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Television Agency of Ural
presents
Grim Story of the Ural Mountains
Mystery of the Dyatlov's Pass
part N2
Eternal Memory to the campers of Ural Polytechnic Institute who tragically died in the Northern Urals on 2nd of February 1959
NARRATOR: A short summary of part N1.
In January 1959 10 Students of the Ural Polytechnic Institute started on a camping ski trip to the Northern Urals.
The end goal was Mt. Otorten. The lead of the group a talented student of the Radio department of UPI Igor Dyatlov.
From Sverdlovsk, Dyatlov's group to Ivdel, then to the village Vizhai. During the expedition, one of the group members, Yuri Yudin injured his leg and headed home.
The other 9 were scheduled to have reached one of the most beautiful peaks in Ural, Mt. Otorten, then return to village Vizhai on February 12th
and from there via telegraph let the UPI camping club in Sverdlovsk that the 300 km (190 mi) 3rd class route of highest difficulty, was successfully covered.
However, within the scheduled time the group never communicated. After the 20th of February a massive search effort was organized.
Four groups cut the Dyatlov's group's route and a fifth one was following their ski trail. On the 26th of February, on the then unnamed pass, on the slopes of mountain 1079
the tent of the Dyatlov's group was found. The tent was cut in two places. Inside there were skis, shoes, and warm clothes, but no campers.
In the personal journals the last entries were dated 1st of February. On the same day, 26th of February, 1.5 km (1 mi) down the slope from the tent at the tree line
under a large cedar an old fire and the bodies of Krivonishenko and Doroshenko were found. They were wearing only their undergarments.
Soon after, on the slope of the mountain, at the distances of 150-200 m (500-640 ft) from each other
were found the bodies of group commander Igor Dyatlov, Rustem Slobodin, and highest and closest to the tent of all Zina Kolmogorova.
All five had frostbite of 3rd to 4th degree. The search was conducted with student-campers, military, prison camp guards but the bodies of the other four students weren't found.
The ones that were found, were taken to Ekaterinburg and buried at the Mihailovskoye cemetery. This happened on 9th of March, 1959 and caused an uproar.
The government tried to prevent a massive funeral, however several thousands showed for it. There was anger caused by the mystery.
The cause of death was not told to the public and the postmortem was done under high level of secrecy and guarded by the KGB.
This cause many rumors and people of Sverdlovsk was enflamed.
Igor Dyatlov, Zina Kolmogorova, Rustem Slobodin, and Yuri Doroshenko were buried at Mihailovskoye cemetery.
Georgi Krivonishenko, as it seems at the wishes of his highly placed father, was buried separately at Ivanovskoye cemetery.
The North Ural tragedy had a world wide resonance. And on the pass, the search continued for the other campers - Alexander Kolevatov, Alexander Zolotarev, Nikolai Thibeaux-Brignolles, and Lyudmila Dubinina.
MOISEI: And only in the beginning of May, around 4th-5th, in the area of the cedar tips of either spruce or pine emerged.
blink blink: Zolotarev, Thibeaux-Brignolles blink blink: Kolevatov, Dubinina
And it became clear that we should be searching in this area as well. When we started digging, under a fairly deep snow we found a needle covering.
And on this covering, four dead bodies. This is how all nine were found.
NARRATOR: The bodies of the four, found on the 4th of May, 75 meters from the cedar in the valley of river Loz'va were sent for a forensic postmortem.
As a reminder, that on the bodies of the first five there no extreme injuries, only frostbite.
The government board even got drunk because of it since it seemed they all froze and there is no mystery.
However, with the second group it wasn't this clear.
VLADIMIR KOROTAEV - office of the prosecutor investigator of Ivdel. VLADIMIR: The medical expert shrieked. I came up and saw that the skull was crushed.
The second body, also crushed. Of course it came up how did this happen. I called Loz'ba and where the criminal prosecutor Ivanov, people from the local administration, people from Moscow were assembled.
They said that it is impossible, they died from hypothermia. Well I told them to come over.
Also, I remember that Ivanov did enter the morgue but most others were afraid to. This also made me suspicious.
There were to big drums of alcohol at the morgue, and after handling bodies we would dump ourselves in the alcohol to clean ourselves off.
We were suspicious because nobody was talking.
NARRATOR: In the criminal case that was declassified only ten years ago (1987) there are acts of the forensic autopsy for each of the campers.
