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)

Legend by Damien Hirst in the gardens of Chatsworth House on September 9, 2011 in Chatsworth, England. The never before seen work by Hirst is part of the Beyond Limits exhibition of modern and contemporary sculpture displayed in the gardens of Chatsworth by Sotherby's between 9th September to 30th October 2011. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

These beautiful shots may look like works of modern art – but they are actually close-ups of chemical reactions. The works were snapped with the help of a group of scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Anhui, China. Here: Zinc reacting with lead nitrate in a soft gel to form lead crystals. (Photo by Yan Liang/Caters News)

This 2014 series Shanghai Tian Wa saw Chinese photographer Liu Tao train his lens on two distinct districts in Shanghai. Here: “Shanghai Tian Wai №26, 2014”. (Photo by Liu Tao/The Guardian)

Hot air balloons take to the skies over Bristol city centre on August 6, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of over twenty balloons over the city was organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which starts on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Matt Cardy)

Shepherds lead their sheep through the centre of Madrid, Spain, Sunday, October 25, 2015. Shepherds have guided a flock of 2,000 sheep through Madrid streets in defense of ancient grazing, droving and migration rights increasingly threatened by urban sprawl and modern agricultural practices. Tourists and city-dwellers were surprised to see the capital's traffic cut to permit the ovine parade to bleat bells clanking its way past the city's most emblematic locations. (Photo by Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP Photo)

Fans of the East German Trabant car gather for their 7th annual get-together on August 23, 2014 in Zwickau, Germany. Hundreds of Trabant enthusiasts arrived to spend the weekend admiring each others cars, trading stories and enjoying activities. The Trabant, dinky and small by modern standards, was the iconic car produced in former communist East Germany and today has a strong cult following. (Photo by Matthias Rietschel/Getty Images)