McDonald’s, Dostoevsky, Vodka
Fun facts from Sergei Aleksandrovich, professor of political science at St. Petersburg State University:
• Vodka is not a Russian drink: It was first introduced in the time of Peter the Great. Before that, peasants drank mead.
• Russian literature students’ most hated author: Dostoevsky. Number two: Tolstoy.
• A five-kilometer line formed outside the first McDonald’s in Russia when it opened its doors in 1988 (May I add that it’s still a hip place to go for a bite).
• East or West? A Russian saying goes, “Russia is the heart of the world.”
September 10, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Where did vodka come from then? I’m not surprised the lit students hate Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.
September 12, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I’ve always heard that vodka comes from Poland, and when I was in Krakow, a local affirmed that the Poles generally claim credit. But we all know who does it best now — za zdorov’ye, comrades!