This medieval-type residence was not built by king, but by Russian businessman

This five-storey castle located in the middle of a man-made lake in Russia is populated with fish and wild birds. Pics/Facebook

Chateau Erken, in the Russian Federation's Kabardino-Balkaria autonomous republic, looks like an extremely well-preserved medieval castle, but in reality, this architectural wonder is just over a decade old. Located in the vineyard-dominated countryside of Kabardino-Balkaria, Chateau Erken is a tourist attraction unlike any other in Russia. Not only does it mimic the fortress-like design of European medieval castles, but its location in the middle of a man-made lake full of fish and wild birds is also just as impressive. People from all over the country come to this rural area in southern Russia to see Chateau Erken in person. Photos and videos of this amazing castle have been doing the rounds on social media for years, but some people still can't believe it exists and that it was built not by a king, but by a legendary businessman.

Tembulat Erkenov is synonymous with the wine industry of Kabardino-Balkaria. After graduating from the Faculty of Agronomy, he was sent to work in a communist collective, but quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became Deputy Chairman of the Government of Kabardino-Balkaria. Later in life, he went on to establish his own winery, Chateau Erken, which is recognised as one of the best in Russia.

Inspired by the castles he visited during his many travels through Europe, Erkenov decided to build his very own medieval castle; not just a small-scale replica, but an actual life-size one. The architectural wonder was completed in 2010. Today, the main operations of Chateau Erken are located inside this magnificent castle, but the place serves as a local tourist attraction as well. Those who want to see the inside of the place have to pay for a tour, but there is plenty to see from the outside besides the castle and the lake. It is surrounded by forests and tourists often come here to get away from the city and to watch wild birds. Erkenov passed away in 2017, leaving his son to handle the affairs of Chateau Erken. The five-storey castle he built remains as a testament to his work.

More Americans use melatonin to sleep

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, authors from Beijing's Dongzhimen Hospital and Xiyuan Hospital and Minnesota's Mayo Clinic said the reported prevalence of melatonin supplement consumption rose significantly from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018 across all demographic use. Additionally, the team wrote that - although remaining "very low" - the prevalence of self-reported use of greater than five milligrams per day also increased over time. "These estimates may raise safety concerns, especially given that the actual content of melatonin in marketed supplements may be up to 478 per cent higher than the labelled content and that evidence supporting melatonin use for sleep disturbances is weak," they noted.

Hum ek, humare aath

Thai man lives in perfect harmony with his eight young wives

ONG Dam Sorot, a young tattoo artist specialising in the traditional yantra style, recently sat down with a popular Thai comedian for an interview about his controversial marital status. Sorot is married not to one woman, but to eight, all of whom live under the same roof and consider themselves one big happy family. On the show, which has so far garnered over three million views on YouTube, Sorot introduced each of his wives and spoke about how they met. The eight women described their husband as the kindest, most considerate man on earth and claimed to get along wonderfully.

The young polygamist met his first wife, Nong Sprite, at a friend's wedding and quickly asked for her hand in marriage. The second, Nong L, he met at the market, and Nong Nan, his third wife, at the hospital. The fourth, fifth and sixth wives Sorot met via social media, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, respectively. The seventh wife, Nong Film, the man met while visiting the Phra Pathom Chedi temple. As for his eighth and final wife, Nong Mai, he met her while vacationing in Pattaya with four of his wives.

Have tattoo, flaunt it

A tattoo fan who has an unusual inking on her forehead defended the etching, insisting it's her favourite of all her designs. The woman, identified as Nikki, took to TikTok earlier this week to share a video of herself showcasing some transition contact lenses, but was quickly flooded with comments from people who had noticed the tattoo on her forehead, which looked like wavy lines. "Am I the only one that is seeing lines on her?" one person questioned. Nikki then returned to the social media site to post another video where she defended it: "I love my little forehead crown tattoo."

Wandering hen taken into custody

A chicken was caught sneaking around a security area at the Pentagon, a local animal welfare organisation said. The hen was found near the US Department of Defence headquarters, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, wrote on social media. The chicken was taken into custody by one of the league's employees.

Man eats raw meat for 75 days straight

A carnivore is putting his love of meat to test by conducting an experiment to see how long he can survive eating raw flesh every single day. The man has so far managed 78 days consuming uncooked foods, including chicken breast, steak and swordfish, apparently without succumbing to food poisoning. He has documented his quest on Instagram account @rawmeatexperiment.

Norway bans breeding ‘cute' dogs

Norway's Oslo District Court made a unanimous, landmark ruling that breeding bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a violation of the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act section 25 and will no longer be tolerated. The ruling was prompted by a case brought in November 2021 by Animal Protection Norway out of concern for the dog breed's numerous, critical health issues.

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