We are not going to fully quote the texts, but will touch upon the important parts since some of the injuries were horrific and unexplainable.
From the act of forensic autopsy of Nicolai Thibeaux-Brignolles:
A dented break of the right base skull area 9 by 7 cm (3.5 by 3 in) with multiple shards. The break progresses through the right temple to the front of the cranial skull above the right eye socket.
In all the length of the skull break is 17 cm (6.5 in).
Conclusion of forensics - based on the body of Nicolai Thibeaux-Brignolles cause of death is a closed multishard break at the base of the skull
with a major internal bleeding into the the brain and surrounding tissues. Death is forcible. Signed forensic expert Vozrozhdenny.
From the act of forensic autopsy of the body of Lyudmila Dubinina: "Symmetrical rib cage break. On the right 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. On the left 2nd through 7th.
Death is forcible." -forensic expert Vozrozhdenny.
From the act of forensic autopsy of Alexander Zolotarev: "2nd through 6th ribs are broken on right side from center to under armpit with hemorrhaging into the chest muscle.
Conclusion: cause of death - multiple breaks of the front rib cage caused by a great pressure caused from either a fall, compression, or blast. Death is forcible." - forensic expert Vozrozhdenny
These are the injuries that are the major mystery and subject to multiple theories. The fourth camper found on 4th of May, 1959 Alexandre Kolevatov did not have any major injuries.
Conclusion of the forensic autopsy: Kolveatov's cause of death - effects of cold temperatures. Death is forcible.
Exactly the same conclusions were reached by the forensic expert Vozrozhdenny in February
when he conducted autopsies on the first five members of the group.
Conclusion: cause of death - effects of low temperature. Death is forcible.
So from the acts of forensic autopsies in the criminal case follows that six of the members simply froze to death
and three of the dead Dubinina, Zolotarev, Thibeaux-Brignolles were seriously injured prior to death. Some of the injuries are horrific.
YURI: In front of me is a list, act of the forensic autopsy of the one of the group members. I'm not going to say the last name since I don't have the right to do so.
The tongue is missing. How can freezing temperatures cause the tongue to go missing? What fall could have happened if the slope is gentle?
We need to answer this question.
The above stated facts are objective.
This is the start off point for all researchers of this topic.
Everyone imagines that night from 1st to 2nd in their own way and makes their own conclusion.
But we will talk about the wealth of different versions later. At the time the criminal case about the death of nine campers was conducted by investigator of the regional prosecutor's office Lev Ivanov.
After the last bodies were discovered, something made him suspicious and he requested a radiological analysis on camper's clothes.
From 18th to 25th of May in the radiological laboratory of Sverdlovsk the clothes of Dubinina, Thibeaux-Brignolles, Kolevatov, and Zolotarev were analysed for radioactive traces.
The head radiological expert of Sverdlovsk Levashov made this conclusion: "Dosimetry analysis of the clothes were conducted during which a higher than normal background rate was found.
Several maximally loaded spots were established on the garments. 1st - brown sweater. 9900 counts per minute. After a flushing, 5200 per minute.
Trousers - 5000 counts per minutes. After a flushing, 2600 per minute. Etc. Flushing was conducted in cold running water for a period of 3 hours. The cleansing percentage is between 30% to 60%."
To the general public, most of these numbers do not reveal very much. Much more important are the conclusions of experts.
First, the analysed objects contain radioactive materials.
Second, some of the objects contains somewhat higher amount of radioactive materials emitting beta radiation.
Third, the radioactive material can be flushed off the objects.
Meaning that the radioactivity is not caused by neutron rays or concentrated radioactivity but by radioactive contamination of beta radiation emitting particles.
The limitations of the Sverdlovsk radiological lab didn't allow the analysis to determine the radio-chemical make up of the contamination and the strength of the radiation.
The presence of radioactivity already brings horrible thoughts which gives rise to even more guesses and theories.
The criminal case contains a transcript with the radiology expert. This conversation between the investigator and expert should help the viewers understand what happened.
Question: "What is the level of contamination of the analysed objects?"
Answer: "The brown sweater was analysed to have 9900 beta radiation counts per minute on 150 square cm (2.5 square in). After a flushing it gave 5200 counts per minute. According to current sanitary rules, count limit from such an area shouldn't exceed 5000 counts per minute."
"And after a flush there shouldn't be anything but the background radiation. These standards are for workers who handle radioactive materials."
Question: "Can it be concluded that the garments are contaminated with radioactive dust?"
