Thread: Vodka, Russians, and Alcohol

Originally Posted by ReDSanchous

I don't want to argue with you over this. I will only say that in my opinion, there aren't as many alcoholics in Russia as people abroad think. There are perhaps many more alcoholics in Russia than, say, in the US or England but that doesn't mean (I'm certain) that it becomes obvious to you that there are a lot of drunks in Russia once you leave the airport terminal.

here i found an article about Russians.I really wonder if it's true.



One of the most prominent Russian traditions is hard drinking. It does not mean they all are alcoholics; Russians are just drinking more alcohol when they are drinking.
It's applicable more in particular to men though women also drink much more than it's accepted on the West. Drinking a bottle of vodka for three, or a bottle of vine for each is normal and is not considered as excessive. Refusing to drink as much as the rest of the company is considered as disrespect. The favorite men's drink is Russian vodka, the favorite women's drink is Soviet Champagne - a decent Russian sparkling vine.
Drinking until one falls is all right. The parties usually take place in private flats, and majority of the guests stay to sleep overnight occupying all free space on coaches and the floor. The next morning the party may continue. "The morning after the night before" condition, named in Russian "pokhmel'ie", is supposed to be cured by drinking a small amount of alcohol ("opokhmelitsya"). It does provide some relief but thereafter people usually can't stop. Small shops on the streets (kiosks) selling mostly alcohol and chocolate, work 24 hours 7 days a week, and the party can get extra drinks any time if they think they do not have enough.
A Russian joke (produces lots of loud laughing in the company):
(The diary of a foreigner working in Russia)
25 June 2002.
Was drinking with Russians. I think I'd better die.
26 June 2002.
In the morning came Russians, and said we should "opokhmelitsya". I'd better die yesterday...
Russian drinking traditions are very much a cultural thing, and the person who drinks and does not become drunk is always respected. It's called "he can drink". The more you drink and don't fall down drunk, the more your friends will respect you. Many business deals are solved while drinking together, it's probably one more reason why women don't succeed in making careers.
Drinking alone is considered as being an alcoholic, drinking in company is encouraged.
Russians do not drink without a reason. It does not mean that they do not drink just when they want, it means that every time they want to drink they bring up a reason. It can be anything - from buying a new thing (in this case they call it "obmyt" - in literal translation "to wash" the new thing) to celebrating the weekend.
The process of drinking is specific. The glasses of all company members must be full, then somebody should propose a "toast" - what for the company is going to drink this drink. "Toasts" can vary from trivial "Na zdorovie" or "Budem zdorovy" ("For our health") to any other wish or somebody's desire: "Za udachu" ("For good luck"), "Na dorozhku" (before leaving - "For the way"), "Daj Bog ne v poslednij raz" ("Hopefully it's not the last time when we drink, with God's help") etc. After the toast people clink their glasses with each other and drink their drinks. Everybody must finish his drink, otherwise it means that he does not support the toast. The next toast follows in 5-10 minutes.

That's quite widespread, but depends on personal environment. The lower the income/education is, the more and harder people drink. There isn't a correlation between being socialized and drinking - my friends aren't drinking, but we are well-socialized, it depends a lot on the company. Among those who like hard drinking, it usually goes the way described above. Also they do this way, like the Americans go to a psychoanalyst.

oh thx a lot detail for your comments on my wonder.As you said There isn't a correlation between being socialized and drinking - my friends aren't drinking, but we are well-socialized, it depends a lot on the company.It strikes me that it'd be nonsense to say a hard drinking people is well socialized.There ain't no relation tho'.

It more or less covers everything. It's not that simple of course. Vodka is our "scourge". People drink. People drink much. There's little to be proud of. Too many men (and women too, BTW) drink just to "get rid" of the problems which are many. There is a proverb "С утра выпил - весь день свободен". (If you get drunk in the morning - you'll be free for the rest of the day).
Also many young people now shifting from alcohol towards marijuana. I don't know what is better.

Originally Posted by Орчун

here i found an article about Russians.I really wonder if it's true.



