In Taste of a Parallel World...
In 1938, the recipe and trademark were registered in the USSR vodka "Capital". Vodka began to be produced only a few years later, in 1941, while the first bottle of Stolichnaya was produced in Leningrad.
Since 1971, vodka has been sold in the United States. The rights to distribute vodka were given to the American company PepsiCo (we all know Pepsi-Cola!), in exchange for the right to build a plant for the production of carbonated drinks in Novorossiysk. In America, our "Capital" received the stable name Stoli.
In post-Soviet times, there was, and is happening now, a terrible confusion with the owners of the Stolichnaya brand. At the moment this vodka is boycotted by gays and lesbians in the USA and England (as a Russian product), and vodka is produced in Latvia. There is no official production of this brand of Russian vodka in Russia.
Moscow special vodka or just Moscow vodka
is the national brand of Russian vodka, introduced in 1894 by the Russian State Vodka Monopoly. Its production was stopped (along with other spirits) with the introduction of a ban in Russia after the outbreak of the First World War. The brand was restored in the Soviet Union in 1925. Throughout its history, the Moskovskaya bottle has been characterized by the green color of the label.
In addition to water and alcohol, the standard recipe for Moscow includes small amounts of baking soda and acetic acid. Moskovskaya is the only sort of Soviet vodka made from grain alcohol.
Vodka "Wheat"
The history of Wheat Vodka dates back to the 1970s. In fact, this is a new brand designed for domestic consumption. It was on this vodka, according to Leonid Parfyonov, that the screw cap was first used, only with this vodka did the understanding begin that the bottle can not be finished drinking, leaving "for later".
The label of this vodka was decorated with a picture, according to the same Leonid Parfyonov, "simply copied from the primer". The same native expanses, the same fields, stacks and village ... Everything is completely in the Russian style.
Siberian vodka
Appeared, like Pshenichnaya, in the 70s. It was distinguished by an increased strength in comparison with the "Wheat" and, like the "Wheat", had a wrapping cork. Initially intended for domestic consumption, it has found excellent overseas markets. The traditional design with a trio of faults, the name associated with the wild Russian region, or something else - now it’s hard to say for sure. However, it was at Sibirskaya that the technology for purifying vodka with activated carbon was first tested and then put into mass production.
Kuban
Although it was officially called vodka, it has always been a bitter tincture. At first, the label said "Russian vodka", but then, in the process of development, the words about vodka disappeared. And there was "bitters".
Russian
Let's just say it was a mass model. This vodka had a sharp and unpleasant taste and smell, despite all attempts to flavor the product with cinnamon. But it was produced everywhere, each republic had its own "Russian". Interestingly, it was also exported. The brand decayed and dilapidated, deteriorated. but... But the reincarnation of Russian vodka is currently taking place. And it's not the alcohol producers' fault. The Sochi Olympics are the main catalyst. I don’t say anything more, I suggest looking at the photo:
Igor Provatorov
Remember A.P. Chekhov: “There is nothing in Russia, but everything is in Greece.” Of course, if you dig deep, everything was in the USSR! But not always! And not for everyone!
And this trend applied to everything, including alcoholic beverages. Therefore, I will focus on “folk” drinks, that is, those that the vast majority of honest people drank. I do not presume to judge this topic for the entire period of Soviet power, but only for that period of time when I began to take an active interest in this issue, that is, in the very heyday of the stagnation of developed socialism - at the end of the 70s. To illustrate my point, I use a "small piece" of my collection of liquor labels.
Strong liquor
. The most popular strong drink in the country. Fortress 40% (or 40 volume units) - in the people - 40 "turns". The cost of this “miracle”, as evidenced by the price on the label, is 4.42 rubles of the USSR, including the cost of dishes. The fact is that in those days, dishes, or rather a bottle, were a kind of "currency" that was easy to exchange for money - 12 kopecks (that's how much a bottle of alcoholic beverages cost). Therefore, the cost of drinks has always been indicated: “with the cost of dishes” or “without the cost of dishes”. By bringing an empty container to any store, you could get the coveted drink for 12 kopecks cheaper. And sometimes alcoholic drinks were sold exclusively in exchange for empty containers. The costs of the State Planning Committee of the USSR - they managed to produce vodka, but there was no container for it, so they had to forcibly withdraw it from the population.
analogue, Vodka Russian . Fortress 40%, price 5 rubles 30 kopecks. Later version.