Answer: "Yes, the garments are contaminated with either radioactive dust that dropped out of the atmosphere or these garments were contaminated during work with said radioactive materials."
"It is exceeding current norms."
Question: "What would be the level of contamination considering that these garments before analysis were flushed by the a stream for up to 15 days?"
Answer: "We can assume that the some areas were contaminated much more heavily than others but we need to remember that the garments might not have been evenly flushed."
We can consider this as objective facts determined by the criminal reports.
Members that were discovered in May under the snow were buried with their comrades in Sverdlovsk on Mihailovskoye cemetary.
We will continue after this.
NARRATOR: Members that were discovered in May under the snow were buried with their comrades in Sverdlovsk on Mihailovskoye cemetary.
Compared to the first funeral, the second funeral was fairly small.
Near Dyatlov, Kolmogorova, Doroshenko, and Slobodin - Alexander Kolevatov, Lyudmila Dubinina and Nicolai Thibeaux-Brignolles were buried. The oldest, Alexander Zolotarev
was buried somewhere separately. Maybe in Kaurovka, where he lived and worked as a instructor-guide.
There is also another UPI student buried there, Victor Nikitin who died from pneumonia and had nothing to do with the expedition.
In such, there seven members of Dyatlov's group are interred in the same place.
Krivonishenko and Zolotarev are buried separately.
However, on the memorial they are all there.
There is one more questions that we haven't talked about but which is one of the most important and sensational. Regrettably there are no official verifications of this fact.
Everything is based on witness testimony though there is plenty of testimony.
Here is the testimony of one the residents of village Polunochny which is near Ivdel, a member of geographical society of USSR, nature researcher Shtrauh.
"31st of March, 1959 at 4:10 a.m. observed the following phenomenon - from South-West to North-East above the village observed a fast moving spherical glowing object.
The glowing disk was approximately the size of the moon. Color was blue-white and was surrounded with a blue aura.
At times the aura would flash similar to lightning.
When the object disappeared behind the horizon, the sky was still bright in the area for several minutes.
MOISEI: Some groups were always on post there. On the 31st of March witnessed, today we can say, a rocket.
Not into this valley but flew over in this area. The rocket flew over early in the morning, many guys saw it since it was around wake up time.
Other than a cursing radio message they really couldn't do anything. The summary of the radio message was that isn't nine dead enough and you need more?
NARRATOR: Similar events were observed by the locals in February of 1959.
"17th of February 1959, at 6:40 while carrying out duty task from the South appear a sphere of bright light that slowly was surrounded with thick fog.
Inside this glowing cloud there was a brightly glowing dot approximately the size of a star.
It was moving North and could be observed for 8 to 10 minutes." - serviceman Savkin
Also testimony of a metorologist: "To the head of Ivdel police, 17th of February, 1959 at 6:50 a.m. a phenomenon appeared in the sky. Movement of a star with a trail.
Tail appears to be cirrus clouds. Then the star separated from its tail, became the brightest star, and started flying. Then it slowly started to expand and turned into a large sphere surrounded by a fog
which started to then form into a half-moon. Then a smaller sphere, just as bright. The large sphere started to fade and turned into a blotched spot. At 7:05 it disappeared completely.
The star was moving from South to North-East." - Tokareva, meteorology technician
This makes it clear that in February where the group died there was a glowing and mysterious flying object.
However, through testimony the object appeared on 17th of February while it is agreed that the group died on the night between 1st and 2nd of February.
And now we are going to move into the theories.
Everything that we have been describing, the tent, the position of the bodies, injuries, radiation, glowing flying object are facts that a rooted in documents.
The rest will be theories that are based on these facts.
Theories about the death of the group were expressed even at the beginning of the investigation which was conducted by the prosecutor's office.
At first, the tragedy was considered a banal ***.
VLADIMIR: It was a mystery to us. Also, so called scientists and PhD's gave us a conclusion that the tent was cut from the outside. The tent was brought to my office.
If the cuts are from the outside, then who could have done it. There is the Sangildalovy family, Anamovy family, shaman Kulikov with his relatives and friends.
Of course, many of them went through initial arrests.
There were even some hotheads that wanted to apply physical interrogation motivating that it worked in 1937 and that other than Mansi no one else could have killed them.
However I tried to prove to the higher ups that there were trails leading down. Thankfully, torture wasn't applied.
