The soul of the samovar is
singing a tune of warm-
hearted hospitality. Russia is
full of riddles and surprises to
Western thinking, according
to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
The people of the largest
country in the world are
passionate, creating swirly-
spired onion domes of gold
and striking colours, and
making lithe, white swans
dance across a Tchaikovsky-
infused lake. A day at the
Hermitage gives you a taste.
Ukraine's ancient and splendid
trade route, the Dnieper River,
is lined with rich cultural
treasures, onion-domed
churches and rural folkways
that recall the days of Vikings,
Tsars and Cossacks. Visit
Kiev's Cave Monasteries.
Marvel at the riding skills of
Cossack horsemen. And trace
the footsteps of history at
Odessa's Potemkin Steps.
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