First time reading about Dyatlov Pass, please start from here.

Latest additions to the site.

Ivdellag breaks in 1959

On April 15 Yuri Yudin denied knowing about any changes in the return date of the trek. Who else could have Dyatlov discussed this with? The head of the logging camp department Hakimov is one of the last people to see Dyatlov alive. Immediately after Yuri Yudin's testimony Tempalov flies out to question Hakimov on the same issue. What was Hakimov doing at the time when he had to start looking for the Dyatlov group? How come the interrogation protocol is not in the case files? Keep reading →

How many bodies were brought in Ivdel for autopsy - 9 or 11?

Nurse Pelageya Ivanovna Solter, to whom Vadim Chernobrov reached in his research, opened a whole new area for speculations. Testifying to the arrival of corpses in the morgue at the medical facility where she worked, she led many researchers to the idea that not one group of hikers, not only the Dyatlov group, but also another group perished in Kholat Syakhl mountain. Unfortunately, Solter's testimony and accompanying evidence didn't bear each other out. The work with the bodies of surgeon Prudkov and nurse Solter is very difficult to clearly put in a timeline - the testimonies are very confusing. During the interview, the well spoken Victor Solter, sincerely wishing to bring clarity, only confused his wife and led the conversation astray. Pelageya Solter is now a widow, and due to her very advanced age she is not to be bothered with questions. Keep reading →

Ivdel

On Jan 25, 9195, the Dyatlov group arrived in Ivdel on train №81, stamped their route book, and took a bus GAZ-51 to Vizhay. They didn't mention or see the Ivdellag. There is another world they were living in. The main industry of the region was mining, logging, and building the railway. In February 1959, life was in full swing in Ivdel for the winter holidays. Here is a collection depicting Ivdel and its people. See the photos →

The White Crematoriums

Victims of the red revolution: The haunting faces of prisoners worked to death in Stalin's slave camps. The four camps where the bulk of the labor army in the Urals was located are Ivdel, N. Tagil, Krasnoturyinsk and Chelyabinsk. See the photos →

The Gulag Camps

The Ivdellag (Ivdel Gulag) is often referenced in the context of the Dyatlov Pass incident. As with the Mansi, this is a multifaceted subject that could be relevant or not, but is part of the picture nevertheless. Learning more about it will help us understand the surroundings of the events. There should be no stone left unturned. This is the first of a series of publications that will end with a direct link from a document related to the case to the Ivdellag. Read the article →

Igor Povetkin: Death by snowmobile

It is not very often I come across a novel way to kill the Dyatlov group. Usually the theories give reason for the group to leave the tent, but then they kind of let nature take its course. Igor Povetkin ventures to point out what could inflict the hardest to explain and quickest to die from injuries. In this version Dubinina and Zolotaryov are run over by a snowmobile. Thibeaux-Brignolle head injury, the wound on Kolevatov's head, and the abrasion on Kolmogorova's side and lower back could also have been caused by a snowmobile. The author assures us that on February 1, 1959, nothing fell from the sky to height 1079, no flying saucers, no rocket engines, no comets with meteors. All the evil was done here below, on earth. Read the article →

"There was no snowstorm": New investigation conclusions on the weather the night of the Dyatlov Pass incident

The first question that comes to mind when you look at the photos and read the diaries is if it was the weather that killed the Dyatlov group. After all, this is the most common reason for incidents in the mountain, especially multiple deaths with no survivors. In this part of the Urals there are no direct weather measurements, the nearest meteorological station Burmantovo being 47 miles away. What can modern methods do about the precise temperature, wind speed, wind chill index and snow cover present on that dreadful night 61 years ago? The Prosecutor's office investigation in 2019 made it its goal to find out as much as possible. Independent experts and participants in the search operation in 1959 disagree with their conclusions. Read the weather analysis →

Yudin's conclusions on clothing

Dyatlov was found in an unbuttoned fur sleeveless vest - outer side blue cotton, inner side dark grey fur. It belonged to Yudin. Case files say he left the vest to Kolevatov, but Yudin himself said in 2008 he gave it to Doroshenko when they parted in 2nd Northern. This letter sheds light on the manner case files were signed and investigation was conducted. Galina Sazonova has also made a point of more discrepancies in the Resolution to close the case. It is not necessarily indicative of a cover up (or is it?), just the way things were back in 1959. You trust the organs to do the right thing. Then changes come and we no longer find it proper, we try to find a motive, looking in all directions.

Read Yudin's letter →

Trek categories and sports ranks

Vladimir Borzenkov presented us with an exclusive overview of the "Trek categories and sports ranks", complimentary to the "Hiking experience of Dyatlov group" article. We all know that the fateful expedition of Dyatlov group was of the highest category of difficulty. What does it mean? Were the hikers qualified and experienced for this trek? Have you noticed the badges on Krivonischenko's photo?

Read the overview →

Krasnov reprimanded Kuryakov

A decree of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation dated August 10, 2020, and signed by Igor Krasnov, says that on July 11 this year, Mr. Kuryakov, acting for personal purposes, took part in a press conference announcing the completion of the investigation into the death of Igor Dyatlov's group in 1959. He used official resources for an investigation made part of his PhD paper. The management has also complaints against Andrey Kuryakov, that using his official position, he tried to influence the replacement of the prosecutor of Yekaterinburg. Since 2015, the city department has been headed by Svetlana Kuznetsova. The position of her deputy is occupied by Venera Kuryakova, who is the wife of Andrey Kuryakov. Read more →

Buryatia Dyatlov Pass

Today is an anniversary of another mysterious incident in the mountains with multiple deaths and strange behavior. This one even has a real survivor who went through the whole ordeal.

There were seven of them: three girls, three young men from the Petropavlovsk Azimut tourclub, and their 41-year-old group leader Lyudmila Korovina, Master of sports in hiking. The group set off on a designated route of category IV difficulty to Hamar-Daban. Only one of them returned. Many find some parallels between Dyatlov Pass incident and Hamar-Daban tragedy.

Read the article →

Bienko - the 11th member of the Dyatlov group

Bienko's name keeps popping up in documents and diaries. He is a person of interest to the case on three points:

Zolotaryov took his place on the fateful trek.

Bienko developed Krivonischneko's film in his own bathroom.

Bienko was Lev Ivanov's confidant, and recollects investigator's dramatic change after his visit to the pass in May.

Read the article →

Materials from the Investigation

We can review some of the results from the Prosecutor's preliminary investigation. The documents were immediately bombarded with criticism by the case researchers and experts on the Dyatlov Pass incident. We start with the location of the tent, with which Kuryakov spoke very proudly at the press conference held in the Komsomolskaya Pravda editorial on July 11, 2020.

Check the materials →

Results of the Investigation

The long awaited results of the investigation that began in 2018 were announced today by Andrey Valentinovich Kuryakov - Head of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sverdlovsk Region. Expert opinions, test results, 3D model of the pass, in-depth study of terrain, weather, behavior, risks, military archives, books on avalanches, etc., and yet there is still the sense that something is missing, perhaps the entire big picture.

Komsomolskaya Pravda article →

Interview with Mihail Sharavin 2007-2008

Mihail Sharavin was in Slobtsov group, one of the first to land near Otorten. He and Slobtsov found Dyatlov group tent on 26th of Feb 1959, he and Koptelov found the first two frozen bodies under the cedar tree on the 27th. Sharavin then had a ski accident right there on the pass, and was taken to Ivdel hospital where he remained for 21 days. He was not questioned by the authorities. Neither was Koptelov. Sharavin's recollections are important for establishing the facts so poorly documented by the official investigation.

More about the tragedy →

New petition to The Prosecutor General Dyatlov case to be taken to Moscow

June 29, 2020: Relatives and activists of the Dyatlov group's memory fund continue to insist that the group was victimized by a man-made disaster during tests of military weapons (missiles). Three most likely versions are called: negligence on behalf of the rocket engineers who made a mistake in the design of the hull or engine of the aircraft, unsuccessful launch and sabotage. Since Sverdlovsk Prosecutors are not considering following up on these leads they petition the case to be moved to Moscow. Read more →

Midnight Society Radio

Teodora Hadjiyska on the Midnight Society Radio with Tim Weisberg

Fri Jun 26, 7–10 pm PDT on Midnight.FM

Podcast MP3

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Ask questions in the forum →

Which way is Siberia?

