Russian athlete jumps from 338-metre Moscow skyscraper in daring Russia Day stunt
Russian extreme athlete Sergei Boytsov carried out a BASE jump from the 338-metre Mercury Tower in Moscow City to mark Russia Day, descending with a smoke flare and a parachute in the colours of the Russian flag.
Footage recorded on Friday, June 12, showed Boytsov leaping from the top of the skyscraper before safely parachuting to the ground.
After landing, Boytsov spoke about the significance of Russia Day and the values he believes define the country.
“Russia has always been known for its heroes not only in words but in actions, brave people, united teams, faith, hard work, and discipline,” he said.
“These qualities allow us to be one team, to believe in each other, to help and achieve goals. Today we once again showed that the country supports athletes, that athletes perform world-class stunts, world-class jumps, and set world records."
The jump was also held in support of the International Youth Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Yekaterinburg later this year.
According to Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, the design of Mercury Tower presented significant challenges for the stunt.
“Due to the stepped shape of the building, there are only two vertical sections suitable for free fall from 338.8 to 200 metres, and the dense development of Moscow City left only one safe flight corridor. Success depended on precise weather analysis, study of wind flow directions at different altitudes, and flawless piloting,” the agency said.
Boytsov performed the jump at 4:30 a.m. local time to minimise weather-related risks and avoid disrupting pedestrians. Officials said the stunt became the first officially recorded building jump in Russia involving a smoke flare.
Russia Day is observed annually on June 12. The holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) by the First Congress of People's Deputies in 1990, a milestone in the formation of the Russian Federation.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
