Earlier this year they had an abrupt and lethal lesson on the dangers of peat-bog fires.

ECONOMIST: Peat bogs and climate change

When peat-bog fires blanketed Moscow and other big cities with acrid smoke in 2010, he took the controls of a firefighting plane on national TV.

WSJ: Russia After Putin

Whether peat-bog fires are being encouraged by climate change is debatable.

ECONOMIST: Peat bogs and climate change

Russia suffers from peat-bog fires every year.

ECONOMIST: Russia��s wildfires

Here, the object is to swim through thick, filthy water along two 60-yard lengths of a flooded peat bog trench, using only the paddling power of two feet and a snorkel to breathe.

BBC: The UK��s highly unusual athletic games

The 4, 000-year-old remains of the Bronze Age grave or cist, which were found in a peat bog, are set to rewrite the history books.

BBC: 'Amazing' bronze age burial site treasures on Dartmoor