A Belarusian blogger, Vladislav Bokhan, pulled off a bizarre prank by convincing dozens of Russian teachers to make and wear tinfoil hats to protect themselves from radiation emitted by NATO satellites, writes OddityCentral.
Bokhan, known for his pranks, contacted several schools in Russia’s Voronezh region, posing as an official from the ruling United Russia party.
He instructed teachers to hold a patriotic masterclass titled “Helmet of the Fatherland,” in which they were to create tinfoil hats to shield themselves from supposed NATO radiation.
In his letter, Bokhan claimed that NATO was planning to irradiate the Russian population and that teachers needed to prepare by making protective gear out of foil.
The goal, he said, was to foster patriotism and teach practical civil defense skills.
Surprisingly, at least seven schools followed his instructions, organizing classes where teachers crafted their tinfoil headgear, even decorating it with Russian flags.
Some teachers posed with their creations and requested certificates of participation.
Bokhan made sure the teachers wouldn’t question the task by providing detailed instructions on how to make the tinfoil hats, which he generated using ChatGPT.
Teachers even attributed various benefits to the tinfoil hats, such as protecting against anxiety or “attracting positive vibrations from space.”
When Bokhan revealed the prank, the Voronezh Ministry of Education confirmed the incident but downplayed it, praising the teachers’ "creative approach" while acknowledging their failure to recognize the joke.
Bokhan, who was inspired by an essay by Umberto Eco on fascism, said his goal was to encourage people to reflect on the reality they live in and the conspiracy theories propagated by autocratic regimes.
