Member of Russian Parliament Calls for Center For UFO Studies
We last reported on Russian Minister of Parliament (MP) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in May of this year when he confirmed during an interview with Russian television presenter Vladimir Pozner that he had been abducted from his Moscow apartment by extraterrestrials on April 18, 1997.
Now he's calling for long-term, formal, scientific investigation of UFOs.
At a press conference held September 8 in Elista, capital of the Russian republic of Kalmykia which he represents, Ilyumzhinov called for the establishment of a center for UFO studies in Russia. That announcement all but overshadowed his concurrent announcement (and the stated reason for the press conference) that he will not seek reelection to Parliament.
A self-made millionaire, Ilyumzhinov staged a religious revival in Kalmykia where he funded construction of the largest Buddhist temple in greater Europe. Kalmykia is the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the dominant religion.
He also spearheaded construction of the massive and growing complex of buildings known as City Chess, which was constructed specifically for the 33rd Chess Olympiad in 1998.
Since 1993, Ilyumzhinov has served five terms as Kalmykia's representative to the Russian Parliament and, since 1995, has served as president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE - Federation Internationales des Echecs).
According to The Moscow News, Ilyumzhinov's September 8 press conference was dominated more by questions about UFOs than politics or chess.
He rolled with it.
"In many countries that I visit, there are laboratories that investigate UFOs and make contact," Ilyumzhinov said, adding that he's discussed extraterrestrials with foreign dignitaries, including heads of state.
For our Russian-speaking readers ...
- Watch the Vladimir Pozner television interview on YouTube.
- Read the Russian language coverage of Ilyumzhinov's September 8 press conference at GZT.ru.
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