Vodka. Or just vodka . Fortress 40%, price 4.70. One of the "type models", popularly called "Andropovka". After Andropov, the former chairman of the KGB of the USSR, came to power, a tough policy of strengthening discipline in the state began. In order to soften the attitude of the people to the authorities, or to make the people simply "life easier", vodka was thrown on the market at a price of 4 rubles 70 kopecks, as opposed to the "expensive" Russian vodka at 5.30.
Bitter tincture Amateur . Fortress 28%, price 3.20. The same vodka as Russian, but diluted. The people simply called "Amateur vodka". It was intended for those who didn’t “scrape” money for forty degrees. In tandem with a bottle of beer, the effect completely replaced Russian vodka.
Streltsy tincture, bitter . Fortress 27%, price 3.20. A kind of analogue of Amateur, but for connoisseurs of "painted over" vodka.
Ukrainian bitter tincture with pepper . Fortress 40%, price 3.97. The people simply: vodka "Ukrainian with pepper." Produced as a rule in a square bottle. It was an excellent gift-bribe option throughout the USSR. Why it was cheaper than Russian vodka - history is silent. The disadvantages include the fact that having fairly “eaten” Ukrainian with pepper, it was dangerous to throw a lit match in the toilet under oneself, and without a match, fire erupted from the body!
Vodka strong (or Strong vodka ). Fortress 56%. It was vodka for lovers of "strong sensations". It was produced for export (they say know ours) and was not available for free sale, so the price did not matter.
. Fortress 95%, price 12.50. A drink for real Russian guys. I saw with my own eyes in the north how “strong guys” drink from the neck in one go a bottle of alcohol, lightly washed down with water from a stream, then get behind the wheel of their dump trucks and continue to work. They joked that in the north it was impossible to do without it, they say, in the cold at 60 degrees, the blood dissolved in pure alcohol, flowing through the vessels, does not have time to freeze!
. The fortress is 95%, the price is 21.70 (a later version, when the country became tense with finances). In fact, it is known that alcohols are divided according to their chemical composition, for example: ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol .... It is also possible to divide alcohols according to the type of feedstock - grain alcohol, potato alcohol, wood alcohol .... By appointment, alcohols are divided into the following categories: medical alcohol, technical alcohol, food alcohol .... In the USSR, they brought out a special “breed” of alcohol - drinking alcohol - to drink instead of water, probably. Just before the collapse of the USSR, and immediately after it, drinking alcohol was packaged not only in half-liter bottles, but also in 0.5; 1.0; 3.0 liter cans (cylinders among the people). Those who did not have equipment for pouring alcohol into glass containers simply acted. I saw a kiosk set up at the entrance of one distillery, where alcohol was sold for bottling. They scooped it out of milk cans, milk ladles. True, they say then the entire management of the distillery was imprisoned for such an exclusive.
. Fortress 40%. Such vodka appeared during the collapse of the USSR. Sold exclusively in liter containers. Well, rightly so, because the people were nervous about the collapse, so 0.5 per capita was no longer enough. The price is not important. She already had her own.
Vodka Davidoff . An analogue of Rasputin vodka. It is likely that the capitalists sponsored the rapid collapse of the USSR with such drinks.
Vodka Orloff . The same as the previous representatives of companies like "American distilleryne". There were also Smirnoff vodka and the like. The only thing that is not clear is why Russian surnames suddenly began to end with “of” or, even better, with “off”?
Rum Havana Club . Fortress 40%. The price fluctuated, but not much higher than the price of vodka. Friendly Cuba supplied such a noble drink to the USSR. The Soviet people often did not understand this drink, but sometimes indulged in it. The label on the right attracted exotic lovers more - it is made of gold-colored foil. After all, in our country all labels were printed on paper, such as toilet paper (toilet paper was in short supply, respectively), so “gold” attracted people like glass beads for magpies.
. The origin is the same, but the fortress is 43%.
