October 18, 2021

Fair Trade


Fair Trade
If your alcohol comes in clear plastic bottles with white caps, that's a bad sign. Boxes full of turned-in booze in Orenburg. TASS

Orenburg city officials are getting creative in finding ways to drive down instances of alcohol poisoning in their city. After all, man does not live on moonshine alone.

Local government has begun a program to trade illicit alcoholic beverages for groceries. Those with bottles of home-distilled drinks can drop them off at one of a chain of grocery stores and receive food in return. Not only will this get the potentially tinted beverages off the streets, authorities say: it'll also help drive down Orenburg's yearly cases of alcohol poisonings.

Given the generally very, very, very low quality of homemade brew, even Russian media thinks participants are getting a deal by receiving food worth many times more than the moonshine, and without the hangover.

If you happen to be an Orenburg home distiller, maybe it's time to turn to baking?

You Might Also Like

Tenders of the Vine
  • January 01, 2021

Tenders of the Vine

Where we explore Russia’s oenophilic intentions and vine-driven tourism, rooted in the hills of Krasnodar Krai.
Kvass
  • July 01, 2021

Kvass

Our old gals in the village cast a wary eye on all food from the store, because who knows what they’ve got in there?
When Well-Oiled, Skip the Fat
  • June 16, 2021

When Well-Oiled, Skip the Fat

If you enjoy a hefty pour (or three!), you might think twice about what you consume to offset the effects of a night of drinking.
Vodka vs. Coronavirus
  • March 20, 2020

Vodka vs. Coronavirus

Russia’s Ministry of Health discussed ways vodka can affect the coronavirus (spoiler alert: not much).
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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.

 
Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

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