I am often asked by family and friends: ‘What is it really like living in Russia?’ I know they are expecting the usual answers like ‘Russia is big’ or ‘Russia is cold.’ But to me, life in Russia is delightful, vibrant, and full of surprises, all you need is patience.

The decade following the Bolshevik revolution was a time of artistic freedom because Soviet authorities welcomed the new creative movement as a way to destroy the old order.

Despite its location deep within the former imperial Chinese province of Manchuria, Harbin has a peculiar Russian feel to it. The secret, we found out, lies in its history.