One Russian composer seems, to me at least, to be somewhat underappreciated. If you haven’t heard of Alexander Scriabin (Скрябин), here’s your chance to get acquainted.

Premiered in 1953 in the wake of Stalin’s death, the 10th is a stunning depiction of the struggle between the solitary and vulnerable voice of the individual, and a terrifying, seemingly relentless force that threatens to crush it.

In War and Peace, Prince Andrey Bolkonsky sees an old oak that seems to embody his own cynicism and despair regarding the possibility of meaning in life —of spiritual rebirth, of love.

It gives some idea of the embarrassment of cultural riches on offer in Petersburg to note that, with its three venues, the Mariinsky alone has at least three performances on any given night.

The Siege of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days. Shostakovich wrote his 7th Symphony as a tribute to the city’s endurance, and as a condemnation of totalitarianism in all its forms

The third in a series of buddy movies that rank among my all-time favorite comedies. Here, the gang leaves on a fishing trip with a boatful of vodka. There’s one problem: they accidentally wind up in Finland, then leave the vodka there!

A personal favorite, this 1966 film, starring the incomparable Innokenti Smoktunovsky, is about a Robin Hood figure who steals cars from crooks and gives the money to orphanages. Meanwhile, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with… a police investigator! A funny, charming film.

Possibly the most famous Thaw-era movie, from 1964 (directed by Georgiy Daneliya) , this light-hearted movie features a few friends… walking around Moscow! Wait around for the famous sequence and song at the very end!

In one of the most ridiculous Soviet comedies, the helmet of Alexander the Great is stolen, and an innocent schoolteacher (who looks exactly like a crime lord) is enlisted to go undercover and track it down. Featuring the hilarious Yevgeny Leonov.

Let’s venture into the Kremlin, for a tour of its cathedral complex, gigantic bell tower, and gardens.

Opened in 1938, “Mayakovskaya” is one of the earliest and architecturally most renowned stations in Moscow’s massive and ever-growing subway system. Here we take a look at the Mayakovsky monument outside, and the mosaics inside depicting 24 hours in the Soviet sky.

A quick walking tour around Moscow’s Red Square area, including St. Basil’s, the GUM, Lenin’s mausoleum, Stalin’s grave, the monument to Zhukov, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

A tour of the fairly recently opened Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg, featuring a selection of the famous eggs and a wide variety of other items belonging to the Romanovs, housed in a beautifully restored palace.