[1] The company also markets canned herrings under its Stolichnaya brand as part of a partnership with Russian Sea Group.
[2] Soyuzplodoimport was established in 1966 to import food items, including cocoa beans, coffee, spices and vegetables, and to export vodka.
[4] The new private entity then purchased some of Russia's main vodka brands from the government-owned Soyuzplodoimport for $300,000.
[4] An investigation by the Audit Commission valued the trademarks at $400 million, and in October 2001 a Russian court ruled Soyuzplodoimport was illegally privatized, and restored 17 vodka brands under its ownership.
[4] In 2015, Soyuzplodoimport managed to win court cases against Shefler and regain control of the brand in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, but the decision was not final.