When I was conducting a thorough examination of the tent, a seamstress came to my office
which saved the Mansi from physical interrogation. The seamstress said: "Vladimir Ivanovich, I've been sewing my whole life and the cuts on the tent are not from the outside but from the inside."
"What do you mean from the inside?" Of course, we requested analysis from Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
The analysis told us that the cuts were made from the inside.
Everything became clear.
The question became what made them run out of the tent.
NARRATOR: Soon a theory about spheres in the sky emerged. Not really a theory but a vague guess.
VLADIMIR: And only then when I got testimony from one of the Mansi, Dazambindalov, Ayamov and one of the Russians from village Polunochny
they gave a testimony that a sphere flew, there was flame. Everything of course was classified, you wont find this in the case. I examined this case with one of the journalists from the Soviet-wide radio.
And after a mystery emerged, why did they jump out of the tent?
NARRATOR: All of this put a shadow of mystery and secrecy on the death of the campers. Of course, the investigator regularly reported on his conclusions to the leadership.
The information was being controlled in Moscow and constantly kept pressure on the investigation. Not really pushing for faster conclusion but not allowing the investigation to explore all the possibilities.
VLADIMIR: They started to push me to conclude the investigation. Moscow is demanding results.
The conclusion should be set that they died as a results of the extreme weather and freezing.
I was at the party meeting and was present during the conversation of Kirilienko with Prodanov. Kirelenko said it himself that they already know everything here and that the investigation needs to be closed.
This angered me. I was there, I interrogated the witnesses, I saw them in the morgue, I checked their clothes, and saw all the experts' conclusions.
Well the command was severe, to relieve of duties and to kick out of the party. Thankfully, I was a young specialist and wasn't fired from the prosecutor's office.
NARRATOR: After Vladimir Korotaev the case was handed to Sverdlovsk's criminal prosecutor Lev Ivanov. He was being pressured from the top just as much.
It seemed that the government didn't want the investigation to get too close to the truth.
In the end the investigation about the death of the camping group in the Northern Ural was closed.
Prosecutor Ivanov in conclusion wrote the following. We will not quote all of it but only the relevant parts. "Returning on the 31st of January into the valley of river Auspi and knowing about the tough conditions of the mountain 1079
which was supposed to be summited, Dyatlov, as the group commander made a gross error. The group started to summit the pass on the 1st of February only at 15:00 (3 p.m.). From the ski trail it was concluded that while moving toward the valley of river Loz'va
the group headed about 500-600 meters (1600 - 2000 ft) to the left and instead of hitting the pass formed by mountains 1089 and 880, got on to the eastern slope of mountain 1079. That was the second Dyatlov's mistake. Using day light to get to
mount 1079 in the strong winds which is ordinary for the season and low temperatures between -25 to -30 C (-13 to -22F).
He found himself in unfavorable conditions for night camp and decided to set up camp on the slopes of mount 1079 so as not to lose any altitude
and in the morning to summit Mt. Otorten that was about 10 km (6 mi) away."
In one of the cameras, the last frame shows the method of establishing a base for the tent.
Considering the settings on the camera during the time the picture was taken, it can be concluded that they started to set up the tent at around 5 p.m. 1st of February, 1959.
A similar picture is taken using a different camera. After this, there are no other entries or pictures.
Further on there are descriptions that in the schedule time the students didn't communicate with base.
Then the search attempt began and that on February 26th the tent was found with cuts.
Quote from the case: "Down the slope, with length of almost 500 m (1600 ft) there are snow tracks that were leading from the tent into the valley and forrest.
The tracks were well preserved and came to have either 8 or nine pairs. Some of the tracks were left with almost bare feet.
For example wearing one cotton sock. Others were made with feet wearing fur shoes or thick socks. Etc.
The tracks were placed close to each other. Closer to the tree line, the tracks ended having been covered by snow.
There are no tracks or indications that a struggle took place or that others other than the group were there."
After that, the conclusion covered who and where was discovered and which injuries they had. Quote from the end of the conclusion:
"Considering that there are no external injuries or indications of a struggle, the presence of everything valuable, and taking into consideration the conclusion of
forensic autopsies it is concluded that the cause of death was some extreme natural force which the campers could not overcome.
