, usually containing 200 units. Wholesale sales are considered boxes. One box contains about 500 cigarettes.

"Crown"

A series of cigarettes produced at the tobacco factory Tabak-Invest LLC.

The use of new technologies allows us to produce and use technology that minimizes the smell of smoke. Cigarettes are manufactured using American technology.

The Corona line of cigarettes has several flavors:

• Yellow – the strongest in strength. The name is explained by the presence of a yellow filter with ventilation. Has a tart taste. Nicotine content per cigarette is 1.2 mg, tar is 14 mg.
• Slims cigarettes are medium in strength. Different from the previous model, they do not leave a tart aftertaste and are easier to smoke. Nicotine – 0.7 mg, tar – 7 mg.
• Blue is also quite strong. The thick smoke does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste after smoking. Nicotine content per cigarette is 0.9 mg, tar is 10 mg.

"Minsk"

Produced at the Tabak-Invest LLC factory. In the Super Slims series, the nicotine content per unit is 0.5-0.7 mg, and the tar content is 5-7 mg.

“Fest”

Manufacturer: Neman factory. The boxes are produced in Slims format. Nicotine per cigarette – 0.7 mg, tar – 7 mg. Packed as standard in blocks of 200 cigarettes or 10 packs.

Magna

Has a wide variety of types:

1. Magna Red is the strongest. They have a thick tart taste and a strong smoky smell. The nicotine content in one cigarette is 0.8 mg, tar – 15 mg.
2. Magna Blue Lights & Magna Classic Lights. They have a light taste and do not leave an aftertaste. The nicotine content in one cigarette is 0.7 mg, tar – 10 mg.
3. Magna Classic – strong. They have a specific taste and smell. Contains nicotine – 0.9 mg, tar – 14.
4. Magna Luxury Menthol – despite the menthol flavoring, it is strong. Contains 0.8 mg nicotine and 15 mg tar.

"Premier"

Produced at the Neman tobacco plant. Has a pronounced tobacco smell. Contains nicotine – 0.7-0.9 mg, tar – 7-10 mg.

The Onliner.by portal hosts the “Made in Belarus” series. Remembering that smoking is dangerous to health (and also that in 2012 every Belarusian bought almost 150 packs of cigarettes), representatives of the portal went to the Neman tobacco factory in Grodno. This enterprise is one of the top 6 largest taxpayers in the country, has already gone through the thorns of modernization and, despite the countermeasures of doctors, continues to increase its momentum. How do they produce their own and foreign cigarette brands in Belarus, what will a possible rise in tobacco prices lead to, and will self-extinguishing cigarettes appear in the country? About this - in the photo report by Arthur Borovoy and Maxim Malinovsky.

Every year, more than 6 trillion cigarettes are produced worldwide, and the numbers are only growing. The gigantic scale of the industry, however, is not felt at a single factory. Modern production lines are compact and do not take up much space. But “they shoot in bursts.” Six, eight, ten thousand cigarettes per minute... Who is more?

At the Neman checkpoint, employees show the inspector the packages with which they enter the production facility. There are millions and billions of cigarettes, but each one is accountable. The output is control again. “We produce cigarettes, but smoking in the factory is only allowed in specially designated areas,”- says assistant to the general director Dmitry Chugai.

One of these places is the tasting room. Tasters regularly gather here (they completed a special training course at the Krasnodar Research Institute of Tobacco, Shag and Tobacco Products - it turns out there is such a thing). They sit down at the table, light cigarettes, and fill out special tasting sheets. Each cigarette is evaluated according to several indicators: the aroma and taste of tobacco smoke, puffing force, strength, flammability, etc.

- We usually take 4-5 puffs, no more is required,- explains Dmitry Chugai. - To rest the receptors, we drink water or tea. We smoke no more than 5 samples per tasting.

What do tasters (and hundreds of thousands of Belarusians) smoke? Let's see.

