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They constantly write to me in the comments about how everything was cheap under the Union, the grass is greener, and the water is wetter. And yesterday there was nothing to do, I decided to raise the statistics on prices in the USSR. Did a little research and compared prices.
“No drunkenness!” – one of the most popular Soviet slogans to combat alcoholism. It cannot be said that the USSR was included in the list of leading countries in terms of the number of drinkers, but wine and vodka were still revered in this state.
Over the entire era of the existence of the Union, production volumes and prices for alcohol have changed several times. The cost of alcohol either rose or fell again, depending on the political situation in the country. In order to somehow compare these times with the present, let’s take the official exchange rate of the Soviet ruble at 220 to 1. But first, a little history.
How much did strong alcohol cost in the USSR, and what did its price depend on
For the first time, vodka appeared on the shelves of stores in the USSR in 1924 after an almost 10-year break. The official name is “Soviet”, but the people called it “Rykovka” in honor of the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Alexei Rykov. The price of “Rykovka” was only 1 p. for a 0.5 liter bottle.
Varieties of vodka in the USSR
In the period from 1924 to 1950, the price of strong alcohol was constantly rising. In 1950, it was possible to buy a bottle of vodka for 30,70 rubles. The increase in prices did not reduce the demand for liquor.
The rise in price in these years was provoked by Stalin, who in the post-war period began to actively fight against excessive drinking of strong alcohol.
On January 1, 1961, a monetary reform took place in the USSR. The exchange of money was carried out at the rate of 10:1, that is, for 10 rubles. a person received only 1 r. A few months after the reform in the union, prices for all food products, including vodka, rose sharply.
The famous “Moskovskaya” was sold at 2.87 rubles. per bottle, and “Capital” – for 3.12 rubles. (price until 1961 – 3.07 rubles, taking into account the “denomination”).
Table: prices for various brands of strong alcohol in the USSR
| Name | Fortress | Price in rubles |
| “Vodka Russian” | 40 % | 5.30 |
| “Vodka” (“Andropovka”) | 40% | 4.70 |
| “Amateur bitter tincture” | 28% | 3.20 |
| “Ukrainian bitter tincture with pepper” | 40% | 3.97 |
| “Streletskaya bitter tincture” | 27% | 3.20 |
| “Russian vodka” | 40 % | 4.42 |
| Liquor “Old Tallinn” | 45% | 5.80 |
| Havana Club Room | 40% | 4.20 |
Until the beginning of the 70s. the average cost of vodka rose to 3.62 rubles. Such brands of vodka as “Special”, “Pshenichnaya”, “Russian” and “Otbornaya” disappeared from the Soviet shelves.
Vodka “Andropovka”
In the 70s. it was possible to buy vodka of only one brand and manufacturer, with the same name “Vodka”. The people called her “Crankshaft” because of the crankshaft depicted on the label. In those days, alcohol began to be sold only from 11 am.
The next increase in the price of strong alcohol occurred in 1981. Experts say that the rise in price from 3.62 to 5.30 p. triggered by the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan. The reason for the rise in prices was the collapse in the price of oil on the market in 1980.
Price at 5.30 p. did not last long, already in 1982 a new brand of vodka appeared on the market, which was affectionately called “Andropovka” by the people at a price of 4.70 rubles. But the famous Andropovka did not last long, already 3 years after the release of the first bottle, it completely disappeared from the shelves.
1986 was a significant year for the USSR, new reforms were adopted in the country, Gorbachev actively urged everyone to fight drunkenness and introduced the so-called “dry law”. Thanks to this, the cheapest vodka in the USSR rose to 9.10 rubles. for a bottle.
The history of the introduction of “prohibition” in the USSR
If almost every citizen of the USSR could afford vodka, then only influential and wealthy people could afford to buy a bottle of Armenian cognac.
Firstly, cognac rarely appeared in stores and was considered a scarce commodity, and secondly, the cost of cognac was very high.
In the 70s. for a bottle of three-star Armenian cognac one would have to pay 10.12 rubles, and cognac with 5 stars cost from 14.12 rubles. for 0.5 l.
In the 80s. the average cost of cognac dropped to 8.12 rubles, but closer to the collapse of the USSR, prices skyrocketed due to the difficult political situation in the country. At the end of the 80s. a bottle of “Ararat” cost 28 rubles.
Table: how much vodka a Soviet citizen could buy for a salary
| Year | Average monthly salary in rubles | How many bottles of vodka could a person afford to buy on an average salary |
| 1925 | 59 | 59 |
| 1950 | 601 | 28 |
| 1957 | 757 | 35 |
| 1961 | 81 | 28 |
| 1972 | 120 | 33 |
| 1981 | 158 | 30 |
| 1982 | 163 | 34 |
| 1986 | 179 | 19 |
If we analyze the purchasing power in 2019, we can conclude that with an average wage in Russia of 42 Russian rubles, you can buy 300 bottles of vodka, which is more than in the USSR.
How much is strong alcohol now
In 2019, inflation in Russia was 3%. This is a fairly low figure, but experts say that in 2020 it is worth getting ready for an increase in prices for strong alcohol. According to forecasts, the cost of cognac will rise by 11% and the retail price of vodka will increase by 7%.
