Buzz
Russia, with a population of nearly 144 million, ranks as the ninth most populous country globally. Its vast land area of 16,376,870 square kilometers (6,323,142 square miles) results in a low population density of just nine people per square kilometer (23 per square mile), creating ample room for peculiar and extraordinary events.
Despite accounting for only 1.87 percent of the world's population, Russia seems to have an endless reservoir of strange and unusual stories. Below are ten more examples of their quirky news tales that could easily rival the infamous “Florida Man” anecdotes.
10. Stadium Uses Distressing Bird Sounds to Deter Birds
If you believe your neighbors are noisy, imagine living near Gazprom Arena. In June 2019, residents bombarded local authorities with complaints after the stadium introduced a bird deterrent system. The system reportedly played recordings of distressed birds and gunfire to keep birds away.
Anastasia, a local resident, shared her concerns: 'Children either struggle to sleep or wake up asking, ‘Why are the birds in pain?’' Football Club Zenit did not clarify whether any birds were harmed during the sound recording. Another resident claimed that despite promises from Gazprom Arena officials to lower the volume, the noise only appeared to intensify.
St. Petersburg isn’t alone in facing challenges with birds. The Moscow metro recently placed nearly 300 stickers depicting birds of prey across 21 station lobbies to deter birds and prevent them from fatally colliding with glass panels.
9. Ex-Teacher Murders Friend Over Argument That Poetry Isn’t Genuine Literature
In early 2014, a 53-year-old man from Irbit, a town in the Sverdlovsk region of the Urals, was accused of murdering his 67-year-old friend. The incident occurred during a drinking session at the friend’s apartment, where the victim claimed only prose qualified as 'real literature.'
According to Sverdlovsk regional police: 'The host argued that prose was the only true form of literature, while his guest, a former teacher, defended poetry. The debate escalated into a violent confrontation, leading the poetry enthusiast to fatally stab his opponent with a knife.'
The murderer escaped the scene but was later discovered hiding at a friend’s home in a neighboring village. He admitted to the killing and could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
8. Two Intoxicated Men Sever Their Ears Over a Wager
In early 2014, a bizarre incident occurred in a Siberian mining area where two drunk men severed their own ears following a bet tied to an arm-wrestling match. According to police, the pair had been drinking to mark Orthodox Christmas and agreed that the loser of their arm-wrestling contest would cut off his ear.
The first match had a clear winner, but the loser demanded a rematch, which he won. Following their agreement, both men proceeded to cut off their ears. 'They willingly removed their left ears—one entirely and the other partially. Both were hospitalized for their injuries,' authorities stated.
7. Naked Cheesemakers Pose in a Milk-Filled Vat
To ring in 2014, a group of cheesemakers took a dip in the milk used for cheese production, snapping playful photos that quickly gained widespread attention. Artem Romanov shared the images on VKontakte, captioning them, 'Yeah, our job is really boring.' One photo even features a man holding up his shorts for the camera.
While the original photos were deleted, they sparked a flurry of reposts and comments online. Some users joked, 'Now we know why the cheese tastes so salty.' Romanov had previously shared other unusual content, including a video of nearly naked men crafting dried braid cheese on the factory floor.
Their antics may have harmed the cheese industry in Omsk, a key hub for food processing in Russia. The Moscow Times cautioned, 'If you’re planning to buy string cheese, you might want to ensure it wasn’t produced in Omsk.'
6. Man Defends Himself Against Siberian Bear by Biting Its Tongue
In 2019, Nikolay Irgit, aged 30, along with two friends, was gathering deer and moose antlers illegally in a forest reserve within the Tuva region. These antlers, often sold at high prices on the black market, are used for crafting furniture and medicinal purposes.
The group separated to cover more area. While deep in the forest, Irgit encountered a brown bear. Siberian bears, weighing up to 600 kilograms (1323 lbs), are capable of killing a grown man. Irgit attempted to frighten the bear by shouting, but it attacked, biting his face, head, hands, and stomach repeatedly.
As the bear clamped down on his face, Irgit bit off its tongue, causing the animal to flee. Bleeding profusely, he called for help, and his friends arrived to summon an ambulance. Despite surviving the attack, Irgit faced legal consequences, as police initiated an administrative case against him for his illegal activities in the forest reserve.