The answer is harder than you think.

The Washington Post's Moscow bureau chief, David Filipov, goes looking for Siberia. Read the article →

Classified Case Files Volume 2

You know how cold cases movies start - with boxes covered with dust and the investigators bracing for sleepless nights. Well there you go, I give you the Dyatlov Case files volume 2. Try to find out for yourself if the investigation worked to comply with cover up or if the criminal prosecutor, Ivanov, reach a dead end. Were the documents doctored and plucked out, since this is the classified folder, or did the experts try to make sense of the bizarre circumstances? In any case, when the prosecutor's office finally makes a statement regarding the ongoing preliminary investigation that started in 2018, you will have the case files handy for reference. Because this is what Andrey Kuryakov, chief of justice administration oversight directorate of the Sverdlovsk region prosecutor’s office, holds in his hands. Case files volume 2 →

Valentin Yakimenko 1963

In August 1963, on that pass on Kholat Syakhl mountain, a group led by Valentin Yakimienko set a memorial plaque saying: "In memory of those who left and did not return, we name this pass after the Dyatlov group"

The Pass has been called Dyatlov Pass ever since.

See photos from the trek →

"Ural Stalkers Flight from the Mountain of the Dead" by Chernobrov

Vadim Chernobrov is called the chief ufologist of Russia. He died at the age of 52 from cancer. He was chasing UFO's all his adult life. Did radiation from the sightings caught up with him at the end? On the 40th anniversary of Dyatlov Pass tragedy he went on an expedition to the Mountain of the Dead, as he calls it, and published in his book shortly after. He left a very interesting legacy to the Dyatlov group case, one that we built on to this day.

Read from the book →

Interview with Stanislav Bogomolov

Stanislav Bogomolov met with Lev Ivanov in 1990 and published the first "Mystery of fireballs" article. This interview was taken in 2019. Bogomolov remains supporter of Lev Ivanov's fireballs theory:

"I have read many publications on the subject. There are always more questions than answers. In fact the questions that matter are only two: what caused the horrendous injuries and where did the radiation come from. I doubt that the prosecutors will be able to answer them, but I am looking forward to their findings."

Read the interview →

"Reach into Space"

In the race into space, the Russians can claim bigger satellites and more powerful rockets. If the U.S. can retort that it has a big lead in scientific achievement, the man most responsible is James Van Allen, whose instruments, designed and largely constructed in his basement laboratory, brought back from space discoveries the Russians never made... Today he can tip back his head and look at the sky. Beyond its outermost blue are the world-encompassing belts of fierce radiation that bear his name. No human name has ever been given to a more majestic feature of the planet Earth. Read the article →

"Great Balls of Fire"

The U.S. Southwest, land of rockets, atom bombs and flying saucers, had another sensation last week: green fireballs streaking across the sky, behaving like nothing ever seen by earthlings before. In 13 days, eight brilliant objects dazzled Southwesterners. According to Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, head of the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico, a fall of nine bright meteorites in a year over a comparable area would be considered exceptional. "I just don't know what to make of it," said Dr. LaPaz. "I am almost inclined to ask those [atom bomb] fellows out in Nevada what they are doing." Read the article →

"Mystery of the fireballs" by L. Ivanov

Stanislav Bogomolov meets with Lev Ivanov and publishes his article "Mystery of the fireballs" in July 1990. Lev Ivanov then publishes his own article with the same title 4 months later, in November 1990. You can compare the contents of the articles and decide if anything was left out that prompted Lev Ivanov to do his own publication.

"On the scene of the incident we found that some young trees on the forest tree line have traces of burning, but they are not in concentric shape or any other system. There was no epicenter. This once again confirmed a source of heat ray or completely unknown to us energy acting selectively - the snow was not melted, the trees were not damaged. It seemed like when the hikers walked on their feet more than five hundred meters down from the mountain, someone dealt with some of them as direct targets..." Read the article →

"Mystery of the fireballs" by S. Bogomolov

"It wasn't in the usual sense an explosion of a shell or a bomb. It was different, as if a balloon had burst. The fact, that at the edge of the forest, where the hikers so hastily ran away from the tent, the tree branches were as if singed. Not burnt, not broken, but singed. I suppose it all happened like this: the guys had dinner and went to bed. One of them came out of natural need (there were traces) and saw something that made everyone leave the tent and run down. I think it was a light ball. It caught up with them, or it happened by chance, at the edge of the forest. Explosion!" Read the article →

Zina Kolmogorova's letters

"The group is ok, I don't know how will it be the moment we go. Will we quarrel. After all, Kolevatov is with us. Gosya Dyatlov works in the laboratory, completes the diploma project in practice, not much of a life, not friends with anybody (of the girls of course)..." to Lidiya Grigoryeva

"Live, Valyushka, rejoice in the good. What if there is sadness sometimes? After all, one must live! True? We need to see only the good in life, and then it will be more fun to live. I give you my word that everything will be all right..." to Valentina Tokareva (Baldova)

To the letters →

Dyatlov Pass incident vs. Chivruay tragedy

Why compare incidents that have nothing in common? The Dyatlov Pass incident opens the door for a lot of speculation. If I could discover so much while not believing they are related in any way, then imagine what a blast the media would have. Nor is Chivruay Pass the only one, Hamar-Daban follows on its heels. The renaissance of interest garnered by the Dyatlov Pass incident is now expanding to cover multiple deaths in the mountains under mysterious - or not so mysterious - circumstances. The mystery for many begins by wondering why would anyone venture there in first place. Personally, I enjoyed this research immensely. The Chivruay Pass incident is interesting on its own, and doesn't need the overshadowing mystery of the Dyatlov case. More to come →

Chivruay 1973. How it really happened.

These are the recollections of Dr. Vladimir Borzenkov, a member of the search party in 1973. He is also an avid Dyatlov group case researcher, so his insight about the similarities between the two incidents is indispensable. Read the article →

The ravine

On May 5, 1959, the last four bodies were found in the ravine of the 4th tributary of Lozva. Photos were made but we only have reference distance from the cedar tree, and that is not a science. We don't even know in which direction. For decades Dyatlov case researchers are trying to pinpoint the places of the den and bodies. This is the data from Shura Alekseenkov March 2019 expedition. Read more →

Watches in Dyatlov group

The times on the watches found on the bodies are so close that researchers started experimenting with manual wind watches put in similar conditions and they found a correlation between the time a person freezes to death and when the watch on their wrist stops working. We are talking to Dr. Vladimir Borzenkov. Read more →

Injuries, clothing and belongings to Dyatlov group

Thanks to the Russian forums where most of the information about the Dyatlov Pass incident is, albeit scattered on hundreds of sites and thousands of posts, I found a schematics of Dyatlov group injuries, clothing and belongings that seem to portray more coherently the state in which the bodies were found. You know the saying - a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a living example, sadly applied to the dead. Read more →

The famous Boot Rock

There is the famous boot shaped rock close to where the helicopters landed. The bodies and belongings of the group were placed at the leeward side of the rock for transport out. This was also where the provisions for the search team were piled up to be taken down to their camp. The cedar and the search camp are on the opposite sides of the Boot Rock. The memorial plaque is fixed to this rock. In the same manner as the Dyatlov case itself, the monument that memorializes it looks absolutely different from every side you approach it. It is hard to believe that we are talking about the same rock, or case. See photos and a fly over →

G. K. Grigoriev "Snowstorm in the Mountains" - 3

"We silently stood by the large old cedar, where a few days ago were found two corpses. A breeze blew, the cedar mysteriously rustled. I listened to his noise for a long time, as if trying to understand what he was whispering about. Around the cedar, tall crooked birches. Boughs were cut from the cedar. Some are found far away. They were blown away by the wind. Some cuts are made on a birch with a knife, but not all the way through. On the corpses, they told us, were charred white woolen socks. Eye sockets are filled with snow, their heads were over blown with snow. I imagined, listening to the whisper from the cedar, how Krivonischenko and Doroshenko died here." Part 3

G. K. Grigoriev "Snowstorm in the Mountains" - 2

"Far in the sky, against the background of bright clouds, one dot appeared, then the second - they were helicopters returning from the pass. Then these wonderful machines frightening, ugly, one after another raising a whole snowstorm around them, sat on the airfield. All the guys admire the work of the pilots. They are heroes."

