1998 12 00 Journal of Popular Culture - Vol 32 No 3 - Ramet

Magazine Overview

This document is a section from the "Journal of Popular Culture," specifically pages 81-90, titled "UFOs over Russia and Eastern Europe" by Sabrina P. Ramet. It delves into the history and context of UFO sightings and related phenomena within the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, particularly from the late 1940s through the 1990s.

UFOs in Russia and Eastern Europe: A Historical Overview

The article begins by establishing a fictional premise about life on Upsilon Bootes before transitioning to the topic of UFOs. It notes that periodic reports of UFOs in Russia and Eastern Europe date back to the late 1940s, with a notable mention of the 1908 Tunguska meteorite incident being considered by some as a crashed alien vehicle. A significant increase in sightings is observed after 1989, coinciding with the fall of communism and the development of advanced military technology. Many sightings are reported near top-secret military installations.

The author clarifies the literal meaning of UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) as defined by Carl Sagan and the University of Colorado UFO Project, distinguishing it from the common interpretation of a vehicle of extraterrestrial origin.

Communism and UFOs

The communist governments of the Soviet bloc exhibited an ambivalent attitude towards UFOs. While publicly dismissing them as "bourgeois propaganda" (as the Hungarian government did in 1954), higher echelons were interested in collecting information. For instance, Soviet dictator Iosif Stalin, as early as 1948, had a Soviet scientist review top-secret materials related to the alleged Roswell crash. By 1955, Dr. Felix Zigel began collecting UFO information and later formed an unofficial group of scientists interested in the topic.

The article recounts two dramatic sightings from 1959: one in Poland involving an alleged UFO crash in Gdynia harbor and the subsequent recovery of a small humanoid, and another in Sverdlovsk, Russia, where UFOs were reportedly seen hovering over military headquarters.

Cover-ups and Misinformation

Several alleged sightings in the USSR are presented as potential cover-ups for local incompetence or negligence. An example from 1961 describes an explosion at a tank factory, where a UFO theory was promulgated, possibly to shield workers from blame. Another incident in 1983, involving a radar detection near a submarine base, led to a missile engagement where Soviet aircraft were destroyed. The official explanation shifted to ball lightning, suggesting a double cover-up.

Other incidents, like the premature return of the Voskhod I spacecraft in 1964, are mentioned with speculative explanations involving UFOs. Encounters with alleged extraterrestrial craft are also reported concerning the Voskhod II mission in 1965.

Civilian Sightings and Early Encounters

Beyond military-related incidents, the article details sightings reported by ordinary citizens. An eleven-year-old girl in Poland reported an alien encounter in 1954, and a Polish farmer, Jan Wolski, claimed to have been taken aboard an alien craft for a medical examination in 1978.

A significant story from 1969 involves three Russian scientists who claimed Soviet intelligence monitored two extraterrestrial craft observing the Apollo 11 moon landing. They alleged that NASA censored Neil Armstrong's report and Buzz Aldrin's film.

The Post-Glasnost Era and Proliferation of Sightings

James Oberg, a specialist in the Soviet space program, suggests that many sensational UFO incidents can be rationally explained without invoking aliens. However, the article highlights a surge in sightings and crop circles across Europe, including Russia and Hungary, starting in 1989. This period, marked by glasnost, brought increased openness to UFO reports.

Notable incidents include a sighting in Vologda, Russia, where schoolchildren reported seeing a space vehicle and a headless being. The Voronezh incident of October 1989 is detailed, with TASS reporting the confirmation of a landed unidentified flying object and traces of aliens. Eyewitnesses described creatures three to four meters tall with small heads, and a large shining ball or disk.

Further reports from 1989 include a Hungarian Air Force pilot's encounter with a "strange, spherical, orange-colored" object, and sightings of greenish, fluorescent beings by farmers and soldiers in Hungary. Hungary established a UFO Data Collection Center.

Sightings continued across various locations in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Albania, and Lithuania throughout the 1990s. Some incidents had military implications, such as UN observation posts being attacked by UFOs in Croatia in 1994.

Official Reactions and Ufological Networks

Colonel György Keleti, the Hungarian Defense Minister, took UFO reports seriously, having previously written articles on the subject. In 1995, Hungarian scientists requested international assistance in verifying sightings of "intelligent plasma balls."

Vladimir Azhazha, vice president of the All-Union Ufological Association, warned of severe repercussions for Russia's security if the association was outlawed, even claiming that extraterrestrials abduct 5,000 people annually from CIS territory. Azhazha also recounted a personal encounter with an invisible entity.

The article notes the rapid multiplication of amateur ufology groups in the USSR after 1989, with around 50 groups by the end of the year. Azhazha organized a UFO network, and sightings continued to be reported, including a mysterious hole in Kostenki, Russia, where ufologists inferred alien activity.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes include the intersection of UFO phenomena with political changes (fall of communism, glasnost), military technology, government secrecy, and the potential for cover-ups. The editorial stance appears to be one of presenting a comprehensive overview of reported incidents and official/unofficial reactions, acknowledging both skeptical explanations and the persistent public fascination with extraterrestrial possibilities. The article highlights how UFO narratives became intertwined with the political and social landscape of the Soviet bloc during a period of significant transition.

