air yan , ▁helped ▁him ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁factory . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁N ers es ▁T air yan ▁le ased ▁the ▁factory ▁to ▁Nikol ay ▁Sh ust ov , ▁who ▁purchased ▁it ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁for ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁rou bles . ▁Having ▁established ▁his ▁own ▁business ▁in ▁Moscow ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁Sh ust ov ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁produ cers ▁of ▁br andy ▁in ▁Russia . ▁Al ready ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁" Sh ust ov ▁and ▁S ons " ▁company ▁managed ▁to ▁take ▁into ▁its ▁hands ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁br andy - w ine - vod ka - lique ur ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁Nikol ay ▁Sh ust ov ▁ ▁sent ▁samples ▁of ▁br andy ▁to ▁an ▁exhibition ▁in ▁Paris . ▁The ▁jud ges , ▁v ener able ▁French ▁t aster s , ▁un anim ously ▁granted ▁Grand ▁Prix ▁to ▁the ▁unknown ▁br andy - maker , ▁but ▁after ▁they ▁found ▁out ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁French ▁and ▁the ▁br andy ▁was ▁sent ▁from ▁Armen ia , ▁they ▁were ▁so ▁aston ished , ▁that ▁made ▁an ▁exception ▁for ▁Nikol ay ▁Sh ust ov ▁and ▁granted ▁him ▁the ▁privile ge ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁word ▁" c ogn ac " ▁on ▁his ▁labels , ▁instead ▁of ▁" br andy ", ▁as ▁it ▁should ▁naturally ▁be . ▁Thus , ▁Sh ust ov ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁and