The Legend of the Russian Empire's Cast-Iron Medal for Heavy Drinkers

Here's an interesting fact about drunkards in the Russian Empire during the Peter the Great times. They were commonly referred to as "siniaks," which actually means "bruise" in English. Let's take a closer look at this story, which is available in both Russian and English. 

Here is the story in English:
In the Russian Empire, there was a legend about a unique medal that was reserved for those who couldn't handle their alcohol. This cast-iron medal was said to resemble a shard and weighed a whopping 8 kilograms (about 17 lb). The unfortunate recipient was required to wear it around their neck for an entire week, earning themselves the dubious title of "winner". To add insult to injury, at the end of the "term" they were offered a free drink at a bar, as if their ordeal had earned them a special reward. It was widely known that those who wore the medal would often develop bruises on their neck, which led to the popular expression "bruise" - a term used to describe someone who can't limit their drinking.

Here's the story in Russian:
В Российской империи ходила легенда о медали "За пьянство". Напоминавшая черепок, эта чугунная медаль вешалась на шею тем, кто не умел управляться с алкоголем. Вещь весила целых 8 килограмм и носилась целую неделю! По окончании "срока", медаль снимали и наказуемый направлялся в бар, где ему предлагалась бесплатная выпивка.
Отличительной чертой "победителей" становились синяки на шее, что дало жизнь выражению "синяк" – название, обозначающее человека, неумеющего ограничить себя в употреблении алкоголя.