Russians' love for vodka has a long history. Legend holds that vodka arrived in Moscow in the 14th century, brought by Genovese merchants to Prince Dmitry Ivanovich.
Legend also says that the monk Isidore, of the Chudov Monastery inside the Kremlin, made a recipe for Russian vodka around 1430. He could not have anticipated the devastating effect that alcohol addiction, mainly to vodka, would have on Russians' health and quality of life, and on the country's economy and social fabric.
When the Bolshevik Party came to power its leaders tried — without much success — to reduce alcohol consumption in the Soviet Union. Josef Stalin re-established the state monopoly to generate revenue.