January in Russia conjures up images of Muscovites crunching through the snow in bulky coats -- not bunches of delicate snowdrops blooming in grassy areas around still-standing Christmas trees.
Instead of ice choking the Moscow River and the biting cold of the “moroz” – the hard freeze that stings the face -- the capital’s sidewalks are bare, and temperatures are well above freezing in what is usually one of the coldest months of the year.
