THE formula for national days may vary, but putting on your best look is a must. And Russian National Day had a handsome bunch of young diplomats who make up the embassy list of all levels of secretary, counselors and specialists mixing and mingling with multilingual expertise and disarmingly charming candour at their National Day at Gandel Hall.

On display was a little girl’s treasure trove of babushkas, matryoshkas and decorated dolls with more bling than a Tsarina and more make-up than a Bolshoi ballerina.

There was also distinctive Russian artwork, newspapers and piroshkis probably good for a homesick Muscovite, with the continuous and impressive photo gallery on stage and that soaring Russian anthem, always sung by a formidable army choir.

Then for the formalities, a well-researched Australian photo gallery and the “extended” Australian anthem with subtitles, and the ambassador’s short speech hastily getting us back to socialising.

The vodka hit the spot. One must, of course, imbibe and, as ambassador Morozov suggested, finding a friend with plenty of lemons is the perfect accompaniment. Finding a way through the diplomatic niceties and expectations for the G20 summit a work in progress.