· Regarding the query about Russian ski resorts, it depends on what sort of skiing. For downhill skiing, frankly, no, as most land west of what is laughably known as the Ural Mountains is as flat as a pancake. Rumour has it that St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev has plans to turn the St. Petersburg suburb of Toksovo into a European-standard ski resort, but quite how he plans to achieve this has got those of us who live here scratching our heads. On the other hand, there are plenty of places for cross-country skiing around the place. If you don't mind Soviet standards for the most part, that is.
Peter Morley

· One more tip, though perhaps not very useful for those living outside Russia or for those who don't read Russian. If you can get hold of it (I got my copy at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport), a book called 'Russkie gorki: skloni i trassi' ('Russian hills: slopes and routes') has just been published. It lists all the ski resorts in Russia, from near Mount Elbrus in the Caucausus to Chamkatka in the Far East. It also has information about the slopes, accommodation and transport. You can order it online from ozon.ru (Ozon.ru), Russia's nearest equivalent to amazon.co.uk.
Emma Wolfson