State Duma Deputy Sultan Khamzayev proposed to raise the price of vodka in Russia to 500 rubles 
up to 500 rubles. He told the radio station “Moscow speaking” about this.
According to him, the price must be high in order to fight counterfeiting on the market. “The minimum price for vodka should be 500 rubles and there should be a tough fight against counterfeit products,” he said. Khamzayev stressed that at present “the whole game with the determination of the minimum price for vodka is profanation and props.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Finance came up with an initiative to increase the minimum price for vodka. From January 1, 2022, the minimum retail prices for vodka are expected to grow by 7.4 percent, from 243 to 261 rubles per half-liter bottle. In addition, prices for cognac will rise by 7.6 percent, from 446 to 480 rubles for the same volume. The cost of brandy will rise from 324 to 348 rubles.
Earlier it became known that the demand for vodka in Russia has dropped. In the first half of the year, retail sales of vodka amounted to 344 million liters, which is 4 percent lower than in the same period in 2020 and 3 percent less than in January-June 2019. Moreover, the drop in demand for vodka is a long-term trend, since 2016 the share of households buying vodka has been steadily decreasing.