Explaining Lukashenko's love for bread: A deep dive into Belarus' baking industry

 

We are sure that many of us have childhood memories of bread. Who hasn't taken a bite off of a still warm loaf on the way home from a bakery? Bread from childhood… It's not so much about food, but about home, coziness and warmth. In a new episode we will tell the story of the bread that Lukashenko gave to HC Dinamo Minsk, what kind of braided bun the president calls ‘amazing’ and in what countries the Belarusian bakery goods are most popular.

 

What kind of bread Lukashenko brought to HC Dinamo Minsk team?

 

Minsk Bisons made it to the quarterfinals of the KHL Gagarin Cup for the first time  that year. A few days before the game with HC Traktor in Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Lukashenko brought gift baskets to the Dinamo Minsk hockey players. Honey, lard and bread.

The bread brought by the president was made in Vitebsk and Mogilev. The head of state remarked that some time before he had announced a contest for Belarus' best bread. The Domochay company from Mogilev won the contest, but Vitebsk bakers were not satisfied with the outcome and made their dark bread. “Sam Anas does not eat dark bread. I mean bread based on rye. In fact, rye is cultivated only in a few places,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said addressing HC Dinamo Minsk player.

 

To find out how the famous Mogilev bread is made, our film crew visited the enterprise and met the technologists who came up with the Aromatny bread recipe.

“In 2016, after his visit to China, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed the bakeries to develop a bread production technology that would exclude the use of food additives and be on par with the best foreign analogues. Seven bakeries came up with their technologies, with Domochay being recognized as the best,” said Svetlana Rybkova, Chief Technologist at Domochay Bakery and Confectionery Company.

Why is Domochay bread so delicious? 

 

It took several months to develop the recipe. Every day the company produces about a tonne of such bread. It won over consumers both in Belarus and abroad. Colleagues from other factories tried to, let's say, borrow the recipe.

“There is always healthy competition in the market. Our colleagues have tried to replicate our technology. They know how much people love this bread. But I am proud to say that they failed, because our bread has distinctive qualities that customers recognize immediately,” said Svetlana Rybkova.

 

The great quality and taste are due to the combination of traditional Belarusian ingredients and kneading technology. Semi-finished products for the Aromatny bread mature for a long time. Many stages are needed to obtain leavens. Production takes eight hours.

 

“At first, brew is prepared. It takes a long time and involves several stages. The next step is kneading the dough. The company does it slightly differently than others, but we will not reveal its trade secret. Rest assured that the aromatic Domochay bread is kneaded with love and care. Then the dough goes through the fermentation stage. After that it is divided and is left to rise again. Baking is done on our stone pad,” Svetlana Rybkova said.

What else does Domochay produce?

Currently, the company is upgrading its production facilities with the help of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee. Ovens will be replaced. Recipes will be updated. One of Domochay's flagship products is pumpkin-honey bread made from pumpkin puree and natural honey. Another signature product is multigrain bread with dietary fiber that can help prevent metabolic disorders. Its rice sticks are enriched with vitamins, minerals and microelements. It is a good replacement of chips and crackers. This product is made from bakery dough and is cooked in an oven without oil.

“Of course, we do a lot of research, we defer to expertise, our technologists keep exploring and innovating. Teamwork helps us move forward with confidence,” Rita Shodzhai, Head of Marketing and Advertising at Domochay Bakery and Confectionery Company. “Together we try and go as far as we can. Our product offering is meant to help people live a healthy lifestyle.”

Rita Shodzhai added that healthy lifestyle is gaining popularity and healthy Domochay products are in demand.

Why did Svisloch bread become famous all over the country?

In June 2021, Aleksandr Lukashenko made an unplanned visit to a Svisloch bakery during a working trip. He studied the production process and talked with the team. The president emphasized: the enterprise needs renovation and upgrade. “We will put things in order here. If something needs to be done, it will require a small amount of money,” the head of state said at the time. He also tasted and praised the Svisloch bread, calling the local braided bread “a great one”.
The Svisloch-made bread praised by the president quickly became famous. And the following year, the Batskava Bulka Fest debuted in Grodno Oblast. Since then, bakers from all over the country present their best works in Svisloch every year.

The president recalled his trip to Grodno Oblast in October 2021 and his speech at the general meeting of representatives of the Belarusian Republican Union of Consumer Societies. Modernization of production facilities is important, but the main thing is the work of the staff and its accumulated experience, Aleksandr Lukashenko is confident. “You see, golden hands and the technology they have,” he emphasized.
Svisloch bread has gained popularity throughout the country, and the town itself has become another spot on the gastronomic tourism map. How can one not try the bread praised by the president?

“During my tenure as president, I have probably tasted everything in different parts of the world. But when I visited Svisloch, I understood that there is no bread more delicious than theirs. Just don't send me any more baskets full of bread please. Of course, I shared it with the people I work with, ordinary people. They were all surprised that we still produce such things in Belarus. You know how to do it,” the president said addressing the Svisloch bakers.

How much bread was produced in Belarus last year?

The baking industry in Belarus is represented by regional baking enterprises, joint-stock companies and their branches. Regional enterprises account for more than 60%. The Minskkhlebprom bread factories hold 20% of the market. The third biggest player on this market is Belkoopsoyuz.

“In 2024, Belarus made about 300,000 tonnes of bakery products. Belarusian customers can choose from a wide range of products. Belarusian producers meet the retailers’ needs in full,” assured Irina Barantsevich, Deputy Head of the Processing Industry Directorate of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus.

There can never be too much bread when it is delicious and of high quality. The president calls for opening small bakeries in the regions. He emphasized the importance of this during a working trip to the agro-town of Kopys.

“Such small bakeries should be provided with everything necessary. It is important that we scale up this experience all over the country: small communities, agro-towns,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

Where is Belarusian bread popular?

Specialists from the Agriculture and Food Ministry and baking enterprises together with the Academy of Sciences are working on new recipes. A particular focus is on healthy and specialized nutrition. More than 200 types of new bakery products have been launched over the past year. New technologies are emerging. They make it possible to export bread by extending shelf life up to three months without the use of chemical preservatives. Last year, a total of 10,000 tonnes of frozen bread was sold abroad, which was 30% more compared to 2023.

“We export our bakery products to more than 10 countries worldwide, including Russia, Israel, Germany, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Estonia. In 2024, Estonia and Türkiye joined the list of export destinations, significantly broadening the geographical reach. The exports increased by 30% last year and continue to grow this year,” Irina Barantsevich said.

Development is impossible without modernization. In order to produce a competitive product, both new technologies and modern equipment are necessary.

“We have developed a comprehensive plan to improve the efficiency of the baking industry and developed a modernization schedule, approved by the agriculture and food minister. These initiatives are currently underway,” Irina Barantsevich stressed.

Belarusian bread has become a national brand. Tourists take it home as a souvenir. The reason for such popularity lies in the preservation of traditional baking techniques in the country. Classical methods and natural fermentation processes are applied. In Belarus, sourdough bread accounts for 60% of total production.

“What is sourdough bread? It is a type of bread that is produced using a multi-stage technology that involves the use of thermophilic and lactic acid sourdough starters and natural ingredients,” Irina Barantsevich explained.

This type of bread has a longer shelf life, is more flavorful and aromatic. Each region has its own brand. The Zhorovka bread has been recognized as a historical and cultural treasure. Locals call it “kulitka”. In Belarus, bread is not just a loaf: it is a tradition that people honor.