>>>[Volgograd is nowhere near Sochi! Jeez... just look at a map!]
It’s 427 miles but in Russia that may be considered nearby.<<<
Yes, in Western Siberia three days by car or two hours by jet considered “next door”. You can drive some 100 miles on the road without spotting any other person.
I live about 150 miles fro Sochi, and it takes 5 hours by train to get there (faster than by car)!