For deficiency of camping organization and poor control the Sverdlovsk bureau of the communist party reprimanded the following party members:
director of Ural Polytechnic Institute Sevnov, party secretary Zaostrovskih, party chairman Slobodin, chairman of the city union of hobby camping Kurochkin, union inspector Ufimzev,
Institute's sport club chairman Grdo was relived of duties. Considering that the deficiencies in control caused by the previously named people do not have a causal connection
to the camper's deaths and that there no criminal responsibility established, according to point 5 of article 4 of the criminal code of RSFSR, the criminal case is to be closed." -criminal prosecutor and junior Justice advisor Ivanov.
We will accentuate the most important, the cause of death is considered to be an elemental force which the campers could not overcome.
That is not secret. It is know that in the first draft of the conclusion the radioactive contamination and the glowing spheres were mentioned.
The conclusion was dated 28th of May, 1959. However, it was not signed and every page was crossed out with blue pencil.
This means that the official conclusion has done little to explain how the campers died. At the time, there was no other version of events. Only people that were there had any information but every one of them signed a non-disclosure agreement.
When facts are lacking, this gives rise to rumors. Nothing really changed in this case for many years.
Slowly the interest weaned which is understandable. If nothing new has come up, then why should we keep hitting our heads against the wall.
The case started to progress in the late 80s when a young woman discovered this very case.
It is claimed that it was just sitting on a windowsill even though many researchers searched for it, unsuccessfully.
Currently, everyone who is interested in the mystery of the pass, has photo copies of the case. Also, after this tragedy the pass between hill 1079 and 880 was named after Dyatlov.
Later a memorial plaque was installed on one of the rock outcroppings near where the group perished.
And now we are going to start on trying to solve the mystery of Dyatlov's pass with different versions of what really happened.
There is a myriad of theories, from trite to surreal.
First is the version that is completely free of any mysticism, version of the member of the search party, version of a man that has been researching this subject for more than 30 years,
Moisei Abramovich Axelrod who was one of the first to have received the title of sport master of camping in the Urals.
MOISE: "The thing is in 59, tests were being conducted on some new type of a weapon.
A rocket of course. It was seen in different ways, someone saw a sphere moving across the sky
from which a star came out of.
What we saw with my wife during UPI spring day was a pulsating ring which was flying across the sky.
This thing was there on the 2nd of February. My wife who was a student of the journalism department who was interning in Lower Tagil, and we both clearly remember
how Tagil's Workers paper there was information saying that someone in one of the Vysokogorski iron quarry in the morning saw an unusual phenomenon. This thing. Censors removed it from the paper.
That was 2nd of February. These two coincidences, the death of the guys and that this thing was flying there, lets us connect these two events.
How can we connect these two events? To say that this was a highly accurate rocket with laser guidance is laughable.
But to say that this rocket entered that area and that a piece of this rocket fell into this valley and then caused either light or heavy ground shaking is entirely plausible.
Especially because others have said that they saw parts of the third stage there.
This ground shaking for sure caused either an avalanche or a snow slide if avalanche is too strong of a word.
There was a snow slide and this snow slide ran over the tent. Now the tent. This tent was made by us in 1956 from two regular tents it was approximately 4 m (13ft) in length.
In order to put it up on a slope, you need to find a flat area which was practically impossible. This slope wasn't very steep but in order to sleep on needs to be somewhat flat.
So they found a piece of flat ground about 2 meters (6 ft) in length. But the tent is 4 meters (13 ft) having been put together from two standard tents.
So in order to make some flat ground for the other part of the tent, they had to cut the snow on the slope, cut these snow blocks out, lay them down, and then put the tent on to them.
Sleeping in these temperatures is very tough, you constantly toss and turn like birch bark in a fire because the part that touches the ground be it side, back, front is constantly cold.
So some were sleeping on their side, some on their stomach, some were warming up against the neighbor, that's probably what was happening.
And around the morning, I stated that in my witness statements, something happened. Either light or sound, or both, or this ground shaking that could have been caused by the rocket or the rocket's parts.
And so the tent was run over by either an avalanche or snow slide. So the people that were sleeping in the far end of the tent, behind the ledge that they made for themselves when they were leveling ground
Five people, that is Dyatlov
Kolmogorova,
Kolevatov,
Doroshenko,
Krivonishenko.
They were not hurt.
But the ones that were closer to the entrance were injured.
According to the medical conclusions, Zolotarev had a on sided ribcage break, right side. Dubinina paralel multiple rib breaks.
Thibeaux-Brignolles had a dent at the base of the skull, 3 by 7 cm (1 by 3 inches)
I might be mistaken somewhat in the sizes. Obviously, not survivable injuries.
