The winner of the game, which was held at a busy shopping centre, was given the equivalent of £950.

16:23, Sun, Jul 19, 2026 Updated: 16:28, Sun, Jul 19, 2026

Russian toilets

The contestants hunched over and drank from the toilets (Image: social media; east2west news)

Desperate Russians have lined up to drink out of toilets in a bizarre public game to win cash. Footage shows contestants hunched over, drinking a fizzy drink from toilets in a busy shopping centre.

The contest, called "Game of Thrones", took place in the city of Stavropol in southwestern Russia. After the organiser gives a command, the players dive forward and drink out of the toilet before the winner stands up. The winner was then given cash equating to around £950. A local report said: "Participants drank a non-alcoholic sparkling drink from a toilet bowl for the fastest time."

Get the latest news from around the world and more Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

However, as reported by The Sun, the competition has frustrated some local residents. They argue it creates a "bad image" for their city.

The competition comes amid reports that Russian soldiers have been stealing toilet bowls during their invasion of Ukraine. A number of citizens returning to liberated areas, such as the Kharkiv region, have found their homes ransacked.

When workers returned to a Nova Poshta courier service branch in Kharkiv, they found the toilet bowl missing from the bathroom. Likewise, armed men are believed to have looted a newly installed toilet from a factory in the area.

Alexander Nevzorov, an exiled Russian journalist, said: "The white porcelain toilet became an integral part of the image of the Russian army. Russian soldiers might easily kill to seize a captured toilet.

TOPSHOT-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-POLITICS

Russian soldiers have been looting toilets in Ukraine (Image: Getty)

"But as the video shows, ordinary Russians are also capable of much. It’s frightening to imagine what these people would be willing to do for more money."

According to data from Rosstat, the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, around one in five Russian citizens live without indoor plumbing or sewage systems. This has led many soldiers, who often come from remote regions of the nation, to view toilets and basic sanitary systems as high-value items.

Members of the Ukrainian leadership have now mocked the Russian military, turning the "toilet bowl" into a symbol of the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky has even used it in speeches, saying on one occasion that the "biggest Russian dream before dying is now stealing a toilet".