Unfortunately, I've never yet had the opportunity to fly on a 154 (or indeed any Russian type); my abiding memory of the type goes back to the mid 1980s, when most of the old "Eastern Bloc" airlines, like Malev, CSA, LOT etc, were still flying them to LHR. I recall seeing one Malev aircraft come in ... it was like watching something come out of a time warp, in that you saw a cloud of black smoke first, out of which emerged the unmistakable shape (drooping wings) of the 154. It was a great sight - and how I loved those six wheel main gears.
Time is running out, of course; what's the name of that crowd that does the North Korean tours again?!! ...