By Tim Binnall
A weird-looking alien statue installed at the site of an alleged UFO crash in Russia has been strongly rebuked by a priest who likened the otherworldly visitor to a "demonic creature." The curious controversy is reportedly brewing in the community of Dalnegorsk. The small town is legendary in Russian UFO lore for a strange 1986 incident wherein a mysterious perfectly smooth sphere, measuring approximately 10 feet in diameter, floated over the village before crashing into a mountain and disappearing. Similar to the city of Roswell, Dalnegorsk has long embraced its claim to paranormal fame. However, the recent unveiling of a peculiar piece (seen in the video above) depicting an alien was a bridge too far for one local priest.
In an angry letter addressed to the mayor of Dalnegorsk, Andrei Vasyakin decried the new installation, which was placed across the street from a bus station in the town. "In this place," he explained, "the Church annually holds a procession and a prayer service, as the worship cross and the site of the first church are not far away." Alas, Vasyakin groused, the spot is now sullied by the presence of the piece which he described as "a 'cosmic alien' in the form of a demonic creature." Asserting that the sculpture "offends the religious feelings of the Orthodox people of the Dalnegorsk district," the priest called on the mayor to remove the otherworldly artwork.