I do play a russian Bayan with buttons. I bought it third (or fifth) hand from a very good Russian artist playing for money on the beach. Old as it is it has given me quite a lot of pleasure.

It has 5 rows of buttons on the right hand side and the same on the bass side. The man who put it in order (not as cheap as the instrument) did not like the dried up leather in the instrument and was of the opinion that the russian instruments are of the wors´t quality on the market. Some people do however say that the russian instruments are the best in the world. Anyway the russians are very musical people so take it or leave it.

It is a very nice, although perhaps a bit melancholy instrument
well fitted for the classic and folk russian music.

I've had it for only a year but I do not think I'd like
to change it for a button-accordion.

One thing is both good and bad. Very few people are able
to play it outside the Slavic world. So teachers are difficult
to find and the second hand value is very limited. However i bought two tutorials in Russian and although my russian is not really up to them I have learnt quite a lot from them about fingering etc. The russian teachers are regrettable not always of the same ópinion about things but let the buyer/reader choose for himself.