The Russian capital city Moscow is celebrating Durga Puja for the 20th time in a row this year as more and more Russians are joining the Indian community in the festivities.

It was still the Soviet Union, with curbs on public celebration of religious festivities, when in 1989 enthusiasts came together to make the Puja dream in Moscow a reality.

To bypass the Soviet rules, the first Durga puja was organised in a local House of Culture as an Indian cultural event and two priests were specially flown in from Calcutta.

Over the past 20 years after changing several venues for almost last decade, Durga Puja is annually held in the Inter-Club of the Peoples' Friendship University, where most of the students from India and Bangladesh study.

"Our first Puja was inaugurated by Swami Lokeswarananda of Ramakrishna Mission. Since then Swami Jyotirupananda who is the founder of Moscow Ramakrishna Math has been conducting our puja and is the president of our Moscow Durga Puja Committee," Debasmita Moulick of Moscow Durga Puja Committee said.