Vodka in Russia
Few things are more Russian than vodka. It was first distilled there in the 15th century and has been part of the national identity since. The St. Petersburg Times wrote a long article entitled “Vodka, Elixir of the Masses” detailing vodka’s long history and storied triumphs. It’s a good read and very different from the usual article I see. Here are some highlights:
- In 1977, Poland filed suit in international court claiming that vodka had been first distilled in Poland rather than Russia and wanted exclusive rights to sell the drink under the name “vodka”, so the USSR did some research. After years of study, the historian William Pokhlebkin concluded that vodka was first distilled in a Moscow monastery between 1440 and 1478, decades before Poland.
- The average Russian drinks 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of vodka a year. A Finnish physician once said, “If you did this in Finland, half the population would be dead in a year. This is clearly not normal.”
- The Bolsheviks attempted to ban vodka in 1917. Failing miserably, they reversed in the ban in 1924. This was the beginning of the fall of Communism.
- The next war on vodka was Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika. Although vodka consumption declined, shortages of cologne, mouthwash, and other alcohol-containing substances suspiciously increased. Also, sugar (which is necessary for home brewing) shortages increased.
After reading this article, you realize that “vodka is the oil that keeps Russia’s gears turning”, and it’s not going to disappear from their culture anytime soon.
