Russian fairytale granny “illegal” resident in Latvia

A mysterious building identical to the famed “Hut on Chicken legs” of Russian fairytales has been discovered in a forest in rural Latvia.

The hut is known in Slavic folklore for being the home of Baba Yaga, an evil grandmother who flies around kidnapping small children.

However, the owner of this hut on chicken legs is nowhere to be found. What is more, the government organisation on whose land it is situated claims to have no knowledge of the building even existing. The building has thus been deemed illegal, as no planning permission for it was requested.

Officials are divided over what to do with the hut, with many suggesting that it is kept as a tourist attraction.

This is not the first time Baba Yaga has made the news recently. In late 2010, Vladimir Putin compared the fairytale granny to the leader of the Communist Party, who objected to several provisions of the draft budget for 2011.

“Well, it’s true that you always take budget discussions in parliament very seriously,” the PM said. “But it’s also true that you act like the famous cartoon Baba Yaga, who always objects to everything.”

The cartoon Putin was referring to was filmed in the early 1980s when Baba Yaga was depicted as a typical babushka who does not like modern things and objects to everything. Those who were children in the 1980s still like to quote Baba Yaga’s catchphrase, “I object!”

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