In the village of Gostitsy, Leningrad Region, a severe tragedy has unfolded, with 19 individuals succumbing to poisoning from counterfeit alcohol. Local residents have provided insights into the activities of the illicit alcohol seller and the factors driving people to choose this significantly cheaper alternative to legally available spirits.
Over a brief period, at least 19 individuals tragically passed away due to poisoning in the Slantsy District of the Leningrad Region. In eight of these cases, methanol was definitively identified as the cause of death. As a result, a criminal investigation into negligent homicide has been initiated. Two suspects have been detained in connection with the incident: a male resident of Gostitsy village and a female acquaintance from a nearby settlement.
Gostitsy, a village with a population of approximately 1,200, is situated in the Slantsy District of the Leningrad Region, in close proximity to the Estonian border. The community features various local industries, a cultural center, and several shops, including those where legal vodka can be purchased at the minimum regulated price of 349 rubles per half-liter bottle. Despite the availability of legal options, local accounts indicate that for many years, residents frequently bought illicit alcohol from an elderly man. Initially sold for 100 rubles per bottle, the price subsequently increased to 150 rubles. A Gostitsy resident, who personally knew two of the victims, emphasized that not all customers were marginalized individuals.
A village resident explained that some customers were pensioners seeking to economize. She pointed out that the seller had been operating for years without any prior tragedies of this nature. He was widely known in the area for supplying alcohol at a considerably lower price than retail stores. Trust in his products was high, leading many to speculate that the recent poisonings were caused by substandard or contaminated raw materials supplied to him. She also expressed the opinion that this illegal trade should have been stopped long ago, as its existence was common knowledge, even among law enforcement, who only “sprung into action” after the devastating events. The interviewee personally knew two of the deceased, describing them as ordinary, working individuals who occasionally consumed alcohol.
One potential rationale for purchasing illicit alcohol might be the desire for economy, driven by the adage, “why pay more if there`s no discernible difference?” However, another local resident presented an alternative perspective regarding the motivations behind this choice:
Another local stated that he recognized several of the deceased, including a married couple and a “respectable” pensioner who was a former driver. He speculated that the decision to purchase surrogate alcohol might have stemmed from the need for a drink at inconvenient hours, such as for a “nightcap” or a morning hangover remedy, especially given that legal stores are closed until 11:00 AM (following September 1st). The inability to wait for legal outlets to open could have driven individuals to illicit sources.
According to local media reports, the 79-year-old pensioner who distributed the alcohol may have received his supply of spirits from an acquaintance working as a speech therapist in a local kindergarten. Such tragic incidents, unfortunately, are not isolated occurrences and could manifest in almost any region across Russia. Andrey Moskovsky, President of the Alcopro Guild of Experts, offered his commentary on the broader implications of such situations:
Andrey MoskovskyPresident of the Alcopro Guild of Experts
“A critically important element here is the trust consumers place in illicit, `homemade` alcohol production. There was a recent case in Sochi, at a Cossack market, where people bought homemade chacha. No one had a second thought: `What is this? Why am I buying it? Could something be wrong?` This trust, unfortunately, sometimes plays a very cruel trick on people. They`ve bought it for many years, nothing ever happened, and it seemed like there were no warning signs whatsoever.”
A previous Chacha poisoning incident in Sochi tragically claimed ten lives. In 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Kurgan regions, and Udmurtia experienced widespread poisonings from the beverage “Mister Cider,” resulting in approximately 50 fatalities and over 100 injuries. Consumers had been purchasing this particular drink for an extended period until, at some point, ethanol in its formulation was replaced by methanol.
In October 2021, surrogate alcohol was responsible for 44 deaths in Yekaterinburg and 34 in the Orenburg region. Regrettably, this grim chronicle of similar tragedies appears to persist, both historically and, unfortunately, quite possibly into the future.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth