Russia’s book-induced violence results in death of friend

In Russia they take the reading of books very seriously- a little too seriously perhaps.

In 2014, one man became so enraged during an argument with his 67-year-old friend regarding poetry versus prose that he stabbed him to death. The discussion began cordially enough, but with the addition of alcohol it soon turned violent. Federal police in the Russian region of Sverdlovsk stated:

“The host insisted that real literature is prose, while his guest, a former teacher, argued for poetry. The literary dispute soon grew into a banal conflict, on the basis of which the 53-year-old admirer of poetry killed his opponent with the help of a knife.”

This incident came only months after another man shot a friend with rubber bullets during a heated discussion on the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Those incidents aren’t alone either, as a few years later two colleagues working at an Antarctic research station came to blows over plot spoilers.

According to a report by Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda, 55-year-old scientific engineer Sergey Savitsky stabbed 52-year-old welder Oleg Beloguzov with a kitchen knife in Russia’s Bellingshausen station on King George Island, Antarctica.

Savitsky and Beloguzov had been working at the isolated station for over four years and had to find various ways to entertain themselves. The entertainment provided included sports facilities, two Russian television channels, and a library. Both men were avid readers, however Beloguzov had read many titles Savitsky had not and proceeded to spoil the endings for him. This enraged the engineer to the point where he grabbed a knife from the canteen and stabbed his colleague through the chest, piercing his heart. Luckily Beloguzov survived, but Savitsky was arrested in St Petersburg.

Deputy director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute stood by the two men despite the drama: “They are both professional scientists who have been working in our expeditions, spending year-long seasons at the station,” he said.

“It is down to investigators to figure out what sparked the conflict, but both men are members of our team.”

If we have learned anything from these stories, it is that in Russia they take book reading VERY seriously!

Also, perhaps vodka and heated discussion do not mix.