Rum Havana Club . Fortress 40%, price 4.20. The inscription on the label says: bottled at the enterprises of the Ministry of Food Industry of the USSR. But then, too, they knew how to count money! Why carry glass containers across the ocean? It’s easier to bring oil to Cuba by tankers, and back, so as not to waste empty people - rum!
Rum Liberty . Fortress 40%. Such rum appeared simultaneously with vodkas such as Rasputin, Smirnov, etc. And it cost like these vodkas. Personally, I liked it, so as a rule it was Rum Liberty that was used, less often Gin Liberty (when I wanted something stronger). Vodka of American origin "went with a bang" when "flavored drinks" got bored.
Gene Liberty . Fortress 45%.
Scotch Whiskey . Fortress 40%. If you really wanted moonshine, but there was nowhere to get it, you had to drink “real Scotch whiskey”, since the price did not bite. Rum, Gin and Whiskey were sold in containers of 0.7 - 0.75 liters, which is not typical for us. The good news is that in those days a lot of these drinks were drunk, because now a couple of bottles cost as much as it used to last for a month!
Cognac . For the people, just cognac. Fortress 40%. It was expensive - 5.70. Therefore, in comparison with cheap vodka (5.30), almost no one drank it. The people drank vodka and, at the mention of cognac, twisted their lips and declared that it "stinks of bedbugs." Interesting, do you know how bed bugs stink? Not? And the entire Soviet people knew!
Cognac of the other is a variety for the elite (please do not confuse it with the second grade). In this case Georgian Cognac Vartsikhe . Fortress 42%. Exposure 6-7 years, medals, too, 6-7. What price? Yes, it doesn't matter at all. What difference does it make, what is the price of a product that is sold mainly from under the floor.
. Fortress 45%, price 5.80. On it I will finish with hard liquor. There were "a lot" of liquors on sale: Lemon liquor, Coffee liquor, Cocoa liquor, Mint liquor. If I forgot something, please remind me. But Old Tallinn liquor was perhaps the only and most real liquor. I still remember him for the fact that he was in a ceramic bottle, and the neck was filled with sealing wax, with some kind of official embossed seal. Often I had to fly by plane to the north and carry alcohol, which was strictly forbidden. Therefore, alcohol was collected in a bottle from Old Tallinn liquor, the neck was melted with sealing wax and an GDR coin was applied from the “eagle” side. Who was there during the Soviet times during the inspection could distinguish what the East Germans “write” from what the Balts write?
Wine
Soviet champagne . About the fortress and the price is not a word, and so everything is clear. Here is a label from a drink produced abroad. As you can see, the word "champagne" is not used. Simply Soviet Sparkling. It will be later that everything that “pops with a cork” will be called champagne, and even later the French will forbid our manufacturers to use the word “champagne” in the names of sparkling wines through the courts.
Georgian dry wine Hereti . The price is 1.70 for 0.8 liters. In general, in the USSR, dry wines are drinks exclusively for gourmets.
Georgian dry wine Tsinandali . The price is 2.70 for 0.7 liters. Then, looking at the label and seeing a lot of medals, they respectfully said “vintage”. Now for the dull ones they write this word on the bottles. It should be noted here that the prices for the listed Georgian wines are somewhere in Tbilisi, Moscow or Kyiv. In the Georgian outback in the store, all wines cost 1.00 rubles per 0.8 liters, plus or minus 20 kopecks, regardless of the number of medals. At the same time, the seller usually said: “All the wine is good, everything is bottled from one barrel, but the best is homemade by Givi, that is, by me!”.
Table wine . The people called this wine "sour". Why it was, no one understood. But now, when there was not enough money for something more solid (more precisely, strong), or suddenly there was nothing else in the selmag, sour was also spent for a sweet soul. At the same time, the Lord God thanked 100% atheistic citizens of the USSR.
Grape fortified wine Aist . Fortress 18%, price 2.40 rubles per 0.7 liters. Wine of average price category. Many wines can be attributed to this category - these are Moldavian and Azerbaijani Port wines, Madera, Sun in a glass, etc. Such wines were drunk by the middle class, which included almost the entire population of the USSR. He drank them, though, either on holidays or after pay. In everyday life, cheaper fruit and berry wines were more in demand.
