Ice Giant Found in Siberia

Status: Hoax (part of a viral marketing campaign)
image Russian geologist Arkady Simkin claims to have participated in an oil-surveying expedition to Northern Siberia that found an enormous, skyscraper-size creature buried in the ice. He gives the following description of the creature (which he refers to as Taurus Major) on his website: The animal appears to be a huge quadruped with horns much like a bull. In fact it looks to be a hybrid of a bull, woolly mammoth and a rhino – if such a thing existed. But its size is truly colossal. The horns are immense in dimension and protrude from the head with incredible length. The body is covered with a combination of coarse fur and what can best be described as ‘body armor’ (like an American armadillo) – protects its enormous joints and head.

What makes Simkin's site interesting (and I'm referring to Simkin as a real person, though I doubt he is) is the movie and radio interview that he's posted on the site. The movie is pretty impressive and indicates that someone spent some money to produce it. The radio interview, by contrast, is fun to listen to, but is obviously scripted.

I'm taking it as a given that the ice giant is a hoax, but I have no idea who's behind it. Maybe it's a publicity stunt for a book, movie, or video game. I'm sure that we'll find out soon enough. The name Arkady may be an allusion to Arkham from the work of H.P. Lovecraft. The Taurus Major creature itself also seems very Lovecraftian. (Thanks to Darrell for the link)

Update: It's part of a viral marketing campaign for a new Playstation game called Shadow of the Colossus, which involves hunting and killing giant creatures. The website giantology.typepad.com, supposedly about "the mythology and culture of giants throughout the ages of humanity," is also part of this same marketing campaign. The giantology site has been hosting footage showing the skeleton of a giant uncovered on a beach in India by the tsunami. Quite a few people have linked to this footage, but it's all part of the same marketing effort.

Cryptozoology Extraterrestrial Life

Posted on Mon Oct 24, 2005



Comments

Its a viral marketing campaign for Shadow of the Colossus Playstation game:
http://www.us.playstation.com/games.aspx?id=SCUS-97472
Posted by Craig  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  06:18 AM
I've been waiting for this game... cool ads 😊
Posted by hollow1  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  12:46 PM
The one with the tsunami giant was in poor taste. But it does show that the West has forgotten about SE Asia.
Posted by Craig  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  01:28 PM
I knew it was viral marketing! Granted the video game sounds kinda cool, but then a lot do.
Posted by Citizen Premier  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  03:40 PM
That SotC game sounds cool, I'll have to check it out...On my friend's playstation of course because I don't trust Sony with their game systems anymore.
Posted by Raoul Duke  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  05:40 PM
In response to Craig;

Sony is a Japanese company, Fumito Ueda (the designer of both Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus) is also Japanese. While "The West" is a terrible place where we eat kittens, and use the last sheet of toilet paper without replacing it. We aren't the only place in the world where inconsiderate people live, in fact as far as I can tell, the whole planet is full of inconsiderate people who, suprise, suprise come from everywhere.
Posted by ReadbackMonkey  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  08:52 PM
sorry,

"Surprise", damn spell-check dependence.
Posted by ReadbackMonkey  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  08:55 PM
On a related note, here in California, hikers found a WWII airman frozen in a glacier. The area was flown over by lots of practice flights, some of which went down.
Posted by Robin Bobcat  on  Wed Oct 26, 2005  at  01:15 AM
If this is Viral for Sony, they're denying it. And they're having character interaction.

I wrote an email to Arkady Simkin, and received a reply back from a friend of his. He says in the email that Arkady has nothing to do with Sony or any video game, and that this is real.

In the Alternate Reality Gaming community, we have a thread running for this at http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12714.

