Meet Gavriil Tikhov, the passionate academic who convinced much of the Soviet public there was life on Mars.

Tikhov, a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences who settled in Alma‑Ata after studying in Paris, helped found the field of astrobotany and argued that the blue‑violet “seas” seen on Mars were actually plant life. His poetic descriptions, in which he compared Martian plants to Russian flora, fir…

How a Glow Sparked a Soviet Parapsychology Boom

In the late Soviet era (from the 1970s) interest in parapsychology and “energy” medicine grew fast. One key catalyst was “Kirlian photography”. 

Invented by Soviet electrical engineer Semyon Kirlian and his wife Valentina, the method uses a high‑frequency, high‑voltage electrical field. An object is placed on photographic film over a conducting plate while another con…

Mind‑Reading Houseplants? The Backster Files

Cleve Backster was a celebrated CIA expert who claimed a surprising discovery in 1966. While testing a Dracaena houseplant with a lie‑detector, he recorded strong electrical responses when he imagined damaging the plant,  even before he touched it.

… The thought entered my mind to burn the leaf. I didn’t verbalize the idea; I didn’t touch the plant; I didn’t touch the e…

Enjoy a fresh Curiosity Tour Sound Bite with Polina Ermakova.

Lilacs&Lunch:  Walk, Smell, Eat

GL Club invites you to a private tour of the lilac collection at the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, followed by lunch at an authentic Chinese restaurant. This event combines the pleasures of spring gardens with the joy of shared food.

The English-language tour will take us through over 150 varieties of lilac — a traditional Russian delight known for its blossoms and sce…

GL End-of-Season Open Event

As GL Club closes its spring season of intellectual joy and connection, we invite our members and guests to the end-of-season event.

The extended program will include:

Welcome buffet and networking Curated discussion on the controversy around plants sentience research Presentation of GL Club events of Fall 2026

When: Thursday May 14, 19:30-21:30 Where: Exclusive location in central …