Wine fruit and berry Apple strong . Fortress 16%, price 1.05 rubles per 0.5 liter. The most popular wine among the people, had the nickname "Pepenka" due to the high-yielding variety of apples bred by the famous breeder Michurin. The very name "Apple" is a little inconsistent with the definition of "fruit". And this only says that the wine was made from "what God sent." More precisely, that the collective farm brought it to the winery and made apple wine from it.
. Fortress 17%, price 1.30 rubles per 0.5 liters. An analogue of the previous wine, but it was not called a pepka, this is truly a real chatter. I have never drunk more nasty stuff in my life! The romantic name Alma Valley does not come from South Africa, or Brazil there - the valley of the same name is located near the city of Lubny, Poltava region, in Ukraine.
Wine Aroma of orchards fruit and berry . Fortress 17%, price 1.80 rubles per 0.5 liter. The people called this wine "blue" for its poisonous blue color. Wine stains “planted” on clothes were practically impossible to remove.
Wine Radiant strong, fruit and berry . Fortress 17.5%, price 1.60 rubles per 0.5 liter. Wine on a fortress as grape Madera, but exactly two times cheaper. In short, a surrogate for lovers of strong wines, or for lovers of "to insert better for the same price."
Wine Apple fruit and berry, sweet . Fortress 16%, sugar 16%, price 1.40 rubles per 0.5 liter. An analogue of "pepenka", but for "lovers of heartburn". Cheap analogue of dessert wines. The label shows how simply the problems were solved - they corrected the bottle capacity and price with a ballpoint pen - and, as they say, "very good."
Wine Cherry sweet . Fortress 16%, price 1.50 rubles. for 0.5 liters. Everyone in those days could feel like a gourmet for just a ruble and a half. Now go find some cherry wine!
Cider or sparkling apple drink . Fortress 8%, price 1.00 rubles per 0.8 liters. An excellent "hangoverizer" the next morning after vodka. Many are inclined to believe that the cider was better than the current cheap "champagne". Today, too, you can buy Cider "a la France" in supermarkets. But it costs a few dollars, and the fortress is only 2%. Still, the Soviet Cider had a price-degree ratio an order of magnitude higher. Perhaps the most significant drawback of Cider was that, heated in the sun, when opened, it completely evaporated from the bottle. But on the other hand, who would ever think of drinking heated champagne, even if it's apple?
Beer
Beer. Yes, the Russian soul has long proclaimed "vodka without beer is money down the drain." In fact, the Slavic brothers are accustomed to “polishing with beer” not only with vodka, but with absolutely any alcoholic beverage, including liqueurs and champagne. Moreover, before drinking stronger drinks, there is a “training” with beer, and after “polishing”. Beer significantly reduces the cash costs that must be incurred to bring yourself to the desired condition. In addition, beer is widely used to relieve the morning hangover. True, after this, as a rule, another period of intoxication sets in. There were not so many types of beer in the USSR. Here are the main ones: Riga, Jubilee, Moscow, Russian, Barley Ear. Of course, other varieties were born in the great country (especially in the Baltic states), but such amateur performance was severely suppressed. Since the whole country walks in formation, then the brewers should walk in the same way.
Beer Zhigulevskoe is the main beer of the country. It is today that every farm brews beer named after the farm, but in the USSR it was possible (to paraphrase Henry Ford Sr.) to drink any beer, but it must be Zhiguli. I don’t have exact data, but somewhere around 80% of all beer in the USSR was Zhigulevskoye. Regardless of the variety, beer cost 37 kopecks in the USSR (including the cost of a glass bottle) plus or minus 4 kopecks.
That's basically all I wanted to tell you. The drinking traditions of the USSR (especially given its multinational structure) are so wide that there is not enough space even in a monogram the size of a TSB. More broadly, the question of "people's love for alcohol" will be covered later.
© I.G. Provatorov, 2015
1970
In the late 60s - early 70s of the last century, several varieties of vodka were sold in the USSR, but the "Stolichnaya" variety was considered "folk" vodka.
The price of 0.5 liters of "Capital" at that time was 3 rubles. 07 kop. The label says "Price 2 rubles 95 k. without the cost of dishes." A half-liter bottle at that time cost 12 kopecks. Adding the price of vodka to the cost of dishes, we get 3 rubles. 07 kop. At this price, it was sold in stores.