Slobodin had a crack in the skull, don't really know where, with widening to .1 mm (sic) (.005 in). This avalanche, this snow slide approached unnoticed. There was no explosion, if there was the tent would have been blown away with them.
It started to rustle, crushed the tent, ran over it. It crushed the ones that were not protected by the ledge and kept going.
Those who were sleeping at the entrance, who was probably Zolotarev since he was the oldest and the most experienced one being an instructor. He was sleeping on the side
and he had his ribs broken when he got crushed against the skis. Dubinina who was probably sleeping on the stomach, received a parallel break.
Concerning Thibeaux, who had a dent in the skull, here is what I think happened. He was a fairly simple man and he showed it off.
He probably had something very uncomfortable under his head. Maybe a camera or something like that. His head was pushed against this object that caused this dent.
Further on this happened. There is groaning and moaning, there are screams, there was a flashlight that I gave Igor [Dyatlov] as a gift. It was Chinese.
But one couldn't get through anywhere. The tent is low, it is possible that it came off of supports. Now it is completely flat.
Now you can't get to the entrance, but something needs to be done. And someone probably gave the command, there were to motors of the group, Dyatlov and Krivonishenko.
Someone gives the command to cut the tent.
And then, with three knife thrusts the tent is cut open from the inside. And it is obvious to those who are familiar with the practice that there can be a second slide.
And it was necessary to get out, not because they were afraid but because the tent was in an area where there could have been a second slide, maybe it even happened.
Currently, no one can really say anything about it.
Then they started to get away from the tent. In this order, five relatively healthy and four wounded. I think, the healthy ones distributed the wounded ones
and can still see clearly the track posts in the snow. Five and three or four, can't really tell. By some witness accounts, eight tracks. By others, nine.
Well, I think it is eight because Thibeaux was already dead because of the lethality of the dent in his skull.
How they carried him I can't say but I think all of them were hoping to save some of them. And they left in two lines.
They were not running but walking away. The idea was to make their way back to lobaz (storage area). It was very close, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes away. They just got onto the pass.
Return to lobaz, and then you could take care of the wounded, take care of oneself, etc.
The situation was controllable or at least predictable. And only after they covered this snow slide, maybe 150 to 200 meters (500 to 650 ft).
Then reached firmer ground and then got to the forrest, which was done fairly quickly since it was down the slope
Only then did they realize they were in a different place then they thought.
The fact that they were to the left of the pass was the difference between life and death. The cedar as at the end of this clear salient not covered by the forrest.
They probably reached that area as a full group. Part of the group made a wind shelter where they started to break branches to create a floor to accomodate the wounded.
The three healthiest ones started to go back up to the tent. That was a hopeless task because when I was there it was a good day if you could see the tent from the cedar for six or seven hours at a time.
Constant winds, constant blizzard, constant snow drift. That is a very famous aerodynamic pipe.
NARRATOR: Everyone died, some on the mountain, some in the forrest. This theory is very convincing. It accounts for all the injuries. This theory has been thought
over for years and, Moisei Abramovich's opinion, covers everything. He said that this theory needs to be told while I'm still alive.
The theory is very good and realistic but it has one problem.
ALEKSEI: In the area where the tent was found, above and below it, to the right and left there can't really be a discussion about any avalanche.
Any specialist or mountaineer that have been there will tell you that.
NARRATOR: The young camper-researcher Aleksei Kozkin has a more effective version which still based on the flying glowing spheres.
ALEKSEI: The campers put the tent on the slope, maybe had dinner or were getting ready for bed. So they've already undressed in the tent. One can sleep in light garb in the tent.
In shirts or sweaters without the heavy clothes on. When the event happened, one or two people were still outside. They were standing outside for some reason. That is why they were dressed.
The people that were inside were relatively undressed and were getting ready to get inside their sleeping bags.
This event happened that caused some blizzard or something similar like an explosive shock wave.
Because of this shock wave, the people outside are thrown against the rocks and they are heavily injured. In the case it was described that one of them had a crushed skull, others had multiple rib breaks etc.
Of course, they are screaming. Maybe there are other sounds from the shock wave.
This frightens them, maybe people outside see something and start to yell to leave the tent.
After, this they cut open the tent, get out of it. Everyone is wearing whatever. One has the time to put on a shoe, the other has sometime to put on a sweater in a panic.
So they leave the tent, they pic up the wounded and then go down away from the tent.
NARRATOR: The theory of events based on the flying spheres is the most common one.
