June 30, 2020

Lighten Up, Russia


Lighten Up, Russia
This could be water, for all we know. Chris Ralston on Unsplash

Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues, Russian drinking habits appear to have lightened up a bit.

Russia's National Consumer Protection Union reported earlier this week that sales of high-alcohol beverages, such as vodka and cognac, have decreased, while sales of low-alcohol drinks, like wine and beer, have seen an uptick.

Almost 10% more low-alcohol drinks were sold this May than last; wine sales were up 6%, and champagne sales rose 4.8%.

By contrast, vodka sales climbed only 2.8% year on year; cognac sales actually decreased by 1.3%.

All told, it's been a big year for Russian beverages, from moonshine drive-thrus to an official switch to "coffee country" status.

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Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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The Moscow Eccentric

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