Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow to Restrict Alcohol Sales Before and During World Cup Games

Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency

Moscow's City Hall will restrict the sale of alcohol the day before and the day of World Cup games this summer.

Twelve games will be played in Moscow in June and July, including Russia's opener against Saudi Arabia and the tournament final. Russia’s deputy prime minister has said that the host nation would allow beer sales at stadiums and fan zones during the FIFA World Cup.

Football fans are also allowed to bring cocaine, marijuana and even heroin to stadiums as long as they have supporting medical documents, Russia’s 2018 World Cup Organizing Committee said in February, citing Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union regulations.

Beyond the FIFA fan zones, an alcohol sales ban will take effect in Moscow the day before and on game days, Interfax quoted City Hall's deputy head of regional security department Kirill Malyshkin as saying Wednesday.

"Executive power bodies have set the borders where the sale and consumption of alcohol will be banned […] on the eve of a football World Cup match and the day it is held," Malyshkin was quoted as saying at a Russia-Peru cultural event in Lima.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more