Dmitry Kiselev became a lobbyist for "quality" grape wines

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Under the guise of a fight against the “persecution of the people” with low-quality alcoholic liquor and the introduction of the country's population to “high-quality” grape wines, a sophisticated propaganda of wine drinking is unfolding in the state media. One of the leaders of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, the host of the Vesti Nedeli program, Dmitry Kiselev, was at the head of the promotion of "cultural" drunkenness.

On October 26, 2019, he was elected head of the Russian Union of Winegrowers and Winemakers, and on October 27 on the Russia-1 channel, D. Kiselev's film “Stop Poaching People. A movie about wine."

The reasons for such actions, which can become the basis for a real alcoholic revenge, are laid down in the state anti-alcohol concept, which provides for the development of a "culture" of alcohol consumption and support for domestic winemaking.

It is necessary to repulse alcoholic revenge-seekers and seek further sobering up of the country, based on large-scale propaganda of a sober lifestyle and a consistent increase in restrictions on the circulation of alcohol. As a response to the winemakers' demarche, we propose to apply to the federal authorities with a demand to prevent a breakdown of the policy of sobering up society.

Recall that earlier Dmitry Kiselev had already become famous for his statements in support of the legalization of same-sex marriage and concerts of immoral performers. His next "achievement", apparently, will be openly lobbying the interests of alcoholic companies, profiting from the soldering of the population.

Detailed description of the situation

On October 26, 2019, a new main advocate for the interests of local winemakers and wine merchants appeared in Russia. The well-known Russian journalist, host of the Vesti Nedeli program on the Russia-1 channel, Deputy Director General of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company - VGTRK, as well as Director General of the Russian International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya, Dmitry Kiselev, was elected Chairman of the Union of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia, whose congress took place in the Crimea.

Kiselev was replaced in this post by a well-known person - the business ombudsman, authorized by the President of Russia to protect the rights of entrepreneurs Boris Titov.

Immediately after the election, Kiselev commented on the prospects of the wine business and the wine market in Russia and, in particular, said that Russia could well become “a full-fledged wine province of the world”, somewhere, if not ousted, then even ousted France. They say that our latitudes are about the same and we have historical winemaking experience.

Kiselyov also showed concern for, so to speak, the workers, complaining that today the majority of Russians consume not "high-quality" wine, but cheap fruit and berry shmurdyak, swill. To support domestic winemaking, Dmitry Kiselev proposes to remove the current restrictions and, in particular, restrictions on advertising in the media, from the circulation of domestic wine. And in general, said the wine-making journalist, “domestic wine should be derived from the concept of“alcoholic products”. We look at wine only as an alcohol-containing product. It seems to me that this is a food product, rather. If we perceive that way, then everything will change in advertising."

Dmitry Kiselev, like his predecessor at the post of the Union of Russian Winemakers Boris Titov, is no stranger to the wine business. Back in the years of relatively good relations between Russia and Ukraine, on the territory of the then Ukrainian Koktebel in Crimea, where Kiselev has his own estate, he and his partners began the implementation of the Cock t`est belle wine-making project, which was supported even by Petro Poroshenko himself. Today this project produces about 4 thousand bottles of wine a year. True, so far it is rather a hobby than a profitable business. But, what the hell is not kidding? With such informational support, which is in the hands of a journalist-winemaker, business may well go up the hill. So to speak, an extra penny, that is, a million, will not hurt the Kiselev family.

It is clear that the winemakers guessed right with the choice of the new leader! Unlike Boris Titov, who was remembered by the citizens of the country for his completely indistinct information campaign in the last presidential election, Dmitry Kiselev is a "shark of the pen." Yes, with such a resource: hundreds of journalists, airtime of central channels.

And this resource is working! Literally the day after the historic ascension of Kiselev to the post of head of domestic winemakers. On October 27, on the central federal channel "Russia-1", on Sunday evening, at 22.40, in general, at the highest rating time, Dmitry Kiselev's film "Stop poisoning the people. A movie about wine."

After watching this film, many questions arise. At what level was the decision to show the film in rating time, on the day off, on the country's central channel made? To what extent does the showing of the film on the air of the Russia-1 channel comply with the legal norms and ethical journalistic requirements, when the film contains hidden advertising for the Cock t'est belle business project, in which Mr. Kiselev is a participant?

How much did the winemakers pay to the Russia-1 channel and personally to Mr. Kiselev for this film, and will they pay more for, I am sure, a whole series of such propaganda materials? Should we expect after this film projects about high-quality Russian vodka and high-quality Russian craft beer, if the state channel is so concerned about the issue of counterfeits on the alcoholic beverages market?

But this is not the main thing. Under the guise of caring about the observance of certain quality standards in a rather narrow segment of the alcoholic market, the old idea is being promoted that the use of wine, well, of course, of high quality and made exclusively from grapes, is an integral part of the life of a normal person. And this is done according to the best propaganda standards, where Dmitry Kiselev is undoubtedly a great specialist.

Here you - and an appeal to the topic of Russian patriotism. Here - and bright images of youth. Here - and the authoritative opinion of a foreigner. Here - and a high syllable about love.

In essence, this is a blatant propaganda of wine drinking. Crafty, deceitful, covered with patriotic pathos, and therefore even more disgusting.

