As if I don’t have enough, more serious reasons to be sad that I have been barred indefinitely from Russia, along comes the news that at the Kudikina Gora re-enactment park in Lipetsk Region, south of Moscow, there is a 49′-high (that’s 15 metres) iron-and-concrete statue of Zmei Gorynich, the fearsome three-headed dragon that fought the bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich. Impressive enough, but at 7pm on weekends and holidays, it gives vent to a terrifying scream before breathing fire and smoke from each of its heads. (There’s a nice video here.)

Kudikina Gora seems impressive overall, with a replica 5th century wooden fortress, an 18th century church, hiking trails, stables and more (why doesn’t Britain have a ‘St George experience’ complete with dragon? I presume, alas, because it would be tacky and overpriced). But a fire-breathing three-headed dragon twice the height of the average house? That’s something else.