»Initially, a factory office [...] in Moscow was opened on February 1, 1898.«
Report of the Arrangements & Representatives Department on fiscal year 1897/98

In few countries are the company business ties older than in Russia. As early as 1832, »J. D. Specht in St. Petersburg« is mentioned among the customers listed in a current account ledger. Earlier business contacts are only documentable for Switzerland and France.

As the Russian market becomes increasingly important, E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, sets up a »Russian Department« at the end of the 19th century and appoints Paul Walch as its representative in Moscow. The importance of Russia is also demonstrated by the fact that the »E. Merck’s Annual Reviews on Innovations in the Fields of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmacy«, issued by E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, since 1887, were published in Russian from 1892 to 1913.

In February 1898, the company establishes its own branch in Moscow. The management is transferred to the current representative Paul Walch, who receives general power of attorney and is also to attend to business activities in St. Petersburg. An interesting overview of the employees working in Moscow in 1899 – 1900 reads as follows: »0 bosses, 2 senior officials, 0 junior officials, 0 workers; total: 2«.

One year later, the company generates 18.2% of its total sales in Russia, which is why, looking back at this period in 1940, the partner Louis Merck writes: »At that time, Russia was a country of the future for us. I still clearly recall how my father would return from Moscow and Petersburg talking about the incredible size of the country and repeatedly mentioning the sales opportunities.

«During the Russian Revolution in 1905 the Moscow branch has to close for a short time, but the warehouse remains undamaged. This situation is different after the outbreak of World War I, when all business dealings with Russia are interrupted. One year later, the history of E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, in Russia comes to a temporary end: »Our Moscow branch had to close [...] on April 1/14, 1915, and the branch manager, Mr. Sommer, was no longer allowed to stay in Moscow. He was forced to leave the city on May 18/31, 1915, and [...] go into exile. Any remaining Russian employees were dismissed when the office closed.

«Afterwards, direct business to Russia is impossible for many decades. For example, Eduard Peiquert, an employee of the Poland, Russia, Peripheral States department, writes in 1931: »There seem to be no prospects that we will ever do business in Russia again.« Fortunately, a successful new start is made in the mid-1990s. As a result, in 2018 the company can celebrate not only its 350th anniversary, but also its 120 years of presence in Russia.

In 1832, »J. D. Specht in St. Petersburg« is mentioned among the customers listed in a current account ledger – the oldest documentable business contact to Russia. Due to its importance, the Merck branch in Moscow, which was established in 1898, is mentioned alongside the branches in London, New York and St. Louis in advertisements.

»E. Merck’s Annual Reviews on Innovations in the Fields of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmacy« are also published in Russian from 1892 to 1913. Price lists are not only a way of informing customers about the products offered, but also an important image advertising tool.

The sleeping aid Veronal is successfully advertised in Russia in 1913. In 1970, E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, participates in the »Chemia 70« exhibition in Moscow. In 1980, the company is awarded the Tswett Medal sponsored in 1978 by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for special contributions to the development of chromatography.