The third page has a full copy of the email reply I received.
Posted by Max Steele  on  Wed Oct 26, 2005  at  01:25 AM
MaxSteele:
STFU: http://www.us.playstation.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=302

ReadbackMonkey:
KMA
Posted by Craig  on  Wed Oct 26, 2005  at  05:39 AM
Hey! I checked Arkady's site out and I have few comments. First of all, people who created that website are not Russian. First clue was that their "Russian" is very odd, Russian syntax is erronous. Second, I copied English version of the text and pasted it into http://translation2.paralink.com/ and the Russian version of the text was almost identical. Third, the e-mail ".pl" is Polish, as opposed to ".ru" (Russian).
Anyway, I just wanted to weigh in on this whole "real" discovery thing. 😊
Posted by Just a girl  on  Thu Oct 27, 2005  at  07:34 AM
How can you post somenting like that and write''Ice Giant Found in Siberia''Status: Hoax without any strong evidence?
Did you call Sony CO.to ask about that?
Did you spoke with the geologist Arkady Simkin?
Do you know the corect date of that discovery?
Have you been in North Siberia to check out that area?
Are you sure that Arkady is an actor?
There are many questions without answers but you already post on the net that the video is a Hoax
Don't try to be fantastik like those kids who play playstation2...lol
Posted by open-mind  on  Sat Oct 29, 2005  at  01:25 AM
Although the giant on the beach is a complete hoax, I highly doubt that this is a marketing campaign for a game (yes I have heard of the game.) I don't try to make anyone believe anything I say if they don't want to however, there is a website that might help explain things. http://www.stevequayle.com should have some answers and mayby a bit more. I agree with open-mind on his side too. And to just a girl if you paid attention enough you would learn that the reason it is pl is because it was on a polish radio station.
Posted by Nachytsm Encaitar  on  Mon Oct 31, 2005  at  09:42 PM
That would be a great marketing scheme for the game. But the game doesn't have you fight BULL like minotaurs.
Posted by Carter S  on  Mon Oct 31, 2005  at  10:46 PM
Another thing I thought I would mention, has anyone here even checked polish news radio stations to clarify what was being talked about?
Posted by Nachytsm Encaitar  on  Thu Nov 03, 2005  at  10:35 AM
I want to say its a hoax, and the evidence points that that fact..... I found arkadysimkin.pl after viewing the video 'the adress is on the video' at http://www.stevequayle.com/Leviathan.html. One of the topics Quayle will talk about on a radio show monday. http://www.coasttocoastam.com...... Sony marketing makes alittle sence, but I cant beleve they would put so much money 'its a elaborate hoax' into a marketing campain we have not seen as of yet. Im perplexed trying to figure out the motive of the website, if it is infact a hoax. I like to keep an open mind. I will keep looking into it, new info is welcome
Posted by Alton  on  Fri Nov 04, 2005  at  12:49 AM
I wish this wasn't a hoax but if you check out http://viralsxposed.blogspot.com you'll see comparisons between stills from the videos and screenshots from the game. Pretty much leaves no doubt it was a hoax...unless the made the screenshots to cover up the find 😊 I guess you never know?
Posted by Nathan  on  Fri Nov 04, 2005  at  04:33 AM
🐛 OH how i wish it was true! Please let me know if you get any new information about all these giants. Iam truly interested!!! When will your book be coming out and how can I get a copy of it?? I would love to read it. Thanks, Lavida
http://lavida97344.blogspot.com/ :roll:
Posted by Lavida  on  Wed Nov 09, 2005  at  12:15 AM
Does anybody else find it a bit odd that, at about 81 degrees north latitude in mid-October, the sun is high overhead?
Posted by Accipiter  on  Sat Nov 12, 2005  at  04:47 PM
Another ingredient into the mix - has anybody seen the Inca Giant video clip at http://www.familysayre.net/Giant_Inca_Statue.mov
it claims to show a huge robot like sculpture in Peru.
This clip is also featured on the giantology site
http://www.giantology.typepad.com/
They must surely be linked..........
Posted by obor  on  Wed Nov 23, 2005  at  10:47 AM
ok, tell me what evidence do you have that the ice giant video is fake, and tell me what evidence you have that it is real, NONE! Its just some stupid prank to get people all excited, its got nothing to do with sony or giants its just something someone did for fun.
Posted by none ya  on  Tue Dec 13, 2005  at  06:15 PM
You want proof that this is all part of the game "Shadow of the Colossus"?

