Orthodox believers participate in a procession in St. Petersburg, Russia, 12 September 2022. The procession marks the 298th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, who is considered to be a heavenly protector of St. Petersburg. (Photo by Anatoly Maltsev/EPA/EFE)

A livestock vendor gives bath to a bull at a cattle market ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, on the outskirts of Karachi on June 10, 2024. (Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP Photo)

A woman looks on during a protest asking for the release of Israeil and German people held by Hamas in Gaza, outside the Germany embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, October 25, 2023. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

A Scottish Highland bull on the loose in New Milford, Connecticut on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. (Photo by Caitlin Mandracchi/AP Photo)

A boy plays in water from a broken fire hydrant in Rosemead, California on Saturday, May 10, 2025, seeking relief as spring heat breaks temperature records across the Southland. (Photo by Ringo Chiu/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An artist carries a clay statue of Lord Vishwakarma to the market for sale before the Vishwakarma Puja festival in Nepal, Kathmandu on September 16, 2025. The festival, celebrated on September 17 this year, honors Lord Vishwakarma, regarded as the divine engineer and craftsman, and involves prayers for creativity, prosperity, and protection of tools and workplaces. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

“People and Space”. Winner: Wanderer in Patagonia by Yuri Zvezdny (Russia) A lone stargazer stares up at the stars of our galaxy, the Milky Way, as they stretch across the night sky over the glacier “White Stones” (Piedras Blancas) in the Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. El Chaltén, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 27 September 2016 iOptron Sky-Tracker mount, Sony A7S camera, 18 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 5000, 30-second exposure Wanderer in Patagonia. (Photo by Yuri Zvezdny/Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2017)

In modern Russia there are no free elections, therefore the political elite is almost constant.

Photo: Valentina Matvienko, Mayor of St. Petersburg, attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 17, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Global business leaders have gathered in Russia for the three-day conference. (Photo by Alexander Aleshkin/Epsilon/Getty Images)