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Said to dwell in one of the many isolated lakes located on the Sordongnokh tablelands of Siberia, this large, aquatic creature, has been described by an anonymous geologist - sometime in the mid-20th century - as an "oversized, glistening, tin-barrel with a slanted horn rudder on its back". This is undoubtedly one of the most a unique descriptions we here at American Monsters have come across, even considering the bizarre array of beasts adorning this list.

That odd account aside, the first official report of the animal in question hails from July of 1953, when renowned geologist V.A Tverdokhlebov, and his assistant, claimed to have seen the creature on what was described as a perfect, windless day. Believing, at first, that they were witnessing nothing more than a petrol drum floating about 300-feet from the shoreline, it wasn't long before both men realized that they were looking at a living, breathing, flesh and blood animal.

According to Tverdokhlebov, the creature in the lake was dark grey in color, approximately 30-feet in length and 6-feet wide. The geologist - with an acumen cultivated by years of rigorous scientific training - further described a pair of strange, light colored markings on the animal's head, as well as the beast�s dorsal fin, which appeared to be set in a backwards position when compared to those of more traditional marine animals, such as dolphins or sharks.

Tverdokhlebov included in his report the observation that this animal seemed to swim with vertical, porpoise-like undulations, and that it had leapt from the water - resulting in a tremendous splash - before submerging. Tverdokhlebov's account has led more than a few investigators to speculate that the animal in Voronta Lake is most likely a rare breed of freshwater cetacean, or possibly some other form of aquatic mammal. This fact would seem to alienate this animal from many other fish-like or reptilian lake cryptids, which allegedly hail from Russia, such as the KHAIYR BEAST, KOKKOL, LABYNKR MONSTER and the BAIKAL LAKE MONSTER, just to name a few.

Although there are very few reported sightings of this creature - a reality which is likely accountable by the fact that the village nearest to Lake Voronta is well over 100-miles away - the truth remains that it is spectacular example of an aquatic cryptid, especially consideringt the credentials of its primary witness.

Over the years there have been a handful of Soviet sponsored expeditions sent to Voronta (it was said that Khruschev in particular had a fascination for the beast), but the opportunities to collect hard data have been few and far between. Independent expeditions are also a rare occurrence, owing not only to the isolation and the difficulty of the terrain, but to the deep, lingering terror felt by neighboring Sordongnokh communities, regarding this animal that allegedly dwells in this lake.

As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and any additional information that you may have regarding any of the animals already represented on this site. We would also express our hearty gratitude to anyone who can provide us with details pertaining to any of the unique beasts which we may have neglected.