This section of the Journal of Popular Culture, spanning pages 91-99, focuses on the phenomenon of UFOs over Russia and Eastern Europe. It delves into reported sightings, unusual claims, and various attempts to explain these occurrences, while also touching upon the cultural impact and public interest in the subject.

UFOs in Bulgaria and Germany

The article begins by recounting several peculiar incidents in Bulgaria, including the revelation by 'Kiki,' an advice-dispensing space alien, that Bulgarian is the intergalactic language of choice. It also mentions rumors of extraterrestrials visiting Germany eager to learn the Saxonian dialect and local customs. More dramatically, three fortune-tellers in Bulgaria claimed aliens from Planet Krissi would land in Schtaklevo and provide 8 trillion leva to clear Bulgaria's national debt, an event that never materialized and led to the fortune-tellers being rescued from an angry crowd of 1,500 people.

Following this, the proliferation of crop circles in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria is noted. A particularly striking example occurred in Germany, where crop circles in a cornfield near Hildesheim assumed the shape of the communist hammer and sickle. The field's owner capitalized on this by charging visitors an entrance fee.

Possible Explanations for UFO Sightings

The text then systematically explores various explanations for unidentified flying objects. The most common outcome is that once identified, they are revealed as natural phenomena. Examples include a luminous object in Budapest identified as a meteor, and an object over Vilnius possibly being ball lightning. The case of scorched earth in the Soviet Union, initially blamed on a space alien vehicle, was later found to be caused by a haystack fire.

A second likely explanation is that the craft is a man-made aircraft, potentially a secret military one, especially near top-secret bases. The 'jellyfish' incident at Petrozavodsk in 1977 and the 1989 incident at Voronezh, both near major Soviet military installations, are cited.

Other explanations discussed include:

• Dreaming: Many alleged abduction experiences occur during sleep, and vivid dreams can be confused with reality, sometimes influenced by media portrayals.
• Fakery: People may create hoaxes for various reasons, including monetary profit, as seen with the film 'Alien Autopsy.' Some crop circles have also been exposed as forgeries.
• Misinterpretation of Mundane Phenomena: Strange lights reported in Slovakia were traced to a local disco's laser lights.
• Disinformation: This can be generated by governments or external sources to cover up embarrassing information. An example is cited from Chechnya, where a warning was issued that a Chechen pilot might mistake an encounter with a flying saucer for a 'hostile act,' suggesting a deliberate policy to avoid conflict.

Controversial and Speculative Explanations

Beyond these more conventional explanations, the article ventures into more controversial territory. It mentions the idea that UFO reports from Russia might stem from economic difficulties, a suggestion disputed by some researchers. Other speculative theories include:

• Government Conspiracy: UFO mania could be a US government plot to condition the public to accept space aliens, paving the way for a future 'alien invasion' scenario to establish a world totalitarian state from the Pentagon.
• Mass Hallucinations: This theory suggests the discharge of hallucinatory drugs into the environment as part of a government program for mind control or to test collective behavior.
• Time Travel: UFO sightings could be attributed to human craft from the future visiting our time zone.
• Space Aliens: For some, especially those with unexplained frightening experiences, belief in visiting space aliens takes on a religious quality, becoming a matter of faith.

The article notes that while many ufologists are serious researchers, the field has also attracted 'cranks,' such as Vladimir Tereziski, who believes Hitler's scientists landed on the moon and sent missions to Mars.

Conclusion and Cultural Impact

The conclusion highlights that while most sightings are explainable as natural phenomena or man-made craft, some troubling incidents remain difficult to explain conventionally, leading serious researchers to speculate about extraterrestrial visitors. The article points out that public information sufficient to 'prove' the extraterrestrial nature of a craft is lacking, but a single authenticated sighting could radically alter human perception of ourselves.

UFO clubs and societies have proliferated across Russia and East-Central Europe since 1989. Surveys indicate significant belief in extraterrestrials visiting Earth in Germany and the Czech Republic. Bulgaria's belief level is suggested by an insurance company offering compensation for 'physical and psychic damage' from 'alien abduction.' The period between 1993-96 saw numerous international UFO conferences and a rise in popular magazines dedicated to the subject. The film 'Alien Autopsy' was shown to sell-out crowds in Prague, and Polish ufologists presented their own UFO films.

The enduring power of UFOs lies in the inability to definitively disprove alien existence or provide a definitive description of alleged space aliens. The article ends by questioning whether ufology is a science or a pseudoscience, noting that such questions remain open and may be influenced by government secrets.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes include the prevalence of UFO sightings and related phenomena like crop circles in Eastern Europe and Russia, the spectrum of explanations from the mundane to the highly speculative, and the cultural impact of these beliefs. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical examination, presenting various theories and evidence while maintaining a degree of skepticism towards the more extraordinary claims, yet acknowledging the persistent interest and the possibility of future revelations.