Excellent deduction, Holmes. Syktyvkar, capital of the Komi Republic. We had been in Uhkta and Usinsk visiting an oilfield development project. Two weeks earlier had flown into Usinsk in an ancient chartered 727 - it still had hat racks - from Calgary via Churchill, Iqaluit, Keflavik and Murmansk. We had flown down to Uhkta in a regular passenger Yak 40.
At the end of our stay, we would be flying commercially from Moscow. The Chairman of the Production Association lent us his VIP Yak 40 for the trip. During the trip, the pilots noticed that one of our party had a Nat Geo map of Russia. They asked to look at it - they had never seen a map of Russia! This was shortly after Glasnost and the old Soviet secrecy had yet to fade away.
Over to you Harry.