'Living Water'

Since the `Green Serpent' appeared in Russia in the sixteenth century, it has played a vital part in the social, economic, and political life of Russia. It became an essential part of working-class celebrations, both personal, religious, and commercial; by the nineteenth century it generated one third of government revenue - enough to cover most of the costs of the vast army. This book, which concentrates on the nineteenth century, is the first detailed study of the role of Vodka in Russian society.