A Siberian Town Throws A Party For Pests — And Masochists Many towns hold festivals to celebrate a famed native son or daughter, or its dominant agricultural product. In Berezniki, Russia, they celebrate mosquitoes — partly by getting bitten by them. A lot.

A Siberian Town Throws A Party For Pests — And Masochists

A Siberian Town Throws A Party For Pests — And Masochists

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/423740554/423740555" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

When you have visitors you can't get rid, sometimes you just have to embrace them. That's the idea behind a festival on this week in the remote Siberian town of Berezniki, which is celebrating mosquitoes.

Revelers dress in mosquito costumes, vie to catch the most mosquitoes — and, perhaps oddest of all, hold a "most delicious girl" competition.

A panel of judges inspect contestants for who can get the most bites. The winner two years back had over 100.