It was used for travelling in stages, where teams of tired horses could be exchanged for fresh animals to transport loads over long distances.
[clarification needed] Decorated troikas were popular in major religious celebrations and weddings.
The irony of the iconic Russian troika being the bearer of a swindler has been discussed in Vasily Shukshin's short story Started Skidding ("Забуксовал").
[4] The 1934 Russian film Lieutenant Kijé portrays a wild ride on a troika, accompanied by music by Sergei Prokofiev.
Prokofiev later expanded his score into the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite; the "Troika" movement in particular has been reused in many popular works.