Short answers, pulled from the story.
Kievan Prince Vladimir the Great chose Christianity because he rejected Islam as his chosen religion due to its prohibition on alcohol consumption. This decision established a cultural precedent where drinking became deeply embedded in Russian social life and statecraft.
Ivan the Terrible began establishing kabaks or taverns across major cities by the 1540s to fill government coffers. These establishments served as essential revenue generators for the crown rather than mere places for leisure.
Alcohol-related taxes constituted one-third of total government revenues by the 1970s under Joseph Stalin's strict state monopoly on spirits. The Bolshevik Party repeatedly attempted to reduce alcohol consumption throughout the Soviet Union before this period.
Five such centers existed in Moscow alone by 1929 to treat chronic alcoholics and prostitutes. Chronic offenders evading treatment faced detention periods lasting up to two years during this era.
Mikhail Gorbachev launched a massive anti-alcohol campaign in 1985 that temporarily reduced per capita consumption but ultimately failed due to deep unpopularity among citizens. Estimates from that year suggested alcoholism resulted in $8 billion in lost production nationwide.
A national ban on sales of all alcoholic beverages from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. began in 2012 following new laws introduced by President Dmitry Medvedev. Per capita consumption of pure ethanol fell by 43% between 2006 and 2016 after reaching levels around 11 to 12 liters annually in the early 2000s.