In Baku ( the then Soviet Union) I found the individual Russians a friendly people we drank white wine which was a bit sweet but otherwise tasted good. The restaurant looked like 1930 had white table cloths of course, Lenin and Stalin were looking at us either as a bust or a picture. The suits the men wore was also 1930ish but so what we didnยดt have to pay. The Russians liked to hear theirs was a wonderful country as I indeed did in, say, Texas wonderful state and was told the blacks were all communists Strangely enough, I was more frightened in Texas, so many guns in holsters. The individual Texans were polite, well-armed men often are and we drank lone star beer served cold. The British took years before serving cold lager. I live in Portugal now, a good place but I wouldn't say I like the unholy alliance between politicians and the business class.