Raw materials

Neman carries out the full production cycle. Schematically, it looks like this: purchase of raw materials and materials, production of tobacco mixture (bags), filter sticks, direct production of cigarettes.

- Cigarettes differ from each other in the composition of the tobacco mixture: each contains from 15 to 22 varieties of tobacco, which we purchase in more than 20 countries around the world,- say experts. - The main volumes of products are made from bags of American Blend, which consists of Virginia, Oriental, Oriental, Burley tobacco with the addition of tobacco stem. 80% of our cigarettes are our own brands, 20% are contract production with British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International.

In this form, raw materials come from abroad. Each box contains its own type of tobacco.

At the warehouse, batches necessary for the manufacture of a particular brand of cigarettes are formed. They are formed by a blender. Tobacco compressed into “bales” is supplied to the input line.

Recycling

On the assembly line is tobacco for the production of one of the brands of Belarusian cigarettes. After entering the workshop, the raw materials are divided and passed along two lines. On one there is tobacco, on the second there is a vein (the central part of the tobacco leaf), which is part of almost any tobacco bag.

Vein line: the tobacco vein is first moistened, then it goes into a silo, goes into cutting on a machine, and then goes to expansion, where it is treated with steam. Then the “exploded” vein is sent to the drying drum and is mixed with tobacco along the conveyor.

Raw tobacco line: the processes are largely similar. The tobacco “bale” is cut into four parts, followed by the processes of sauce (to add flavor) and conditioning. Then - moisturizing, resting, drying.

Using special scales, the vein and tobacco are mixed in the required ratio (depending on the brand of cigarettes) and flavored. The result is a tobacco bag, which is used at further stages of production. In “super-slim” cigarettes, experts note, the vein is not included in the bag.

By the way

- It is fashionable in the country to talk about import substitution. Is it impossible to grow tobacco in Belarus?- we are interested.

- Such experiments were carried out- said the experts. - In 2003-2004, the issue was dealt with by the Grodno Agricultural University. The results were not impressive: in our climate zone the plant does not have enough time to ripen. The raw materials are of low quality. Plus, there are no factories in the country for further processing of tobacco leaves, and building them is impractical - the investment will not pay off. In production, for the same reasons, imported cigarette paper and foreign rim paper are used. During the collapse of the Union, there were attempts to use the products of Gomeloboy for these purposes, but the idea was abandoned. Special food flavorings and sauces are also purchased abroad. Materials are supplied exclusively from well-known global manufacturers.

Cigarette and cigarette shop

Do you know what a cigarette is? There may be several answers, but the purely technologically correct one seems to be the following: this is “a smoking product consisting of a piece of tobacco rope wrapped in cigarette paper, glued along the longitudinal seam, to the end of which a filter mouthpiece is attached.” In other words, a seemingly simple product consists of several components.

The production process begins with loading bags into the cigarette machine.

The next technological stage is the formation of a tobacco rope. Cigarette paper is automatically fed into the machine, and a so-called cigarette extruder is produced - a long tube. The rod is cut into separate parts, and filter sticks are “attached” to the base in the filter assembly machine. This set is covered with lining paper and then cut into two parts. We get the finished cigarette.

Only some operations can be shown in the photo: most manipulations are hidden inside the machine and occur at high speeds.

Along the conveyor, in transit through the storage tank, cigarettes go to the packaging machine - first we get packs, and then blocks.

All processes are automated: the process of gluing labels, tear tape, forming a “collar”, sticking excise stamps, cellophaning.

The finished boxes “fly” along the belt to the warehouse. The capacity of this line is 10,000 cigarettes per minute...

By the way

The most common complaint against Belarusian manufacturers is: why do well-known brands made here differ worse from their foreign counterparts?

