In January 2026 Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko presented the State Quality Mark symbols for the second time in the history of our country. The symbols were awarded to the enterprises, which products were deemed best in 2025. The head of state noted that this is one of the most prestigious and popularly recognized awards in sovereign Belarus. Aleksandr Lukashenko also admitted that he could not resist tasting the Lyubimaya Alyonka chocolate that day. “Childhood, adolescence, and youth. Everything is here,” the president said as he presented the award. In turn, the director of the confectionery factory told Aleksandr Lukashenko about new products. The key one is Lyubimaya Alyonka Baby. How an alternative to the imported Kinder chocolate is made in Belarus is covered by the latest episode of BelTA’s YouTube project After the Fact: A Special Report.
What cocoa beans are used to make chocolate?
Everything begins with cocoa beans. They arrive at the Minsk-based factory Kommunarka from Côte d'Ivoire. Some cocoa beans have been shipped from Venezuela. Confectioners know for sure: the quality of the raw material depends not on the country of origin, but on how the product is made: on how it is grown, dried, and so on. Ten parameters of the beans are tested.
The new product from Kommunarka is an example of successful import substitution. People with a sweet tooth snap up the product from store shelves. It has “that same taste of childhood” or even better at a lower price. Thanks to its high quality and attention to every detail, Alyonka Baby is already winning the hearts of the youngest consumers. Now that’s a sweet achievement – literally!
Everything begins with cocoa beans. They arrive at the Minsk-based factory Kommunarka from Côte d'Ivoire. Some cocoa beans have been shipped from Venezuela. Confectioners know for sure: the quality of the raw material depends not on the country of origin, but on how the product is made: on how it is grown, dried, and so on. Ten parameters of the beans are tested.
“First and foremost, the organoleptic indicator. I am talking about indications of damage by insects, the insects themselves if there are any, about under-fermented cocoa beans, moldy cocoa beans, broken beans, and any foreign impurities,” explained Antonina Revyako, 2nd Category Engineer for Incoming Raw Material Inspection at Kommunarka.
It is not easy to determine the quality of the raw material. A visual examination will not suffice. Samples of cocoa beans definitely need to be cut open. The bean has to have a rich brown color. Purple beans do not pass the inspection.
“The most labor-intensive stage of the inspection is sample collection. We have to select a large amount of cocoa beans. For instance, from a 20-tonne batch we need to open roughly 30%, which is about 100 sacks. They have to be opened and samples have to be collected. It takes rather a lot of time,” Antonina Revyako noted.
Lyubimaya Alyonka chocolate is made on an automated line for filled chocolate using cold stamping. The production process begins by depositing milk chocolate into the molds.
The mold then proceeds to bottom casting. After that, the semi-finished product is cooled and turned over.
“The finished product is released from the molds and sent via the line’s conveyor to the wrapping machine. The line’s capacity is one tonne per hour. The result is a good, tasty chocolate with a delicate milky filling and a pleasant aftertaste,” Olga Kaminskaya said.
Why is cream added to chocolate?
The chocolate recipe development started in October 2025. Various samples were prepared. Then, they all had to go through three stages of tasting. The first was the chief technologist with the team. 
Next, the marketing department took over the baton. They conducted tastings in the confectionery’s branded stores. Interestingly, the sample identical to the imported Kinder chocolate was eliminated at this stage. The secret is that Belarusian confectioners used cream. Kinder doesn’t have that.
But even after the high praise from customers, the new product still faced another approval stage. This one involved experienced tasters.
“The most labor-intensive stage of the inspection is sample collection. We have to select a large amount of cocoa beans. For instance, from a 20-tonne batch we need to open roughly 30%, which is about 100 sacks. They have to be opened and samples have to be collected. It takes rather a lot of time,” Antonina Revyako noted.
How is chocolate made in Belarus?
“We produce milk chocolate by grinding cocoa-derived ingredients, such as cocoa butter and cocoa liquor. For milk chocolate, dairy components are added. The filling is prepared and sent to the line, where it is transferred from supply containers to the appropriate depositors for molding. We assemble the final product from all required components,” said Olga Kaminskaya, a process engineer from the Technology Department of Kommunarka.
Lyubimaya Alyonka chocolate is made on an automated line for filled chocolate using cold stamping. The production process begins by depositing milk chocolate into the molds.
“Next, a cold stamp, chilled to –24°C, forms what is called the chocolate crust. This crust is then filled with milk filling,” the process engineer said.
The mold then proceeds to bottom casting. After that, the semi-finished product is cooled and turned over.
Next, the marketing department took over the baton. They conducted tastings in the confectionery’s branded stores. Interestingly, the sample identical to the imported Kinder chocolate was eliminated at this stage. The secret is that Belarusian confectioners used cream. Kinder doesn’t have that.
“If you compare the consistency of the chocolate in Lyubimaya Alyonka and Kinder, our filling is softer. More pliable, and the flavor comes through much brighter. It is precisely the milk filling,” Irina Matsygud, the chief technologist, said.
But even after the high praise from customers, the new product still faced another approval stage. This one involved experienced tasters.
“The final stage is the product range formation. It’s where the Kommunarka team collectively decides to launch or further refine our product. Developing a new variety takes from four to six months. All depends on how accurately the technologists hit the desired taste in the recipe,” the chief technologist noted.
How to check chocolate quality
Throughout the entire production cycle, the work is supervised by laboratory specialists. The finished product is assessed for taste, color, and aroma, in addition to its packaging. The percentage of filling is a mandatory check. It should be around 50%, with a slight deviation either way permitted.
“We check the filling for moisture content. We also check the moisture content of the chocolate itself. We check for fat content and the degree of grinding of our chocolate to make sure it melts in the mouth,” the engineer Antonina Revyako said.
It is not difficult to find the new product in the large range of Kommunarka products. The packaging design is essentially the same as that of the classic Alyonka.
“This is our universally recognizable Belarusian beauty, a girl in a red headscarf. We extended the red headscarf at the bottom with a strip and added polka dots. We used the classic white color as in the standard Lyubimaya Alyonka,” Zhanna Levanovich, leading specialist of the marketing and advertising department, said.
Health benefits of chocolate
Milk chocolate with milk filling is both a delicious treat and a source of nutrients. It is rich in calcium, which strengthens bones and teeth, as well as B vitamins, which are essential for energy and mood. The milk filling adds important minerals: magnesium and phosphorus.
The company also focuses on having a full production cycle. This means they can oversee every step of chocolate-making from raw ingredients to the final product, ensuring quality throughout.
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