One of the most prominent Russian traditions is hard drinking. It does not mean they all are alcoholics; Russians drink more alcohol when they drink.
It's applicable more in particular to men though women also drink much more than it's accepted in the West. Drinking a bottle of vodka for three, or a bottle of vine for each is normal and is not considered as excessive. Refusing to drink as much as the rest of the company is considered as disrespect. The favorite men's drink is Russian vodka, the favorite women's drink is Soviet Champagne - a decent Russian sparkling vine.
Drinking until one falls is all right. The parties usually take place in private flats, and majority of the guests stay to sleep overnight occupying all free space on coaches and the floor. The next morning the party may continue. "The morning after the night before" condition, named in Russian "pokhmel'ie", is supposed to be cured by drinking a small amount of alcohol ("opokhmelitsya"). It does provide some relief but thereafter people usually can't stop. Small shops on the streets (kiosks) selling mostly alcohol and chocolate, work 24 hours 7 days a week, and the party can get extra drinks at any time if they think they do not have enough.
A Russian joke (produces lots of loud laughing in the company):
(The diary of a foreigner working in Russia)
25 June 2002.
drinking with Russians. I think I'd better die.
26 June 2002.
In the morning came Russians, and said we should "opokhmelitsya". I'd better have died yesterday...
Russian drinking traditions are very much a cultural thing, and the person who drinks and does not become drunk is always respected. It's called "he can drink". The more you drink and don't fall down drunk, the more your friends will respect you. Many business deals are solved while drinking together, it's probably one more reason why women don't succeed in making careers.
Drinking alone is considered as being an alcoholic, drinking in company is encouraged.
Russians do not drink without a reason. It does not mean that they do not drink just when they want, it means that every time they want to drink they bring up a reason. It can be anything - from buying a new thing (in this case they call it "obmyt" - in literal translation "to wash" the new thing) to celebrating the weekend.
The process of drinking is specific. The glasses of all company members must be full, then somebody should propose a "toast" - what for the company is going to drink this drink. "Toasts" can vary from trivial "Na zdorovie" or "Budem zdorovy" ("For our health") to any other wish or somebody's desire: "Za udachu" ("For good luck"), "Na dorozhku" (before leaving - "For the way"), "Daj Bog ne v poslednij raz" ("Hopefully it's not the last time when we drink, with God's help") etc. After the toast people clink their glasses with each other and drink their drinks. Everybody must finish his drink, otherwise it means that he does not support the toast. The next toast follows in 5-10 minutes.

I seems to me that in this text there are some mistakes.
Could anyone correct all the mistakes if any. (I just like the text and want to be sure that it is correct!!!)

Originally Posted by detail

That's quite widespread, but depends on personal environment. The lower the income/education is, the more and harder people drink. There isn't a correlation between being socialized and drinking - my friends aren't drinking, but we are well-socialized, it depends a lot on the company. Among those who like hard drinking, it usually goes the way described above. Also they do this way, like the Americans go to a psychoanalyst.

That's right. If you are poor, you are much more likely to turn to drink than if you were richer.
As for my friends, I have a couple of friends who drink pretty often but that doesn't make them alcoholics. Perhaps, they'll become alcoholcis when they are older but it greatly depends on your system.

Thank you, basusero.

Chuvak what do you mean with mistakes?You mean that there are some grammatical mistakes in that text?I found it on a web site about dating with Russian girls lol

Originally Posted by Орчун

Chuvak what do you mean with mistakes?You mean that there are some grammatical mistakes in that text?I found it on a web site about dating with Russian girls lol

Yeah, I suppose that this is what he means. If you take a closer look at the quoted text, you'll see that Chuvak's corrected a few of them. Is the website you found this article on English?

Originally Posted by Орчун

oh thx a lot detail for your comments on my wonder.As you said There isn't a correlation between being socialized and drinking - my friends aren't drinking, but we are well-socialized, it depends a lot on the company.It strikes me that it'd be nonsense to say a hard drinking people is well socialized.There ain't no relation tho'.

If you want to get to know a Russian man - drink vodka with him.

yes ReDSanchous let me give you the link
http://www.dating-world.net/


Ramil what happens then?He'll express himself better when he gets drunk?lol

Originally Posted by ReDSanchous

Originally Posted by Орчун

Chuvak what do you mean with mistakes?You mean that there are some grammatical mistakes in that text?I found it on a web site about dating with Russian girls lol

Yeah, I suppose that this is what he means. If you take a closer look at the quoted text, you'll see that Chuvak's corrected a few of them. Is the website you found this article on English?

I only TRIED to correct them...
(I was just wondering if a native ES could agree to correct them completely)

Originally Posted by Chuvak

Originally Posted by ReDSanchous

Originally Posted by Орчун

Chuvak what do you mean with mistakes?You mean that there are some grammatical mistakes in that text?I found it on a web site about dating with Russian girls lol

Yeah, I suppose that this is what he means. If you take a closer look at the quoted text, you'll see that Chuvak's corrected a few of them. Is the website you found this article on English?

