Borjomi (water) facts for kids
English Version Logo
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Glass bottle with Georgian label
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| Country | Georgia |
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| Produced by | IDS Borjomi |
| Introduced | 1890 |
| Calcium (Ca) | 20–150 mg/dm3 |
| Chloride (Cl) | 250–500 mg/dm3 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO3) | 3500–5000 mg/dm3 |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 20–150 mg/dm3 |
| Potassium (K) | 15–45 mg/dm3 |
| Sodium (Na) | 1000–2000 mg/dm3 |
| TDS | 5000–7500 mg/dm3 |
| All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units | |
Borjomi (Georgian: ბორჯომი) is a famous brand of naturally fizzy mineral water. It comes from special springs in the Borjomi Gorge in central Georgia. The water comes from deep underground, filtering through rocks from glaciers in the Bakuriani mountains. It rises to the surface all by itself and is then sent through pipes to bottling factories in the town of Borjomi.
People in the Borjomi valley have known about these mineral springs for over a thousand years. But they became widely known in the early 1800s. This happened after the Russian Imperial Army noticed the water seemed to have healthy effects. By the 1890s, Borjomi was very popular across the Russian Empire. Even the Russian royal family, the Romanovs, liked it. It was bottled on the Georgian lands of Grand Duke Mikhail of Russia.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and when the Soviet Union took over Georgia, the Borjomi company became owned by the government. The water then became a top product exported by the Soviet Union.
Today, Borjomi is made by IDS Borjomi Georgia. This company is part of a bigger international group called IDS Borjomi International. In 2022, the company had to give some of its shares to the Georgian government. This was part of a deal to follow international rules. Because of this, a representative from the Georgian government became the head of the company's board.
In 2005, about 200 million bottles of Borjomi were produced. In 2007, Borjomi received a special certificate for safety and quality called ISO 22000. This was given by a company called Bureau Veritas. Now, Borjomi is sold in 40 countries around the world!
Some researchers from Georgia and Russia have suggested that Borjomi water can help with certain digestive diseases and diabetes mellitus.
Contents
The Story of Borjomi Water
The mineral springs in the Borjomi valley were found over a thousand years ago. Archeologists have found seven large rock tubs from the 7th century. These show that people used the spring waters, probably for bathing. The springs were forgotten for a while until they were found again in the early 1800s. At that time, Borjomi and its surroundings were mostly empty and covered in thick forests due to many wars.
How it was Rediscovered
In 1829, Russian soldiers were in Borjomi for battles against the Ottoman Empire. They found mineral springs on the right side of the Borjomi river. Colonel Pavel Popov, their commander, was curious. He ordered the springs to be cleaned and the water to be bottled. He also had it sent to the military base. Colonel Popov had a stomach illness and tried the water first. When he felt better, he ordered stone walls to be built around the spring. He also had a bath house and a small cottage built nearby for himself.
In 1837, a new group of soldiers arrived. Their doctor, Amirov, studied the water and its effects. He sent the first results of his analysis to big cities like Saint Petersburg and Moscow. By 1841, Borjomi water was so famous for its healing effects that the Russian Tsar's representative in the Caucasus, Yevgeni Golovin, brought his sick daughter there for treatment. She got better quickly! He named the first spring Yekaterinsky (Russian: Екатерининский) after his daughter Yekaterina. He named the second spring Yevgeniyevsky (Евгеньевский) after himself.
Borjomi Becomes Famous
Golovin also helped to officially transfer the springs from military control to civilian control. In 1850, a mineral water park was opened in Borjomi. In 1854, the government ordered the building of the first bottling factory. Borjomi water became popular across the entire Russian Empire for its healing powers. The government started building palaces, parks, gardens, and hotels for visitors.
Traveling from Tiflis (now Tbilisi) to Borjomi used to take 8–9 hours by horse-drawn carriages. But a new railroad built in 1894 greatly shortened the trip. Famous people like writer Anton Chekhov and composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky visited the springs. Even members of the Russian royal family came often. Borjomi became as popular as similar European spas, like Vichy in France. This earned Borjomi the nickname "the Russian Vichy" and "the pearl of the Caucasus."
