The next day we cruised all day. The Volga river is huge. Dammed at a number of places to create hydro-electric power, it is now effectively a series of lakes connected by locks. Some sections of the river are so wide that from the middle we could not see either bank. The locks are big enough to take sea-going ships, and the drop from one to the next can be up to 15 metres. It is an astonishing engineering feat. But it was built by gulag prisoners under Stalin’s rule using only hand tools and thousands died to achieve his vision.

That day the ship’s company laid on plenty of entertainment, including a vodka tasting.