Russian Politics and Vodka Stay Intertwined

Summary

Political scientist Mark Lawrence Schrad explains how Russia's vodka culture is a product of state policy used to fund autocratic rule and control society, and warns that economic hardship alone is unlikely to quickly unseat Vladimir Putin.

• Russia’s high vodka consumption stems from centuries of state monopoly used to raise revenue and strengthen autocratic control.
• Public health campaigns under Medvedev backfired because Putin personally controlled a large share of the vodka market, resulting in higher taxes on beer instead.
• Historical figures like Tolstoy and Lenin were prohibitionists because they saw vodka as a tool of the state that enriched the rich and impoverished the poor.
• During the early Donbas conflict, pro-Russian separatists were widely reported to be drunk, contrasting with the sober, orderly Ukrainian protests.
• Stalin used forced drinking at late-night dinners to extract secrets and keep potential opponents off balance.
• Western media has repeatedly predicted the beginning of the end of Putin since at least 2002, but Schrad argues it is better to assume Putin will survive each crisis.
• The Russian people are unlikely to rebel soon; popular sovereignty is limited and many Western projections of a breaking point are incorrect.
• Even if Putin were to fall, his replacement could be worse, making regime change an uncertain outcome for stability.