Fighting in the Winter War between Finland and Russia, during a three month period Simo Häyhä obtained the highest number of confirmed kills in a major war. Aided by superior Finnish mitten technology (warm hands, strong people!),

in temperatures between -40 and -20 degrees Celsius, dressed completely in white camouflage, Häyhä was credited with 505 confirmed kills of Soviet soldiers — 542 if unconfirmed deaths are included. The unofficial Finnish frontline figure from the battlefield of Kollaa places the number of Häyhä’s sniper kills over 800. … Häyhä was also credited with over 200 kills with a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, bringing his credited kills to at least 705.

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On March 6, 1940, Häyhä was shot in the jaw during combat by a Russian soldier. The bullet tumbled upon impact and left his head. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said “half his head was missing.” He regained consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared.

He went on to live in to his 90s.

When asked in 1998 how he had become such a good shot, he answered, “Practice.” When asked if he regretted killing so many people, he said “I did what I was told to as well as I could.”

The older I get, the less made-up Myst seems.

Amazing scans of satirical Russian magazines published between 1905 and 1908. From The Nonist, of course.

Handmade, thirteen story, wooden skyscraper built by Russian ex-gangster. More pics.

Mikhail Kalashnikov doesn’t receive any royalties on his weapons designs, so to supplement his meagre state pension, he started a spirits concern, where he retains a chairmanship.

ALTAI, Russia — Villagers collect scrap from a crashed spacecraft, surrounded by thousands of white butterflies, 2000. Environmentalists fear for the region’s future due to toxic rocket fuel.