Yeah, string players have to love Russians. Tchaikovsky's Violin concerto in D is enough reason right there, although I have a soft spot for his Rococo variation because I adore cello.
My favorite by Shostakovitch is his symphony #5.
My favorite composer is Sergei Rachmaninoff. The adagio from his symphony #2 is what they'll play at my funeral.
Hey, where'd you get the Cyrillic alphabet?