YURI: What happened in our opinion and in the opinion of people that have been doing this for many years, is that the students ran into some sort of test.
Probably military since there were traces of radiation on their clothes. In the case it is stated that they survived, some for up to eight hours.
So they ran into the guards from Derzhinski division who were liquidating the results. Getting the object out, cleaning up the test area.
It is possible that they suffered from that.
NARRATOR: Theory about Derzhinski division working in the area is grim.
To kill nine people, lay out their bodies in such a way that it looks like a convincing picture without leaving any traces.
However, this version explains one thing. The missing tongue.
Flowing water can wash out an eyeball but not the tongue.
PETER: I don't really believe in this version since several months have passed. There are other predators and animals out there.
NARRATOR: One must consider that the bodies were under 4 m (13 ft) of snow. Yuri Kunsevitch claims that members of the KGB were present in the area of the tragedy. This directly contradicts the case.
But what was the KGB in 1959? There wasn't anything within the Soviet Union stronger that that organization.
KGB could do everything.
We still must consider that.
But the member of the search party, a person who knew most of the group very well Peter Bartholemew has a much simpler theory, without any CheKa UGPU MGB KGB.
He was one of the first to receive the titel of master of sport of camping in the Urals around the same time as Moisei Axelrod.
PETER: Theory that is much more understandable to me is the one that involves tests of some military weapon.
Several groups saw some trails in the sky that match each other exactly in time. It was similar to the moon disk but was moving much faster.
If we imagine that this object was within the group's area and had some acoustic or mechanical effect that could have caused a state of panic.
Yes I think they were afraid of something that is hard to imagine because you had to either have been there or observed it. It was something indescribable or unimaginable, something that could scare them
to a point of cutting the tent open and running 1300 meters (4000 ft) down the slope forgetting everything behind.
NARRATOR: We will touch upon the other version of this tragedy after this.
NARRATOR: In the case about the death of campers in the northern Urals there is also a theory about a UFO.
Meaning about the appearance of extraterrestrial civilization. However, we do not discuss this theory because this version is too fantastic.
Practically, anything can be explained using a UFO however by definition the glowing spheres above Dyatlov's pass can be considered a UFO, unidentified and flying objects.
We can talk about a UFO scaring Dyatlov's group but that is such a mystery that death of nine people pales in comparison.
UFO is a special subject and special theme that deserves its own films. So for that reason, we are going to leave UFOs alone.
There were also versions that the glowing spheres were results of tests of a new chemical, biological, or neutron weapon etc. or tests of a rocket.
Two individual witnesses claim that not far from the site of the incident pieces of metal were discovered. Experts have analyzed them to be pieces of the 3rd stage of a rocket.
As a reminder, this is February 1959. Sputnik flew only a year and a half ago.
And Gagarin has yet to fly anything faster than a plane.
However the test, possibly even a failed test, exploded and frightened the group to a point where they ran out into the night wearing what they were and practically barefoot.
The guys were all engineering students in UPI, very technically competent, and it is still a question if they would have been frightened of a rocket, even a falling one.
Here is another version of events by one of the search party members, Tokarev.
Quote: "I think they might have suffocated instead of freezing to death. The snow around the face of Kolmogorova was bloody. The blood was coming out of her nose or throat.
Further on, they couldn't start a fire. The birch bark and twigs only ashed over probably because of the lack of oxygen."
It seems that three died on the way to the tent, two at the attempted fire, and four made a snow shelter, laid out a floor and got into it.
After some time, they sent one to see what's going on with the fire. He came to the fire and found his comrades dead.
In order to save the others, he took their clothes and came back. But their comrade's clothes could not save the four.
Another version, what scared the students eventually ended as a flash that was so strong that the guys were blinded.
This explains why the bodies of the four found last were lying not on the branch floor but near it.
And the fact that the guys were going to the tent separately, or the fact that the same cedar branch was cut several times.
Also a theory and also has the right to exist. Lets summarize, it is clear that nine campers died because for some reason they had to quickly leave the tent into a -30C (-22F) frost.
The most convincing theory is that the guys froze to death and that Dubinina, Zolotarev, and Thibeaux-Brignolles died from their fractures which was stated by the medical forensic expert Vozrozhdeny.
It is possible to imagine how strong the shock wave must have been that Dubinina had fractures on both sides.
Moisei Axelrod's theory about an avalanche accounts for the injuries but others state that it is impossible for an avalanche to have happened there.
