Pogar was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1155 as Radogoshch, although archaeologists have reasonable grounds to believe that the first settlement in this area appeared as early as the 8th century. Throughout its existence, Pogar was controlled by Lithuania, then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ukraine, and finally the Russian Empire. The town was burnt each time it was invaded, hence its name was Pogar, which meant “burnt down”.
The Pogar people mastered the crafts of shoemaking, tailoring and smithery. They were also engaged in alcohol distillation. There were rich grain harvests in the area, so rye, barley, and wheat were used to make an alcoholic beverage back then known as grain wine or gorilka.
The grain wine was sold at local markets in Little Russia, modern-day Eastern Ukraine. It was also exported to Moscow and the cities of Lithuania. The Cossacks and petit-bourgeois received large income from the gorilka trade, for the grain they used to produce the beverage became two or three times its worth in the process.
The beverage was stored in special round barrel-shaped vessels with a thin neck. The bottles were made of clay and glass, and they had four small legs to protect them from rolling over. The glass flasks were produced near Pogar and Starodubye at numerous gutas or “hutta” in Old High German, which meant “metalworks” or “ironworks”. Some researchers suggest that the word’s etymology may go way back to the Latin word “gutta” meaning “a drop”. This word was used to designate European glass factories. In Russia, however, gutas stood for blowing shops where glassware was made using the free-blowing technique. Gutas were built around big settlements by local craftsmen. The production required sand, which was in abundance near Pogar and Starodubye. Many villages and small towns in the Starodubye area still entail “guta” in their names — Staraya Guta, Guta-Muravinka.
Apart from the flasks, the local glassblowers used hot glass to produce beer quarts, and shtof-bottles, which were usually purchased by tavern owners, grain wine traders, and brewmasters in Pogar.
The glass had one significant drawback: it permitted light through, which could affect the quality of alcoholic beverages. Therefore, grain wine bottles were stored in basements, barns, and other rooms without windows.
The Pogar people mastered the crafts of shoemaking, tailoring and smithery. They were also engaged in alcohol distillation. There were rich grain harvests in the area, so rye, barley, and wheat were used to make an alcoholic beverage back then known as grain wine or gorilka.
The grain wine was sold at local markets in Little Russia, modern-day Eastern Ukraine. It was also exported to Moscow and the cities of Lithuania. The Cossacks and petit-bourgeois received large income from the gorilka trade, for the grain they used to produce the beverage became two or three times its worth in the process.
The beverage was stored in special round barrel-shaped vessels with a thin neck. The bottles were made of clay and glass, and they had four small legs to protect them from rolling over. The glass flasks were produced near Pogar and Starodubye at numerous gutas or “hutta” in Old High German, which meant “metalworks” or “ironworks”. Some researchers suggest that the word’s etymology may go way back to the Latin word “gutta” meaning “a drop”. This word was used to designate European glass factories. In Russia, however, gutas stood for blowing shops where glassware was made using the free-blowing technique. Gutas were built around big settlements by local craftsmen. The production required sand, which was in abundance near Pogar and Starodubye. Many villages and small towns in the Starodubye area still entail “guta” in their names — Staraya Guta, Guta-Muravinka.
Apart from the flasks, the local glassblowers used hot glass to produce beer quarts, and shtof-bottles, which were usually purchased by tavern owners, grain wine traders, and brewmasters in Pogar.
The glass had one significant drawback: it permitted light through, which could affect the quality of alcoholic beverages. Therefore, grain wine bottles were stored in basements, barns, and other rooms without windows.
