July 03, 2021

Russia's Anomalous Zones


Russia's Anomalous Zones
UFOs look like this, right? Wikimedia Commons user Joe Wos

The Medveditskaya Ridge in the Volgograd region has recently won the distinction of hosting more UFO activity than anywhere else. Interestingly, it also features the second greatest number of "ball lightning" formations in the world. A strange blue mountain features "healing" blue clay. Trees twist at bizarre angles. People who try to go there report "sound hallucinations." Nothing grows there.

Welcome to one of Russia's many "anomalous zones." They are a challenge to the more skeptical among us – who are most likely not Russian.

Murom in the Vladimir region is another one, as are Vilskaya Glade in the Nizhny Novgorod region and Lake Labynkyr in Yakutia. In these areas, people report walking away and ending up in the same spot where they started, people disappearing altogether, instruments breaking, and strange glowing circles in the sky.

Russians are generally more comfortable with the uncertainty of UFOs than Americans are. But we all must admit... something weird is going on here.

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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
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