Did you know that Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky was somewhat related to the emergence of the ‘Svitoch’ confectionery factory because he invested funds in its predecessor – the first Ukrainian candy factory ‘Fortuna Nova’.
In 1922, when Klymentyna Avdykovych, a widow of a professor at a Ukrainian gymnasium, opened her small confectionery on Ruska Street, few believed in its success. However, Sheptytsky saw in this endeavor a chance not only to create an enterprise but also a social project that would serve the community. Subsequently, in 1924, he signed a joint business agreement with Klymentyna, invested $46,000, and provided church property on Kordeckogo Street in Lviv for rent.
During times of unemployment, Sheptytsky and Avdykovych’s factory employed hundreds of Ukrainians throughout Galicia, and the metropolitan’s investments helped the enterprise transition from manual to modern steam production. ‘Fortuna Nova’ financially supported the activities of various Ukrainian organizations, and every Christmas Eve, children from impoverished Ukrainian families received free sweet gifts.
In times of total Polonization, it is particularly noteworthy that the wrappers of ‘Fortuna Nova’ candies printed excerpts from Ukrainian classics, and a series of chocolates ‘Sweet History of Ukraine’ introduced consumers to portraits of significant historical figures – from Prince Volodymyr to Hetman Skoropadsky. This was more than a marketing move – it was a quiet cultural revolution, wrapped in a candy wrapper.
Later, Sheptytsky relinquished ownership rights in favor of Klymentyna Avdykovych. ‘His sincere desire was to contribute to the growth and strengthening of Ukrainian industry, a desire thoroughly noble, which could bring us, Ukrainians, great benefits’ – recalled Klymentyna Avdykovych.
After the occupation of Galicia by the Soviet Union in 1939, the factory was nationalized and transformed into Lviv Confectionery Factory #3, which later became one of the bases for the creation of the now famous ‘Svitoch’ confectionery factory.