Stolichnaya vodka 1965

German-language advertisement (text at the bottom)

Stolichnaya Vodka – better known as Stoli – traces its origins to the Moscow State Wine Warehouse No. 1, established in 1901 by the authorities to ensure higher-quality vodka production.

The name Stolichnaya simply means “capital city.”

There is a common misconception that Stolichnaya translates to “table vodka,” since the word begins with stol (“table” in Russian). In fact, the name comes from stolitsa – “capital” in Russian – which itself derives from sto (“a hundred”) and litsa (“faces”). The phrase “a city of a hundred faces” dates back centuries and refers to a populous, bustling city.

In 1985, the Soviet government tightened controls on alcohol and introduced a partial prohibition. This campaign imposed severe restrictions on liquor sales, heavy penalties for public drunkenness, and a widespread anti-alcohol drive. While it briefly succeeded in lowering per capita alcohol consumption and improving social indicators such as life expectancy and crime rates, the campaign was deeply unpopular and ultimately failed.

Artist: S. Sakharov