Propaganda was key for the Communist government which is why
most towns in Siberia have their own theatres. Omsk State Music
Theatre is a whacky building that looks like a giant ski slope and
has a fantastic plant-filled atrium inside. The Buryat State
Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ulan-Ude has Soviet murals
depicting Lenin in various heroic poses on the ceiling. Catch a
ballet there for around £5 – a great value alternative to The
Bolshoi, which typically costs up to £120 for tourists.

Do you support Putin? How do you feel about Trump? Russia is a
politically charged country. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny has
recently been barred from running in March’s upcoming election
because of a spurious legal claim and no one is in any doubt that
Putin will be re-elected for a fourth term. When locals ask your
opinion, it’s best to keep schtum. Practice your “I’m not from
around here so don’t understand the question” face in advance –
you’ll be using it a lot.

Moscow is expensive even by London standards, but there are
plenty of things to do for free. In good weather, Gorky Park is a
great place to while away an afternoon watching Muscovites revel in
the sunshine. Head to Red Square to soak up the incredible
architecture of St Basil’s cathedral and Lenin’s mausoleum then
duck into GUM, the state department store. It’s an impressive
building lit by skylights made up of more than 20,000 panes of
glass. Tucked away on the top floor, Stolovaya 57 serves
traditional Russian food at reasonable prices. You’ll get change
from a tenner for beef stroganoff, baked apples and warm kompot (a
drink made from stewed fruit).

Russians’ legendary love of vodka is one of those stereotypes
that is actually true. In fact, the word vodka comes from “voda”,
which is Russian for water. Once they start a bottle they don’t
deviate, sharing it among the group until it is finished. If it’s
getting too much, leave some vodka in your glass to indicate that
you don’t want any more for the time being.

Despite the fact that the mercury in Moscow sometimes soars to
30 degrees in the summer, sandals and flip flops are a definite
no-no. Wearing sandals in Russian cities is seen as the epitome of
bad taste. At the very least people will stare, but you can also
expect whispers, sniggering and even for some to take pictures.

No doubt you’ve got Moscow and St Petersburg on your hit list,
but how about Irkutsk? This handsome city in eastern Siberia is
home to beautiful wooden baroque houses with such delicate carvings
they look as if they’re draped in lace. Stroll up Zhelyabov Street
to see some of the prettiest buildings.

First class is expensive (from £787) with just two berths per
cabin, while third class (from £292) is an open-plan carriage with
54 berths. Second class (from £442), with four berths per cabin,
seems like the obvious middle ground, right? Wrong. When you
consider that second class is mostly populated by men, many on
boozy business trips, you’ll probably decide you’d rather give it a
miss. The trains are generally very safe, but most families travel
in third. Either way, several days in a tiny compartment of four
strangers feels uncomfortably intimate – third class is
considerably less awkward.

Do you hear the word restaurant car and start picturing scenes
from “Some Like It Hot”? Some trains don’t even have restaurants
and the ones that do are overpriced for the quality of food. Your
only kitchen facility will be the samovar of boiling water which is
in every carriage; get into flavoured couscous, pot noodles, soup
and instant porridge, and stock up on fruit and veg before you
board.