The increase in prices was provoked by a sharp increase in the dollar. The price is also affected by the price of alcohol and the excise rate, which in 2020 is 544 rubles. for 1 liter.
Table: average cost of strong alcohol in Russia in 2020
| Category, title | Average cost (expressed in Russian rubles) |
| Vodka | |
| “White birch” | 300 |
| “Beluga” | 1000 |
| Madoff | 600 |
| “National” | 400 |
| “Five lakes” | 450 |
| «Wandering» | 260 |
| Other categories of alcohol | |
| Cognac “Old Koenigsberg” 4 years | 709 |
| Whiskey “Wells” | 1100 |
| Tequila Gold | 3000 |
If we recalculate Soviet money for the current Russian rubles, taking into account inflation, we can conclude that vodka and cognac in the USSR were much more expensive.
At the end of the 80s. a bottle of vodka could be bought for 1200+ modern rubles, in 2020 the average cost of this drink is 300-400 rubles.
Armenian cognac in the 80s cost about 1 rubles, today a similar drink is sold at a price of at least 786-600 rubles.
How much did weak alcohol cost in the USSR, and what did its price depend on
In the union it was possible to buy not only vodka, there were always several brands of wines and champagne on the shelves. The most famous in the USSR was “Soviet Champagne”, which was mainly bought for the celebration of the New Year. The average price of a bottle is 5.50 rubles.
Fortified wine was also popular. The most expensive port wine was “777” at a price of 3.40 rubles. Such fortified wines as “Agdam” (2.60 rubles) and “33” (2.35 rubles) were also in demand. For 1 bottle of vermouth, I had to pay an average of 1.50 rubles, and for Abu Simbel tincture – 5.80 rubles.
The most popular Georgian wines in the USSR were:
- “Vasisubani” – 2.30
- Kindzmarauli 3.30 р.
- “Rkatsiteli” – 2.30 rub.
- “Khvanchkara” – 3.30 rubles.
- “Tsinandali” – 2.70 rubles.
Russian brands of wines cost within 1 p.
Popular wine brands in the USSR
Table: the cost of wines in the USSR
| Wine name | Cost (expressed in rubles) |
| “Adzhirskoye” | 0.65 |
| “Stork” | 2.40 |
| “Alpine Valley” | 1.30 |
| “Anapa” | 2.30 |
| “Fragrance of the Gardens” | 1.80 |
| “Volga Dawns” | 1.15 |
| “Golden autumn” | 1.15 |
| “Caucasus” | 2.50 |
| “Radiant” | 1.60 |
| “Sun” | 1.25 |
| “Fruit Wine” | 1.30 |
| “Ereti” | 1.70 |
| “Apple” | 1.17 |
Beer was sold both in bottles and on tap. For a bottle of 0.5 liters, you had to pay an average of 37 kopecks, and half a liter of beer for bottling cost 35 kopecks in a bar or 22 kopecks in a machine.
How much does soft alcohol cost now
The price of alcoholic products is affected by an increase in excise taxes on alcohol and inflation. It is expected that in 2020 the retail price of weak alcohol will increase by 4-5% due to the appreciation of the dollar and the rise in price of raw materials for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.
On average, a bottle of wine in Russia costs from 300 rubles, but the price directly depends on the manufacturer. “Martini Bianco” can be purchased for 800 rubles, and the cost of liqueurs starts from 900 rubles.
Table: the cost of beer in Russia in 2020
| Name | Average price in rubles |
| «HENIKEN» | 80 |
| « Hoegaarden » | 76 |
| “Baltika 3” | 40 |
| “Baltika 7” | 50 |
| “Don Light” | 150 |
If we compare Soviet prices with current Russian prices, taking into account inflation, it can be noted that wine and liqueurs were much more expensive in the USSR.
Table: comparison of Soviet prices with current prices for alcoholic beverages of medium strength, taking into account recalculation and inflation
| Wine name | The average price in the Soviet Union in the 80s. | Conversion to current money (expressed in rubles) | Average price in Russia (expressed in rubles) |
| Port | 3.40 | 748 | 570 |
| Vermouth | 5.00 | 1100 | 573 |
| Tincture | 5.00 | 1100 | 573 |
| Wine | 2.50 | 550 | 420 |
| Beer (500 ml) | 0.30 | 66 | 56 |
It is the same with champagne – today a bottle costs an average of 345 rubles, while in the USSR it cost 1210 rubles. (5.50 rubles in terms of the current exchange rate, taking into account inflation).
Despite the fact that the Soviet authorities constantly fought against alcoholism, the sale of alcoholic products was never completely banned even during the Prohibition.
The government could not allow a complete ban on the sale only for the reason that the proceeds from alcoholic beverages accounted for about half of the Soviet budget.
Today, prices for alcoholic beverages are 2-3 times lower than Soviet prices. And it is not surprising, because there is no prohibition now, and therefore there are no prohibitive prices for it either.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
Another increase in retail liquor prices is forecast for 2020 due to the skyrocketing dollar and higher raw material costs.
Do you think it is expedient to increase prices for alcohol, and can the increase in the cost of the most popular alcoholic beverages affect their demand among the population of the Russian Federation? What do you think?