Reading list | Moscow

When Constantinople fell to Mehmet the Conqueror, Moscow took on the mantle of the Third Rome, and the double-headed eagle of Byzantium became the nation’s symbol. Links between Russia and Turkey, who come together around the Black Sea, have always been strong, though not always amicable, but trade and diplomacy have won through. Opulent diplomatic gifts from Ottoman Sultans can be seen in the Kremlin’s Amoury, and the Pushkin Museum glitters with the Treasurs of Priam. Today, Turkey is a favourite holiday playground for Russians, whether visiting Demre (former Myra), birthplace of St Nicholas, their patron saint, or staying at such hotels as the World of Wonder Kremlin Palace, a replica of Moscow’s most famous building, in Antalya