Evgeni Grishkovets

Vodka kak nechto bol'she

Vodka is much bigger Essay. Azbuka. Moscow 2020. 93 pages

It just so happens that vodka is considered a purely Russian drink. And it can‘t be drunk properly anywhere but in Russia. To drink it as it should be, as intended by those who created it. ... that is, again, by the Russians.

Foreigners consider vodka to be the strongest and hardest drink, almost impossible to consume, with a killer strength, and just as inscrutable as everything else Russian. Others see the special ability of Russians to drink vodka as a mysterious national peculiarity, bravery, and native strength. There is even a certain amount of envy in this: they just can‘t do it! But why?

The thing is that vodka cannot be treated as any other strong drink, which is used to get intoxicated. Vodka is a special science, part of a unique lifestyle and deep culture, not just a colorless transparent liquid!

In his essay „Vodka is much bigger“ Evgeny Grishkovets, with his inherent humor and wit, as well as a genuine love for this traditional drink, tells about the features of vodka and its higher manifestations in Russian culture.