Cigs were probably destined for Russia’s upper class. If the government uses them to reward loyalists, price is no object.

Don’t fly out of RIC in icy weather. It has one de-icing machine. Worst part: They won’t delay your flight. You’ll board, back away from the gate and sit and sit and sit. Once I spent half a day waiting for our turn to get de-iced. We’re not much of a cold-weather city, and I’m certain the ground crew had very little practice de-icing planes.