- This stereotype,- says Dmitry Chugai. - All production is fully controlled by specialists from foreign companies. The processes are monitored by their controllers; top managers come from the UK and Switzerland. Judge for yourself: our factory has exactly the same equipment as the factories of these enterprises all over the world. Our specialists were trained abroad. We buy raw materials from the same suppliers. And the difference in taste can be explained simply. Cigarettes differ in different regions of the world. If similar tobacco mixtures are produced for Belarus and Russia, then it is unusual for us to smoke Ukrainian cigarettes. Not to mention countries like Greece or, for example, India.

- What is more profitable for the factory: to cultivate its own brands or produce licensed ones?

- Producing foreign brands was especially important when we started. In the early 2000s, chaos was observed in the country's tobacco industry: 20% of official imports, the same amount of contraband that came from Russia, Ukraine to Europe and partially settled in Belarus. At that time, the Grodno factory had 80% of its capacity producing non-filter cigarettes... When the question arose about the development of the tobacco industry, it was decided not to reinvent the wheel, but to start producing cigarettes of well-known brands, which are usually preferred by smokers. They invited large transnational companies to participate in production, invest in the development of the industry, and gain the opportunity to be present in the market. Not all companies wanted this then - that’s why we don’t have some well-known brands on the market. Nevertheless, it was possible to establish cooperation. As a result, since 2006, almost 20 million euros of foreign investment have been attracted in the form of free sponsorship, while the state retained 100% of the shares of the factory, modernization has been carried out, and experience has been gained. Well-known brands made it possible to load capacity and restore the image. And to say today, which is more profitable?.. Both. But from a positioning point of view, you need to rely on your own brands, only they can guarantee stability. Last year we significantly stepped up exports and were able to enter the difficult Russian market...

- But they still mostly buy imported goods from us...

- This is also a stereotype. If you look at sales volumes, our own brands are in the lead.

For its own brands, Neman has established the production of monoacetate filter sticks. They are made from chemical fiber. By the way, they still produce cigarettes without filters here, but their market share is gradually falling.

By the way

Are tobacco workers afraid of competition from e-cigarette manufacturers? Neman specialists are convinced that this new trend will soon be forgotten.

- At the same time, global manufacturers say that they are ready to invest money in the development of this alternative method of getting nicotine into the body,- says Dmitry Chugai. - The question is that electronic cigarettes and their effect on the body have not been fully studied.

What will the smoking machine say?

Is it possible to make a cigarette safe? The question is rhetorical. However, manufacturers are required to maintain the required standards. Numerous control points are installed on each line; the computer monitors compliance with the recipe parameters, appearance and many other indicators. The workshops are provided with dust removal and air conditioning.

- All raw materials are accepted on commission and undergo incoming control at this stage,- says Yanina Petelchits, head of the production control laboratory. - We weigh samples of finished cigarettes, measure their length, check the volume-elastic properties of tobacco and many other indicators.

Universal Label Inspection Testing Machine:

Safety indicators are determined by the smoking machine. With its help, each brand of cigarette is periodically “smoked.”

- Before this, we create special conditions for the samples: it is necessary that they reach equilibrium humidity,- laboratory staff explain.

Cigarettes are loaded into a smoking machine that simulates the puff of an average smoker. A filter is placed in the smoke trap.

After “smoking,” the filter is soaked in a special extraction solution, and then the resulting liquid is tested on a gas chromatograph. After calculating the data, specialists obtain the content of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in the cigarette. This is the data that is given on the packaging.

The smoking machine costs about 180 thousand euros.

By the way

Some time ago, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations raised the issue that Belarusian manufacturers need to switch to so-called self-extinguishing cigarettes in order to reduce the number of people dying in fires due to negligence. Such a norm already exists in the EU, but in our country the issue is only being studied.

- We made a testing device, bought the necessary paper in France,- says Yanina Petelchits. - Conducted a test. In 75% of cases, the paper actually fades, but another 25% remains... In principle, we are ready to produce such cigarettes. But paper is very expensive and will lead to a 6-fold increase in the price of products.

According to experts, over 10 years the factory has reduced the average nicotine content per unit of its own brands of products by almost 2 times: from 1.22 mg per cigarette in 2000 to 0.7 mg in 2012.