We are used to look at the case in way that the facts are presented to us after the case has been cold for 60 years. How the events were described after all the gruesome findings. Grigoriev notebooks are describing the process, what did people think when the first four bodies were find, then the fifth, then the last four (part 3). You will read about how did the participants in the search feel and acted. We can follow the mystery in the making, how did the perception of the incident changed and formed. Grigoriev is copying the diaries that are later on entered into the case files and nobody has seen the originals, only the typed transcript. Part 2 of 3

G. K. Grigoriev "Snowstorm in the Mountains" - 1

"The North Urals is not only rich, beautiful, but also treacherous. In the mountains, especially in winter, there are such storms and snowfalls that the slightest mistake can cost a life. This is what happened in the first days of February 1959 to the Dyatlov group, 9 students of UPI and engineers. It happened between the height 1075 and Otorten. The ultimate goal of their trip was Otorten. The height of this mountain is 1182 meters and it is almost on the 62 parallel, 250 km from Ivdel in the north. I took part in the search of the group. We found only bodies and their belongings."

Grigoriev's notebooks have never been published in English. They were found and deciphered very recently. Grigoriev gives an emotional account of his participation in the search for Dyatlov group in 1959. We can read details that are not mentioned in the case files. Part 1 of 3

Experiment with raised tracks

These are tracks of skis and snowshoes left by us exactly a month ago when the snow cover was at least 0.5 m thicker. You can see the raised prints. What surprised me is that when the snow melts it doesn't loose the top layer but the relief sinks down. On the last 3 photos you can see 3 occurrences of "snow bloom" which is one of the theories about the orange tinge of the bodies on Dyatlov Pass. See the photos

The mystery of Oleg Vavilov's death

A group of nine hikers in the Causasus mountains suffered a deadly incident on February 4, 1946, with Oleg Vavilov the sole casualty. A senior instructor (Schneider) joined the group at the last moment. He was alone with the victim at the time of the incident, where he was supposed to secure him with a rope. There is the mention of a blow with an ice ax in the death certificate. Schneider was allegedly included in the group by NKVD to execute the elder son of a famous Russian scientist, Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov. Stalin is known to have gone after the children of people he hated. Was the incident in the Caucasus Mountains ordered from above? People are still conflicted over this controversy. The correct order to read the articles is: Dropped on orders from above, then The route not traveled .

Dropped on orders from above

The famous Russian scientist Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov had two children from two marriages. The youngest son, Yuri, is still alive and working on the study of archives, collecting bit by bit the life story of his father. But until recently, very little was known about the eldest son Oleg. Almost everything that was known more concerned Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov himself. Candidate of Historical Sciences Yakov Grigoryevich Rokityansky, biographer of Vavilov, for many years sought evidence of the life of Oleg Vavilov. He got lucky. He met Oleg’s widow, Lidiya Vasilyevna Kurnosova. Based on her stories and documents, which she managed to save, he collected unique information about the life of the eldest son Nikolay Vavilov. Read the article →

Krivonischenko letter to Dyatlov

A letter written by Krivonischenko on December 27, 1958, addressed to Igor Dyatlov discussing the details of the upcoming trip to Northern Ural starting on January 22, 1959. The letter contains a poem which Krivonischenko dedicated to his fellows hikers. Read the letter →

Interview with Yuri's elder brother - Konstantin Krivonischenko

To many researchers of this tragedy, Yuri Krivonischenko seems to be a rather mysterious person. It is known that he worked at the Mayak secret nuclear enterprise. It is believed that he was a KGB recruit. Yuri’s clothes turned out to be radioactive. For some reason, Yuri Krivonischenko, as well as another victim - Semyon Zolotaryov, was buried separately from other hikers in a prestigious and already closed city cemetery.

Read the interview →

The day Russia nuked itself: The Kyshtym disaster

The Kyshtym disaster was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on 29 September 1957 at Mayak, a plutonium production site for nuclear weapons and nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the Soviet Union. It measured as a Level 6 disaster on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), making it the third most serious nuclear accident ever recorded, behind the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the Chernobyl disaster (both Level 7 on the INES).

More about the tragedy →

"Bomb huggers" by Galina Sazonova

This overview of by Galina Sazonova of the cold war and arm race times in which the Kyshtym disaster happened explains in objective and informative way what led to the accident. Sure negligence, shortsightedness and lack of respect for human life were main causes, but how did the events unfold. This we only know from the Los Alamos report to the CIA. Russian Federation is still secretive about the specifics of the catastrophe. Still, there were more than one player on the playground. And the toys were human life and the environment.

Read more →

Sasha - the baby that always broke his mother into tears

Baby Sasha was the only surviving child of the group. His whereabouts are unknown. Galina Sazonova, Doctor pediatrician and Dyatlov case researcher, is at the moment the person who knows best Semyon Zolotaryov's background. Sazonova has been researching his life and she is emotionally bound to keep going further. Read the story →

Whose jacket is this?

On this photo Slobodin is posing in a burnt quilted jacket. We know it is not his because Zina writes in her diary: "Burned mittens 2 and Yurkin's quilted jacket." When is writing in her diary Zina is usually referring to Yuri Krivonischenko as Yurka Kri (or Kriv.), and Yurka only is Doroshenko. As everything else in this case this happens to be controversial too. Read more →

1957 Middle Ural

1957 February category I ski trek in Middle Ural along Chusovaya river from Staroutkinska to Martyanovo village, with ascend to Mt. Starik Kamen. Leading the group is Yuri Doroshenko. Ready to go and ready to live. Photo album from this trek →

Rustem Slobodin last post card

For the first time Lyudmila Morgunova is publishing the post card her brother Rustem Slobodin mailed from Vizhay

26/I-1959 10 am

Hello sedentary citizens of Sverdlovsk!

Yesterday we safely reached the village of Vizhay. Now we are taking a truck to the starting point - 2nd Northern.

The weather is nice, warm (~ 10-15°). Everything is good. I am sorry I didn't say goodbye - got carried away.

All the best.

R Slobodin

See the post card →

How the group got together

Here is a little history of how the group got together, from documents and recollections of their fellow hikers; who went on this trek, who didn’t and why. Go to the trek →

Hiking experience of Dyatlov group

The members of Dyatlov group were experienced, seasoned hikers. They knew what they were doing, and although the equipment, maps, skis and provisions for the harsh winter mountains were not up to the modern standards, the group was prepared and doing just fine. Until the moment they were not. All statements testify to the fact that this trek should not be much different from any preceding one, and certainly not so life threatening. Something must have gone terribly wrong. Hiking experience of Dyatlov group →

1957 Caucasus

Aug 24-Sep 16, 1957 traverse in Caucasus Mountains leading the group Igor Dyatlov. Zinaida Kolmogorova is the group. For Igor Dyatlov the Mountains were calling, and he had to go (rephrasing John Muir). Igor Dyatlov was brave, confident, experienced and passionate. I know the kind - they can be wild when alone but they always take care of their fellows. Igor had sense of responsibility. Being a leader is a quality that can not be acquired but comes from the core of your heart. Mountaineering you can learn if you feel the tug. But you can't make people follow you and trust you with their lives. This is a talent that Igor had, he was a leader. Photo album from this trek →

1957 Northern Ural

Feb 10-26, 1957 hike in Northern Ural leading the group Igor Dyatlov. In the group are Zinaida Kolmogorova with category III as a nurse and Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle with category II. They are so full of life and expectations. This is how we should remember them. Photo album from this trek →

Peak Manaraga

Peak Manaraga 1662 m is a landmark in the Subpolar Ural Mountains. Read more in Ural Stalker ("Уральский Следопыт") about the beautiful nature of the Ural and the trek in which Igor Dyatlov went in 1958, a year to his death.

