Moscow Urban Legend

[Olga Meerson]

Reminds me of Dedalus and his son. There is an expression in Russian, for emigration no matter what, "uletet' na fanere" (or "na khanere").
o.m.

----- Original Message -----
From: Josh Wilson <jwilson at SRAS.ORG>
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 1:07 am
Subject: [SEELANGS] Moscow Urban Legend

> Dear Seelangers, 
> 
> 
> 
> Some folks from the History Channel have contacted me trying to 
> find out
> more information about the following urban legend from Moscow. Namely,
> they'd like to know if there is any evidence as to its truth or 
> falsehood.
> 
> 
> Any additional info would be appreciated. 
> 
> 
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Moscow State University is a massive building that was constructed 
> underStalin using, in part, GULAG labor. There are a handful of 
> stories about the
> building, but my favorite (told to me by a student who lives in the
> building, and supposedly originated among the GULAG laborers 
> themselves)runs as follows: A successful engineer was arrested for 
> having committed
> "crimes against the state." Eventually, he wound up on the labor 
> detailconstructing the new university building. However, he 
> designed and built a
> hang glider using scraps of plywood and, when the building had got 
> to nearly
> its full height, he jumped off the top and sailed to the other side 
> of the
> river using his contraption. He was never seen or heard from again. 
> I can't
> imagine it's true, but it's a good story. :)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Josh Wilson
> 
> Asst. Director
> 
> The School of Russian and Asian Studies
> 
> Editor-in-Chief
> 
> Vestnik, The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies
> 
> www.sras.org
> 
> jwilson at sras.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
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