"China will save us"

We have repeatedly published the opinions of doctors calling for raising the cost of cigarettes and making them inaccessible to citizens of Belarus. What do manufacturers think about this?

- Will people quit smoking if a pack of cigarettes costs 40 thousand?

- Don't think,- says Dmitry Chugai. - In this case, China will “help” us, which now supplies the world with 90% of smuggled cigarettes. By the way, they have learned to counterfeit even our Belarusian brands! As soon as the Belarusian excise tax becomes equal to or slightly higher than the cost of delivering cigarettes from China, the country will be flooded with smuggling.

- How will the obligation to “draw” scary pictures on cigarette packs depicting the effects of smoking affect the cost of cigarettes and sales?

- If they oblige, we will “draw”! Let only our printing houses prepare for this. Otherwise, you will have to buy an expensive label for foreign currency. As for the effect of such images, we did not conduct our own research. As world practice shows, in the early stages, people, on the contrary, buy cigarettes out of curiosity.

In 2012, the Grodno factory produced 26.65 billion cigarettes - this is 113.9% of the 2011 level. A record number in the 150-year history of the enterprise. Last year, the budget received 1.79 trillion rubles in taxes from Neman. In 2013, the GTF plans to transfer 3.7 trillion rubles. Is it beneficial for the state to develop tobacco production? The answer, I think, is obvious.

– one of the famous brands of cigarettes in the tobacco market.
Since their appearance, they have occupied a niche and found their consumers, who have been preferring Minsk to any other brands for many years.
The production of the product is modernized annually, introducing many useful modifications.

Find the answer

Are you having any problem? Need more information?
Type in the form and press Enter!

Cigarettes Minsk and their manufacturers

There are 2 tobacco factories producing cigarettes on the territory of Belarus: Grodno “Neman” and the capital’s “Tabak-Invest LLC”, operating at capacity limits. Large volumes of manufactured products fully satisfy the domestic market and saturate the markets of most CIS countries and the European Union.

Invited specialists completely modernized production, and employees of local factories completed the necessary training abroad. The approach could not but affect tobacco products from Belarus, which are deservedly considered one of the best in the post-Soviet space.

The Republic of Belarus is the only country of the former USSR that has preserved GOST in the form in which it should carry out control, and is applicable to all products manufactured on the territory of the republic, including cigarettes. Soviet-style standards have been supplemented by international standards; the products of Belarusian tobacco factories fully meet these requirements.

Guarantees the competitiveness of cigarettes from Belarus and the opinion of the Russian consumer, who notes a number of significant differences compared to samples from the Russian Federation:

• Prices for Belarusian cigarettes are on average 65% lower compared to Russian ones;
• Good quality tobacco, superior to Russian in this indicator;
• Lower concentration of impurities designed to reduce nicotine content;
• A soft, classic taste of smoke that evokes only nostalgia among smokers from Russia.

That Belarusian cigarettes are gradually disappearing from store shelves in the Russian Federation - the local monopolist does not like this state of affairs, he will not tolerate competition.

Test for smokers

Review of tobacco products

The capital's Tabak-Invest is not a monopolist, but its production volumes are somewhat larger than those of Neman. It is interesting that the range of tobacco products of the Grodno factory includes cigarettes of the well-known brand “Minsk”, which is more relevant for the capital’s factory.

