Elections in Russia never stop to surprise. The leader of Russia's most scandalous metal band plans to run for mayor of Khimki - a Moscow region city.

      On Monday, Sergei “Spider” Troitsky, the founder of Corrosia Metalla band, announced his intention to turn the Khimki mayoral race into a decisive battle with the Kremlin’s “power vertical.”

      The city of Khimki gained notoriety after a long and violence-ridden campaign to stop construction of a federal highway from passing through a local century-old forest. One of the main forest's defenders, environmental activist Yevgenia Chirikova, will also run for the seat of the Khimki mayor. She is skeptical about the scandalous musician's participation in the elections. 

      “It’s part of a big campaign to distract attention from what really matters,” she said.

      On the whole, six mayoral candidates have already applied for the vote, but "The Spider" is the most odious person among them. In his pre-election interview to the press he promised to bring 500,000 migrant workers into the city and to mark them all with huge luminescent numbers. He also plans to hire Germans on all places of power in the city. 

      Troitsky's crossover thrash band, founded in 1984, has 11 records, including such titles as Russian Vodka (1989) and Computer Hitler (1997). Corrosia Metalla is also notorious for hate-mongering, violent live shows, conflicts with police. 

      Sergei Troitsky has already tried his powers in politics, but with little success. He was set to run for Moscow mayor in 1993 on the ticket of Radical Party, but the election was canceled because of a bloody "putsch" in the capital. The he run for the State Duma in Moscow in 1998, but his victory was annulled on a technicality.