Introduction: I first came to Russia over thirty years ago. Then, it was just emerging from being a mainly closed society with severe restrictions on travel. In the meantime, it has changed hugely. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to live and work here for many years and I have found the country fascinating. As it is still a requirement to apply for a visa to visit Russia, tourism has been slow to develop so this is still a largely unexplored land. Author in