Firstpost on Google He claimed that in 1997, while standing on the balcony of his Moscow apartment, he was abducted by humanoid beings wearing yellow spacesuits and taken aboard a spaceship. (AI Image) A little-known episode from the life of former Russian regional leader and chess administrator Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has re-entered public debate after clips from a recent interview began circulating widely on social media. In the interview, Ilyumzhinov repeats his long-standing claim that he was abducted by aliens in 1997 and told that chess was invented by extraterrestrials. The renewed attention follows his appearance on the American Alchemy Podcast hosted by Jesse Michaels. Excerpts from the interview have gone viral on X, bringing back a story that first surfaced more than a decade ago and has since followed Ilyumzhinov across media platforms in Russia and the West. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The former President of a Russian Republic just revealed that he was taken on a UFO in 1997. And aliens told him the truth about the pyramids and ancient civilizations. This is the shocking truths about humanityâs origins that he was told by ETs: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: âAll these⦠pic.twitter.com/VgxvuZzuLZ — Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) December 14, 2025 More from World Two US troops, civilian killed in ISIS ambush attack in Syria: CENTCOM Who is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov is a Russian businessman and politician best known for his 17-year rule as president of Kalmykia, once Europeâs only Buddhist republic, and for serving as president of the world chess governing body FIDE from 1995 to 2018. Born in 1962 in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, he developed an early interest in chess and won the Kalmykian national championship at the age of 14. Before entering politics, Ilyumzhinov worked as a factory mechanic, served two years in the Soviet Army, and later studied at MGIMO in Moscow. He accumulated wealth during the collapse of the Soviet Union, serving as president of SAN Corporation from 1990 to 1993. At 31, he won Kalmykiaâs presidential election in 1993, becoming one of Russiaâs youngest regional leaders. During his tenure, he funded salaries at times from his own pocket, pushed infrastructure projects, and made chess compulsory in schools, turning Elista into an international chess centre. His leadership of FIDE expanded the game into new regions but was marked by controversy, including US sanctions imposed after his 2012 visit to Syria, where he played chess with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Quick Reads Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/did-aliens-abduct-a-former-russian-governor-he-says-yes-in-yellow-suits-ws-e-13959909.html