Only painfully rich people could buy it: what foreign alcohol was the first to be brought to the USSR

The history of alcohol consumption in the Soviet Union is full of interesting facts. It also reflects the cultural, economic and political transformations of the era.

Shortages, monopoly of power and closed borders are all familiar signs of the union, but there was a period when the country imported alcohol and raw materials for it. Read more about this in the article by OBOZ.UA.

In Soviet times, when the Iron Curtain existed and imports of goods were significantly limited, foreign drinks were considered a great delicacy and luxury. They not only symbolized the Western way of life, but also became a dream for many people. Therefore, the appearance of foreign alcohols in the country was a real miracle for drinkers.

In the USSR, it was mostly possible to buy domestic alcohol, but sometimes friendly countries supplied their products or raw materials for it. For example, after Algeria gained independence, it began exporting grapes to the USSR in exchange for military aid. It was used in the Soviet Union to make the Sontsedar wine (Gift of the Sun) but despite the foreign raw materials, it was of very poor quality. You could get severely poisoned and even die after drinking it.

In general, the exchange of weapons for food was a common practice in the Soviet Union. In the 1950s, the socialist states that were members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) began to establish a trade exchange. One of the participating countries was Bulgaria, although it was not a part of the USSR.

At that time, the Bulgarians supplied the Union with Pliska and Slanchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) brands. The latter had a strength of 36%, and was made on the basis of selected spirits obtained from the Dimiat, Uni Blanc, and Rkatsiteli grape varieties.

At the time, a bottle could be purchased for 7-8 rubles. Nowadays, it doesn't seem expensive, but back then, only wealthy citizens could afford such alcohol.

However, imports increased over time, and therefore, around 1980, Bulgarian alcohol ceased to be considered scarce and expensive, and therefore students, ordinary workers, etc. began to actively drink it.

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