Part 1 UralStalker 2017 №4 expedition in 1956 led by Korolyov in which no member of Dyatlov group participated

Part 2 UralStalker 2018 №2

Part 3 UralStalker 2018 №3

Part 4 UralStalker 2018 №4

Photo album from this trek →

1958 Subpolar Ural

This scary looking photo of Igor Dyatlov in a makeshift mask is taken exactly a year before the tragic incident on Kholat Syakhl. January 1958 six students from Sverdlovsk went to ascend winter Manaraga. They were forced to split up at the very start - at Kozhim station - to fly into the mountains by plane. The second three - Igor Dyatlov, Pyotr Bartholomey and Nikolay Han, had to catch up with the rest. They went to the eastern slope of the Urals, to the Severniy Naroda base, in extreme conditions, without sleeping bags and a stove. Photo album from this trek →

Vizhay Club - New Years Eve 1961

Let Them Talk, Dmitriy Borisov 02/12/2019

“I know the secret of the Dyatlov pass.”

This episode includes what role might Zolotaryov play in Dyatlov Pass incident, Mansi participation in the case and the avalanche prosecutors went to investigate on the pass. There is a twist of psychic insight at the end. In the studio is a man who is claiming that for many years he kept the secret of the Mansi shamans. What role could Semyon Zolotaryov play in the deaths of the Dyatlov group. He was much older than the rest of the hikers. During his exhumation in the grave was found a person who is not Semyon Zolotaryov. How can modern technology help solve the mystery of Dyatlov Pass incident. See the episode →

Mansi Mansi Mansi

The Mansi are ever present throughout the Dyatlov case. It is their land where the events take place. They help in the search of Dyatlov group although their testimonies seem to hide secrets. It is hard to believe they didn't know more than they said. Even if this the case, their sacred places and believes would not amount onto killing people intentionally. If they were involved in any aspect of the crime, this would be due to different motivation, not religious or drug educed rage. The Mansi are not the only mystery in Dyatlov case. The integrity of the Russians was far from solid as well. See the albums →

"In a country of mysterious signs"

This is an overview of the testimonies of Mansi. They are contradictory to each other, and don't add up. The impression is that there are big gaps in between, and then something else is said, not bearing out previous testimony. Let's go over the testimonies of Mansi in 1959. Read more →

Mansi landmarks added to the Dyatlov Pass Google map

Russian Channel 1, Andrey Malahov 04/16/2013 - Part 1

Russian Channel 1 film crew with host Andrey Malahov together with correspondents from Komsomolskaya Pravda lived for a week on Dyatlov Pass. To this day there are 64 theories of what might have happened in February 1959. This episode features love quarrel, criminal versions of Mansi and escapees from the gulag, UFO and Yeti theories. See the episode →

#Orange

In this infamous case there is a persistent talk about brown-red or orange discoloration of the of skin of the victims and their clothes. Lets track this claims to their origin, and see what they amount to.

Read the article →

"Experts can not be blamed for anything!"

Interview by Maya Piskareva with Igor Olegovich Makushkin, the son of the same expert on Dyatlov case - Genrietta Eliseevna Churkina who examined the tent and was present at the autopsies of the last 4 bodies found in May 1959.

Her son became forensic expert in the same Sverdlovsk forensic research laboratory, and he is now a Professor of Forensic Science. His mother was confiding in him as a colleague, but on his opinion there were secrets that she took with her.

Read the interview →

Irina Rashevskaya (Doroshenko) letter

"I remember that she was telling and showing a sweatshirt and a sweater, both ruined. Tinted with orange powder. It seems all the dead were orange. My brother Volodya studied in UPI at this time. He met with relatives of the victims and reported all the versions to my mother. Then the relatives were told not to go there anymore. To drop it. No one will tell them anything."

Read the letter →

Interview Navig with Irina Rashevskaya (Doroshenko)

"I think that there were tests of new weapons and something went south. They were caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. Namely, it is connected with military equipment. No doubt about it. Nothing else. Avalanche is nonsense... The color of their skin confirms it... I just heard what my mother said - orange."

Read the interview →

Interview M.P. with Irina Rashevskaya (Doroshenko)

"Yuri Doroshenko was born on January 29, 1938. He was born, grew up, studied, graduated from high school, entered the Institute of Radio Engineering, became interested in ski hiking, like almost all his fellow students of those years, went on an expedition and died. On that trek, a few days before his death, he turned 21. What do we know about him? Almost nothing."

Read the interview →

Off The Map

"It's not that I had a revelation, but being on the spot where it happen just makes it personal experience, and I have a better understanding why nothing make sense. Pitching the tent where it was found doesn't make any sense. Going down to the cedar tree instead back to the labaz makes perfect sense - you can't go against the wind, it's brutal, you won't make it even to the memorial. We had almost same temperatures and wind that are recorded in the diaries -13°C, -26°C at night and warm south-west wind. I stood in the middle of the night in that exact spot and looked at what Dyatlov group saw. I felt the mighty mountain and the doom of life. But I couldn't understand why..."

Read the notes →

Expedition Unknown Siberia's Coldest Case

"Siberia's Coldest Case" premieres in US on Discovery Channel Wednesday, Sep 4th, 9PM EST

Josh Gates concludes his in-depth investigation of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Taking on Dead Mountain's brutal conditions, Josh and two investigators re-trace the last steps of the hikers. A big discovery could finally solve the mystery. – IMDB

Watch on Discovery Channel →

Expedition Unknown Mystery of Dead Mountain

"Mystery of Dead Mountain" premieres in US on Discovery Channel Wednesday, Aug 28th, 9PM EST

Braving sub-zero conditions of Siberia, Josh Gates investigates the Dyatlov Pass incident, during which nine hikers died under suspicious circumstances in 1959. – IMDB

Watch on Discovery Channel →

Discovery Channel

This season, Josh Gates connects with innovative researchers and uses cutting-edge technology to tackle history’s most challenging mysteries. The search for answers – and adventure – will take him into the most extreme climates on the planet, as he braves sub-zero temperatures to snowmobile across the Siberian Tundra investigating one of the coldest cases of the Cold War: the baffling deaths of nine hikers on Russia’s infamous Dead Mountain. – Discovery Newsroom

Interview with Commander Potyazhenko

Men in black fur coats, reluctant search dogs, broken off heel from frozen body... If you wonder where did all this come from here is the answer. Victor Potyazhenko claims that it was he who discovered the tent on the slope during flying over the pass with Ortyukov. A group of comrades in black sheepskin coats were on the ground, with a small tent pitched in the forest i.e. there were people present already. It can be assumed that Ortyukov was in the dark about the big game, started by someone... Victor Potyazhenko was then a flight commander. He is also supposed to be the pilot Ortyukov threaten with a gun, but Potyazhenko says that this never happened.

Read the interview →

Maslennikov 2nd notebook afterthoughts

Do you see any traces of cover up or attempts to obstruct the search or hide evidence? Don't just read other people's opinion, make up your own mind. Here are the writings of the man who lead the search. It's a good start. I will give you some pointers that I found interesting while reading.

Maslennikov 2nd notebook

Maslennikov's notebooks were not part of the criminal case. They have never been looked at during the investigation. This is the first time when they have been published in their entirety with full transcript in both Russian and English. The second notebook raises some controversial questions. It is a very interesting reading about the way search was executed, the moral climate and how time and findings affected the rescue members. Also the reaction of the leaders. Do you see any traces of cover up or attempts to obstruct the search or hide evidence? Don't just read other people's opinion, make up your own mind. Here are the writings of the man who led the search.

Read the 2nd notebook →

Maslennikov notebook

Maslennikov Evgeniy Polikarpovich, (1924-1978) Master of Sports, Head of the UPI sports club, leading the search operation in 1959. He was expecting the search to be over in a much shorter period of time, hence the 12 sheet first notebook. The second notebook is four time bigger. The reality got to him. And the searches were still far from over.

Transcript in both Russian and English is published for first time on this site.

Read the notebook →

"Mystery of the mountain of the dead" (2013)

This is so far the best reenactment of the group's behavior in the days leading to their demise.

Instructions how to turn auto translate Russian captions to English. Not the best but better than nothing. See the movie →

Yuri Yudin

Yuri Yudin, born 19 July 1937, died 27 April 2013 aged 75.

The sole survivor of the Dyatlov Pass incident.

