The number of fatalities resulting from the consumption of adulterated chacha in Sochi has tragically climbed to ten. Authorities have launched extensive raids on local commercial establishments, leading to the arrest of two vendors implicated in selling illicit alcoholic beverages at the Kazachy Market. Local residents in Sochi indicate that they typically avoid purchasing such products from markets, and tourists are widely advised against consuming similar homemade spirits through distributed informational pamphlets.
Investigations reveal that at least ten individuals have died after consuming artisanal alcohol reportedly acquired from the Kazachy Market. On Thursday, a court ordered the pre-trial detention of both female vendors involved in the sale of these dangerous, uncertified spirits. The precise origin of the lethal alcohol is still under active investigation.
The “BaZar” market, colloquially known as Kazachy Market, located in the Sirius federal territory, was open on Thursday, although only its permanent stalls were operational. This market has been identified as the point of purchase for the tainted chacha by the victims.
Sochi authorities have significantly intensified inspections of commercial establishments. City resort officials recently reported a substantial seizure of over 2,000 liters of illegal alcohol within just the last two weeks. Furthermore, hotels and other lodging facilities have begun distributing informational flyers outlining safe holiday practices, which include explicit warnings about the risks associated with buying “homemade” alcoholic beverages. Inna, a journalist from Sochi, shared with Business FM that such alcohol is predominantly bought by tourists:
“Locals never buy these things — neither churchkhela, nor moonshine, nothing, not even chacha, because they know it`s all fake, and especially wine. They just add some powder and dye to it, and it`s been written about a hundred times, but still, no one reacts. Tourists are just enjoying themselves in Sochi — they should monitor their own behavior. Although, of course, those who made and organized the sale are to blame. I know there`s a practice where, for example, if tourists rent accommodation somewhere, they`re always offered chacha as a compliment. And then, if they like it, they buy it and take it home. But at the market, they always say it`s risky to buy.”
— What`s the price of homemade chacha at the market now?
— Around 400-500 rubles.
— Per liter?
— No, a half-liter bottle. Chacha is more expensive than vodka, just so you know.
For context, the price of legally manufactured chacha sold in licensed retail outlets typically starts from approximately 600 rubles for a 0.5-liter bottle.
The Adler District Court in Sochi has ordered the two female vendors of the illicit alcohol from Kazachy Market to be held in pre-trial detention for two months. Both women are residents of Sochi; one is 30 years old, and the other is 71. A local news outlet suggests that the older woman is the grandmother of the younger defendant. Both suspects were observed in detention cages within the courtroom during their hearing.
The alcoholic beverages they sold lacked any official certificates or excise stamps and were evidently not processed through the EGAIS system, confirming that their entire sales operation was illegal. Erkin Tuzmukhamedov, an expert in the alcohol market and director of the National League of Distillers, clarifies that the alcohol they distributed cannot even accurately be described as “homemade chacha”:
Erkin Tuzmukhamedov, alcohol market expert, director of the National League of Distillers: “It`s impossible to produce a drink at home that would cause such severe poisoning as occurred in the south of our country. This is clearly some form of underground, artisanal production. Markets, as is well known, are controlled by various entities, often ethnic groups, who simply impose their products on these older women who buy stalls for trading. This is a semi-industrial, garage-type operation where they take some purchased spirit, add flavorings, dyes, and then sell it all as a `homemade` product, like chacha. If they are using ethyl alcohol, then it`s not dangerous, just tasteless, nothing harmful can be there. But if they are buying methanol to produce this trash, then, of course, the mortality rate is very high.”
Following the widespread poisonings, a video showing a “chacha-mobile” in Gelendzhik, where wine, chacha, and cognac were being sold directly from a vehicle, quickly circulated across various media platforms. The regional Interior Ministry`s main department confirmed that a 55-year-old man from Abkhazia was selling the illegal alcoholic beverages. The sale of these spirits was stopped on July 22, and all counterfeit alcohol was confiscated at that time.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth