Stakhanovitz

As far as I can tell, this is the only brewery in Saratov, a town of about one million on the lower Volga River just north of Volgograd. It is located just across the street from Saratov's tiny airport, making it a great place to wait for your flight back to civilization. It is a bit hard to find, as big trees line the street, obscuring the building. Once you do find it, stairs lead you down to the basement, which has a wonderfully cool atmosphere. The place is dark, with the seating area to your right divided into three half-open rooms that can hold about 75 people. There is a coal mine theme to the place, with hard hats at most tables, and a fabulously Soviet statue of a member of the proletariat working with a jackhammer on the wall facing all three of the half-rooms. The statue has been reproduced in miniature and sits on each table serving as a salt and pepper shaker. As two of the seating areas are not visible from the bar, they have installed call buttons at the tables so that you can advise when you are ready for the next round.

To your left is the bar, with five or six stools, and the brew kettles, visible through glass walls. This area is decorated with old Soviet flags and banners. The slogan above the bar reads "Here's to the culture of commerce!" The food menu is very basic, and the prices reasonable.

The menu lists only two brews, a lager and an ale. Much to my chagrin, they did not have the ale. The lager, "Bogemia" was fresh, and served in a Bogemia logo glass. It was not of the best quality, but Saratov beggars cannot be choosers. This was a great find and worthy of repeat visits by anyone finding themselves in Saratov.