And, by the way, it is a pity that the former chief sanitary doctor of Russia, a champion of a sober lifestyle, Gennady Grigorievich Onishchenko, also became a participant in this alcoholic project. Perhaps he did not know what this ode to wine from Dmitry Kiselev would be like at the finish line. It remains to be hoped that Onishchenko will express his attitude.

But let's touch on some theses of the country's main winemaker.

First, about wine - a food product. In fact, even schoolchildren today, at the correct OBZH lessons and the increasingly popular "sobriety lessons", are told that any alcoholic product, including so-called quality wines, is, first of all, an aqueous solution of a potent poison, narcotic properties. 10-12% alcohol is not a joke to you! And what's the difference, as a result of what manipulations with raw materials, this alcohol, it is ethanol, it is also ethyl alcohol, is produced. The damage to the body and society will be inflicted unequivocally.

Secondly, common statements that health suffers less from so-called “high-quality” wines than from other alcoholic liquor is nothing more than a myth actively disseminated by propagandists from the wine business. Medical statistics suggest otherwise. It is the countries with a predominant, by type, consumption of grape wine, and these are France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, that are the leaders in mortality from cirrhosis of the liver.

And the fact that wine is, so to speak, "a glass in a glass", older people have already heard in their youth, in the mid-60s of the last century, when propaganda was launched in the USSR, so to speak, of "moderate and cultural drinking ". Then such pearls sounded that, they say, beer is not just alcohol, but "liquid bread". Yes, and about "quality" brandy and "quality" vodka, if you take them with a good snack, many kind words were said. And what is important: the real stream of this alcoholic propaganda poured out on the Soviet audience not from the pages of some second-rate or low-circulation newspapers, but from the pages of the leading Union publications.

It is clear that for Mr. Kiselev and his fellow winemakers, this is just a business. But you never know those whose legal business is causing harm to people and society? Why is there such a stir around wine today?

The fact is that the reason lies in the current state Concept aimed at reducing the scale of alcoholization, approved almost exactly 10 years ago by then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The concept was created in the context of a confrontation between different approaches in resolving the problem of alcoholic degeneration of the Russian people. And in the end, the document was not devoid of contradictions.

So, for example, for the first time since 1985 in a state document there was an assertion that sobriety is the norm of life, and the younger generation needs to develop "the ability to effectively resist the use of alcoholic beverages." On the other hand, it is determined that "in order to form a culture of consumption of alcoholic products, it is necessary to create conditions for the development of Russian winemaking and an increase in the production of Russian quality wines."

That, in fact, because of this one point and all this fuss. But this is a completely false and harmful statement! There is no "culture" of alcohol consumption! There is a set of rules on how to minimize the risks of drinking. By the way, the chief narcologist of the Ministry of Health Yevgeny Brun reminds of these rules every year. So after all, you can agree about the culture of consumption of prohibited drugs. Like, do not forget to use a separate needle and so on.

Wine alcoholizers have one more argument in favor of special conditions for domestic wine. They say that it can be used to fulfill another point of the state anti-alcohol concept, namely: it will allow to achieve, I quote from the Concept: "a decrease in the level of consumption of strong alcoholic beverages in the structure of consumption of alcoholic beverages with an overall significant decrease in the level of consumption of alcoholic beverages." Like, let's replace vodka with wine.

But, in fact, an attempt to replace water with beer in the 2000s ended with a massive beer alcoholization of young people. The consequences of what we are still reaping. Second, a decrease in the structure of strong alcohol consumption is achieved without creating any preferential conditions for beer or wine. The experience of implementing anti-alcohol policy in Poland, for example, in the early 2000s, shows that for this it is enough only to adequately raise the excise tax on spirits with appropriate measures to keep the bootleggers' agility.

On good terms, a gram of alcohol, whether in beer, in wine or in vodka, should cost the same, since an alcoholic drug user is interested in alcohol, first of all, in his ability to bring a person to a state of intoxication. Place of production, year of production and aging of the liquor - for a narrow group of aesthetes who are ready to shell out money for, excuse me, show-off.

With this approach, at a price of 50 rubles for half a liter of 5-degree beer, vodka should cost not the current minimum 200, but at least 400 rubles. The Poles solved this problem quickly. In Russia, for the time being, they cannot or do not want to.

Therefore, only minor changes need to be made to the current Concept.

Stop flirting with domestic winemaking. To create the same conditions for producers of all types of alcoholic poisons. Transfer the sale of their hazardous products to a specialized network, removed from the residential sector and inaccessible to the younger generation.

And urgently, on a large-scale and offensively, we need to deploy real propaganda of a sober, alcohol-free lifestyle in the country. But with such propagandists as Dmitry Kiselev, this is unlikely to work.

And at the end of this issue, a few wishes and suggestions.

I think it would be very useful to react to the current course of winemakers and Dmitry Kiselev's statements, labeling them as a threat of alcoholic revenge. There are two instances that must be informed: the Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Health. The latter, for now, continues to restrain the attempts of the alcoholic and trade lobby that has settled down in the ministries of the government's economic block. We must support our comrades.

Additional videos on the topic:

In our analyzes of popular films and programs, we regularly identify such an item as "alcohol propaganda". It is worth disclosing it in more detail, since in the current situation it is one of the main directions of an attack on the Russian people.