Abstract
<jats:p>In 1781, there was a change in state alcohol policy: according to the adopted “Wine Charter”, instead of the tax farming, the presence of public houses under the control of the provincial government, as they said then, “on trust”, became possible again. The same period saw the completion of the provincial reform in the Moscow region, which began in 1775. The article analyzes previously unpublished registers, on the basis of which it is possible to trace how the Moscow region adapted to the new economic reality in alcohol policy. For the sake of objectivity and accuracy of the analysis, the author divides the total figures given in the registers by the number of public houses in a given district or town of the Moscow province. The study also examines the geography of the districts and towns that came under the jurisdiction of the state authorities and identifies the trade routes that generate the largest amount of drinking revenue. The results show that the tax farming is more effective than government control. At the same time, the Moscow Treasury Chamber was far from always able to objectively assess economic indicators, overestimating the plans for unprofitable districts. During the period under study, the author also identifies disadvantages of the provincial reform, which consisted in the uneven revenues of district due to different economic conditions, since the analyzed data shows that trade flows to the Moscow province came mainly from the southern regions (through the Kolomna and Podolsk district) and from the north, from St. Petersburg (through Voskresensk).</jats:p>