Russian athlete and multiple world record holder Sergey Boytcov jumped from a hot air balloon at an altitude of 11,551 meters, dedicating the fete to the International Festival of Youth 2026.
The record breaking fete achieved ahead of Russia’s National Flag Day was part of the Stratum Jump 11–12, a project of the Russian company Created by the Heavens, named after the attempt to reach an altitude above 11,000 meters.
According to a statement, Sergey Boytcov, a star of Russian skydiving, set an absolute world record, surpassing the previous achievement of 10,060 meters set by Polish extreme athletes.
The unique jump took place in support of the International Festival of Youth – 2026, held as part of the Youth and Children national project. The largest international youth event of its kind will take place from September 11 to 17 in Ekaterinburg, bringing together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries.
The balloon pilot was Ivan Menyaylo, President of the Balloon Federation of Russia, world champion, two-time Russian national champion, certified balloon pilot, head coach of the national team, and the country’s current record holder for flight distance.
A talented athlete behind the record jump from the town of Klin in the Moscow Region, Sergey Boytcov, is CEO of Created by the Heavens, a multiple Russian and world record holder, and a Master of Sport of Russia.
He brings more than 25 years of experience in the sport, over 2,000 jumps, and a USPA Category D license the highest international skydiving certification.
The athlete’s free-fall speed exceeded 500 km/h, while the total flight lasted seven minutes and nineteen seconds. The parachute deployed successfully at an altitude of 1,565 meters.
The statement says the landing took place in the Ust-Kalmanka District of Altai Territory.
Viewers around the world could watch the event live, with the broadcast airing via the International Festival of Youth’s community page on VK.
The hot air balloon, carrying pilot Ivan Menyaylo and flight engineer Denis Efremov, remained airborne for more than three hours. Both the parachutist and the balloon crew landed safely and as planned.
Notably, the balloon reached a maximum altitude of 11,610 meters, also setting a new national record for balloon altitude surpassing the previous record of 10,678 meters set in 2025 in the same region of Altai Territory by renowned Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov, together with Ivan Menyaylo.
“On August 15, I celebrated my birthday and made the jump. And now, after this landmark event, I can say with certainty that it was the most vivid experience of my entire life! We achieved something that not long ago seemed impossible. This record-breaking descent from an altitude of more than 11.5 km is the result not only of my own painstaking work, but of the engineers, pilots and the whole project team. What matters especially is that this record was set in Russia, using domestically produced equipment. I’m proud to have been able to dedicate this achievement to my country ahead of National Flag Day and in support of the International Festival of Youth – 2026. I hope our example shows young people all over the world that even the boldest goals become reality when they are backed by knowledge, hard work, a team, and belief in the outcome,” said Sergey Boytcov.
The project brought together two highly demanding, high-tech disciplines ballooning and skydiving. At an altitude above 11 km, the air temperature dropped to –59°C, conditions that required specialized engineering solutions and meticulous preparation.
Training for the record included an extensive testing program. With support from the Roscosmos State Corporation, Sergey Boytcov completed a test ascent in a pressure chamber at the Cosmonaut Training Center, simulating an altitude of 12 kilometers. The team also tested the equipment at temperatures as low as –60°C and rehearsed the athlete’s actions in a wind tunnel.
One of the project’s key features was its commitment to technological self-sufficiency: only domestically produced equipment and gear were used. The balloon system was developed by the Rusbal company, the parachute systems were supplied by Paraavis, the oxygen equipment by JSC PTS, and the high-altitude gear by Cool Zone and Chule.
The Stratum Jump 11–12 project by Created by the Heavens was carried out with the support of the Russian Ministry of Sport, the Russian Olympic Committee, and the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sport.
Additional support was provided by the Roscosmos State Corporation, the Government of the Moscow Region, and the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia). The project’s partners included the pharmaceutical brand TIRZETTA and the MAX domestic messaging app, with the TASS news agency serving as information partner.