On http://giantology.typepad.com , the website that's been covering this all, he linked to Arkady Simkin's new website, http://www.stop-polarneft.com . Arkady Simkin is the one who discovered the "Siberian Giant".

Going to this site, there is a hidden link at the bottom of the page. Clicking on this link asks for a password. Until today, when you clicked on the link, the header of the web page stated:
'Index of sony/playstation/SOTC_DEV/stoppolarneft/arkady1'

They changed it today to 'Index of stoppolarneft/arkady1'.

Is that enough proof for you?
Posted by Max Steele  on  Tue Dec 13, 2005  at  06:38 PM
Just one more thing, if this was an add for a game don't you think it would be somewhere on tv? and how does the game link to a government conspiricy to cover it up?
Posted by tired of saying it....  on  Thu Dec 15, 2005  at  11:10 PM
You are a very silly person.
Posted by Max Steele  on  Thu Dec 15, 2005  at  11:21 PM
Going to this site, there is a hidden link at the bottom of the page. Clicking on this link asks for a password. Until today, when you clicked on the link, the header of the web page stated:
'Index of sony/playstation/SOTC_DEV/stoppolarneft/arkady1'

You are right, I have actually made a screenshot of this!
So anyone who'd like to see it, i've got it, it's a clear hoax
Posted by Piera Luigi  on  Thu Dec 22, 2005  at  06:55 AM
That website is real i listen to coast to coast all the time but apparently you've never heard of it
Posted by Erik O.  on  Sun Jan 01, 2006  at  05:16 PM
There are some problems though:
1. Why wasn' this on TV and why isnt sony saying anything bout it?
2. If its a prank, then who would have the cash to do this?
3. That giant of Jebal-Barez doesn't look like any of the Sony Colossi.

Those are some other things. Maybe someone should notify an official to state something.
Posted by Daen  on  Mon Jan 02, 2006  at  09:15 AM
//Another ingredient into the mix - has anybody seen the Inca Giant video clip at http://www.familysayre.net/Giant_Inca_Statue.mov
it claims to show a huge robot like sculpture in Peru.//

Reminds me heavily of Miyazaki's Laputa creatures. I'm not sure the "statue" is related to the "hoax" however. I find it funny that the girl is barely shocked, like it's just some big tourist spot that everyone knows about.
Posted by Rain  on  Sun Feb 05, 2006  at  02:04 AM
For a list of all the virals (there are a couple more) check the wikipedia article for SotC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_colossus
This is also handy because it lists what 'colossi' they resemble.
Posted by JD  on  Tue Feb 28, 2006  at  04:55 AM
all of the real-life "giants" perfectly resemble colossi from the game. do 10 minutes of google searching, and then stop wasting your time.
Posted by idiots  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  03:55 PM
First, Pierra Luigi, might you send me this image? There is a good chance that u... "cerfuncled" with the image. Second, it is supspicious that this isn't all showing up everywhere, like tv and such. What an interesting set of occurences...
Posted by Daen  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  04:56 PM
It is obvious that the reason this isn't showing up on TV is because the government shut down the operation! They don't want everyone to see that mayby there truly were people or beasts of huge magnitude.
Posted by N/A  on  Wed Mar 15, 2006  at  02:49 AM
true. heh...haha...man i wish i knew
Posted by Daen  on  Wed Mar 15, 2006  at  03:52 PM
Disinformation comes before the truth is actually manifested in a mass scale. I saw the site, the videos, etcetera, and I note that what is there could indeed be truthful, and looked real to me. Why is it so hard for humans to think outside the box? Unless you have correspondence from SONY directly, and that can be corroborated with another source, you claims of TAURUS MAJOR as a hoax, is itself a hoax. SHOW THE PROOF that SONY is behind this... the burden of proof is on you!
Posted by Chad Redding  on  Tue Mar 21, 2006  at  07:05 AM
Sorry, but the burden of proof is on the people behind this to prove that it's real. They made the first claim.

