Vodka History Museum

http://dighist.fas.harvard.edu/courses/2015/HUM54/files/original/337dfaca254d1bfabe3f385a656ebe1d.jpg

A section of the Vodka History Museum. Countless empty bottles of different sorts of Vodka are on display for visitors to enjoy.

http://dighist.fas.harvard.edu/courses/2015/HUM54/files/original/599582deb9dcdf37fc42e5dc2fcd81d4.jpg

This is a close-up shot of four different empty Vodka bottles from the Vodka History Museum in Moscow.

Vodka is one of the most well-known and universally recognized elements of Russian culture, though many do not know more about the drink than as an alcoholic beverage. Unbeknownst to many, Vodka has remained an important part of Russian culture and history throughout the ages, playing a significant role in many more than recreational settings. Vodka is a necessary element in many central events of Russian life, including weddings, long trips, birth of a newborn, or a funeral repast[1]. In late modern Russian history, there was even a point in which a bottle of vodka became a kind of national currency preferred over cash payments in transactions for various smaller services. The beverage has also played a key role in the Russian language and folklore, exhibiting its prevalence in various areas of Russians’ national identity and daily culture[2].

The Vodka Museum is dedicated to celebrating this clearly diverse role of Vodka in Russian life, seeking to compensate for the relative lack of study on the beverage in the past. As the original birthplace of the beverage in the 15th century, the city of Moscow hosts this museum that was once located in St. Petersburg. On display are vodka bottles of various sizes, the first distillation unit, original documents and posters, as well as portraits and illustrative materials depicting the personal commands and preferences of Peter the Great and other Russian emperors. As a key symbol of the nation that is still widely enjoyed today by even those beyond the borders of Russia, Vodka serves as an interesting bridge for foreign audiences familiar with the beverage to connect with Russian culture and history under an enjoyable and unexpected light[3]. This museum examines yet another object that may have seemed rather common and ordinary in centuries past, but today allows a wide audience to connect with the city's culture and history in an unexpected and refreshing way. 

 


[1] "Museum." Vodka History Museum. Vodka History Museum, n.d. Web.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.