Viešojo maitinimo įstaigos Šiauliuose sovietmečiu
Catering Institutions of Šiauliai during the Soviet Times

Summary/Abstract: Before the first Soviet occupation the business of catering in Šiauliai was dominated by Lithuanians. The expropriation of private catering facilities began on 26 September 1940; nevertheless, the private sector of catering facilities was not totally destroyed until the outbreak of the German-Soviet war. On 22 September 1944 the project of developing the network of public trade and public catering was presented during the meeting of Šiauliai Executive Committee. The system of public trade organized the supply of food and goods to the city. It was stated during the 4th Lithuanian Communist Party congress which took place in February 1949 that the Soviet system was fully established in Lithuanian cities. It meant the destruction of the entire private sector in catering. On 19 June 1956 it was decided to abolish the city’s trade department and the department of public trade and to organize the governing body of Šiauliai People’s Deputies Executive Committee for trade on their basis, which took control of all the establishments of public trade in Šiauliai as well as all the kolkhoz marketplaces. This system was in place during the whole Soviet period. During the period of 1970–1990 it was searched for the best solutions for public catering in the city. Finally, in 1986 the Network of Canteens and Restaurants of Šiauliai was in charge of the following public catering institutions: “Aušra” (to which belonged 35 catering establishments), “Rasa” (31 establishment), “Baltija” (16 establishments), “Milda” (32 establishments), “Dainai” (14 establishments), “Jaunystė” (27 establishments), “Geluva” (16 establishments). Due to the efforts of the Soviet government, the buffets were introduced in the catering institutions until the 1960s. However, they were foreign to Lithuanian culture and eventually started to disappear. They were replaced with cafés and restaurants. Nevertheless, buffets performed the function of canteens in the city’s many institutions. The expansion of café and restaurant network in Šiauliai was a matter of particular concern during the 1960s. In the period of 1961–1986 grocery – catering complexes became popular in the city. The development of public catering during the Soviet period can be divided into several periods: a) 1944–1960 partial restoration of public catering network destroyed by the war; b) 1961–1986 expansion and modernization of public catering facilities; c) 1987–1990 emergence of the first cooperatives in public catering.

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