There's no denying that Russia is a place of glamour, excitement and with more than a touch of intrigue. But most Britons probably have no idea how much it has contributed to their daily existence - until now

Here, we celebrate ten top exports from Russia which have influenced Britain throughout the ages, from some of the most important technological advances to arts and culture to the slightly more humorous offerings...

Tetris

Twenty five years old last month, the fiddly videogame was invented by a 29-year old Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov in 1984. The game has since sold 70 million copies around the globe and is regularly voted one of the top games of all time.

Rocket Boots

Created by Viktor Gordeyev, the boots designed to speed up walking were first seen in the 1960s and were re-developed by scientists in early 2000, targeting both military and civilian markets. They can reach a top speed of 35kmph!

Russian Standard Vodka

Meaning 'little water', vodka is perhaps the most famous export from Russian shores and St Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kiev is quoted as saying, 'Drinking is Russia's delight' in the 11th century.

Judging from the rise in popularity of vodka over the coming centuries, he was on to something and by the 1470s, the production of vodka was at its highest level ever. In the mid-16th century, the country's national drink was officially given the name 'vodka' and in 1894, the government asked acclaimed scientist Dmitri Mendeleev (Professor of Chemistry at St.Petersburg University and founder of the Periodic Table of Elements) to establish standards of vodka production.

The main finding of his research was that the finest strength of vodka to be 40 per cent alcohol by volume, or 80 proof. Mendeleev's recipe was adopted by the government as the absolute standard for Russian vodka.

Swan Lake

Billy Elliot might still be playing football if it wasn't for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his sensational ballet scores - the most famous of which is Swan Lake, closely followed The Nutcracker. Both continue to wow crowds and are regularly performed in Russia itself and around the globe.

Satellites

Launching legendary satellite Sputnik 1 in October 1957, Russia was the first country to develop an artificial satellite, changing the face of space technology forever and starting the space race with the USA.

Crime and Punishment

There have been no fewer than 10 TV adaptations of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's controversial novel, which was first serialised in Russia in 1866. Considered one of the most influential books of modern times and described as a literary sensation at the time of print, it has gone on to sell millions of copies worldwide.

Periodic table

Created by chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, this table remains as relevant and synonymous with the chemistry today, providing the framework to classify and compare all elements.

Stanislavski Method

Legendary director Constantin Staniskavski changed the theatre world forever when he introduced his 'method' in the later 19th century. Centered around the actor approaching their role as directly as possible, he stated it was also important to maintain a distance while playing the part. He introduced the idea of 'round tables' where actors discuss their approach to characters until a clear understanding is formed.

Radio receiver

Russian Alexander Popov invented the world's first radio receiver, which first showcased at the All-Russia exhibition in 1896. He was the first to demonstrate the practical application of electromagnetic radio waves but he never patented his invention and the idea was developed further in the UK and France.

TaTu

Female singing duo TaTu burst on to the scene in 2002 with their controversial first single, All The Things She Said and the music world would never be the same after a string of performances for the likes of MTV, photo shoots for the likes of Maxim and a top-three place at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest.