STORY: An onion larger than a person's head, a watermelon weighing as much as an average person, or even a pumpkin nearing one tonne — these are the goals of a Russian horticulture enthusiast obsessed with growing humongous vegetables.

Alexander Chusov, 29, told Reuters that his hobby began about 10 years ago, when he saw photos of giant pumpkins online and decided to become the first person in Russia to grow one himself.

But first, he had to find giant pumpkin seeds — as such enormous vegetables can't be grown from regular store-bought ones.

“Every giant pumpkin has its own pedigree, which details the year and type of pumpkin, the pumpkin it was crossed with, and the offspring it produced,” Chusov said.

He explained that a single vine can cover an area of around 120 square meters and requires about 1,000 litres of water per day. It also needs protection from extreme heat and cold, special nutrients, and daily checks for rot or disease.

In 2024, Chusov grew a pumpkin weighing 817 kilograms, but he's determined to break the one-tonne mark.

This year, he came just 31 kilograms short — but his 969-kilogram pumpkin still set a new record in Russia.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 19, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF GIANT PUMPKIN NICKNAMED 'WOLF' GROWN BY RUSSIAN ENTHUSIAST ALEXANDER CHUSOV BEING LOADED FROM TRUCK AND ONTO GIANT SCALE

2. HOSTS OF GIANT VEGETABLES FESTIVAL ANNOUNCING THAT 'WOLF' WEIGHS 961 KILOGRAMS (Russian)

3. VARIOUS OF CHUSOV HOLDING BOARD WITH 'WOLF' PUMPKIN WEIGHT

4. PUBLIC HOLDING BANNER READING (Russian): 'KISAMOR IS BIGGER THAN EVERYONE'

5. VARIOUS OF GIANT PUMPKIN NICKNAMED 'KISAMOR' GROWN BY CHUSOV BEING LOADED ONTO SCALE

6. PUBLIC AND MEDIA WATCHING ANOTHER PUMPKIN BEING LOADED ONTO SCALE

7. HOSTS OF GIANT VEGETABLES FESTIVAL ANNOUNCING THAT 'KISAMOR' WEIGHS 969 KILOGRAMS, UNVEILING ELECTRONIC BOARD SHOWING 969.0

8. MEDIA AND PUBLIC APPLAUDING

9. CHUSOV HOLDING BOARD WITH 'KISAMOR' PUMPKIN WEIGHT 969.0

10. MEDIA AND PUBLIC AT WEIGHING EVENT

MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. VARIOUS OF PUMPKINS IN GREENHOUSE

12. PUMPKIN STEM WITH FAN INSIDE IT

13. VARIOUS OF PUMPKINS IN GREENHOUSE

14. VARIOUS OF CHUSOV NEAR PUMPKIN/STROKING THE PUMPKIN

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GIANT PUMPKIN GROWER, ALEXANDER CHUSOV, SAYING:

"Many years ago, probably more than 10, I came across photos of giant pumpkins online and was intrigued, struck by something as wondrous, almost magical. I started researching and learned that no one in our country had ever grown such pumpkins. I dug deeper and learned that pumpkin-growing world championships are held annually around the world. Essentially, it's a competitive sport. And then I had an idea: why not try to be the first in Russia to grow a giant pumpkin?"

16. GIANT PUMPKIN IN GREENHOUSE

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GIANT PUMPKIN GROWER, ALEXANDER CHUSOV, SAYING:

"Naturally, it all starts with the seeds. You can't just buy regular seeds at your local store, plant them, and try to grow that giant pumpkin. It all starts, of course, with the seeds themselves, and you need to find giant pumpkin seeds. Every giant pumpkin has its own pedigree, which details the year and type of pumpkin it was, the pumpkin it was crossed with and the offsprings they produced."

MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (MARCH-SEPTEMBER 2025) (EXTREME GROWER TELEGRAM CHANNEL - No resale)

18. (MUTE) TIMELAPSE OF GIANT PUMPKIN GROWING FROM SEED TO FRUIT

MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GIANT PUMPKIN GROWER, ALEXANDER CHUSOV, SAYING:

"The flower is pollinated, and the pumpkin starts growing slowly. Then, after 20 days, it begins to grow faster, reaching its peak. For example, during its peak growth, my pumpkin was gaining about 30 kilograms a day. Then, after 60 days, the rate begins to decline, and it gains less and less (each day), until growth stops completely. So, now, I think these pumpkins are no longer growing."

MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (MARCH-SEPTEMBER 2025) (EXTREME GROWER TELEGRAM CHANNEL - No resale)

20. (MUTE) TIMELAPSE OF GIANT PUMPKIN GROWING FROM SEED

MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GIANT PUMPKIN GROWER, ALEXANDER CHUSOV, SAYING:

"This year I also grew giant onions. The largest one weighed five kilograms and 670 grams, making it the largest onion in Russia. Last year, I planted watermelons and they grew to 66 kilograms, but that's not really a lot. The main focus, of course, is on pumpkins."

22. CHUSOV NEAR PUMPKIN

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GIANT PUMPKIN GROWER, ALEXANDER CHUSOV, SAYING:

"My entire professional life is tied to this. It's not like I plant a pumpkin and sit back and wait for it to grow. As I said, my entire life revolves around this. There's the annual exhibition, for instance, and I'm part of it, so I can't say I'll do something and then stop, because that would be weird. My goals - this year, specifically, my goal is for the pumpkin to weigh over 1,000 kilograms. The weigh-in will be official, and the results will be entered into an international registry. So, essentially, this year I'm competing with people from other countries. My goal is to get into the top 10 this year, preferably. And then we'll see, maybe even first place in the future, maybe even a world record. So, you can only make a wish, but how it turns out is anyone's guess."

24. VARIOUS OF CHUSOV CUTTING PUMPKINS FROM VINE

25. VARIOUS OF PUMPKINS BEING TRANSPORTED OUT OF GREENHOUSE AND LOADED ONTO TRUCK

26. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHUSOV'S NEIGHBOUR, VYACHESLAV, NO LAST NAME GIVEN, SAYING:

"We have a wonderful attitude towards him. We know he's a hard worker, he works from morning till morning, so to speak. And he's a good boy. We'd grow them (giant vegetables) ourselves, too, but we don't have that kind of energy anymore. He's a good boy, and we're proud of him."

27. PUMPKIN ON TRUCK

28. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHUSOV'S NEIGHBOUR, TATIANA VINOKUROVA, SAYING:

"We're his neighbours, right next door. We've been following him since he arrived in April, watching him build (a greenhouse), grow (vegetables) and care for them. He's a truly commendable young man, with such enthusiasm. We're looking forward to the weigh-in tomorrow, and the world record. We believe and we hope."

29. MAN PERFORMING GUN SALUTE AS PUMPKIN IS LOADED ON TRUCK