Russians take Epiphany dip in waters hit by oil spill

MOSCOW: Russians in the southern city of Anapa took their traditional Epiphany dips in waters affected by a major oil spill, officials said, despite concerns about the toxic pollution.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany on the night of 18-19 January, with Russians across the country typically plunging themselves into icy seas, lakes and rivers to mark the occasion.

Officials in the southern city of Anapa said the festivities went ahead on the city´s beach, despite the entire area having been contaminated by an ongoing major oil spill.

Heavy fuel oil has been washing up on hundreds of kilometres of beaches along Russia´s southern coast and on the annexed peninsula of Crimea since two ageing Russian tankers were caught in a storm in the Kerch strait on December 15.

The regional task force overseeing the clean-up operation posted videos on social media of believers wading into the sea off Anapa in the pitch black to take the Epiphany dip.

“The water is very clear, I even dived underneath. Look, my hair is wet, and you can see there is nothing there. The water is pure, even the temperature is comfortable,” an Anapa resident, Vladimir Balukov, said in the video, published on Saturday night.