Until then (which will never actually happen, you know) we're free to discount it or call it an ad, which it very likely is.
Posted by Charybdis  on  Tue Mar 21, 2006  at  10:31 AM
Good grief, is this still being argued about? It's already been shown that the video and pictures could not possibly be real and that the expedition could not have taken place like it is claimed.

If anybody wants to look at another long debate about this topic on this same website, you can go to http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/forums/viewthread/513/ and see it. The guy Monk went back and changed a lot of his comments, though, so now the conversation has a rather surreal look to it at times.
Posted by Accipiter  on  Tue Mar 21, 2006  at  05:29 PM
Did anyone of you tried to find a company called POLARNEFT? Try Google. This company exists only in connection with the 'syberian giant'. There's no company website, there's not a single sentence about it on any geological/petrol industry site.
Posted by Mchl  on  Mon May 22, 2006  at  01:21 PM
I came upon this site while researching the videos i saw about the giants.
First I would love to point out that There are some nonsensical debates here with absolutely no foundation to stand on. alot of assumption without regard to a lack of information and the like.

first I looked at the threads below....

http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12714

I found it interesting, I would also like to state it doesn't freaking matter if they are Russian or Japanese or what ever. the authenticity of their nationality is not the issue. it actually plays no part in it and is of no consequence to the topic.

I also looked at the STFU link provided to indicate this individuals understanding of the whole mess....

http://www.us.playstation.com/News/PressReleases/302

Before someone says STFU to somebody ..make sure you have the facts straight. Did anyone read this or were they overwhelmed with all the sentences and paragraphs?

I read it and it does say thier is a campaign to place ads and the like...However it does not identify the videos or "ADDS" in question SPECIFICALLY.
in fact it does identify what type of adds and on what channels they will be played.
none of them are the ones we are speaking of at present.

I cannot say these videos are real and i cannot say they are fake. however. if they are fake and advertising a SONY product. Sony like ALL companies like to have thier cleverness seen by al and would most definitely have placed some forrm of identifying mark on these things. otherwise nobody knows what the hell is going on and that sure as hell does not lead to sales. if you had a product would you make a relevant commercial yet not link it to the product or your company?

EVER?

thats like Adidas making a commercial to sell their shoes and no Adidas logo or anything is present..all you see is some guy running and not one reference to buy a shoe or even visit a location to ask more? this doesn't raise any eyebrows?

Fact is ..if i had a secret and it was all over the net and i didn't want anyone to even question it further. I would feed off the crap I have placed in their brains long ago..like"its just and add go back to work" or Don't believe anything you see on television" or make a non relevant side attraction like the people aren't even Russian in that video or forum so how can you believe anything they say?

Ask more question , read more and don't assume. look further and ask is their any reason to lie or cover it up?

Only after thorough evaluation should you even begin to attempt to deny or debunk or even prove anything.

and don't act like 5 yr olds and say things like STFU and your lame. that shows you have no regard for others feeling and have not yet evolved into a fully responsible adult and have a serious lack of intelligent and educated communication skills.
KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOUR TALKING ABOUT.
OR TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE AND STFU!!!!
Posted by Anu-Ki  on  Sat Dec 01, 2007  at  10:26 AM
Taurus
Posted by Astroloji  on  Sat Jun 06, 2009  at  08:34 AM
its for the videogame Shadow of the Colossus. That exact colossus is in the videogame, which is several years old by now, and I seriously hope anyone reading this site just thinks I'm a freak for bothering to comment on this in 2010 when it's so obvious this is part of a viral ad campaign from several years ago.
Posted by demon9675  on  Tue May 04, 2010  at  05:33 PM
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