Back when Smirnoff Vodka was scarce in the USA, I bought a bottle of the Russian stuff and a can of very good Russian caviar for a friend ‘s birthday. He was a self-declared communist.
He was, of course, suitably impressed until I reminded him that his treats were purchased with Capitalist dollars.
How do you say Idiot in Russian?
For a short while in the early 1990s we had reasonably good relations with Russia and I went there on business a few times.
The most prestigious brand of vodka in Russia was Smirnoff. The Stolichnaya that we think is so wonderful over here is considered barely above sewer water in Russia.