October 21, 2015

Venedikt Erofeev's Art of Alcoholism (and how to say nyet)


Venedikt Erofeev's Art of Alcoholism (and how to say nyet)

Vodka gets its fair share of PR as far as Russia is concerned. But is it always for the right reasons? October 24 marks the birth of Venedikt Erofeev, at least as well known for his drinking and vagrancy as for his writing.

His famous “poema” (more a novella, really) is Moscow-Petushki, though it’s usually translated as Moscow to the End of the Line. The narrator – Venichka, a version of the author Venedikt– recounts his attempt to travel by train from the capital to the peripheral village of Petushki. His journey is populated by drunkards, philosophers, angels whispering in his ear, and other fellow travelers who partake in his inebriated path to Petushki.

So through Venichka’s intoxicating lens, here are three little facts on alcohol consumption in Russia today. True, his lens tends to skim over some of the more dire sociopolitical aspects of heavy drinking, so consider yourself warned. But literature is all about opening up the imagination, even if that means the occasional satirical poke at social problems, isn’t that so?

1. The Russian government, through multiple actual governments, has made many an attempt to combat alcohol consumption, including (according to The Atlantic) four reforms before the revolution of 1917, and larger anti-alcohol campaigns in 1958, 1972, and 1985. But each attempt culminated with just as much drunkenness and addiction – often because of moonshine or “samogon,” which translates literally, if a bit awkwardly, to “self-made fire.”

Venichka’s answer: creative recipes like “Tear of the Komsomol girl” or “The Spirit of Geneva,” which build a buzz with substances you wouldn’t have considered drinkable. Here, for example, is “Balsam of Canaan”:

Methylated spirits                  100 g.

Velvet Beer                             200 g.

Refined Furniture Polish         100 g.

Thirsty yet? As Venichka quips, “Life is given to a man only one time and it must be lived so as not to make mistakes in recipes.”

2. When addiction’s on the line, there’s always cold turkey – and that’s exactly what the village of Tumul did with its self-imposed ban on the selling and drinking of alcohol. Taken up in 2012, the ban has allegedly led to declining rates of illness and crime, and suggesting that many a missed workday prior to 2012 was alcohol-induced.

Venichka-the-narrator may like to take a tipple, but he doesn’t see that as compromising his approach to labor. While working as foreman at a cable-fitting site, he institutes a new system of individualized charts to mark his colleague’s progress – that progress being in alcohol consumed rather than cable-fitting. These charts, he boasts (and illustrates in the book), “looked variously like the Himalayas, the Tyrol, oil derricks, or even the Kremlin wall…”

A more dedicated worker would be hard to come by.

3. If anyone can bring out the artistry of alcoholism, it’s surely Erofeev. But before we get too tipsy on his text, let’s come right out and say it: alcoholism in Russia is not a pretty thing. Just ask the World Health Organization, whose research shows that one in five Russian men die due to alcohol-related causes, compared with 6.2 percent of all men globally.

To be fair, Venichka isn’t blind to the dangers of drinking. Near the end of his text, his narration is getting increasingly colored by hallucination, and we find him dozing on the platform of what he believes to be Petushki (but is it? We won’t give it away). His drunkenness, weakness, and the touch of a hangover blend with a dream:

“From far off, over there where the fog swirled, those two lanky figures from Mukhina’s huge sculpture emerged, the worker with his hammer and the peasant woman with her sickle, and they came right up to me, both with smirks on their faces. And the worker hit me on the head with his hammer and then the peasant woman gave it to me in the balls with her sickle.”

Yes, that’s that famous and very dignified-looking Mosfilm statue, brought to life in Venichka’s hallucination to play the disciplinary role of properly ideological Soviet folk. If alcohol poisoning, cirrhosis, and suicide are the punishments for less artsy alcoholics, getting beaten to a pulp by a X-foot statue surely isn’t the worst that can happen.

It may seem like Erofeev is making fun of a truly serious and often devastating plight, one that has affected the lives and caused the deaths of many Russians. But in his strange, wry, and occasionally deeply philosophical way, Erofeev was lamenting the tendency to turn to alcohol when life had little else to offer. He died in 1990 of throat cancer, and though his story can be taken as a warning against the heavy drinking and smoking, his writing should be appreciated for its artistic spirit, and not just for the spirits imbibed within it.


Works cited

Erofeev, Venedikt. Moscow to the End of the Line. 1969. Trans. H. William Tjalsma. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. 1980.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955