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In 1894, Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov built a bottling plant in the Borjomi park. This plant worked until the 1950s. A glass factory was built in 1896. The money made from Borjomi water helped make Mikhail's son, Nikolay, very rich. By 1914, he was the wealthiest of all the Russian grand dukes. In 1854, only 1,350 bottles were made. By 1905, this number reached 320,000, and by 1913, over 9 million bottles were sold!
Borjomi in Modern Times
After the Soviet Union took control of Georgia, Borjomi was sold widely across the Soviet Union. Soviet leaders like Joseph Stalin especially liked it. More studies of the Borjomi Gorge were done starting in 1927. Between then and 1982, many wells were drilled to find more water. In 1961, 423,000 bottles of Borjomi were sent to 15 countries, including the United States, France, and Austria. During the Soviet era, Borjomi was one of the most famous brands, alongside the Volga car and Aeroflot airlines. In the 1980s, about 400 million bottles of Borjomi water were produced each year.
Production slowed down when the Soviet Union broke apart. It also slowed during tough economic times in independent Georgia. In 1995, a company called Georgian Glass and Mineral Waters (GG&MW) restarted bottling Borjomi. They increased production by 40 times! Most of the Borjomi made that year was sent to other countries, especially Russia.
In May 2006, Russia stopped importing Georgian mineral waters, saying they were not safe. This ban was lifted seven years later, in 2013. Georgia saw this as an attempt to limit their access to the Russian market. They felt Borjomi was caught in political disagreements. The ban caused GG&MW to lose money. However, the company said they had recovered by 2008, with sales returning to previous levels. Sales dropped again in 2008 due to a global money crisis. But by 2010, sales were back to normal, and in 2011, they sold 15% more Borjomi than before the ban.
Today, Borjomi is sold in 40 countries worldwide. In countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, Borjomi is the top imported mineral water brand.
Borjomi is currently made by IDS Borjomi Georgia. This company is part of IDS Borjomi International, which is based in Curaçao. In June 2022, the company gave 7.73% of its shares to the Government of Georgia for free. This means a representative from the Georgian government now leads the company's board.
Today, the company makes three products from the Borjomi-Bakuriani valley:
- Borjomi
- Likani
- Bakuriani
How Borjomi is Made
Borjomi is a special water that comes from volcanoes. It is over 1,500 years old! Natural carbon dioxide gas pushes it up to the surface from about 1500 meters (almost a mile) underground. The water doesn't get cold on its way up. It comes out at a warm temperature of 38 to 41 degrees Celsius (100-106 degrees Fahrenheit). The Borjomi springs are located in the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, about 760 to 920 meters (2,500-3,000 feet) above sea level. Each of the nine wells is about 1200 to 1500 meters (0.7-0.9 miles) deep.
To make sure the water's natural minerals are protected, the Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection approved a plan in 2006. This plan allows bottling over 1 million bottles a day using 10 wells in the Borjomi Gorge. The wells are in three main areas: Central (near Borjomi town), Likani (in Likani village), and Vashlovani-Kvibisi (in Vashlovani and Kvibisi villages).
The water from these wells travels through a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) stainless steel pipeline. It goes to two bottling plants. There, the water is cooled and put into bottles. One plant specializes in glass bottles, and the other in plastic (PET) bottles.
The production of mineral water and the tourism it brings to Borjomi are very important for Georgia. They make up 10 percent of Georgia's export trade.
Borjomi Packaging
Borjomi comes in different sizes and types of containers. You can find it in glass bottles (0.33 and 0.5 liters) and plastic bottles (0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25 liters). It also comes in 0.33-liter aluminum cans. Both glass and plastic bottles have screw caps. The special greenish color of the glass bottles, called Georgian Green, is made with a secret formula. Like other single-use plastic items, used water bottles contribute to Georgia's plastic pollution problem.
In February 2011, Borjomi introduced new packaging with a "modern look." This new design highlighted the deer image and the manufacturer's sign on the label. At the end of 2019, Borjomi updated its design again. The new bottles are simpler and more modern. They say "Georgian mineral water" and have silver stripes.
Awards Borjomi Has Won
- 1907 SPA Grand Prix
- 1909 Kazan Grand Golden Medal
- 1911 Dresden Diploma of Honour
- 1940 Tallinn Golden Medal
- 1975 Budapest Diploma of Honour, World Exhibition
- 1998 Novosibirsk Golden Medal
- 1996, 1997, 1998 St. Petersburg Golden Medal
See also
In Spanish: Borjomi (agua) para niños
