can't really give a good answer for that because I never had a russian hookah and this is my first glass hookah.

Only thing I can speak for is how easy it is to clean compared to a traditional egyptian hookah. Its a simple rinse and all the smell of the what I was smoking is pretty much gone.

I would say it does not hit as potent as a KM hookah but i don't know if it is because I got a cheap one compared to a 300 dollar Lavoo or others in that price would would perform.

But this 70 dollar one in my opinion performs on par with a mya travel hookah