--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in…" description: "\"Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the country in the dark ages and having a rollic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png" --- # Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost… ![“Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the country in the dark ages and having a rollicking good time.” quote by Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png) > “Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the country in the dark ages and having a rollicking good time.” [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Vodka is so pervasive in Russia it functions like money, keeping the nation in a perpetual, chaotic revelry. **In simple terms:** Vodka acts like a currency, sustaining Russia’s chaotic fun. Key Takeaway Recognize cultural habits that mask deeper issues. Themes culture economics addiction Mood cynical observational Type cultural satirical When to use this quote - social gatherings - policy analysis - health initiatives Key Concepts social ritual national identity Questions to Reflect On - How does vodka shape Russian social life? - What alternatives could replace such a pervasive habit? A Different Perspective Reliance on alcohol can hinder progress and health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Currency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currency/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-ages/) [Good times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-times/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-russia-2816651/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-like-1299571/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vodka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vodka/) [Vodka Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vodka-huge-2816650/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [Boris Nemtsov, left his mark on the history of Russia, in politics and public life. He worked on important positions in the difficult transition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/boris-nemtsov-left-his-mark-on-the-history-of-russia-in-politics-and/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [In a strange way, I expected Russia to become more like America since the Soviet Union collapsed, but the reverse is true. America has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/in-a-strange-way-i-expected-russia-to-become-more-like-america-since/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [You can't treat Russia like a guilty schoolboy who has to put a cross on a piece of paper to show he has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-peskov/you-can-t-treat-russia-like-a-guilty-schoolboy-who-has-to-put-a-cross/) [Dmitry Peskov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-peskov/) > [In Moscow I feel most comfortable. I'm used to four different seasons; it's difficult for people in London to understand. People brought up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-abramovich/in-moscow-i-feel-most-comfortable-i-m-used-to-four-different-seasons/) [Roman Abramovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-abramovich/) > [Could you imagine being from Siberia? Like, a small part of Russia, where it's like, 'When was the last time Russia was having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-larsson/could-you-imagine-being-from-siberia-like-a-small-part-of-russia/) [Zara Larsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-larsson/) > [Russia is like a dinosaur. A lot of time is needed for change to reach the tail from the head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lebed/russia-is-like-a-dinosaur-a-lot-of-time-is-needed-for-change-to-reach/) [Alexander Lebed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lebed/) > [They'll touch you and look at your skin to see if it's paint. I'm not playing. All Russia is not like that. You've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-green/they-ll-touch-you-and-look-at-your-skin-to-see-if-it-s-paint-i-m-not/) [Gerald Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-green/) > [One journalist said that everybody in Russia is miserable. Russia is a terrible place. And I'm going to end up miserable and I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/one-journalist-said-that-everybody-in-russia-is-miserable-russia-is-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [My wife is from Russia. I like the country, the mentality of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/my-wife-is-from-russia-i-like-the-country-the-mentality-of-the-people/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) > [Business in Russia was not being done like in the West, with contracts. In Russia, hundreds of millions of dollars were going forward and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-reuben/business-in-russia-was-not-being-done-like-in-the-west-with-contracts/) [David Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-reuben/) > [Gathering news in Russia was like mining coal with a hat pin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-heaton-vorse/gathering-news-in-russia-was-like-mining-coal-with-a-hat-pin/) [Mary Heaton Vorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-heaton-vorse/) > [“Russia’s biggest downside, for me at least, is its lack of color. Being in Russia is like breathing different oxygen, and I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lindstrom/russia-s-biggest-downside-for-me-at-least-is-its-lack-of-color-being/) [Martin Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lindstrom/) > [You can't have a Russian household without vodka. It's just something to wash everything down with. I can't remember a time when I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/you-can-t-have-a-russian-household-without-vodka-it-s-just-something/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Vodka is a wonderful drink. You can drink so much of it without being as hung over as you would if you were drinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/vodka-is-a-wonderful-drink-you-can-drink-so-much-of-it-without-being/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Russia tried to introduce beer as kind of the new vodka - and it's working with younger people in major cities - but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/russia-tried-to-introduce-beer-as-kind-of-the-new-vodka-and-it-s/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) ## More by Gary Shteyngart > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Italy has sun and tomatoes, and Russia just has real problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/italy-has-sun-and-tomatoes-and-russia-just-has-real-problems/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I read real books. On paper. You know, those printed books? I feel like this is the last thing I do to support my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/i-read-real-books-on-paper-you-know-those-printed-books-i-feel-like/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Russia tried to introduce beer as kind of the new vodka - and it's working with younger people in major cities - but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/russia-tried-to-introduce-beer-as-kind-of-the-new-vodka-and-it-s/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“There's something outrageously simple about extending yourself toward a goal the way a plant seeks the sun's rays or a gopher the crunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/there-s-something-outrageously-simple-about-extending-yourself-toward/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Silence has been destroyed, but also the idea that it's important to learn how another person thinks, to enter the mind of another person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/silence-has-been-destroyed-but-also-the-idea-that-it-s-important-to/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“This red-fading-into-brown defines Queens for me; it is quiet and melancholy and postsuccessful, vaguely British in its disposition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/this-red-fading-into-brown-defines-queens-for-me-it-is-quiet-and/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [If I still lived in Russia, I'd be dead... or a really effective oligarch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/if-i-still-lived-in-russia-i-d-be-dead-or-a-really-effective-oligarch/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“The fact that my sexual awakening peripherally involves Steve Guttenberg I have gradually accepted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/the-fact-that-my-sexual-awakening-peripherally-involves-steve/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“The simple trill of her laugh has not declined over the years; if anything it's been buffeted by her endless sorrows and disappointments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/the-simple-trill-of-her-laugh-has-not-declined-over-the-years-if/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“We know summer is the height of of being alive. We don't believe in God or the prospect of an afterlife mostly, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/we-know-summer-is-the-height-of-of-being-alive-we-don-t-believe-in/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“The novel was set in an unspecified near future, because setting a novel in the present in a time of unprecedented technological and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/the-novel-was-set-in-an-unspecified-near-future-because-setting-a/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [One should learn from a book. Books have a lot to teach us. They have a lot of empathy to impart to us, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/one-should-learn-from-a-book-books-have-a-lot-to-teach-us-they-have-a/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I always think that good writers should be growing up on the brink of death - it really lets them see mortality very clearly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/i-always-think-that-good-writers-should-be-growing-up-on-the-brink-of/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) [Explore all 179 Gary Shteyngart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the country in the dark ages and having a rollicking good time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Shteyngart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-that-it-s-almost-like-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-that-it-s-almost-like-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/gary-shteyngart-2177_age_vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-th_1090470.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the…” — Gary Shteyngart", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gary Shteyngart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Vodka has a huge history in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-that-it-s-almost-like-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/vodka-has-a-huge-history-in-russia-in-that-it-s-almost-like-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```