Photo by Alexander Tikhomirov/Instagram

Self-described filmmaker and photographer Alexander Tikhomirov has found himself in the spotlight amongst Icelanders, for all the wrong reasons.

As can be seen in his latest Instagram post, Sasha decided to do a little offroading while in the protected geothermal area of Mývatn. Unsurprisingly, his vehicle soon became mired in the soft soil. He then inexplicably posted several photos of himself with the vehicle, bragging that he had been hit with a heavy fine.

The post caught the attention of Icelanders, many of whom poured into the comments on the post to express their outrage. Furthermore, several Russian speakers also criticised Sasha, with some imploring Icelanders not to judge all Russians by his actions.

In fact, even the Russian Embassy in Reykjavík have issued an advisory to the country’s citizenry, exhorting Russians to respect the “laws, rules and customs of the host country”.

Police in Northeast Iceland have confirmed that they towed Sasha out of the mire, and slapped him with a heavy fine.

As it apparently needs to be said again, most forms of offroad driving are illegal in Iceland. It can do extensive damage to the country’s fragile topsoil, and the cost and labour of repairing the damage almost invariably falls upon the locals. Despite an extensive information campaign warning tourists to stay on marked roads, it continues to be a widespread problem in Iceland.