Extreme parachute jump dedicated to Russia Day took place in Moscow

On the eve of Russia Day, Sergey Boytsov, a professional extreme athlete, base jumper, multiple world record holder, member of the Russian Aeronautical Sports Federation and CEO of Created by Heaven, parachuted from the 338-meter Mercury Tower in the Moscow City business center.

The athlete's campaign is dedicated to Russia Day and was held in support of the 2026 International Youth Festival. Fighters performed the first official base jump from a building with a smoke bomb in Russia. The athlete said that with his jump he would like to emphasize once again the need to strive for new achievements and follow his dream.

"We dedicated this jump to Russia Day, a holiday of a country that has always been famous for strong, brave and purposeful people. I am sure that it is faith in a common goal, mutual support, hard work and team spirit that help us achieve the most ambitious results and set world records," said the multiple world record holder.

The athlete added that he is close to the philosophy of the International Youth Festival and its motto is "Follow the dream." He expressed the hope that this project would inspire young people not to be afraid to set ambitious goals and move forward.

The choice of location is not accidental. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, which burns during the day and freezes at night. This cosmic contrast became a metaphor for preparing for the record: it combined the fire of courage and the cold of engineering calculation.

The preparation for the jump lasted two weeks. The athlete conducted a series of training sessions in the sky: he jumped from airplanes and from a balloon, studied aerology, tested parachute equipment and a special tracksuit. The main challenge was the architecture of the tower. Due to the stepped shape of the building, there are only two vertical planes for free fall from 338.8 to 200 m, and the dense construction of the City left only one safe corridor for flight. Success depended on accurate weather analysis, studying the direction of wind currents at different altitudes, and impeccable piloting.

Access to the roof deserved special attention: it was impossible to do without the help of a management company and industrial climbers. Vladimir Murzaev, a master of sports in mountaineering, was involved in the preparation of the site, who personally insured the athlete before the jump. To minimize the risks, the start time was set for 4:30 a.m. — the dawn hour, when the wind subsides and there are no passersby. The complexity was added by the black glass dome directly below the descent trajectory: it visually distorted the approaching earth, and this optical effect was also taken into account in the calculations.

At 4:15 a.m., at an altitude of 338.8 m, the fighters deployed the Russian tricolor, and at 4:30 a.m., activating colored smoke, he jumped down. The free fall lasted up to a critical mark of 100 m (the level of the 22nd floor out of 75 above ground), where the athlete opened a dome above the ground, also made in the colors of the national flag. Due to strict security measures, observers were not allowed on the site. The first person to congratulate the record holder after landing was a traffic police officer who ensured order: he firmly shook the athlete's hand with the words: "Congratulations, krasava, brother!"

The cosmic name of the tower is a direct allusion to new heights. Boytsov plans to jump on the edge of space. He intends to set a world record for the highest jump from a thermal balloon from a height of 11-12 km, also timing this achievement to the International Youth Festival.

Russia Day - 2026: the history and traditions of the main state holiday in June

In 2026, Russians will rest from June 12 to June 14 in connection with the celebration of Russia Day. For residents of the country, holidays are associated, among other things, with trips around the Russian Federation. According to the Azimut Hotels network, from June 12 to June 14, the number of hotel bookings in Russia increased by 25% compared to the same period last year. The most popular destinations remain traditional cities for short trips: in Nizhny Novgorod, the number of bookings increased almost 1.5 times, in Kostroma — by a third, in Yaroslavl — by 28%, in Suzdal — by 20%, in Yekaterinburg — by 15%.