I'm thinking you've been hoaxed...

Reminds me of those ghost bars from Super Mario 3, the straight white platforms that would have Boos rise/sink out of and then dissapear

It looks like it would be hard to resist sticking it with a pin.

Actually, I couldn't resist making a quick mock up of that Boo concept!

http://members.lycos.co.uk/ferreous/undulating-ceiling-russia-b.jpg

Let's hope that's water and something worse. It's unpleasant to think of a sewage bubble, eh?

Sorry, I just can't believe that is real, my bet is photoshop. I'm no contractor, but I've done quite a bit of construction in my time and can't imagine any material used that would behave in that manner.

Wasn't tjis first seen on the "English Russia" blog? I think that a discussion started if this was real or just photoshopped... What do you guys think?

Now I realise why they use latex paint.

What material would that be? Some sort of water soluble plastic? Plaster?

Nope, not photoshopped. I had the same thing happen in my bathroom once. It takes a slow, steady leak, and a good coat or two of dry but relatively new latex paint on the ceiling.

I eventually pierced the center to keep the leak from peeling all the paint off the ceiling, and gallons of rusty brown water ran out. After that it wasn't nearly so pretty.

We stayed at a hotel in Manhattan a few years ago (can't remember which; one of the big mid-range chains), and the second morning we woke up to a very similar thing in our bathroom -- except even larger than that.

The bathroom ceiling was apparently covered with a white rubber sheeting, and it had filled with the output of an overflowing shower (um, I hope) on the floor above. We called maintenance right away, and they acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world, which I suppose it was to them.

I doubt it's photoshopped. I had the same thing happen to me in my college dorm. Smaller, granted, but not by much. Ah, those were the days.

I had the same thing..not as drastic. I want to know what type of paint was used.

We used Martin Senour Latex "Williamsburg" Collection. Had a leak and the dang stuff captured the water in a basketball sized bladder, which we poked with a knife and let drain in a bucket. Cut off the loose paint with a knife..repainted. Good as new.

Great paint. Expensive, but worth it.

Gaudi does it better: http://bryannewbold.com/photos/detail/328/

I call fake. Guilty until proven innocent.

Saw this on Englishrussia - check out the other photos, they have a definite, er, sweater-girl quality to them...

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1410

Andrewtee:

My god! It's like a giant Annette Funicello tripped and smashed through the ceiling of their house.

Possibly a Clipso ceiling: http://clipso.fr/uk/product_stretched_ceilings/principe-plafond_tendus_st.htm

That's definitely real. A pipe burst in the house next door. After shutting off the water at the meter, the real estate agent and I went in to look around. The water had cascaded into the basement through all possible paths - floor, ducts, staircase, etc. There were at least two water filled bulges like the one shown. Very fragile and we gave them a wide berth for fear of popping them. They were caused because the water got trapped by the spray-on popcorn like coating they put on the ceiling.

I have seen similar bulges in a cement access tunnel for a dam built in the 1920s. They weren't quite as large, but did have the same characteristic shape.

They need to hit that with some Kilz so it doesn't rot.

Ack, this happened to me my soph. year at Uni. Best part was that after it burst, the landlord CHARGED us for it, even after living with a hole in our roof for a month.

My bumps, my bumps.
My lovely ceiling lump.

Sorry.

Hey, this reminds me of some work by Martin Creed, an artist who has an exhibition at my college's museum currently. Here is a link, enjoy.

http://www.martincreed.com/works/workno264.html

Fake.... no texture to the paint, no strain marks between the lamp and the bulge....no partial shadow on the 2 vertical bars in the windows... no shadow behind the plant leaves, but deep shadow behind the bulge.. fake, fake, fake

Is it only me or doesn't everyone have an urge to pop that ginormous zit!?

Not fake. My parents have something very similar in their kitchen, looks just like a ceiling boob.