Chess Every Day
If you paid attention to The Queen's Gambit at all, you'd know that chess is a huge Russian pastime. It's been noted that Russians relate strongly to the game as they feel it represents their ideals. The game requires skill and critical thinking. The first state-sponsored national chess tournament was in Moscow, 1921.
Shamanistic Island
The remote island of Olkhon practices Shamanism, which is a religion that is looked down upon in most parts of the world. The reason why it's still so popular on this Russian island is because of how remote it really is. There's no room for other religions on Olkhon, especially because it's so commonly practiced.