The Black Tulip

Ekaterinburg was my favourite of the Russian cities that I visited. It was beautiful, but haunting too, forever associated as it is with the murder of Nicholas IIand his family.

It's also home to The Black Tulip which is a huge memorial to the soldiers who fought in the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan. It didn't glorify the war - far from it and I was mesmorised by the statue in the middle of an exhausted, dejected soldier.

My driver during my stay in Ekaterinburg had fought in the war and it was fascinating to talk to him and hear the perspective of someone who'd been there.