His life was not easy. He left his heart on the pass. Never married, buried himself in work and activities so he doesn't have to stay alone with the ghosts of his friends that remained forever frozen on the ill fated pass. Till the end of his days he didn't forgive himself for not dying with them. Yudin could never give any account of the events in January-February 1959 after he turn back from 2nd Northern settlement to Yekaterinburg due to worsening inflammation of sciatic nerve. Read more →

In Fact 1 July 2019

Forensic pathologist Eduard Tumanov considers that on Krivonischenko's body were signs of torture with fire. Tumanov took part in the expedition with the prosecutors 3 months ago.

For English turn on CC and Settings > auto translation for English Youtube →

The rest is not much different from what we discussed in the forum http://forum.dyatlovpass.com/index.php?topic=333.0

New petition to the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia

June 26, 2019: Activists of the Dyatlov group’s memory fund and his supporters forced the prosecutor’s investigation into the death of Ural hikers to contact the Investigative Committee. Representatives of the supervisory authority stated that they stopped at three versions of what happened in 1959 on the Dyatlov Pass: a hurricane, an avalanche and a snow slab. Most of the activists of the Dyatlov Fund disagree with this - they insist on a “military version”, according to which Dyatlov group became witnesses or victims of weapon tests, after which they were eradicated. Read more →

Return To Dead Mountain

Bedtime Stories produced new video on Richard Holmgren's Katabatic wind theory. Watch the video →

If anyone would like to learn more about the Swedish expedition to Dyatlov Pass in 2019 or about the Anaris incident in 1978 here is an interesting read →

Interview with Igor Dubinin

Conversation between "Center of civil investigation of the tragedy of Dyatlov group" and Igor Alexandrovich Dubinin regarding Dyatlov case 07 Aug 2008, Berezovskiy, Sverdlovsk region

Read the interview →

Dubinina's premonition

What was tormenting Lyuda's mind in the days before the tragedy, was she feeling the impending doom or was she just a troubled soul? The entries in her diaries raise many questions, and the coincidences make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Read more →

We also have the opinion on the subject from Sabine Lechtenfeld, forensic psychologist from Hannover, Germany Keep reading →

3D model by Katinas

Katinas is a member of Russian forum taina.li and he has tried, and succeeded in my opinion, to pin point where does the parting with Blinov group took place in Vizhay. This is most probably where the GAZ-63 that took Dyatlov group to 41st logging settlement also left off at 13:10 on 26 Jan 1959. Katinas used characteristic utility poles, fences and buildings to prove that the location is in front of the Communication center in Vizhay.

See the 3D model →

Vizhay

Our collection of maps and old photos of Vizhay and its people. Dyatlov group spent the night of 25-26 Jan 1959 in Vizhay. Igor Dyatlov and Zina Kolmogorova sent their last letters from the Post office in Vizhay.

Go to page →

Funerals in May 1959 - 60 years to the day

On May 12 Lyudmila Dubinina, Aleksander Kolevatov and Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle were buried in Mihaylovskoe cemetery, in a plot designated to UPI. Semyon Zolotaryov's funeral was a few days after May 12. It was delayed so his mother could attend. She had to travel from Krasnodar to Sverdlovsk. Semyon Zolotaryov, since he was not a UPI contingent, was buried in Ivanovskoe cemetery where Yuri Krivonischenko was rested in peace on March 9. Keep reading →

The discovery of the last 4 bodies

The events from this date on were game changer for Dyatlov group case. Their deaths had to be looked into. They couldn't be so easily brushed as death from exposure to the elements. There are many facts that can't be explained with any theories to this day.

Read more →

Counting skis

There are different accounts in the case files to how many pair of skis were under the bottom of the tent, and what happened to the spare pair of skis Dyatlov group were bringing to the trek.

Read more →

Chicken a la Otorten

Excerpts from Vladimir Askinadzi's personal archive and memoirs "We are the last of the Mohicans"

Read more →

Does it sound familiar?

Similar cases are describer in "On the Road of Trial" by geologists Grigoriy Fedoseev. Conspiralogists find it possible that the cover up is inspired by the events described in this book. Note the year when the book was published - 1958.

Read more →

Conspiracy or negligence

The date on the cover of the official Case file is 6 February 1959. How’s this possible if Dyatlov group was not even due back by that time? The conspiracy advocates point this as a clear evidence that the investigation started before the official discovery of the first dead bodies.

Read more →

When was the tent found and why was it kept a secret for two days

There is another big mystery in the Dyatlov case to which many researchers for some reason did not pay attention, and this is the behavior of two searchers: local forester Pashin and his friend Cheglakov, that conducted themselves strange at the least.

Read more →

Tumanov's theory that there has been altercation on the pass

Well known pathologist involved with Dyatlov case, Eduard Tumanov, is pushing a theory that hikers took part in a fight, either between them or with outsiders. He is not partial to any of the two versions. His observations are purely based on the autopsy reports and mainly what is missing from them. Tumanov's opinion is that all bodies should be exhumed and subjected to a new full autopsy for missed or omitted on purpose details. He is pointing at the discrepancies and violations when the bodies were first protocoled.

Read more →

Methanol poisoning theory

Fans of this theory point out the following aspects of hikers behavior that might be explained with methanol poisoning:

cutting up the tent form inside - decreased level of consciousness, poor coordination

going down the slope abreast, instead behind each other i.e. holding hands - blindness

cutting up branches to make fire while there is dry wood laying around the cedar tree - blindness

high amount of urine in Dyatlov's bladder about 1000 cm3 - kidney failure

Read more →

Tribute to Dyatlov Pass

Gorgeous photos from Dyatlov Pass

See gallery →

Discrepancies in the Resolution to close the case

Dyatlov case researcher Galina Sazonova is proving that everything in this case has to be taken with a grain of salt. Nothing can be trusted. It is a whole different question what was wrong with Lev Ivanov, the lead investigator. Was he unfit, sloppy, or under duress. Or was it just the Soviet Union way of investigating cases.

Read more →

Spaced Out Radio

March 22, 2019

Midnight ET / 9 PM PT

Host Dave Scott

Guest Teodora Hadjiyska

Listen →

The wolverine theory

The prosecutors have amounted a list of 75 theories about the Dyatlov Pass incident and this is one of them. It was featured on Russian Channel 1 "Live" in the show about the new expedition to the Dyatlov Pass with prosecutors, Komsomolskaya Pravda and TV filming crew. This theory says that a wolverine could have stunk up the tent and the hikers walked down to wait till the tent airs out.

Read more →

Whose body is this?

On 15 of March 2019 Russian Channel 1 aired a show about the expedition to the Dyatlov Pass with the participation of journalists from Komsomolskaya Pravda, television, representatives of the prosecutor's office and experts. The sensation was when on 47:00 a photo from Lev Ivanov's archive was shown for first time of a frozen body that is not any known member of Dyatlov group. Or is it? See the show →

First funerals in March 1959

Yuri Doroshenko, Zina Kolmogorova, Igor Dyatlov and Rustem Slobodin found their last peace in Mihaylovskoe cemetery, and Yuri (Georgiy) Krivonischenko was buried in Ivanovskoe cemetery. Read more →

March 2nd - The cache site (labaz)

To this day we don’t know where exactly the labaz is located. All we know is 400 m from the rescue camp and many testimonies from search party members where that camp was, but there is no indication in which direction from the rescue camp was the labaz found. The exact location is important since this is the starting point of Dyatlov group in their last day alive. Read more →

The Swedish-Russian Dyatlov Expedition 2019

Richard Holmgren, Andreas Liljegren, Ekaterina Zimina and Artem Domogirov pay homage to the events of 1959 and the 60-years anniversary of the Dyatlov group demise, get personal and up close experience of the the terrain and conditions, what it takes to traverse in the same time of the year, and apply it to their theory of the falling (katabatic) wind. To the trek, theory and gallery →

Press conference with Prosecutor's office 4 Feb 2019

Yekaterinburg conference 2 Feb 2019

The Case Files

At last all Case files vol.1 translated by human. As if the case was not so convoluted on its own, Google translator adds an Alice in Wonderland take on it:

Дятлов (Dyatlov) - woodpeker

Куриков (Kurikov) - smoker

Королев (Korolyov) - queen Блинов (Blinov) - pancakes

Возрожденный (Vozrozhdenny) - revived or reborn

раскрытие (autopsy) - finding

One can read things like «The Reborn found Woodpeckers Smoking Pancakes with the Queen». Case files →

