On Monday October 9, 1989, the habitually pragmatic Soviet news agency Tass shocked the world with a news release which stated that “Scientists have confirmed that an unidentified flying object recently landed in a park in the Russian city of Voronezh. They have also identified the landing site and found traces of aliens who made a short promenade about the park.” More than forty eyewitnesses observed the events and the Soviet government stood by Tass’s report. A flurry of American news coverage ensued, almost all of which was dismissive and condescending, the result being that the story was soon relegated to the realm of myth and confabulation.