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Flaming Helmets, Dancing Tanks at Russian Arms Expo

* By Noah Shachtman Email Author
* July 22, 2010 |
* 4:46 pm |
* Categories: Russia
*

In the long and storied history of the Russian ballet, there have been many legendary names — Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov, Olga Spesivtseva. Now, a new icon must be carved into this list of greats: Boris the Tank Driver.

Popular Mechanics’ Joe Pappalardo gapes in wonder as a quartet of Russian T-90 tanks weave in figure-eights and spin in unison. It’s a heavily armored pas de quatre. Except this time, the dancers are wearing helmets instead of tutus.

And that may not even be the strangest thing Pappalardo witnessed at the rehearsals for The Invincible and the Legendary, a grand theatrical spectacle set to debut at a Moscow arms show.

Knights with flaming helmets, men being attacked by dogs, and stones broken on soldiers’ backs all made their appearances. Then there was the wildest sight of all: tanks zooming through a motocross-style obstacle course, with guns blazing.

“It’s hard to look away when a 45-ton tank takes a 4-foot jump,” Pappalardo says. “And as it lands, more than 15 feet away from where it took off, you feel the force of the impact migrate through the metal bleachers into your feet, legs and gut.”

Similar things were said about Baryshnikov, I’m sure. But they did mean ‘em literally.

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