There was also a number of drinks with a strength of 40 degrees at a price of 2 rubles. 87 kop. Some of them, for example "Chernigovskaya", had the status of "vodka", some - the status of "bitters". However, they appeared on sale relatively rarely, and those who wanted to drink "right now" could not seriously expect to buy "half a liter" cheaper than 3 rubles. "Capital" was always on sale.
1975
From 1972 to 1977, two varieties of vodka were the most accessible to the population.
One variety was called "Extra". A bottle of 0.5 liters of this vodka cost 4 rubles.
As you can see from the label, the letters "O" and "K" were located on the label a little lower than the rest of the letters and visually the word "VODKA" looked a little like the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. Because vodka of this variety began to be popularly called "Crankshaft".
The second grade had no name, only the word "VODKA" was printed on the label. A bottle of 0.5 liters of this vodka cost 3 rubles. 62. kop. This variety was nicknamed by the people "Crankshaft".
1980
From 1977 to 1981, Russian vodka was the most popular among the people, costing 4 rubles. 42 kop. per bottle 0.5 l.
During this period, vodka "Wheat" also appeared. It cost 5 rubles. 13 kop.
Despite the fact that "Pshenichnaya" was on sale quite often (although not always, unlike "Russian"), it did not become "people's" vodka, mainly due to the fact that it was much more expensive with practically the same quality. "Russian".
Vodka in the Soviet Union - it is about it that we would like to tell a little more today, namely, what the alcohol industry was like in the first half of the 20th century in Russia. However, I would like to talk about such a serious topic in a bit of a joke, so if you are not a big fan of historical facts, you can immediately scroll down to Soviet jokes. And I'll start by talking about myself. It just so happens that my love for cocktails began with the drink "Screwdriver". Only then, of course, we did not know this, but simply drank vodka with orange juice. Then the time came for the more expensive and so attractive “Blue Lagoon”!.. And I seriously told everyone with a little pretension that this is my favorite cocktail. Because at the age of 19, having a favorite cocktail seemed very cool to me. What do these two cocktails have in common, my dear non-sober drinkers? That's right - vodka.
According to the refined theory of historical materialism, an intermediate stage is inevitable between socialism and communism - “alcoholism”.
folk wisdom
The history of Soviet vodka officially began in 1923 - after the abolition of Prohibition, introduced by the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, 9 years before. During Prohibition, of course, a huge amount of alcohol was drunk. In 1913 alone, according to the statistics of the General Directorate of non-refundable expenses, the stock of alcohol at a 40-degree strength was more than 37 million buckets.
However, initially all USSR vodka labels did not contain the word “vodka” - the famous drink was called “bread wine”. (“The strength of bread wine (vodka) is determined by the decision of the Council of Labor and Defense.” Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of September 17, 1932 on the reorganization of the alcohol and alcohol industry) This name was later recorded in official documents, leaving the name “vodka” out of brackets.
GLAVESPIRT
There were other restrictions that were reflected in the design of Soviet vodka labels - for example, a ban on advertising in any form. Advertisers managed to get around it, for example, using a 3-color image, which was allowed to be used on the label. There are few flowers and it seems like it's not advertising. Nevertheless, talented artists managed to create ingenious logos and drawings of vodka brands that remained in the memory not only of the Russian people, but also in hundreds of foreign countries. Some of the labels have become such famous and recognizable brands that they have not changed to this day - and the export of these types of vodka, created according to old Soviet recipes, does not dry out outside Russia. Well, in the memory of the older generation, the inscriptions that contained labels of USSR vodka still evoke a nostalgic smile. And concerning the price (included in many jokes, films and even songs), and with now unusual indications such as “price without the cost of dishes”, “for domestic use” and others.
For a long time, the main body regulating the alcohol turnover was the Main Directorate of the Alcohol and Spirits Industry of the People's Commissariat for Supply of the USSR or, in short, Glavspirt. According to the decrees, this department regulated the production and sale of all alcohol-containing products in all territories of the Union. The state, of course, had a monopoly on alcohol. There were few options in terms of strength:
Liqueurs and tinctures - not higher than 40 degrees;
Cognacs and liqueurs - no higher than 45.
