While the Soviet era engines are inefficient, I have heard that there was also a considerable overdesign - making them better suited for operations from "non-ideal" locations.
Was it this model bird that carried some diesel railway locomotives to Australia? Or was it the six-engined plane.
One of the major users of these planes in civilian service seems to be energy companies. One typical load might be a whole gas pipeline compressor skid. Bet the runway where it delivers it to is not paved.