Fifth place goes to Russia’s cultural capital St. Petersburg ... around 70 percent of locals consider the capital to be the best place to live in the country. And here’s the winner.

Yes, there are places in Russia where this stereotype is true. One of them is Belushya Guba, a village on Novaya Zemlya, where residents live check by hairy jowl with these cuddly creatures.

My taxi driver is adamant as he drives me from Krasnodar airport. “This is the best place to live in Russia. Probably in the whole world.” It certainly seems one of the nicer parts of Russia. Down in ...