5. Psychic Spends $84,000 on a Clairvoyant Cat
In early 2017, a peculiar story emerged about a clairvoyant purchasing a 'psychic' cat in Russia. Dimitry, the cat’s owner, inherited the feline from his late aunt. He claimed the cat had the ability to materialize behind locked doors and use mental tricks to compel him to buy its favorite food late at night.
Dimitry admitted he disliked fish and sausage, but the cat somehow induced cravings for these foods. 'It would wake me at 5 am, making me desperately want fish or sausage,' he explained. 'I’d have to rush out to buy it and feed the cat. As soon as the cat began eating, my hunger vanished.'
The cat also had a habit of staring into empty spaces, seemingly perceiving things invisible to humans. Dimitry’s marriage was affected, as his wife felt uncomfortable around the 'psychic' pet. This changed when a clairvoyant from Novosibirsk, located 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) away, somehow learned about the cat and traveled to examine it.
Described as a 'witch' by local media, the woman paid five million rubles (approximately $84,000) for the cat, planning to use it in her psychic sessions. 'She arrived with all her tools, confined the cat to a room, and quickly decided to purchase it,' Dimitry recalled.
4. Siberian Skies See Three Tons of Gold Fall from a Cargo Plane
On March 15, 2018, the skies over Siberia briefly shimmered with gold. A Cold War-era cargo plane departed from Yakutsk Airport, transporting an estimated $378 million worth of gold, platinum, and diamonds for a private mining company. During takeoff, the cargo door malfunctioned, releasing nearly 200 gold bars into the air.
While most of the gold bars fell onto the Yakutsk Airport runway, the plane continued its flight for another 16 kilometers (10 miles) before making an emergency landing, scattering more cargo along the way. Authorities confirmed no injuries and that the valuable cargo was recovered. The incident was attributed to the maintenance crew’s failure to secure the cargo properly.
3. Siberian Fisherman Discovers Bag Containing 54 Severed Human Hands
In March 2018, a Siberian fisherman stumbled upon a chilling sight while walking along the frozen Amur River. He spotted a hand protruding from the snow on a small island near Khabarovsk. Further investigation revealed a bag filled with severed human hands.
The bag held 27 pairs of hands, all cut at the wrist. Images of the 54 hands arranged in orderly rows quickly captured media attention. However, Russian officials clarified that this was not the act of a hand-obsessed killer.
The bag also contained medical bandages and plastic shoe covers, typically used in environments like laboratories and hospitals. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation traced the items back to a forensics lab in Khabarovsk, which had improperly disposed of its biological waste.
'The biological materials (hands) discovered are not linked to criminal activity but were unlawfully discarded,' stated the committee. However, the reason behind the lab severing the hands remains unclear.
2. Former World Chess President Claims Alien Abduction and That Chess Was Invented by Extraterrestrials
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov served as the World Chess President from 1995 to 2018, having defeated former world champion Garry Kasparov for the position. He also held the role of president in the Russian Republic of Kalmykia from 1993 to 2010.
What makes Ilyumzhinov stand out from other politicians is his extraordinary claim. He asserts that in September 1997, aliens dressed in yellow spacesuits abducted him from his Moscow residence.
I was taken from my Moscow apartment to a spaceship, and we traveled to a distant star. Afterward, I requested to be returned home. These beings resembled humans, sharing our thoughts and perspectives. Our conversation made me realize we are not alone in the universe—we are not unique.
Given Ilyumzhinov’s alleged extraterrestrial encounter and his lengthy tenure with the World Chess Federation, it’s no surprise he linked aliens to the game of chess:
My belief is that chess originated from space. The rules are universal—64 squares, black and white, and identical rules in Japan, China, Qatar, Mongolia, and Africa. Why? I think it might have come from space.
1. Dagestan Organizes a Sheep Beauty Pageant
In August 2018, Dagestan hosted a sheep beauty contest to mark Eid al-Adha, known as Kurban Bayram in the Russian and Turkic-speaking world. This festival, one of Islam’s holiest days, commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command.
To celebrate the occasion, an outdoor livestock market in central Dagestan organized the competition. As stated on the Buynaksk district website, 'The judges had a challenging mission: selecting the most deserving candidate for the title of ‘Most Beautiful Sheep’ from 10 adorned and remarkably attractive contenders.'
The owner of the winning sheep, named 'Princess Aisha,' received a traditional handmade dagger as a prize. While approximately 300,000 sheep are sacrificed annually during Kurban Bayram, no details were provided about Princess Aisha’s final outcome.
