Word: nikonov
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...them at wholesale at Udelnaya for half the price. For most Russians, medicinal leeches are not looked upon as exotic or primitive. Under Communist rule, leeches were readily available for sound therapeautic purposes. "It was mandatory for each pharmacy to have 25 leeches in stock at a time," says Nikonov, who has worked at the Center for 19 years. He is very proud that the rest of the world is now catching up to Russia. (Check out the story of a modern-day exorcist...
...other component of the stench is blood. "We feed them certified cattle blood," said Nikonov. "And on national holidays we give them veal blood as a treat." For Nikonov, who was trained as a chemist, breeding the leeches is an art. "It looks like it's just a jar full of water, but there are millions of chemical processes going...
...Nikonov believes women are more nurturing than men when it comes to the creatures; and, at the laboratory, each employee raises her own batch of leeches from start to finish. "That way if something goes wrong and thousands of leeches die no one can blame anyone else," says Titova. According to her, leeches are very attached to their owners. She organizes her vacation around their feeding times so that no one else interferes with her lot. When a leech is about to be sold, it has to be starved for three months to be at its most effective...
Some of the leeches go into Nikonov's own skin care range "Bio Energy," which is made at the Center. The most expensive product, an anti-aging cream, contains dried, freshly-hatched larvae and retails for 47,000 rubles ($1,300) for 15 grams. The idea for the cosmetic range came after the collapse of Communism, when pharmacies were no longer required to sell leeches. "We had no money and the staff would go several months without wages," says Nikonov. "We had too many leeches and we wanted to try and create something exciting and profitable." Nikonov explains that...
...biggest export market for the Center's leeches is France. Nikonov, however, says that he remains very selective about his clientele. "We are careful about who we export them to," he says. "I know in certain cuisines people put the leech on a goose. They wait until it gets fat on the goose blood and then fry the leech like it's a sausage. This is considered a delicacy. I feel sorry for the leech. They should not be used this...