Alcoholism in Russia: brawling and starvation as the results of drinking alcoholic drinks, contrasted with prosperity resulting from abstinence from alcohol. Colour lithograph by T. Nemkova, 1989.

Left scene: two Russian men drinking at table and about to hit each other with bottles; lettering meaning in English "When the gentleman gets drunk, he will become aggressive". Middle scene: A Russian man embracing the bottle, while his three children go hungry; lettering meaning in English "One who loved wine has destroyed his family." Right scene: a virtuous teetotal family (man and wife and three children drinking tea not alcohol); lettering meaning in English "It's better to drink tea with Lebkuchen [heart-shaped biscuits] than to drink alcoholic drinks". Above the right scene is a mediaeval figure of the phoenix, a symbol of prosperity

The dress and coiffure of the figures, the use of the dotted e and other letter-forms, and the colouring of the borders around the three scenes are all in the Old Russian Revival style which originated in the late 19th and early 20th century

Moskva [Moscow] : Izdatelʹstvo "Plakat", [1989], ©1989. (Tula (ul. F. Engel'sa, 150) : Tipografi︠a︡ izdatel'stva "Kommunar")

1 print : lithograph, printed in colours ; sheet 55 x 116.5 cm

Schastliv tot, kto vina ne pʹët ... V pomoshch' khudozhniku-oformiteliu Bears various reference numbers including: Bumara ofsetnai︠a︡ Zakaz 1236

Tirazh 40000 ekz. [print run 40,000 copies].

Left scene : Gde napʹëtszh tam i poderëtszh -- Middle scene : Vino poli︠u︡bil semʹi︠u︡ razoril -- Right scene : Luchshe pri︠a︡tʹ chem brazhnichatʹ

Contributors: "Khudozhnik T. Nemkova. Redaktor V. Markin. Khudozh. redaktor S. Chumakov. Tekh. redaktor L. Nikitina"

Stephen White, Russia goes dry: alcohol, state and society, Cambridge 1996, pp. 82-83

Wellcome Collection 997288i