(15 Nov 1997) T/I: 10:24:57
Russian boozers tried to outdrink each other on Saturday 15/11 in a vodka knockout competition just a couple of hundred metres from the Kremlin. In a series of rounds, the drinkers downed ever-increasing
quantities of Russia's favourite tipple, starting with 50 ml at a time, rising t0 100 ml, then 150ml and so on. A jury of doctors, writers, traffic cops and the head of a sobering-up unit made sure the candidates stuck to a strict code of drinking decorum.
Points were awarded according to technique, artistic style and downing the vodka in one swallow. Following the great Russian tradition of communal vodka drinking, candidates bawled out various toasts in between tipples, ranging from "To women" to "To the success of Russia's world cup football team today".
In another round, candidates were judged on the quality and beauty of their drinking snacks; in Russia vodka is always accompanies by black bread, tinned sardines, pickled cucumbers, spring onions and sausage.
With a hint of nostalgia for Soviet times, all this had to be wrapped in a yellowing copy of the communist newspaper "Pravda".
SHOWS:
MOSCOW, RUSSIA 14/11
Kremlin Towers, zoom out to show club where contest took place;
crowd at competition tent;
VS preperations for competition;
SOT competitor (in Russian) Mikhail" I don't know how much they'll give us, but I hope to get to the level of about one litre"
cu of jury, including policemen head of sobering-up unit,
waiter putting snacks,
cutlery on table,
ms first batch of contestants,
cu vodka being poured into glass.
SOT Captain Igor Yerkov, head of sobering up unit (in russian) "There's a useful point to this. After this I think every person will work out for himself some kind of average, then will know what to drink, when and with whom"
VS pouring vodka;
vodka glasses with meal;
VS competitiors drinking;
ws jury holding up mini-vodka bottles to indicate points awarded
SOT Mikhail competitor (in russian) after 300 ml of vodka " I didn't feel any physiological unpleasantness in other words, to put it crudely, the vodka didn't affect my reflexes and had its impact. At last I feel warm."
Mikhail's sobriety being tested, stretches out hands, closes eyes and falls over.
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