Alcoholic beverages are considered a "special" commodity, the sale of which is particularly tightly regulated. And one of the restrictions concerns the time of sale of alcoholic beverages - they can be sold only at certain hours. When can you legally buy alcohol in the Moscow region, and when you can't?
Ban on the sale of alcohol at night in the legislation of the Russian Federation
The peculiarities of the sale of alcohol in Russia (including the ban on the sale of alcohol at night) are spelled out in Federal Law No. 171. In accordance with it, sales of alcoholic beverages throughout the territory must stop no later than 23.00 local time - and begin no earlier than eight in the morning.
These "dry hours", uniform for the whole country, must be observed in any case. At the same time, even more stringent restrictions may be established at the local level in each separately taken region. And many subjects of the federation use this opportunity, driving the traders of "fire water" into a rather rigid framework. For example, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, "non-alcoholic time" lasts from ten in the evening to ten in the morning; in Yakutia, alcohol can be sold from two o'clock in the afternoon until eight in the evening, and in the Tula region on weekdays, alcohol can be bought from two in the afternoon until 22, on weekends, sales are prohibited at all. Ulyanovsk legislators approached the assortment of alcohol-containing beverages selectively - for example, vodka, cognac, alcoholic liqueurs, strong wines and other “picky” drinks can be sold only until 20-00, and products with an alcohol content of up to 15% can be sold until 23.
The strictest rules apply in the Chechen Republic - here you can trade in wine and spirits only two hours a day - from 8 to 10 in the morning, after ten you can only buy beer and low-alcohol drinks.
The ban on the sale of alcohol at night was introduced in Russia in 2010. For some time, entrepreneurs tried to "bypass" it in various creative ways - they veiled the sale of vodka or cognac under the "lease of bottles" or organized promotions like "buy a chocolate bar for 500 rubles - get half a liter as a gift." However, this practice attracted the attention of the prosecutor's office and law enforcement agencies, and the courts in such cases were quite unanimous, recognizing that in fact it was an illegal trade in alcohol. Fines for trade organizations that violate the rules are quite high, sellers prefer not to take risks, and now it has become almost impossible to buy alcohol at night.
What hours do they sell alcohol in the Moscow region and Moscow?
Moscow and the Moscow region are regions in which the alcohol sales regime can be called relatively mild. "Forbidden hours" here strictly correspond to the minimum stipulated at the legislative level:
- alcohol sales start at 8 am;
- They stop "punching" alcohol in shops at 23 o'clock.
Several years ago in the Moscow City Duma (it is she who sets restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Moscow and the Moscow region) the idea of introducing a weekly "day of sobriety" was discussed - it was proposed to completely ban the sale of alcohol on Fridays. However, this idea did not find support - and in the end, both on weekdays and on weekends in these territories, the answer to the question "from what time alcohol is sold and until what time you can buy it" will be exactly the same: from eight in the morning until eleven in the evening. No "indulgences" (for example, on New Year's Eve) are provided by the law.
What time can you sell beer
In the early years, the restrictions imposed on night trade in alcoholic beverages did not apply to beer. However, since 2014, the situation has changed: beer and other low-alcohol drinks (ciders, gin-tonics, canned cocktails, etc.) were officially “equated in rights” with wine and spirits.
Thus, now from 23 pm to 9 am in the Moscow region or Moscow, you can buy only non-alcoholic beer. The ban does not apply to "zero" (as well as to non-alcoholic champagne or other wines).
Who is allowed to trade alcohol at night
The ban on the sale of alcohol after 23.00 in the Moscow region (as, indeed, throughout Russia) applies to all stores - from large supermarket chains to small "local" shops that have permission to sell such products. An exception is made only for Duty Free shops operating in border areas and at international airports - they work according to special rules and can sell alcohol around the clock.
In addition, time limits do not apply to catering establishments - bars, restaurants, pubs, and so on. However, there are some subtleties here too: the alcohol sold here must be intended for drinking directly on the territory of the institution, the sale of strong drinks to take away at night is prohibited.
Compliance with this rule is monitored quite strictly: immediately after the imposition of restrictions on night trading, many "eateries" quite briskly dispensed alcohol to the sufferers, observing the only rule: to give the buyer an already uncorked bottle. However, in 2016, Federal Law 171 was amended to clearly and unequivocally stipulate the principle “alcohol purchased in public catering establishments must be drunk on the territory of public catering,” and now this practice is controlled and suppressed rather harshly. Therefore, it is possible to sit with a glass in a cafe after eleven in the evening, but you will not be able to run to the nearest cafe "for more" to continue your home holiday.
Additional restrictions on the time of sale of alcohol in the Moscow region and Moscow
In addition to the permanent restrictions on the sale of alcohol at night, the authorities of the Russian regions have the right to impose a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages on "special" days. These usually include days of mass holidays, the theme of which is somehow related to children, adolescents and young people - Children's Day, Family Day, Youth Day (June 27) and so on. In some regions, Family Day, regular citywide holidays, and so on are also included in the lists of "alcohol-free days".
Moscow and the Moscow region are territories where the "dry law" is announced less often. A complete ban on the sale of alcohol traditionally applies only to the days of mass holidays of high school students. On "Last Call" dates and school proms (traditionally associated with drunken teenagers), alcohol cannot be sold throughout the day.
In addition, local authorities can (and in some cases are even obliged by law) to introduce one-time bans on the sale of alcohol on certain days or hours. As a rule, such prohibitions are associated with the holding of holidays, accompanied by festivities; "Iconic" sporting events attracting many fans; concerts of stars taking place in city squares, etc. In this case, as a rule, a ban on the sale of alcohol is introduced in the territories immediately adjacent to the scene of the event. The reason for the temporary announcement of the Prohibition Law may also be mass rallies, demonstrations, etc.
Temporary bans in such cases are brought to the attention of all alcohol dealers working in the area. And the refusal to sell a can of beer in this case should not surprise the buyer: the need for such measures is also stipulated in the Federal Law No. 171, dedicated to the specifics of trade in alcoholic beverages.
