Montana
This $21.7 million ranch for sale in Montana once served as a hideout for a Soviet pilot who defected in a MiG-25. Take a look.
A working Montana ranch that recently hit the market for $21.7 million has a unique history, once serving as a hiding place for a Soviet Union pilot who defected to the West.
Rocking Chair Ranch, located in Philipsburg, Montana, in the western part of the state, spans more than 7,230 acres and includes a cattle operation, meadows, forest, rangelands, agricultural fields, and a semi-private trout fishery.
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The property, which has a historic five-bedroom home and other buildings, has been in the same family for over 70 years. The Vietor family even unknowingly housed Viktor Belenko, a former Soviet Union fighter pilot.
In 1976, Belenko defected and flew to Hokkaido, Japan, in a MiG-25, a new, powerful Soviet aircraft that was feared by the West. Belenko had been serving in the Soviet Union’s Air Defense Forces but “felt he was being treated like an expendable cog in a creaking war machine,” The New York Times wrote after his death last year.
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“I have been longing for freedom in the United States,” Belenko said, according to Japanese police. “Life in the Soviet Union has not changed from that existing in the days of Czarist Russia, where there had been no freedom.”
After months of planning, Belenko finally defected during a training exercise over the Sea of Japan and was quickly handed over to the US, along with the coveted MiG-25. US officials studied and deconstructed the aircraft before sending the components back to the Soviet Union.
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The MiG-25 turned out not to be as powerful as the West feared, though Belenko also shared important information about the morale among Soviet soldiers that resembles some of the reporting about Russia’s armed forces today: poor living conditions, scarce food, and harsh punishments.
Belenko was praised in the US and received asylum. He spent a couple years in Washington, DC, and eventually ended up at Rocking Chair Ranch, though with an undercover identity assigned by the CIA, Mansion Global reported. The CIA agent who escorted him from Japan to the US knew the Vietor family.
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“As a gift, the CIA asked him where he wanted to live, and he said somewhere in the western part of the country on a ranch,” Willy Vietor, patriarch of the Victor family, told Mansion Global. “The CIA agent who knew my parents came up with us.”
Belenko went by Viktor Schmidt when he got to Montana, and was pretending to be a former trade representative from Russia.
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Vietor told Mansion Global Belenko was put to work on the ranch and first lived in a guest bedroom of the main house.
“After he had been with us about a year, we connected the dots and realized he was one of the most valuable defectors the US had ever had,” Vietor said.
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He also told the outlet that Belenko would occasionally take trips to the East Coast and when asked why he was going, the former pilot would reply, “spooky stuff.”
Vietor told Mansion Global Belenko left the ranch in 1983 but that he stayed in touch with their family.
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Belenko received US citizenship in 1980 by an act of Congress and lived in several small towns throughout the midwest and worked as an aerospace consultant, according to the Times. He died in September 2023 at a senior living facility in Illinois at age 76.
Rocking Chair Ranch, located an hour and 15 minutes from Missoula, is next door to The Ranch at Rock Creek, a luxury dude ranch that’s considered one of the most expensive hotels in the US.
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MILES CITY — For 30 years, DeeAnn Sutter has been more than just an art teacher at Custer County District High School—she has been the foundation beneath her students’ biggest moments.
Whether in speech, debate, rehearsals, or performances, her impact has extended far beyond the stage.
“They’re not gonna remember what happened in their math class, they’re not gonna remember what happened in the really cool assembly they had, but I think they’re gonna remember this feeling of accomplishment forever,” said Sutter.
In Miles City, where students have gone on to become architects, writers, teachers, and lawyers, Sutter has played a vital role in shaping their confidence.
“You can conquer your shyness. You can conquer your stage fright. You can conquer your body image.” said Sutter. “Be brave and be unstoppable.”
Hannah Nash, one of Sutter’s first actors, recalled the early days of her mentorship along the theatre’s foyer, where play bills and photographs hung from each year of plays.
“What you see just simply reflected in this relatively short hallway has echoed through 30 years of us,” said Nash, a board member of Barn Players, Inc.
Students and faculty alike recognize Sutter as an institution.
“Much like our faculty, I don’t think I could find a kid who has a bad thing to say about her,” said Chase Breitbach, Sutter’s nephew and the school’s band director. “Most of (her students) would kill for her.”
As generations of students leave the stage and move into new chapters of life, they carry Sutter’s message with them.
“We could all dream of having a legacy like this someday—and I think that’s what she sent us all out into the world to do,” said Nash.
HELENA, Montana (Daily Montanan) — Once Gov. Greg Gianforte affixes his signature to House Bill 190, Montana will become the fourth state to adopt American Rodeo as the official state sport.
Other states have adopted official sports representing a facet of their heritage, ranging from the common – baseball in New York — to the increasingly popular — pickleball in Washington — to the less traditional — pack burro racing in Colorado, and dog mushing in Alaska.
During the last week the Legislature took its final votes on HB 190 and the bill will head to the governor’s desk for a signature.
Sen. Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, carried the bill in the Senate and wore her paisley scarf on the floor last Saturday when she spoke about the bill, because “this is more rodeo than almost anything else.”
“I don’t know that I can convey, really, how fun rodeo is here in the Senate chamber,” McKamey said.
“This is very unique in that it represents our heritage, the outdoors, and it’s an opportunity to have have a really unique statement about our state,” she added.
Some senators voiced their opposition to the bill — Sen. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, said that more Montanans hunt than rodeo, and Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, objected to the bill not specifically including Native American components.
“I just had hoped that they would have included the Indian Relay, which is a few centuries old here as part of this bill,” Webber said. “But we do have an Indian rodeo circuit that goes along with the National Rodeo Association. I just wish they would have done a little bit more.”
The bill was supported by the Montana American Indian Caucus, as well as by the congressional delegation and all six of Montanan’s statewide elected officials.
“There’s nothing better than a good rodeo all summer long. And the fine senator in the back near Kalispell said they have it all winter long going there,” Sen. Butch Gillespie, R-Ethbridge, said. “And as far as the Indian rodeos … nothing’s better than their rodeos and and the relay races, and they happen all over the place also. So let’s not let the other western states get the drop on us here.”
The Senate passing the measure 40-9, with an amendment making the law effective immediately. The House on Wednesday concurred with the amendment with only two votes in opposition.
Five colleges in Montana, including Montana State University, have rodeo clubs or teams. MSU hosted the collegiate rodeo finals for 24 years, until they moved briefly to South Dakota in the 1990s and then to Casper, Wyoming where they are still held.
At the high school level, Montana qualified 100 contestants to the National High School Rodeo Finals from the state championships held in Kalispell last J—une.
American Rodeo now joins the pantheon of state symbols, next to the duck-billed dinosaur (state fossil), Scobey soil (state soil), bitterroot (state floral emblem), blackspotted cutthroat trout (state fish), bluebunch wheatgrass (state grass), grizzly bear (state animal), and “Montana Melody” (state ballad) among others.
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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at March 28, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 28 drawing
02-09-31-60-63, Mega Ball: 23, Megaplier: 5
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from March 28 drawing
10-15-23-31-40, Lucky Ball: 18
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 28 drawing
01-09-28-29, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
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