Alcohol sales on Sundays and holidays will be restricted in Altai from March 1.

Since March 1, additional restrictions on the sale of alcohol have been introduced in the Altai Republic. This was announced on February 25 by the press secretary of the regional government, Mikhail Maksimov.

"Additional restrictions on alcohol sales are being introduced in the Altai Republic. What is changing? The sale of alcohol in shops located in apartment buildings is prohibited," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Alcohol will also be prohibited on Sundays and on 14 public holidays and socially significant dates, including New Year, Christmas, Victory Day, Children's Day, Knowledge Day and others.

In addition, the time allowed for sales is being reduced: from Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restrictions will not apply to restaurants, cafes and bars, Maximov said.

Entrepreneurs whose outlets are located in residential buildings must completely stop the retail sale of alcohol by March 1, return the products or move them to another facility. The authorities informed the business about the consequences of violating the new rules. Some stores have already posted warnings for customers, and some have announced their closure.

Red nose: alcohol consumption is falling in Russia

The decrease in demand is attributed to an increase in excise taxes and rising prices

Vodka sales in Russia decreased by 3.6% by the end of 2025. As specified on January 26, the sale of alcoholic beverages with a strength of over 9% decreased by 1.1%, amounting to almost 120 million decaliters. The most significant drop — by 87.3% — was recorded in the segment of low-alcohol products, the volume of which amounted to only 1.5 million decaliters.

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