Stoli Group announces rebrand in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Published: 09 March, 2022

Due to the Ukraine crisis, the Stoli Group will no longer sell its vodka under the Stolichnaya name.

The three driving factors behind the decision are the founder’s vehement position on the Putin regime, the Stoli employees determination to take action, and the desire to accurately represent Stoli’s roots in Latvia, according a statement released today (9 March)

The company has been in a long-running legal fight with a Putin-backed Russian business seeking to use the trademark in the US, Europe and UK.

Stoli Group's founder Yuri Shefler said: “While I have been exiled from Russia since 2000 due to my opposition to Putin, I have remained proud of the Stolichnaya brand.”

Damian McKinney, Stoli Group global CEO, and former Royal Marine commando, told Fox News: “We have employees, partners and distributors in the region directly impacted. They are asking that we take a bold stand. This is one actionable, meaningful thing we can do to make it clear that we support Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, some supermarkets are removing products with strongly Russian names in the UK. At the same time, in the US, a viral social media campaign included state governors and bar owners tipping vodka away, including Stolichnaya, because of its Russian name.

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