1663: Robozero, Russia Sighting

THINK ABOUTIT UFO SIGHTING REPORT

Date: August 15, 1663

Sighting Time: between 10:00 AM and noon

Day/Night: Day

Location: Robozero, Russia  (present day Vologda region)

Urban or Rural: – Rural

No. of Entity(‘s):

Entity Type:

Entity Description: DD (Daylight Disc) Metallic or whitish object was seen in the day.

Hynek Classification:

Duration: 2 hours

No. of Object(s): up to 3

Height & Speed:

Size of Object(s): 15-story building

Distance to Object(s):

Shape of Object(s): sphere

Color of Object(s): a huge flaming sphere From its sides poured bluish smoke.

Number of Witnesses: Town

Source:

Summary/Description: The Robozero sighting is the most famous UFO case in the history of ancient Russia. Yuri Roszius and other Russian researchers of paranormal phenomena have studied it extensively. The event occurred “in the year 171” (that is, the year 7171 from “the creation of the world”) which corresponds to the year 1663. The details of this amazing and enigmatic event have been preserved because of the efforts of the Archeological Commission. It published a collection of its historical acts in 1842, among which was an authentic 17th century document signed by Ivan (Ivashko) Rzhevsky, a “laborer,” in which he bore witness to a remarkable event. According to Rzhevsky’s testimony, on August 15, 1663, between 10:00AM and noon, a “great noise” resounded over Robozero Lake (located in the Vologda Region, about 80 miles southwest of Belozersk).

From the north, out of a clear sky, appeared a huge flaming sphere not less than 130 feet in diameter. From its fore-part emitted two “flame” beams, about “20 sazhens ahead of it” (a sazhen is about seven feet). From its sides poured bluish smoke. This huge ball of fire, its height like that of a modern 15-story building, hovered over the lake. The phenomenon was observed by a multitude of people who had gathered for mass at the parish church, situated on the lake shore. The “great noise” occurred just as the thanksgiving singing had begun.

Terrified by this noise, the people emerged from the church, but upon seeing the “frightful sight” they went back into the church and “prayed to the Lord and the Virgin Mary with tears and weeping.” Shortly afterwards “the great flame and the two smaller ones vanished,” but it reappeared on two or three more occasions, moving in a westward direction (seemingly becoming brighter each time) before finally dimming and disappearing from view a full hour and a half later. Peasants were sailing in a boat on the lake at the time, but the scorching heat forced them to the bank. They saw that light from the unknown object had penetrated the water and reached the bottom of the lake-“about four sazhens down” (28 feet). They saw “fish fleeing from the flame toward the shore.”

Rzhevsky’s story was corroborated by another eyewitness, a peasant by the name of Levko Fedorov, and he also received written confirmation from the local priests that “such a token was observed on that date.” Only then did Rzhevsky report the occurrence to his superiors. However, despite providing a detailed description of the phenomenon, Rzhevsky does not offer any subjective interpretation of it. Others have tried to interpret the Robozero phenomenon. Russian astronomer D. Svyatski, in his book “Astronomical Phenomena in Russian Chronicles,” claims that the eyewitnesses saw pieces of a meteorite that flew apart after an explosion – but this does not account for the sighting of the people in the boat approaching a hovering body?

Others have tried to explain it as ball lightning-but there was no storm or rain that day. The life span of lightning is short. Its diameter is no more than three feet-certainly not 130 feet. Yuri Roszius analyzed Rzhevsky’s report and came up with a fresh interpretation of the sighting. His detailed analysis included the study of one interesting episode related by eyewitnesses. The document notes a change in the outer appearance of the object: an increase in its brightness when it came into view for the third time. For some reason this change preceded the start of the object’s progressive movement westward. In modern times, such an increase in brightness could be attributed to the firing-up of cruise engines (an increase in its thrust). Is it by chance that the object’s brightness increased before its departure? Mankind did not possess such advanced technology then, but it is feasible that the population of Robozero was being observed by an alien civilization. To this day no known scientific theory has explained the phenomenon.

• Original

To His Highness the Archimandrite Nikita, to His Eminence the Starets Paul, to their Highnesses the Starets of St. Cyril Monastery, Most Venerable lords, salutations from your humble servant Ivachko Rievskoi.

The farmer Levka Fedorov, from the village of Mys of Antusheva of your monastery estate Losy, has related to me the following facts: On this Saturday, the 15th day of August of the year 7171 [since creation i.e. 1663], the faithful from the district of Bieloziero, Robozero volost [administrative region], had assembled in great number in the church of the village of Robozero, in the present holyday of Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

While they were inside, a great sound arose in the heavens and numerous people came out of God’s house to watch it from the square.

There, Levka Fedorov, the farmer in question, was among them and witnessed what follows, which, for him, was a sign from God. At noon, a large ball of fire came down over Robozero, arriving from the clearest part of the cloudless heavens [what would be the clearest part of a cloudless heaven?].

It came from the direction whence winter comes [i.e. north], and it moved toward midday [i.e. south] along the lake passing over water surface. The ball of fire measured some 140 ft from one edge to the other and over the same distance, ahead of it [not behind it?], two ardent (burning?) rays extended. The people seeing the terror of God gathered in the church and prayed to God and the Blessed Virgin, with tears and crying, and the big fire and two smaller ones disappeared. [did they fly away or just vanish?]

Less than an hour later, the people again came out to the square and the same fire suddenly reappeared over the same lake, from the same place where it first disappeared. It darted from the south to the west and must have been 1500 ft away when it disappeared [so the ball just vanished rather than going away?].

But it appeared, in a short while, back again, from another place, moving this time to the west; the third time the same fireball appeared more terrific in width [so it grew], and disappeared, having moved to the west, and it had been remaining over Robozero, over water, for an hour and a half. And the length of the lake is about 7000 ft, and the width is 3500 ft. As the fireball was coming over water, peasants who were in their boat on the lake followed it, and the fire burned them by the heat, not allowing them to get closer. 

The waters of the lake were illuminated to their greatest depth of 30 ft and the fish swam away to the shore, they [the people?] all saw that. And where the fireball came, the water seemed to be covered with rust under the reddish light; it was then scattered by the wind and the water became clean again. And I, your humble servant, sent a message to the priests in Robozero district, exactly for this reason, and they responded to me with a letter confirming that they had such sign in that day. And you, most Venerable lords, would know about this. And this Robozero district is about 6 miles away from Antusheva village of your monastery estate Losa.