I have noticed over the years that there’s something in the Russian soul that in many things they make, they seem to go beyond what’s necessary and give it a finishing touch that lends an artistic flair and a touch of beauty. This plane is a fine example.
The Russian space shuttle, which was a shameless copy of ours, and was barely used at all, had that same exotic flair, similar to the Tupolev.
When they built their crappy, schlocky apartment buildings, and klutzy looking automobiles, they somehow lost that exotic touch, however.
Have you watched that old documentary about the first Soviet space station? It looked like a space-borne Lada that Sanford and Son had tricked up.