Norms
There were also norms of “alcohol for household needs” with a strength of no higher than 90 degrees, but for some reason, an exception was made for Yakutia - no higher than 96. The Yakuts knew something, they knew something ...
It's really nice that Glavspirt hasn't forgotten about the components of good cocktails, namely liqueurs. Liquor production got a low start in 1925 and worked exclusively according to state standards and included vodka without fail, occasionally replacing it with port wine or cognac. For all factories, their own recipes and cooking technology were developed. However, the common name for this category of drinks, “liqueurs”, was not very suitable, and therefore the category was divided into three groups, according to the content of sugars and alcohol in the drink: liqueurs proper; liqueurs; tinctures.
LIQUOR
Liqueurswere made on aromatic spirits and fortified infusions obtained from essential oil raw materials, as well as on fortified fruit juices, fruit drinks and rectified ethyl alcohol of the highest purity. In liqueurs, a pleasant peculiar taste and aroma, characteristic of each individual type of liqueur, was especially appreciated, which is why they were served as dessert drinks after a meal - lunch or dinner. The most common dessert liqueurs in the USSR were: Apricot, Plum, Fragrant, Vanilla, Cherry, Cornel, Colchis, Coffee, Lemon, Raspberry, Tangerine, Almond, New Year's, Sea buckthorn, Pink, Blackcurrant, Chocolate, Anniversary.
LIQUID
liqueurs- one of the types of alcoholic beverages. They are made on fortified fruit and berry juices, fruit drinks, rectified ethyl alcohol of the highest purity with the addition of sugar and citric acid, and in some also cognac. The most popular liqueurs in the USSR can be safely called the following: Quince, Plum, Cherry, Dessert, Golden Autumn, Casserole, Cornelian, Strawberry, Kurortnaya, Raspberry, Northern, Slivyanka (on fresh plum), Slivyanka (on dried plum), Spotykach, Blackthorn , Tea, Blackcurrant.
TINCTURE
Tinctures- one of the types of alcoholic beverages. Tinctures are divided into bitter strong, bitter weak and sweet. Strong bitter tinctures include: Anisovaya, Cherry, Mountain oak, Gorkaya, Erofeich, St. Caraway, Rosehip, Apple. Sweet tinctures include: Apricot of two types (on dried and fresh apricots), Orange, Cowberry, Cherry, etc.
Glavspirt, as the main governing body for alcohol affairs, was reorganized in 1956. The issue of alcohol consumption by the population was still in charge of the Ministry of Food Industry, and vodka itself occupied a special place in the hearts of Soviet citizens. This was reflected in popular rumor and anecdotes, which officially did not exist. Therefore, at the end of our conversation today, the promised humor.
At what stage is the fight against alcoholism?
Successfully passed the first stage: liquidated appetizer!
Soviet old man caught a goldfish.
She offered the fulfillment of three wishes for liberation. The old man agreed.
What will be your first wish?
Do this, - says the old man, - so that the water in the whole sea turns into vodka!
The fish waved its tail and granted the old man's wish.
What is your second wish?
Make sure that the water in the river that flows into this sea also turns into vodka!
The fish waved its tail and granted the second wish.
Old man, what will be your last wish?
The old man thought, thought, and says:
Okay, put half a liter and get out!
Brezhnev's increase in prices for vodka
Was - five, became - eight. We won't stop drinking anyway.
Tell Ilyich: we can handle ten.
Well, if there are more, then things will go as in Poland.
If it's 25, we'll take the Winter one again
- Dad, dad, vodka has become more expensive! Are you going to drink less now?
- No, son, now you will eat less!
L. Brezhnev arrives at the factory, walks around the shop, approaches the lathe and asks the turner: “Can you work if you drink a glass of vodka?”
Let's remember what alcoholic drinks we have
always stood on festive tables in the Soviet years.
Many of them have not been
are produced, but their taste is still preserved in memory.
At first I wanted to call this part in the spirit of the previous ones - "What We Drank".
But that's why I thought about it and decided that this is a little not correct :)
The first time I tried alcoholic drinks at the age of 15,
and for the first time seriously got drunk at the age of 16, on New Year's Eve. "Port wine 777".
Fortunately, I did not become addicted to the "green serpent" and still consider it evil.