I only TRIED to correct them...
(I was just wondering if a native ES could agree to correct them completely)

I'm not arguing with you I think that you'll see a corrected version of the article soon


Орчун, thanks for the link. I've just had a look at it and it seems like the site is run by Russians, so there's small wonder that there might be grammatical errors in their articles.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by Орчун

oh thx a lot detail for your comments on my wonder.As you said There isn't a correlation between being socialized and drinking - my friends aren't drinking, but we are well-socialized, it depends a lot on the company.It strikes me that it'd be nonsense to say a hard drinking people is well socialized.There ain't no relation tho'.

If you want to get to know a Russian man - drink vodka with him.

This is the shortest way to get acquainted with a piece of shit.

It seems for me that the more a person is a drunker, the more he'd insist on drinking together. Mostly they won't care about your (foreigner's) health, just trying to overdrink you.

An interesting person is never interesting when being drunk, nobody is able to preserve a clear consciousness when drugged. It only seems that you speak sincerely or something of that kind. I've read a writer's story about young writers to try to record what they were talking being drunk. It seemed to them that they were speaking very important ideas, but after that they couldn't remember it. Having recorded the talk and listened to it, they were dissapointed.

A stupid miserable drunker is not worth drinking together either.

As far as parties and fun are concerned, since you don't need to get dead drunk, you may as well drink beer or wine.

Finally, you can't know a man at a drink session. You can know him only living and working together.

Here it is, the article that I promised in this forum.

http://www.ecfor.ru/pdf.php?id=2005/1/11 (PDF, 307 KB)

В.И.Харченко, Е.А.Кошкина, М.М.Вирин, В.М.Удринцов, Б.Г.Потиевский
Показатели потребления алкоголя в России в сравнении с другими странами
В статье приведено международное сравнение уровня потребления алкоголя за последние четыре десятилетия. Показан значительный рост и высокое потребление алкоголя в России в сравнении с экономически развитыми странами.

(Alcohol Consumption Indicators in Russia Compared with Other Countries)

Originally Posted by detail

...
Finally, you can't know a man at a drink session. You can know him only living and working together.

Да, но у нас говорили: "Тех, которые не пьют, мы боимся".

Это где? На чикагщине? Я повторюсь, всё зависит от окружения. Только, пожалуйста, не надо преподносить водку как благо или важный элемент культуры.

Also there's another thing. some people think, that an intelegent person/a person with high education, is not able to drink/be an alcoholic. But this is wrong.

Intelegence does not always mean that a person never gets close to alcohol.

there was a story on tv last year, one russian pop singer had a little baby son, and she needed a nanny/babysitter to look after him while she's not at home, she hired a woman which had two high educations, knew 3 languages, and turned out that this woman was a complete alcoholic in the end. She was drunk, infront of the baby. She was suppoused to take him out for a walk to breath some air outside, but she used to leave him alone outside of the house, for 2 hours and went to drink.

this pop singer couldn't figure this out, couldn't get over her shock when she found out about everything, she couldn't understand how is it possible for a person with 2 high educations to be like that.


Some people in Russia, have this stereotype of thinking, that if a person has an education than he's got to be intelegent, can't drink, can't kill, can't use drugs, can't be a prostitute.

And unfortunately this is wrong.

Originally Posted by detail

Это где? На чикагщине? Я повторюсь, всё зависит от окружения. У нас не любят тех, кто пьёт до нестояния/тыменяуважания.

Это было на Украине, в туристской среде, говорили в шутку, но тем не менее...
Помнишь, Юрий Сенкевич в своей книге рассказывал, что Тур Хейердал с ним делился опытом, как быстро узнать, можно ли положиться на человека в опасной ситуации? Если, когда сильно пьяный, плачет или дерётся, нельзя: у человека слабая нервная организация.

Originally Posted by Lampada

Это было на Украине, в туристской среде, говорили в шутку, но тем не менее...
Помнишь, Юрий Сенкевич рассказывал, что Тур Хейердал с ним делился опытом, как быстро узнать, можно ли положиться на человека в опасной ситуации? Если, когда сильно пьяный, плачет или дерётся, нельзя: у человека слабая нервная организация.

Если меня от водки стошнит или я буду себя очень плохо чувствовать, это не значит, что я такой "на самом деле". Даже те, кто пьяными буянят, не всегда любят это вспоминать, и некоторых, которые сами не рвутся к бутылке, достаточно просто не доводить до такого состояния, не подначивать и не подливать. Опьянение просто снимает самоконтроль, постоянное наблюдение за собой как бы глазами других. Поэтому такой человек - не "реальный" и тем более не такой, какой он будет состояние повышенного стресса в случае опасности (если речь зашла о туризме).