ALCOHOL: THE ROLE IN COLLECTIVE OF RUSSIAN PEOPLE

Oct. 27, 2013 Anna Kamyshan

Alcohol: the role in collective of Russian people.

What is a collective? Does it exist? Is a collective - collective unconscious? Is it a mind, which derived from ancestral memory and experience and common to all humankind by Carl Jung? Or is it maybe the set of shared beliefs, ideas and moral attitudes, which operate as a unifying force within society by Emile Durkheim?

Film by Andrei Zorin and Alexei Khanyutin «VODKA. National Product #1», Screen shot

Whatever this collective was not, it is never alone: it is always, or almost always, with alcohol. Hardly anybody manage without it. Nondrinkers always look fishily and even more so in Russia, where people were suspicious of abstainers, as it well known.1 In a synopsis of the film «VODKA. National Product #1», Andrei Zorin gave a strange coincidence, so far as it seemed to him, hasn’t been appreciated by the dignity by the history science. "The Russian government was formed and acquired its political independence in the second half of the 15th century. At the same time, in Russia, with an epidemic rate was spread a new alcoholic beverage, later called vodka. Unwillingly, it is hard to escape a conclusion: either the formation of the Russian state has pushed the emergence of distillation or, vice versa, the formation of Russian statehood became possible due to use of funds obtained from distilling and vodka trade."

Thus, the conclusion arises about drunkenness as an element of the Russian national identity. Can we assume that alcohol and vodka in particular, is a rallying point for the Russian people? In this essay, I will try to answer this question in the light of the history of Russian drunkenness, led by New Year a chief drunken holiday and the role of alcohol in the future.

Homo Alcoholicus Russian drunkenness roots went down in history. Doctor of Geographical Sciences Gregory Holtz (Institute of Economic Forecasting of Russian Academy of Sciences) mentioned two

1 Alexander Jakimovich, «Drunkenness as Art and Philosophy Object», 1997

stages in the development of drunkenness in the territory of modern Russia. The first is rooted in a long way from the formation of statehood, in Slavic mythology and customs. In the Slavic tradition, at the burial ceremony gathered many followers and companions. It was believed that in order to follow a person in his or her grave in a good way, the followers should be so drunk that they would lie down near by a deceased, as he or she lies.

At that time people of course lived less, therefore the need to drink ritually frequently appeared.

The next step was reign of Peter the 1st. For each soldier of the new-formed regular army he set a standard of two goblets of vodka per day and three liters of beer. Did not stand aside and the common people. A cup of vodka per day was assumed for all the Petersburg builders, the road workers and the longshoremen. For commoners, was granted low-grade vodka free of charge by royal decree. The Empire began to drink with a flourish and noisily.

The Second World War and the blessing of the leader of the people Stalin, was the final step towards crystallizing symbolization of vodka as an object of special importance and part of Russian national identity. After the announcement of the general mobilization, Stalin the same as Peter the 1st, included to the soldier's diet famous narkomovskaya 100 grams of vodka. In four years after the war, vodka has become a symbol of the front, brotherhood, national power, Russian and Soviet patriotism. Vodka has become an attribute of a real hero. The main character in the famous film

by Sergei Bondarchuk's "Fate of a Man", vodka, showing to the fascists the greatness of Russian spirit. Since then, the symbolic capacity of clear liquid becomes almost limitless. 2

Alcohol as an instrument of control

Stalin became Santa Claus, advertisement of Amundsen Vodka

From the beginning the sales of vodka, authorities took it under their iron control. Everything connected with vodka is considered to be a matter of special importance in Russia.

From the 15th century the established monopoly on the production of alcohol filled up treasury with from a quarter up to 40%. It proves the fact that the state was economically interested in the national drinking.

There was also a strategic interest: drunk people were satisfied with little, they became obedient and grateful. State pubs have always been inundated with paid and voluntary informants, wafted to the top the drunk chatter of the visitors.

2 Andrei Zorin, Synopsis of the film «VODKA. National Product #1”, 2004

Technique " wine is in, truth is out " was also used by Stalin.

He hoped to ferret out the secret thoughts from his subordinates and find the enemies of the nation in such a way.

Molotov Cocktail: Resistance If you use the definition of Georges Bataille, drunken went out of a homogeneous measurement and settled in the measurement of heterogeneity. Truths and values of anthropic civilization were not for him anymore and he was not for them. Thus vodka, served as a tool of enslavement, was perceived by drinking people as a symbol of liberation from all the forms of social pressure. A glass of vodka allowed the most "humiliated and insulted" man to feel himself a Human and no worse than others. Drunker drunk away everything including his underwear and his cross. He caused not only conviction and compassion, but also admired for its daring and contempt for the social norm.2 The role of the alcohol in an active form of social resistance was also not the last. According to Zorin,2 the famous assault on the Winter Palace in 1917, which took place after a strict dry law adopted by Nicholas II in 1914, was largely inspired by the rumors of stored large amounts of alcohol in the cellars. So, cut off the alcohol faucet to the tamed people, imperial power had ceased to exist.

A similar situation occurred at the end of the Soviet period, with the beginning of Gorbachev's perestroika. In 1985 began a decisive offensive power on the basis of national consensus in the form of a decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU: "Measures for overcoming the alcohol abuse and alcoholism."

The party that encroached on vodka, could not keep the course of reforms under control. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the head of Russia became Boris Yeltsin, the one who was famous for his not indifferent attitude to alcohol.