The Attorney General authorized new investigation

The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation has authorized a new investigation of the death of Dyatlov group. Statement →

Ural Expeditions & Tours

The first expedition on dog sleds to Dyatlov Pass. March 2018. Northern Ural. Dog sleds VS snowmobiles →

Photos by Alexey B (19-23 Feb 2016)

Mount Kholat Syakhl noticeably rose against the background of the other mountains and was covered with a dense blanket of a swirling giant cloud that hides the flowing lines of the mountain relief beneath. In the boiling foam of this cloud on the background of an absolutely cloudless sky, snow-white whirling foam sparkling in the sun emerged, broken by the wind into shallow icy dust, which descended with terrible force, picked up by the hurricane wind. We have not seen anything like this in our lives! Photos by Alexey B (19-23 Feb 2016) →

Photos by marinner966 (Dec 2014)

Mystical place

A place that every extreme traveler must visit. The place, shrouded in unsolved mystery for 55 years! That same cedar and that very stream will freeze blood when you realize what happened on February night of the 59th year. Photos by marinner966 (Dec 2014) →

Yury Yakimov's theory

Yury Yakimov was a shift foreman from Severouralsk (a city in the Northern Ural, 178 km (110 miles) from the Dyatlov Pass). His theory attempts to explain the nature of the injuries, the strange behavior and many other inconsistencies in the story of the Dyatlov group and is based on the author’s personal encounter with an unexplained phenomenon, which took place during a night shift in an open-pit mine in 2002. The following is a translated and condensed account in his own words →

Midnight in the Desert

Teodora Hadjiyska on the Art Bell's radio show with Dave Schrader

Fri Nov 16, 9-11 pm PDT "Midnight in the Desert" →

Podcast MP3

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Rakitin's version on Kolevatov

Aleksey Rakitin: We cannot with absolute certainty assert that Aleksander Kolevatov was firmly associated with the Committee, however, the high probability of that is evident from the unusual circumstances of his life. From "Death is not far behind..." →

Sergey Shkryabach conclusion

The death of Dyatlov group is caused by avalanche, deterioration of the weather, the insufficient experience and preparation of the hikers for severe winter conditions. All speculations and theories arise from the amateurish investigation and lack of subjective data - this is conclusion of the veteran investigator. The death of Dyatlov group is caused by avalanche, deterioration of the weather, the insufficient experience and preparation of the hikers for severe winter conditions. All speculations and theories arise from the amateurish investigation and lack of subjective data - this is conclusion of the veteran investigator. All court refusals to reopen the case are based on this document. Read the article →

From Russia with Doubt

Latest development on the attempts to reopen Dyatlov Pass case. Who are Leonid Proshkin, Vladislav Tuykov, Kretov, Vladimir Solovyev, Evgeniy Okishev and Sergey Shkryabach?

The sources for this article are Galina Sazonova and Komsomolskaya Pravda documentary "Dyatlov Pass. End of Story?" Read the article →

«My opinion is that there are no mysteries in the case of the death of Dyatlov group»

1-Feb-2017

Sergey Shkryabach, a veteran of the investigating authorities and a mountaineer, commented on the air of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda his opinion on the results of the inspection of the Russian IC of the case of the tragic death of a group of hikers led by Igor Dyatlov in the Urals in 1959 Read the interview →

Was the criminal case fake?

2-Jan-2014

Evgeny Fyodorovich is 94 years at the time this interview was taken. Despite his advanced age, he perfectly remembers the vents in 1959, when he was Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sverdlovsk Region. Leonid Proshkin, prominent lawyer and former criminal investigation prosecutor is asking the questions. Read the interview →

«We were told to say that they were killed in an accident»

15-Aug-2013

Evgeny Fyodorovich Okishev remembers those events very well, because in his prosecutor’s practice the case of the death of Dyatlov group became the most mysterious. In 1959, Evgeny Okishev was the Deputy Chief of the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sverdlovsk Region. This is what he remembers. Read the interview →

The court refused to reopen the case

Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation

Court’s decision from 8/31/2018 to refuse the application to have the case reopened. An appeal has been filed. Court Decision Letter →

Interview with Akselrod

Do you know what shocked me most in this story? - asked Moses Abramovich. - The first question of Krivonischenko's mother: "Tell me, did Yura die as a man?" They died with dignity Keep reading →

Map animation by Simon Skeptic

New 3D rendering of the scene on Kholat Syakhl by Simon Skeptic.​ This is not his first input on the topic, but he says he doesn't believe in the Deadly Cold Theory anymore, so it is not listed on his YouTube channel.​ As Simon says his new animated map is not defending any theory but a visual aid for illustration. The map is available in German as well. You can discuss this video in the forum.dyatlovpass.com →

Aleksei Rakitin translated in German

This site is in English, but fans are so excited about the brand spanking new book in German that I was compelled to announce it here.

"This book is brilliant. Absolutely. I am aware that every theory has it's own mistakes and also this author will have some misinterpretations - but after reading the chapters 18 - 31 (these are chapters where it comes to the core of his thoughts) I can honestly say that this is the best theory I read since I started being interested in this case." A. Bohlen

AMAZON DE →

Vladimir Borzenkov analysis of Krivonischenko frame 34

The notorious frame 34 has been a favorite subject of wild conspiracy theory ambassadors but never backed up with real photography facts. Vladimir Borzenkov believes that there is nothing mysterious in this frame and here his take on the specifics of the photo. He himself is a Dyaltov Pass tragedy researcher and an avid photographer which makes it a very good start for the discussion. Keep reading →

Vladimir Askinadzi memoirs of the events in 1959

It was convenient for the authorities to let out a rumor about the missile version, because this version justified all the secrecy surrounding this case. It somehow calmed people and even relatives of the deceased. This version was taking the search away from the real truth. Keep reading →

Metal fragment with «waffle» design supports the rocket launch theory

Aluminum construction more than one square meter was found four years ago. As experts explained, a similar "waffle" design is used on the rocket tanks for durability. Head of the Dyatlov Foundation is one of the adamant defenders of the rocket version of the tragedy on Dyatlov Pass. Keep reading →

The rocket theory

Unsuccessful military trials could have caused the death of Dyatlov group in 1959.

Komsomolskaya pravda and Channel 1 are investigating. Keep reading →

50th anniversary photos

Photos kindly provided by Dyatlov Pass tragedy researcher Vladimir Borzenkov (WAB). See the gallery →

Semyon Zolotaryov second DNA results show a match, but can not exclude his brother Nikolay

Second examination, this time conducted by such an authoritative scholar as Pavel Ivanov, showed that the DNA of the person buried under the sign "Semyon Zolotaryov" matches the DNA of his niece. But this fact does not exclude the version of other researchers suspected that under the name of Semyon his brother Nikolay could be buried, who, according to archival documents, worked with the Germans and disappeared without a trace during the war. Therefore, we can not yet put a end on this investigation. Keep reading →

Tibo broken wings

Russian engineer. Great-grandson of a French architect.

An emotional interview of Maria Piskareva with Anna Ermolaeva - Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle second cousin, Marina Evgenyevna Kazantseva, and her brother Sergey Evgenyevich Kazantsev. The history of the Thibeaux family. Memories of Kolya. Questions about the identification of Kolya's belongings. His date of birth. Keep reading →

Similarities with Chivruay tragedy 1973

Dyatlov Pass search and rescue operation was unprecedented and was surpassed only 14 years later by the Chivruay tragedy on January 23, 1973. There quite a few similarities that are pointed out between the two tragic events. Keep reading →

DNA results show this is not Zolotaryov

The first DNA test results came out and they exclude kinship of the person laying in Zolotaryov’s grave with Zolotaryov’s niece. This is huge implication on Dyatlov case. If Semyon Zolotaryov is not buried at the Ivanovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg, then who? And where did Zolotaryov go from the scene of the tragedy? Or where did the body of Semyon Zolotaryov go? Read KP article →

Funerals in May 1959 - 59 years to the day

On May 12 Lyudmila Dubinina, Aleksander Kolevatov and Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle were buried in Mihaylovskoe cemetery, in a plot designated to UPI. Semyon Zolotaryov's funeral was a few days after May 12. It was delayed so his mother could attend. She had to travel from Krasnodar to Sverdlovsk. Semyon Zolotaryov, since he was not a UPI contingent, was buried in Ivanovskoe cemetery where Yuri Krivonischenko was rested in peace on March 9. Keep reading →

3D model of the ravine by Vasilii Zyadik

Vasilii Zyadik is 3D designer from Nizhnevartovsk, city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia.

