The British take the top spot when it comes to adaptations of Russian classic novels and plays. UK directors don’t limit themselves to just Tolstoy or Chekhov, but gladly take on lesser-known Russian authors such as Mikhail Bulgakov and Nikolay Leskov.

See some of the most unique church architecture in central Russia

Even Muscovites don’t know many of the city’s secrets.

‘Russia is the motherland of all the elephants,’ an old joke goes. Ironically, there were numerous elephants have made their mark on the country. Some had tiger’s claws, drank vodka, entertained the tsars, and took part in weddings.