Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Miners Freaked After Digging Up 'Devil's Ear'

An enormous golden nugget was found in Irkutsk region last week. Bodaibo Press Service

Miners in Russia's Irkutsk region were severely spooked after they unearthed a nugget of gold bearing an uncanny resemblance to a "devil's ear" on Friday 13.

The mysterious nugget, discovered on the day of a full moon, was almost discarded after gold diggers mistook it for a regular rock, the Bodaibo municipal administration said Tuesday in an online statement.

When diggers from the gold-mining company Ugakhan weighed the nugget, however, they realized it was the largest one to have ever been discovered in the region, coming in at 6664 grams.

"There are three sixes, and the shape is very similar to a little pointy ear. Therefore the miners immediately named the discovery the 'Devil's Ear'" the municipal administration said in their online statement.

The miners are now hoping the old adage that gold nuggets never reside alone rings true.

"If there is one, then, there will be a second, and it is possible that quite soon the "Devil's Ear" will have a brother," the administration quoted the miners as saying.

It is not unusual for miners to give pet names to gold nuggets: the largest ever found in Russia — weighing 36 kg and discovered in 1842 in the Urals — was named "Big Triangle" because of its unusual shape.

The world's largest gold nugget was unearthed in Australia in 1872, and weighed a whopping 93 kilograms.

See also:

LUKoil to Open Diamond Mine this Summer, May Sell to Alrosa

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more