But even that theory is rooted in something having flown over the pass on 1st of February and even fell there.
There is no convincing evidence that specifically in the evening of February 1st a glowing sphere flew over the pass.
However, the local Mansi hunters assure that these flying spheres would have regular flyovers like a scheduled trolleybus.
In this way, if we assume that this sphere was present the question becomes what was this sphere.
That is the main question. The person that has worked on this question the most is Alexei Kozkin.
Using the few and contradictory eye witness statments about the spheres, compiled the data, using minuscule details and having read a massive amount of books on the subject
and concluded that what the spheres resemble the most is sodium cloud released by a sodium rocket.
This is the theory where we will stop. Not that the theory is the most convincing but because we can list off other theories for a very long time.
Especially because the people that have come up with these theories have technical degrees so there are no problems with fantasy.
The problem of all of these theories and hypotheses is that they are all based on very spare factual material.
Everyone has only a copy of a redacted criminal case with several missing pages.
Also they are based on eyewitness testimony, who's age is now over sixty.
As you can see, the information that become public didn't give anything concrete.
Some of the misunderstanding went away but the mystery remained.
There is no final conclusion and without additional information there can't be.
ALEKSEI: I am 100% sure that in parallel with the regular criminal case there were other investigations carried out by either the KGB or the police at a different level.
These are the cases that should contain the significant information about their cause of death.
Information about these sky phenomena that everyone is talking about including the search party members that were there at the time.
YURI: Tuykov currently has the case, he is the criminal prosecutor for Sverdlovsk region. Here is the letter that states that the case was taken over a year ago.
We have the right to ask of the prosecutor what really happened there and
is the government ready to take the responsibility for the death of our nine students.
The office of the prosecutor for the Sverdlovsk region took the case out of the archives which means that the investigation might be renewed.
What's the point of bringing out the case again? To again hide it from the public? Probably not.
Also, everyone that wanted to read it has been able to.
What about the truth. To the author of these words, none of the theories have appeared to be 100%.
Each one has holes.
Many are interested in hiding the truth and that's why
the information is gathered piece by piece and so called journalistic hobby investigations are conducted.
In order to move up to a new level of investigation, we first must resolve the mystery of the highest level that could lead all the way the the Ministry of Defense.
But in the end, nine students from UPI are not John F. Kennedy, but the amount of secrecy and theories is the same.
Somewhere there is an explanation to this mystery and maybe its time for them to be unclassified. 38 years have passed.
And even if there were tests of a new weapon I think everyone will understand. It's 1959.
The nuclear or rocket shield of the country. Etc etc.
It is possible that victims of this machine were nine young, strong, and fun people. Nothing could have predicted the catastrophe. Overnight, the guys were forced to confront their fate and heroically fight for their lives.
YURI: They were holding on and fighting for their life until their last moments.
They deserve praise and celebration in their memory. We currently have a project to renovate their memorial at the cemetery which includes a Church of Savior on Blood.
The example of Dyatlov's group that showed true courage is the best example for young scouts. Even if the mystery is never solved, the legend about Dyatlov's group's courage will live on forever.
Lastly, one more legend that is so grim that everything that we've talked about can be thrown out.
The guys died under the hill with the height of 1079. In Mansi this is called Kholat Syakhl. Kholat in Mansi means 'the dead'. Which means 'Moutain of the Dead'.
A legend says that a long time ago, nine Mansi died on this mountain. Occasionally it is said that it happened during the great flood.
That's the legend, no more no less but exactly nine Mansi.
This legend is described in the book, Peaks of the Rocky Belt. Mr. Matveev, as the foremost expert in names knows the meaning in and behind the names.
Members of the Dyatlov's group have been resting at Mihailovskoye cemetery for 38 years now.
The memorial can be seen from the road, from intersection Bluher-Gagarin streets you can walk on Gagarin about 100 meters (300 ft) down right before the bend. In the fence you can discover a hole which will lead
you straight to the Dyatlov's group grave. Some lowlives keep ripping down the photographs on the memorial. Maybe they don't know about the grim story that we've been telling for two evenings already.
Well, so it comes to an end. Cherished memory about the dead campers is still here. Their deaths is quintessentially the struggle of man against the monster called militarism.
Every year, young ones are accepted into scouts. Every year on the 2nd of February people gather here, some tell stories, some listen, and young girls compose songs about those events.
Author Vlad Nekrasov