If in excess. But quality vintage wines,
cognacs and viskariki occasionally respect.
I had one hobby as a child. Collected wine (vodka, cognac) labels.
Agree, quite an innocent hobby for a child. And I was just a fan.
You might find a bottle on the street, bring it home, put it in a bowl of hot water,
15 minutes - bang! and a new label in the collection. Friends (mothers) helped
- they looked for treasured bottles of the deep-Soviet period in the cellars / attics and gave them to me.
For several years, an impressive pack has accumulated
. Then the hobby suddenly disappeared, as did the collection itself. But, fortunately, she was later found.
I carefully scanned it and now I want to show you :) Labels for me -
one of the doors to childhood memories.
Soviet drawings, fonts, prices, "I belt, II belt", "Price with the cost of dishes", containers,
kilometer-long queues for wine and vodka, coupons...
Crimea, the sea and the vine, after all.
Do not be lazy, take your time, look at each label -
She has a lot to say and remember.
So what was still on our tables and in refrigerators 20-30 years ago?
I'll start with aperitifs.
The lion's share of wine production in the USSR came from the Moldavian SSR. The inscription "MOLDVINPROM"
will be found in almost every third label.
Sherries and vermouths:
And "GOSAGROPROM" - on every second :)
One of the pearls of my small collection is Hungarian vermouth.
Very popular in the 90s, live bottled beer from our native Ulyanovsk plant (R.I.P):
And this is the same Ulyanovsk plant, but still in the 80s:
The pride of our brewery!
Our plant soldered not only Ulyanovsk, but also neighbors :)
Classics of the genre!
Now this is also happening. But it's not like that anymore...
Hello from China. Their beer. This is the crazy 90s.
We are done with aperitifs, let's move on to table wines, of which there were a great many in the USSR.
Table (dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet) wines:
Guys, this is Checheningushvino! Pretty rare label.
Rkatsiteli is a popular light wine made from a highly valuable grape variety.
Greetings from Volgograd!
Azerbaijan:
Black Sea pink, with the inscription on the boat "Abrau-Durso". It looks like it was made in the same factory.
This small bottle was brought by us from my first trip to the Crimea, in 1991:
Such a small bottle of wine stood in our sideboard for a long time.
Until the wine turned to vinegar.
I have many childhood memories associated with her:
In particular, the dream of the sea began with her.
Abkhazia. By the way, the label is now reanimated and can be seen on the shelves.
This one is from those Soviet times.
Here is a modern label of Abkhazian wine:
Bulgaria has always been distinguished by expensive printing of labels.
Bulgaria 90s:
Algerian wine. I think that ordinary people did not have this on their tables:
Fortified wines:
A pack of the next two "zero" labels, the boys and I found in some basement.
Apparently, someone hid there for an underground workshop.
This one has a very uneven print. Apparently self-made. I will not believe,
that "Abrau-Durso" could afford such a hack.
Did I mention that I had my first drink at 15? I lied.
In church, they poured a whole spoonful of diluted Cahors into us children :)
Well, who does not remember the liqueur Amaretto, popular in the 90s? :)) Sold in every "lump".
Like this fortified Moldovan wine:
Remember that troubled time when alcohol could be bought anywhere,
just not in the store ... In the "lumps", "at the granny" ... Horror.
Here is something else sweet and foreign from those times. More like chocolate.
Odessa Mama!
I like these monsters: "Glavuprpischeprom GOSAGROPROM RSFSR ROSSPIRTPROM"
Probably those who worked there, always gathered for a long time with an answer to the question about the place of work.
Cossack wine:
Flavored wines:
And here even the counter-label with the cocktail recipe has been preserved:
Ports
I have always associated ortwine with something cheap and unworthy
self-respecting person. Like a triple cologne.
"Mom is anarchy, dad is a glass of port." Unfortunately,
the opinion was established with the first experience of intoxication of a strong degree,
what happened to me after the chiming clock in 1996. Bottle "777"
was destroyed almost in one gulp, for two with a friend
- hurried to friends (Vityok, if you read me, then hello). Hmm...
"Agdam" is still Soviet:
"Agdam" is no longer Soviet. And the price went up. Holiday prices....