Symbols of the Orange Revolution: Vodka “Takâ€? and an orange Â

In 2004 the Orange Revolution took place in Ukraine, which is largely shared history of drunkenness and public celebrations with Russia. During the revolution was even produced special, symbolic vodka: vodka "Tak"(Yes). Its rays of the sun on an orange background, in the cold winter days of the revolution warmed up the straggles and raised their spirit. Ukrainian citizens drank this vodka with likeminded people and presented it to others as a symbol of those orange days.

National binge: New Year National holidays and ceremonies are crucial representatives of the state ideology. In this sense, the New Year holidays will take place among all the major holidays Russian. Not for nothing the New Year holiday are the longest in the year.

Officially, the holidays lasts from 13 to 20 days a year, but in reality even longer. The unification of people in front of TV screen, in the outlet of everyday life, unrestrained and cheerful holiday after a working year: this is a universal dive into a state of idleness and peace of mind.

The preparations to the celebration start in advance.

Residents prepare the same as producers. The New Year's advertising and an injecting of orange flavor in the supermarkets incites celebrative excitement. Massive preparation creates incredible excitement in the stores.

Alcohol is of course the main artillery. Producers of alcoholic beverages prepare for the season from September to December and increase turnover of the production by half compared with the average. During the New Year holidays it is typical, the production is reduced to near zero. The stagnation in the economy of the country for almost a month plays subversive nature, but despite all the talk about it, no one is interested to reduce the number of days in a ritual celebration.

Corporate celebrations begin from January 24, and a pace of work highly relaxes. Huge amount of money and energy usually spent for the celebration. The largest corporate of a year is a matter of prestige of a company and the guarantee of high employee effectiveness in a new year. Rallying effect of alcohol relaxes and unites little known the staff in fact and gives a sense of collectivity. This collectivity emerges during the celebration and often become a beginning of social relations in a team. Drunkenness as a factor soulfulness, humanity, as an attribute of the "good man", truly Russian soul, blooms in the corporate halls within office workers.

The celebration of the New Year, it's quite exceptional.

Adage “In a way you met the New Year, in the same way you that will spend it� makes a celebration a very important event. Therefore it is needed that a celebrating table is in abundance of food and beverages. Thus, long vacation turned into a long overeating and booze. Celebrations begin at work, after them a New Year tableful is coming, which lasts for several days; gradually it all flows into the celebration of Christmas and then in the Old New Year holiday. The long binge negatively affects on public health, spiritual and

material condition. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome after a long break prevents the country to return to normal life.

Vodka without beer is money for nothing However, during the time of capitalism, Russian people began to drink less. Exported behavioral patterns of the west and corporate ethics slowly are assigned by society. With the development of business in Russia new qualities are needed: reliability, accuracy in the conduct of affairs, diligence and accuracy. Accordingly to this the practice of consumption of alcoholic beverages changes. The amount of alcohol has reduced, the degree of alcohol has decreases and pragmatism of people has increases. Russian tradition of strong drinks has displaced with beer.

It is interesting that when alcohol gained its popularity, firstly the population of the cities suffered from it. The peasants drank mostly on weekends and holidays. Now, things have turned out the opposite: people drink the strongest in the provinces, where the standard of living is much lower than in the cities and a corporate culture has not yet reached.

Unites or separates?

In already mentioned above the film «VODKA. National Product #1», the hero, famous St. Petersburg historian and writer defines the role of vodka “as an expansion of consciousness before the beginning of a dialogue. Binge drinking is a specific feature of Russian civilization, a special grease, allowing somehow twisted rusted ‘mechanisms’ and ‘arms’ of the Russian reality - he says. Coming out of the everyday life Russian man achieves the illusion of prosperity and peace of mind.

Alcohol in the history of the Russian people have always carried a unifying role and contributed to the collective sense.

Vodka accompanied many historically important events and processes. The people’s long feast has always brought together unknown people, supported long spiritual talks and washed away the past grievances among drinkers. However, under current conditions alcohol has stopped playing this role, turned for many in a protracted hard drinking.

Alcohol and drunkenness, despite the apparent collectiveprocess of drinking, became opposite commonality and collective. Alcoholic oblivion seemed to bring people together, in fact distancing them from reality and in this sense, from each other. The desire to relax, to forget and to be dissolved is an animal desire; Modern situation of drinking binge is opposed to the culture and the meaning of human

civilization. At the time of strongest need of civil activeness alcohol as an easiest way to escape of social problems, became antisocial. In contrast to the common, based on sober ideas and a desire to make a difference, alcohol leads a person into the world of illusions. Drunk man becomes indifferent to the life circumstances, environment does not matter to him.

Despite the fact that in the big Russian cities appeared a small layer of active people, willing to take a sober look at things and to change the existing reality, the bulk of the population lives from holiday to holiday. Drunken New Year is a prime example of the devastating effect on both society and economy of the country.

Government, in the Russian history, has been always using alcohol as a tool. The current situation of passivity of the population clearly plays into the hands of the existing state regime, which keeps its position only because society is soft and malleable and it is easy controllable in an alcoholic oblivion. Policy of the National Unity does not contradict, and even is in good agreement with the status quo of civil passivity. Willingly or unwillingly, filling the people's life with a month-long binge of the New Year holidays and cheap prices for alcohol, the state contributes to atomization3 of the society of Russia.

3 Vadim Dam ,"Atomization of society and social self-­‐ organization: the Russian context", 2006