"Offend! Lady will drink pure spirit!" Russian classics Bulgakov, "The Master and Margarita"
One of my Russian friends told his Italian buddy a well-known Russian proverb: "If you see an ugly woman it means that you've drunk not enough vodka". Italian guy has asked him next day (probably still being a little bit morally shocked): - Nikolay I always thought that Russian women are very beautiful. So why do you [Russians] drink so much vodka? My friend didn't know what to answer. Really why do they drink so much alcohol?
Vodka (together with pancakes) became an original symbol of Russia for foreigners. Russians carry the legend of love to alcohol through centuries. The beginning of the "era of vodka" in Russia goes from the middle of 16th century, from the times of Ivan the Terrible. There was no mass drunkenness till that time in Russia - home-made beer, beer and medovuxa prevailed (they was the low alcohol drinks). Drinking had a ritual character (like for example in France, but just Russian drinks were a bit of different kinds). The government of Ivan the Terrible made a selling of the alcoholic drinks one of the parts of the state revenue (because Russia needed a lot of money at that time). As scientists state from this moment forced alcoholization of Russian people had began.
Vodka in Russia has been brought to perfection only in the 18th and 19th centuries when noblemen has received a privilege to make a "national spirit" from tsarina of Russia (Ekaterina the Second).
The government of Stalin (which approved of drinking of vodka by Russian soldiers during the Second World War) is said to be guilty in the alcoholization of the Russian population. The drunken soldier forgets about horrors of war and he goes into battle without fear (because he is very temerarious and courageous in such condition). But it's only guesses and hearings about Stalin's time. Another absurd opinion is that the government of the USA decided to make the alcoholics from Russians. The purpose of that is to enfeeble the Russian population. It would be easier to conquer the feeble nation. Russians can accurse in their frequent drinking of vodka the history, the government of the USA, and even extraterrestrials (whatever in whom they want to see the initiator). But the fact remains, Russians drink alcohol. And they drink it a lot. People joke in Russia that according to the statistics 17% of breakdowns happen because of cock-eyed drivers. It means that overwhelming majority of breakdowns (83%) is the result of driving in the sober condition. Of cause, it's very easy to joke about things like that. But the truth of life remains tragic.
Why do people drink in Russia? This fact has a lot of the same reasons in many other countries. For example, why people drink in France, Germany, in Finland? So it's more correctly to ask the first question in the way why do people drink? Probably they just want to escape from their problems and despair (from this life which is unbearable for many people in many countries). When you drunk the life seems easier and more joyous. That's why people in Russia say very often that a drunk doesn't give a damn. Or maybe some just want to have some fun...
To figure it out I asked some of the exchange students why they drink like a beasts during each party. I succeeded in the making of statistics, although many people has tried to joke about this important question in the way that there is nothing else to do with vodka but drink. The results of the questionnaire represent the Table 1.
Table 1 Why do people drink vodka?
The number of respondents 100
The Table 1 shows that only 31% of respondents don't drink vodka at all. And 69% of respondents prefer to drink vodka because of different reasons. It's a very deplorable situation. I have to mention that the respondents belong to different nationalities. Only 7 of them are Russians (4 of whom gave the second answer, 1 - the forth answer, and 2 - the sixth answer). It proves that at least it's unfair to think that Russians is the single nation who drinks vodka in the unlimited quantities.
The government of Russian Federation has tried to put in force different laws about the limitation of drinking vodka (for example, one of the Russian politicians tried to limit the drinking of vodka using the special coupons giving only a limited possibility to buy an alcohol). But there was no result. Russians are said to drink a lot when alcohol is allowed and to drink much more when it's forbidden. It happens because all measures (which have taken) didn't solve a problem of drunkenness. Russians drink hard in the absence of social conditions which could satisfy the wants of the people. The bottle of vodka saves you when you haven't money to buy a present to your wife or even to buy a normal food
It's possible to change this situation about hard drinking but only by economic instruments. The experience of Finland and Poland has proved it. The share of strong drinks in these countries was correspondingly 65% and 50% a long time ago. The government of Finland and Poland had decreased the prices of beer and increased the prices of the spirits. As the result the consumption of the spirits decreased. The government of Finland put in force a huge fine for using the devise for making a home-brew. Now you can see this miracle of the technique only in the Finnish museums. There is also a law in Russia which forbids producing any alcohol at home. It's a crime too. It was a long time ago when the production of the home-brew in Russia was at the professional level and every bootlegger was always aspiring to the self-perfection. Yes, Russians drink a lot because of different reasons. But I have to say honestly that the level of drinking of vodka decreases now (together with economic growth). Russians changes their attitude to drinking the alcohol. It doesn't mean that it's occurring everywhere. But it exists. And only this fact is good news. In accord to the statistics the drinking of alcohol decreased on 17% during the last three years. In today's Russia people condemn the drinking of vodka very often. It is means the overpatching in the consciousness of Russian people. The prejudice about "Russians and vodka" little by little becomes the yesterday's reality.
So all above mentioned gives me an opportunity to say that alcoholism is not only the Russian illness. It's a disaster for all mankind. Russia step by step begins to overcome the alcoholic dependence. And I hope that there will be the time when every man will be able to become happy without stimulants.