![](https://images.suitcasemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10151258/eight-things-you-need-to-know-before-visiting-russia_653a285a00fa4.jpeg)
Seek out Soviet theatres
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.