David --
  There has been considerable wavering by the authorities on whether
beer is to be treated as an alcoholic beverage at all.  
   Young Russians are not alone in seeing beer as a symbol of modernity
and often of cosmopolitanism.  Alternatively, beer companies can also
wrap their product in the national flag (cf. the Molson "rant" in
Canada). 
   For these matters in general, see:
David Jernigan, Thirsting for Markets, San Rafael, CA: Marin Institute
for the Prevention of Alcohol & Other Drug Problems, 1997.
Robin Room et al., Alcohol and Developing Societies.  Helsinki: Finnish
Foundation for Alcohol Studies, 2002.
  For translations of a lot of media articles on alcohol in Russia, see:
http://webappl.web.sh.se/C1256C930076231F/nepns-site-content-link/50D6D6
4D6CC94FDCC1256D13003575B7?open&neplink=/c1256c930076231f/nepns-site-con
tent-link/f21f67bda2fe5967c1256d13003f8db6;/c1256c9300756f52/nepns-site-
content-link/e6c3d5acbc39f5a5c1256cc600513edb;/c1256c8a0066623d/nepns-si
te-content-link/1ca6285c59290842c1256c8b00159d33 (yes, all one web
reference!)
  Nos. 35, 36 and 37 in this series:
http://www.nad.fi/index.php?lang=en&id=publications
     Robin
   

-----Original Message-----
From: Alcohol and Drugs History Society
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fahey
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 5:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: beer in post-Soviet Russia

An undergraduate student of mine is writing a paper on beer in
post-Soviet Russia.  Any suggestions about sources?  Arguments?  He sees
beer as a symbol of the new Russia for younger Russians.