3
And another variation:
Moldovan :)
Georgian port bag "Three bananas":
Sparkling wines (Champagne - New Year is coming soon!):
Champagne in the late 80s and early 90s, like everything else, was not easy to buy.
By some tricks they got a box or two for the wedding.
And it was even necessary to show a certificate from the registry office that it was really for the wedding.
For it’s not good to celebrate for no reason when the “dashing” are in the yard
- drink vodyaru on coupons ...
I didn't like champagne. No, not because it's not like that.
It’s just that bottles from under it were very rarely accepted.
We can say that they did not accept at all. From under vodka and beer - without ceremony.
And the champagne bottles were dead weight in the sheds and on the balconies.
Their only use is slingshot shooting. The glass is strong
did not fly apart the first time, prolonging the pleasure for the second and third hit.
And they also mixed carbide with water in them, plugged them with a native cork and ran into the "bunker".
Yes, motorists stored all sorts of liquids in them, such as solariums, oils and electrolytes. Reliable capacity.
Here they are, native to every Soviet citizen, labels.
Made and poured everywhere.
Azerbaijan SSR:
Tolyatti:
What had no right to be called "champagne" was called "sparkling".
Abrau-Durso, the king of Soviet champagnes:
And note, one price - 6 rubles 50 kopecks with the cost of dishes. How simple and clear...
Cheap Moscow "pop" for two pee:
Imported from Bulgaria:
From Hungary:
Friends, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist :)
It is modern, "New World". I haven't tried anything better...
Strong tinctures:
End of 10th grade. We are all very adults now, we can decide for ourselves what to drink and how much :) The choice has always fallen on this:
0.5 for 10 people - cool, walk! :) Why lemon?
Apparently, on a subconscious level, they chose a compromise between childhood (lemonade) and supposedly adult life (vodka).
The rubbish is still the same, but it was impossible to show it. And don't forget that this is 1996...
For some reason, tinctures were then made similar to lemonade. Have you attracted children? :)
The only inscription "bitter" said that it was not tasty.
Strong tincture "Zubrovka": Made on the basis of bison grass, it has a mild, slightly burning taste and aroma of bison.
And the price is already a whole red gold piece.
Cognacs:
Our parents were lucky - they could still drink normal, "not burned"
cognacs from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
How many kinds there were! But not everyone can afford it. More expensive than vodka by 5 rubles.
Moldavian SSR:
I found this bottle in some old cellar, half full. Naturally, the liquid was immediately drained to the ground :)
But it was someone's stash.
What is not now. Georgian cognacs:
Azerbaijani:
Cognac of the Dagestan ASSR. Produced at the Moscow Inter-Republican Winery.
Disgusting cognac drink "Strugurash": But for lack of a better one, he also went:
Vodka was as it is now - cheap and expensive.
The cheap one was almost always sold in lemonade bottles - "cheburashkas", with a lid made of thick foil, with a "tail":
Darling - in long bottles, with a screw cap:
And this is how vodka was bought in the USSR:
First they handed over the old container, then they took a new one with this money. If enough :)
"Gorbachev's loop":
If there was not enough vodka, then they took port wine. When it ended and he went to a nearby store for this:
Interestingly, the same brand of vodka could be both cheap and expensive at the same time.
I'll start with the cheap ones. This was usually paid with a tractor driver in the spring, for arable work in a summer cottage:
This was usually put on the table on ordinary holidays:
The capital was not available (in any case, with us).
Prepared on the highest purity alcohol with the addition of sugar in the amount of 0.2 g per 100 ml.
And finally, the king of vodka! Siberian:
Fortress - 45%, the price is almost like that of cognac - almost 12 rubles!
This was ordered for weddings.
Kuban tincture, with a sacramental inscription RUSSIAN VODKA.
Gin, whiskey, brandy, rum:
The fact that they usually didn’t drink in the USSR, because. did not produce. But no one canceled business trips to fraternal countries,
so you could find these drinks:
It is likely that in the "Birch" you could buy.
But this, apparently, was brought in barrels from friendly Cuba and bottled with us.
Bulgarian brandy "Sunny Beach":
By the way, it is produced with the same label to this day. Recently a friend brought it, used it :)
Scotch Whiskey!
So what do you think? :) What did they drink from it?