Types of Minsk cigarettes vary in size, tar and nicotine concentration, and are produced in 7 types:

1. Capital – is of interest to connoisseurs with classic taste. Available in Mini Slims format: length – 84 mm, standard thickness – 7.62 mm (0.3 inches). Lightweight, containing: nicotine – 0.4 mg, tar – 4 mg, white acetate filter.
2. Capital QS is a new version of cigarettes with a pleasant and rich taste of high-quality tobacco. The issue is produced in Queen Size format: length – 84 mm, with non-standard thickness – 7.42 mm. Medium in strength, containing: nicotine – 0.5 mg, tar – 6 mg, filter of the same color.
3. Super Slims – contains good high quality tobacco with a nostalgic taste. Available in the common format of the same name: length – 100 mm, thickness – 7.62 mm. Medium strength, content in the cigarette: nicotine – 0.6 mg, tar – 6 mg, orange filter.
4. Super Slims 5 – taste like “red” ones, but have a light and soft aroma. Issued in the usual format for this name: length – 100 mm, thickness – 7.62 mm. Light version: nicotine – 0.4 mg, tar – 4 mg, CO – 4 mg, white filter.
5. Minsk is designed for lovers of strong tobacco, with a rich and thick nostalgic taste. The issue is produced in a classic format: length – 84 mm, thickness – 7.62 mm. High strength, containing: nicotine – 0.8 mg, tar – 10 mg, orange filter.
6. Minsk 7 - cigarettes that include a mixture of different tobaccos, creating a bright and rich composition of taste. Available in the classic King Size format: length – 84 mm, thickness – 7.62 mm. Above average strength, containing: nicotine – 0.6 mg, tar – 7 mg, white filter.
7. Minsk City – designed for connoisseurs of tobacco with a classic taste and aroma. The release is made in the common Super Slims format: standard length and thickness - 84 and 7.62 mm, respectively. Average strength: nicotine – 0.6 mg, tar – 6 mg, orange filter.

Take the smoking test

Number of smokers in the world

This is due to the strict customs legislation of the Western and Eastern partners of the Republic of Belarus; clever entrepreneurs decided to circumvent it in a unique way. The smuggling of tobacco products has become so widespread that it has flooded EU markets as of 2015. Its total share is more than 35%.

Every 3rd pack of cigarettes illegally imported into Europe was produced at the Neman GTF, and the mass portion of various types of TM Minsk is 38 - 42% of the total.

According to research by the consulting company KPMG, which announced approximate figures, during this time, Minsk cigarettes found lovers in different EU countries.

It is estimated that about 6% of European smokers consume them. Most of these are people belonging to the middle class: ordinary workers, pensioners, students and farmers, a considerable part of people with above-average incomes.

Europeans like the Capital and Super Slims flavors more than others. Number of smokers in different countries:

1. Most of them are in neighboring Lithuania, where Minsk ranks second in popularity after the Fest. As a percentage of the total number, this is 28-29% of all smoking residents of the country, in quantitative terms - approximately 450,000 people.
2. Estonia, the smallest and most prosperous country in the post-Soviet space, prefers Minsk more than other Belarusian brands of cigarettes. They are slightly inferior to Lithuania - 25-27%, but in quantitative terms they are larger - about 180,000 smokers.
3. Traditionally, the largest number of fans of Minsk come from countries bordering Belarus. In Poland there is approximately the same percentage as in Estonia, but in terms of numbers, the Poles have a larger figure - approximately 0.8-1.2 million people.
4. With the previous ones, no questions arise - the smuggling lines between neighboring countries are quite well established. But Italy became a completely unexpected participant in the unique rating, sharing 2nd place with Poland and Estonia, with indicators of 24-26% and 2.2-2.8 million smokers, respectively.
5. The third place in cigarette consumption is Minsk, with the southern neighbor of Belarus - Ukraine, which is also guilty of smuggling tobacco products in large volumes, but has long preferred the products of the Neman GTF. The mass portion of Ukrainian smokers is 20-22% or 3.5-4.2 million people.
6. The circle of neighbors who give preference to Minsk is completed by the Russian Federation, however, unlike Ukraine, these cigarettes are in 3rd place in popularity among Belarusian brands. They are preferred by 17.5% of the country's smokers, or about 8 million people.
7. Minsk ranks third in popularity, among other excise-free tobacco products from Belarus, in Hungary, where it has outperformed such well-known brands as Marlboro. Has supporters among 12%