I was looking for tank models for another project when I noticed where he lives. Very exited, at the edge of my chair I asked him if he has heard of Dyatlov Pass. This is his response. He said that he wanted to get to work as texture, and this his his first model where he uses snow. I wish him a very good life and career as a 3D designer. As well as many awards for his beloved dog Вайт (White). This 3D model is specially created for dyatlovpass.com. Keep reading →

Researchers of Dyatlov Pass trying to locate the ravine

The documents in the case file are pointing to different dates for when bodies of Dubinina, Zolotaryov, Kolevatov and Thibeaux-Brignolle are found. The place seem to be well photographed, but you will be surprised how many discussions currently exist on the fact where exactly is this location. Expeditions go, measure and build theories and models. Here are some of them. Keep reading →

Galina Sazonova participant in Zolotaryov's exhumation

Exhumation gave answers for some questions. We saw the ribs and understood how each rib was fractured. We established 3 fractures of the R scapula (Vozrozhdenny didn't describe this injuries in 1959). Sergey Nikitin's conclusion is "it was one single impact, Zolotarev was laying on the back at that moment (scapula fractures)" I don't agree. I suppose its could be two successive blows. Chest injury has to be seen as a complex, we are looking for a forensic expert specialized in this type of trauma assessment for second opinion. Keep reading →

First results of the exhumation of the body of Semyon Zolotaryov

First results of exhumation of the body of Semyon Zolotaryov conducted on 12 April 2018 shows that this is indeed him. The skull superimposition performed by expert Sergey Nikitin matched 13 points of max 24 only 12 are needed to declare perfect fit. The speculations are now that a large mass of snow had collapsed on top of the hikers while they were hiding in the den. It couldn't have happened in the tent because while Zolotaryov could have mustered the strength (being a war veteran and sports coach in excellent physical shape) Dubinina's and Brignolle's injuries would have prevented them to move or be moved in any manner. Keep reading →

Who is buried in the Zolotaryov's grave?

12 April 2018 Komsomolskaya Pravda (aka KP, huge Russian periodical following and as we can see, reviving the case) exhumed the body of Semyon Zolotaryov at Ivanovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg. In the following days KP will conduct an examination of the DNA of the person buried under Zolotaryov's obelisk to establish his kinship with the alleged nephews. And also KP will study together with experts fractures of the ribs of Semyon. It turned out that the autopsy reports don't quite match the injuries they found during the excavation. In 1959, going on that fateful journey through the Northern Ural, Semyon Zolotaryov announced enigmatically to his students "this whole world will start talking about this trek." Keep reading →

Kizilov Gennadiy - the search operation was a farce, the crime scene was staged

Kizilov Gennadiy Ivanovich, a journalist from Yekaterinburg, is the first one and most avid advocates of the staged crime scene theory. He points out some major inconsistencies and conflicting testimony of witnesses and rescue team and says that this speaks of something much more sinister that sloppy investigation and that Dyatlov group have witnessed some secret trials or experiments that no one was supposed to see, and were deliberately liquidated by military forces. Keep reading →

In search of the missing Yak - interview with widow of YaK-12 pilot Gennadiy Patrushev

In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy and the mystery surrounding it, 26-year-old Sverdlovsk pilot Gennadiy Patrushev made an independent investigation into the causes of the death of the Dyatlov group. He knew personally the students, met them in Ivdel, he warned them about the danger of the route to Otorten and he also first discovered their bodies on the mountainside. According to his widow Valeriya Nikolaevna her husband's YaK was sabotaged burri what he had found about the deaths of Dyatlov group. Keep reading →

Peak 1079 - interview with Yak-12 pilot and An-2 senior navigator Georgiy Karpushin

In 1959 Georgiy Karpushin was the senior navigator of the 123rd flight detachment of the Ural Civil Aviation Administration. According to him, he was the first to spot the tent of dead hikers. "February 25, the weather was just wonderful... Straight by the tent, a corpse of a woman lay judging by her long hair. A little further away lay another body." The story of G. Karpushin fills an unknown page of an old tragic history, although it is in many respects at odds with the well-known versions. Keep reading →

Another trek to Otorten cancelled two days after Dyatlov group passed through city of Serov

Lyudmila Vsevolоzhskaya was waiting in city of Serov for her group top arrive from Perm to head on a trek to Otorten. At the same time Dyatlov group spent Jan 24 1959 in Serov. Two days after they took the train to Ivdel Lyudmila Borisovna got a telegram that their trek has been rerouted to Isherim. Keep reading →

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Name (Age) Found Clothing ( taken in , taken out )

Injuries & cause of death Yuri Doroshenko (21) under tree Underwear, shirt, no shoes; Kolevatov was wearing his jumpsuit ; Igor was wearing a fur sleeveless vest which the case files say Yudin left to Kolevatov, but Yudin himself said in 2008 he gave to Doroshenko , read more. Hypothermia Yuri Krivonischenko (23) under tree Underwear, shirt, no shoes; Dubinina had a sweater that tested radioactive which could probably be his , according to Ivanov she tore a flap of his underpants to wrap her foot probably after his death, but this turn out to be her own blouse (read more); Thibeaux was wearing his wrist watch and possibly a sweater taken form him . Hypothermia Igor Dyatlov (23) 300m Very lightly dressed, no shoes, he was wearing the knitted vest Yudin said in the case files he left to Kolevatov, but later said he gave to Doroshenko , both version exist. Hypothermia Zinaida Kolmogorova (22) 630m Better dressed than the previously found hikers. No footwear. Hypothermia Rustem Slobodin (23) 480m Better dressed than the previously found hikers, one felt boot (valenka) on his right foot. Hypothermia

Fractured skull, multiple areas of edema and abrasions on his face and his arms Lyudmila Dubinina (20) ravine (75m) Her foot was wrapped in a piece of Krivonishenko's underpants according to Ivanov, but it turns out to be a piece from her own blouse (read more); she was wearing a brown sweater that tested radioactive and was most probably Krivonischenko's , but identification of the items on the last 4 bodies found in May was never made; Thibeaux is wearing her hat and coat, pair of gloves crumpled in the right pocket . Major chest fractures; missing tongue, eyes, part of the lips, as well as facial tissue and a fragment of skull bone. Semyon Zolotaryov (38) ravine (75m) He was wearing Dubinina's faux fur coat and hat according to Ivanov and this turn out not to be true (read more); Zolotaryov has Doroshenko's hat ; camera on his neck, pair of quilted soft wadded boots without soles (burki) on his feet. Zolotaryov and Thibeaux were almost fully clothed and wearing some kind of footwear. Major chest fractures; missing eye balls Aleksander Kolevatov (24) ravine (75m) He is wearing Doroshenko's jumpsuit ; the waistband of his sweater and lower part of his ski trousers tested radioactive. Hypothermia; exposed skull bones Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle (23) ravine (75m) Thibeaux like Zolotaryov was better dressed than the rest of the members of the group. On his feet he wore hand-knitted woolen socks and a pair of felt boots (valenki).

He has Krivonischenko's wrist watch, possibly one of the sweaters is Krivonischenko's too, Lyuda's hat and coat. In the right pocket are crumpled pair of gloves that must be Lyuda's. Major skull damage - multiple fractures to the side of his skull that would have made him unable to move

Autopsy reports The radiation on two sweaters and pants was substantial

Igor Dyatlov - the leader of the group

The Dyatlov Pass incident (Russian: Гибель тургруппы Дятлова) is the mysterious deaths of nine ski hikers in the northern Ural Mountains on February 2, 1959. The group consisted of eight men and two women. Most were students or graduates of Ural Polytechnical Institute. The goal of the 14 day expedition was to reach Otorten (1234.2m), a mountain 10 km (6 miles) north of the site of the incident. This route, at that season, was estimated as "Category III", the most difficult. All members were experienced in long ski tours and mountain expeditions. The group arrived by train at Ivdel, a city at the center of the northern province of Sverdlovsk Oblast on January 25. They then took a truck to Vizhay - the last inhabited settlement so far north. They started their march toward Otorten from Vizhay on January 27. The next day, one of the members - Yuri Yudin, was forced to go back because of illness. Diaries and cameras found around their last camp made it possible to track group's route up to the day preceding the incident.

