I WILL DO AN EXHIBITION WHEN I WILL REACH MY DESIRED NUMBER OF 500 BEER MUGS AND GLASSES
Searching for some authentic artifacts related to the history of Pivara Skopje, we met Aleksandar Siljanoski (39) from Ohrid, husband and father of 7-year-old daughter and a passionate collector of beer mugs and glasses. We recently announced a “call” on our social media and Aleksandar sent us a picture of more than 40 years old beer glass with the logo of Skopsko Pivo. He has had it for a long time, but he decided to donate it to Pivara Skopje as a sample which will be found in the museum of the company. As a gesture of appreciation, but also because Aleksandar is one of the few, perhaps the only collector of beer mugs and glasses in our country, we did an exclusive interview for Glass Full.
When did you started your story with collecting? Why collector of beer mugs and glasses? Is there any connection with your profession or maybe the beer is your favorite drink or just a passion?
I’m a collector of beer mugs and glasses almost 20 years and all began in my student days when I realized that beer is my favorite drink and I was working as a bartender at local nightclubs. At that time 99% of the beer that was offered was Skopsko, and the glasses were with that brand, and even then, I had the desire to become a collector of beer mugs and glasses. In the beginning, it wasn’t serious, but with each new model of glass my desire was growing. Later, at the Macedonian market started entering more and more brands of beer, and step by step, my collection began to rise. From every trip, I bring samples, so I started to enrich my collection. When my close friends and relatives heard about my hobby they started bringing me some authentic samples, interesting models that I always get as a gift, and on this occasion I would like to thank them sincerely.
How many samples do you have in your collection?
Currently my collection has about 180 different models of glasses with about 100 different beer brands, mostly regional, but I have brands from almost all countries in the world. Last larger set of 20 glasses that I gathered was from the United States. During my stay in the United States I met many collectors, not just of glasses, but of all things that are related to beer and beer brands, from caps to crates and barrels.
Do you know other beer collectors in the country and the region, and is there an association?
In Macedonia, I do not know another collector, but searching through the internet, I came across with serious collectors in the region that have high number of glasses, and I got in touch with some of them.
Surely you have glasses that are especially precious to you. Can you point out some of them?
There are lots of glasses in my collection which are especially precious to me, rare samples, more than few decades old. However, I can point out the glass with “Skopsko” logo which, according to my information is more than 40 years old, but I decided to donate it for the museum of Pivara Skopje.
When you mentioned the glass with the logo of “Skopsko”, are there other glasses of Pivara Skopje in your collection?
Certainly. In the moment, I own 12 glasses with the brand of “Skopsko”.
What made you to give up from one rare sample from Pivara Skopje and to gift it to the company for its museum?
The idea to give this glass of Skopsko to the museum of Pivara Skopje came from an announcement that I accidentally saw on the Facebook page Glass Full. They were looking for someone who has an old glass, crate or a picture to share it on the official page. I took pictures of my own collection of the brand Skopsko, and after that we got in touch with Pivara Skopje. With a lot of pleasure, I decided to give it to the museum of Pivara Skopje, mostly because the fact that it will be a part of the rich and long history of the company.
Finally, you continue to increase your collection. Do you have a number that you want to reach and do you think of having an exhibition with your collection one day?
I will certainly continue to enrich my collection. The number of 500 glasses is the one that I would like to reach in the near future. If I reach my desired number I would certainly do an exhibition.
