Taimuraz Bolloyev, president of Baltika Brewing Company, has been appointed head of a newly established Expert Advisory Council aimed at developing Russia's beer and non-alcoholic beverage industry, Russian news agency Interfax reported. The council was initiated by Baltika and officially announced on 28 April 2025.
The main goal of the council is to unify key stakeholders in the brewing and non-alcoholic sectors, alongside cross-industry specialists, to formulate a structured and supportive development strategy. Its mission is to address long-standing gaps in Russian state policy related to brewing, particularly the lack of a medium- and long-term strategic framework.
In addition to Bolloyev, council members include Nikolai Tyurnikov, CEO of AB InBev Efes, and Dmitry Kiselyov, chairman of the Russian Winemakers and Viticulturists Association. The new advisory body stands apart from existing trade associations by involving experts from beyond the brewing sector, including multidisciplinary and adjacent industry professionals.
Currently, Russia’s brewing landscape includes two key trade associations: the Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers Association—representing around 70% of domestic beer output—and the Union of Russian Brewers. Non-alcoholic producers are grouped under the Union of Beverage Producers. However, none of these have succeeded in establishing a unified development policy, a gap this new council aims to close.
In his statement, Bolloyev emphasized that industry consolidation and collaboration with external experts are vital. He outlined priorities such as strengthening raw material supply chains, developing innovation hubs, coordinating research, and drafting evidence-based proposals for regulatory change. The council will soon begin crafting unified approaches to address critical challenges and advocate policy reforms across both the beer and non-alcoholic sectors.
