The rules of drinking Vodka Russian style are :

1. Vodka is to be drunk always as a shot, never sipped.
2. Vodka is to be drunk always in company, consisting of at least three persons (called a troika, I believe).
3. Vodka is to be drunk with a proper toast preceding the shot, by which we mean that the toast should be a narrative, the more elaborate the better; it is unacceptable to simple state: “cheers” or any such vapid niceties.
4. The drinking of vodka must be follow with a bite of food, preferably a piece of blini or a pickle.
5. Finally, when one person proposes a toast, nobody is allowed to refuse to drink.