The reported appearance of the Almasty or Almas is often combined with frequently heard folkloric advice that the best way to escape from the female of the species is by running downhill. This motif is also found among reports from Sherpas regarding the Abominable Snowmen of the Himalaya.

A Ukrainian biologist who has spent years hunting for the Russian equivalent of the Yeti will be one of the speakers at this year’s Weird Weekend in Woolsery.

Grigoriy Panchenko claims to have seen one of the creatures himself in a barn on a remote farm in 1991. He also claims to have bones from the creature, known as an Almasty, that are currently being examined by a team of scientists in Paris.

Grigoriy will be revealing his findings for the first time in the West at Woolsery on August 18-19.

Many other speakers on a range of topics will attend the Weird Weekend, organised by the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology.“Russian Yeti,” North Devon Gazette, August 1, 2007.