Prudkovа interview 2008

VI: We were all law-abiding and didn't ask unnecessary questions. I was then 30 years old. My husband did not tell me details. But I know that the section (autopsy) was done and he and doctors from Sverdlovsk were present, a man and a woman. I even had a photo of this woman, but I lost it for some reason. In general, there were rumors and talk that when they were brought, they were surprised that there were no big injuries that the head and extremities were not being torn off or displaced, there was no such thing. There were broken ribs, some small traumas of the face. There were many on the hands and feet. That someone tried to put socks there on his hands. When they found the tent, Mansi were not surprised by what happened, because the mountain was mystical to them and they never went there. When they were found, one gets the impression that something terrible has happened to them and they have tried with all their might to leave the tent. Whether noise, or some kind of impact. They were found at a distance from each other, this created the impression that they had lost their sight. We lived there for 9 years and never had such dark nights. And the stars also reflected from the snow. But that's what they said about it. What did they find in the section (autopsy) my husband did not say. I worked in a city hospital. I was in charge of the pediatric department, and my husband worked in the hospital for the civilian staff of Ivdellag and he was a surgical consultant for all the hospitals in Ivdellag (there were many points there) and was in charge of the department of this hospital.
NAVIG: He was a military?
VI: No. He was certified after graduating from the institute, he was admitted in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was given the rank. The hospital belonged to the "Medical and Sanitary Service P.O. N-240". In these days everyone saw (in Ivdel, NAVIG notes) some glowing object, much like a moon, only it was there night and day and morning and evening, on the slope (in the sky) closer to the horizon, a triangle. It was far away and it was visually the size of 6 cm in all sides.
NAVIG: Was it staying in one place or moving?
VI: It seemed to be staying in same place.
NAVIG: This was in early February?
VI: Yes, it was then when it happened and even when we already knew about it. There were many people (in Ivdellag) educated, who were repressed and doctors, my husband and I socialized, of course, with the doctors. There was a professor Dr. Medical Sciences from St. Petersburg, convicted for 15 years, the surgeon was Nikolay Ivanovich Toropov from the Kremlin hospital. And then they were rehabilitated. They lost their families.
NAVIG: Were there any foreign prisoners? Were they Germans?
VI: There were, but not many. We did not talked to them. There were many from the Chinese railway. People talked that it was either a runaway missile or a shell. People talked about this, but unofficially. The latter were found in May, when the snow settled. Everything was inciting and boiling (among the people), we were so sorry for them ...
NAVIG: And your husband, did he often took part in medical events around Dyalov group?
ВИ: But of course.
NAVIG: Did you know the surgical nurse Solter Maria (Pelageya)?
VI: No, I do not know her personally. But Yosiph Davidovich had very good surgical nurses... Ivdel gave us a lot. My husband at first worked in a women's camp, far from Polunochnoe. 50 km village Pristan. And from Polunochnoe there was a steep road and I called my husband to meet me. There was a geologists camp base and I was on foot and came face to face with them, I was never afraid of people.
NAVIG: Valentina Ivanovna, why do you think Yosiph Davidovich took part in the autopsy? I have a letter from Solter to Y. Yudin. This is the 10th participant of the trek that survived, and she writes that there was no autopsy performed in Ivdel. And Korotaev, the first investigator says that he himself took part in the autopsy.
VI: I did not know Korotaev. I knew the chief prosecutor of Ivdelag, and I did not know Korotaev.
NAVIG: Are you sure that the autopsies were performed in Ivdel?
VI: Yes, for sure, and she could help, because there was no pathological anatomy service. And I think that she (Solter) says the truth.
NAVIG: Solter also says the name Sharonin A.A., who was present along with Yosiph Davidovich. Did you know him?
VI: No, I did not. I worked in the city hospital.
NAVIG: And the gynecologist A.P.?
VI: Anna Petrovna? No, I did not know her either.
NAVIG: Did your husband say anything about Dyatlov group?
VI: No, we were all law-abiding and, probably, there was a non-disclosure. Here's what else was said among the population that after they found everyone, there were planes and helicopters that took something from the place of the tragedy.
NAVIG: Valentina Ivanovna, thank you for your time.