The hike started out fairly late on February 1 and only traveled 4 km (2.5 miles) that day. Excess gear and food was stored on a platform in the forest called labaz, or camp base. Camp was set up around 5 pm on a slope of Kholat Syakhl just 16 km (10 miles) from Mount Otorten. They had their dinner around 6-7 pm and one or two members of the group went outside to relieve themselves, presumably Semyon Zolotaryov and Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle, since they were found to have been better dressed than the others. Then something went catastrophically wrong.

It had been agreed beforehand that Dyatlov would send a telegram to their sports club as soon as the group returned to Vizhay. It was expected that this would happen no later than February 12, but Dyatlov had told Yudin that he expected to be longer, and so when date passed and no message had been received there was no immediate reaction - delays of few days were common in such expeditions. Only after the relatives of the travelers demanded a rescue operation did the head of the institute send the first rescue groups consisting of volunteer students and teachers, on February 20. Later, the army and police forces became involved, with planes and helicopters being ordered to join the rescue operation.

On February 26, the searchers found the abandoned and badly damaged tent on Kholat Syakhl. Mihail Sharavin, the student who found the tent said: ..."the tent was half torn down and covered with snow. It was empty, and all the group's belongings and shoes had been left behind." Investigators said the tent had been cut open from inside and that skiers had fled in socks or barefoot. A chain of eight or nine sets of footprints, left by several people who were wearing socks, a single shoe or barefoot, could be followed and led down towards the edge of nearby woods (on the opposite side of the pass, 1.5 km north-east) but after 500 m they were covered with snow.

At the forest edge, under a large old cedar, the search party found the remains of a fire, along with the first two bodies, those of Yuri Krivoshenko and Yuri Doroshenko, shoeless and dressed only in their underwear. The branches on the tree were broken up to five meters high suggesting that skiers had climbed up to look for something, perhaps the camp. Forensic tests later confirmed that traces of skin were found embedded in the bark indicating that the pair had frantically attempted to climb the tree snapping off branches until their hands were mass of pulpy flesh. The medical examiner recorded that some of the corpses had livor mortis on the front. Given that such marks always form on the side of a body that has been pressed against the ground, this indicated that someone had turned them over after death.

On February 27 between the cedar and the tent the searchers found Igor Dyatlov (300 m from the cedar) and Zinaida Kolmogorova (630 m from the cedar), and 6 days later on March 5 - Rustem Slobodin (480 m from the cedar). The three seemed to have died in poses suggesting that they were attempting to return to the tent. A medical examination found no injuries which might have led to their deaths, and it was concluded that they had died of hypothermia. Slobodin had a small crack in his skull, but it was not thought to be a fatal wound. A legal inquest started immediately after finding the first five bodies. Searching for the remaining four travelers took more than two months.

They were finally found on May 5 under four meters of snow in a ravine 75 m farther into the woods from the cedar tree. These four were better dressed than the others, and there were signs that those who had died first had apparently relinquished their clothes to the others. Zolotaryov was wearing Dubinina's faux fur coat and hat, while Dubinina's foot was wrapped in a piece of Krivonishenko's wool pants. An examination of the four bodies found in May changed the course of the whole investigation. Three of them had fatal injuries: the body of Thibeaux-Brignolle had major skull damage, and both Dubinina and Zolotaryov had major chest fractures. According to Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny, the force required to cause such damage would have been extremely high. He compared it to the force of a car crash. Notably, the bodies had no external wounds as if they were crippled by a high level of pressure. Dubinina was found to be missing her tongue. The group clearly realized their threats and did everything they could to preserve themselves. They had managed to dig out a den in the snow, lay it down with branches in an effort to keep themselves warm. But the things were about to get even more bizarre. Bodies were actually found few feet from their improvised shelter in the deep part of the ravine on the area of only 4 m2. Some of the hikers' clothing (2 sweaters and pants) were found to be radioactive. Also, some of the clothes taken from the bodies underneath the cedar tree were placed on the cedar branches, but apparently they were not used.

Dates of birth

Lyudmila Dubinina (20) 12 May 1938 4th year student in UPI - Engineering and Economics Yuri Doroshenko (21) 29 Jan 1938 4th year student in UPI - Radio Engineering Yuri Yudin* (21) 19 Jul 1937 4th year student in UPI - Engineering Zinaida Kolmogorova (22) 12 Jan 1937 5th year student in UPI - Radio Engineering Igor Dyatlov (23) 13 Jan 1936 5th year student in UPI - Radio Engineering Rustem Slobodin (23) 11 Jan 1936 graduated from UPI in 1958 - Engineering Technology, working in Enterprise PO Box 10 at the time of the events Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle (23) 5 July 1935 graduated from UPI in 1958 - Civil Engineering. At the time of his death he was working in the construction department of Sverdlovsk. The name is not exactly known. Options: UNR 154 or Office of Mechanization №1. Yuri Krivonischenko (23) 7 Feb 1935 graduated from UPI in 1957 - Construction and Hydraulics. While working in Chelyabinsk - 40 a secret nuclear facility he experienced a disaster that became known as Kyshtym Accident. Aleksander Kolevatov (24) 16 Nov 1934 4th year student in UPI - Nuclear Physics Semyon Zolotaryov (38) 2 Feb 1921 graduated from the Institute of Physical Education in Minsk in 1950. He was an instructor Kourovka tour base at the time of his death.

* Yuri Yudin fell sick at the outset and had to return, thus avoiding the fate of the others. He didn't have the slightest idea what might have happened to his comrades. Yuri Yudin died on 27 April 2013 at age 75.

Timeline

1959

Official statement for closing the case given by Junior Counselor of Justice and Criminal Prosecutor of Sverdlovsk region, Lev Ivanov:

The deaths of the expedition members were due to a series of mistakes by Dyatlov. On 1 February he began the ascent to the summit at 3 PM, even though he knew about the difficulty of the terrain. Furthermore – and this was Dyatlov’s next mistake – he chose a line 500 m to the left of the planned pass that lies between Peak 1079 and Peak 880. So the group found themselves on the eastern slope of Peak 1079. They used what was left of the daylight to ascend to the summit in strong winds (which are typical for this area) and low temperatures of minus 25 degrees centigrade. Dyatlov found himself in bad conditions for the night, so he decided to pitch his tent on the slope of 1079 so as to start in the morning without adding the distance from the forest (~1 km) to the remaining trek of about 10 km to the summit.

Considering the absence of external injuries to the bodies or signs of a fight, the presence of all the valuables of the group, and also taking into account the conclusion of the medical examinations for the causes of the deaths of the hikers, it is concluded that the cause of their demise was overwhelming force, which the hikers were not able to overcome.

2018

Apr 12 Exhumation of the body of Semyon Zolotaryov at Ivanovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg May 16 Russian Channel 1 airs DNA results of the remains of the exhumed body from Zolotaryov's grave not to have kinship with niece Tatyana Skulbeda (daughter of Semyon's sister) Jul 16 Second DNA testing at the Russian Center of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation of the person buried under the sign "Semyon Zolotaryov" matches the DNA of Tatyana Skulbeda (daughter of Semyon's sister) Aug 31 Court’s decision from 8/31/2018 to refuse the application to reopen the case Court Decision Letter Sep Prosecutor's office of the Sverdlovsk region initiated a new investigation.

2019

Mar 15 Prosecutor's office undergo expedition to Dyatlov Pass to test 3 theories - avalanche, snow slab and hurricane.

2020

Jan 22 Yury Chaika was fired. New Prosecutor General of Russia is appointed Igor Krasnov. Jul 11 Andrey Kuryakov announces the conclusion of the new investigation - it was an avalanche. Aug 10 Krasnov reprimanded Kuryakov. The investigation was warned of incomplete official compliance. This is the maximum possible punishment before dismissal.

Autopsy reports, proceed with caution - real crime scene photos »

Many theories have arisen about the event »