olddude: Ever have their vodka. It is dirty and like bath water. Yuk

You couldn't be more wrong. Yes, there's some cheap bottom-end-of-the-market vodka that's quite poor, but there are at least dozens, probably hundreds, of brands that are excellent, and far superior to any vodka originating in the USA, Finland etc.

Brands that are "standard but good"over here (ie you'll find them in most shops) include: Five Lakes (Pyat Ozer); husky (xackи)and Parliament. One that you might find in the US is Zyr.

gnu: Saying Russia can't make good vodka is like saying USA can't make good beer.

Not exactly, because, apart from a few micro-breweries, the USA *can't* make good beer. The main brands are all gnat's piss, unlike many of the mainstream Russian vodka brands, which on average are pretty good.

"Immigrants aren't rushing to Moscow in search of opportunity."

Actually, over here on Sakhalin we have a fair number of US, Australian, Irish and British people. Most are on rotating terms, but probably 25% are living here full time, many with local spouses and families.

My daughter found an opportunity in Moscow to work as a journalist that she'd never have had in UK or the USA and is pretty well settled there, on a very good salary for a 25 year old, and good prospects. She has loads of western friends who've immigrated there and "found opportunity".