Letter to a friend
01-01-2013
"A big anxiety ensue from the gruesome of the bodies. The insomnia wasn't from some nightmares, it was just that sleep wouldn't come, that's all! And it wasn't just me. Ortyukov didn't sleep, the Kurikovs didn't sleep, and the rest, I think, for the most part, they just lay there, hoping to fall asleep. The relief came only after the bodies were taken away."
Chronology part 1 - The trek
28-04-2025
The chronology of the trek from inception to its tragic end.
Chronology part 2 - First group of bodies
28-04-2025
Finding the first frozen bodies under the cedar and on the slope. Loosing all hope that there are any survivors. Opening an investigation.
Chronology part 3 - Second group of bodies
28-04-2025
The remaining four were found and the mystery deepens. The case is closed. Four funerals and a birthday.
Ivanov letter 1991
08-03-1991
"Dr. Vozrozhdenniy helped me understand the mechanism of the origin of the injuries, and taking into account the case materials and my specialty, he helped to establish exactly in what order did they die and the cause of death... I checked samples from the area for radiation and they did not show radioactivity, but the internal organs, cavity studies gave a significant background, which indicated a directed radiation targeting. The impression is that "they were wiped with a fairly wide beam" causing the internal bodily injuries."
Sogrin S.N.: "I heard about it, but I didn't see it."
30-09-2012
The only unresolved question remained what kind of force of influence was it that made them run even naked. For more than fifty years they could not answer this question. Complete silence. And now a breakthrough in solving the mystery. Kuntsevich drew attention to a frame on the Dyatlov group's film, the last one, which had previously been ignored and was considered a defect in the development of the film. But after studying it, it turned out that this was an intentional frame. A night shot where the fiery object and smoke behind it are clearly visible. Now everything falls into place. And no more documents are required. They simply do not exist and never will.
Once again, about how it all went down
14-12-2010
In this article published in Ural Stalker December 2010 issue Sergey Sogrin is telling his reconstructions of events which he says they did together with the head of the search in 1959 Evgeniy Maslennikov. Even if the group dynamics during the crisis is hard to speculate on, we hear first hand what the tent, terrain, footprints and cedar surroundings looked like. These are recollections that are very valuable coming from a witness.
Is the Dyatlov's accident a mystery after all?
14-11-2010
Sogrin, Sergey Nikolaevich (Согрин Сергей Николаевич) born in Shanghai in 1937. In 1959 he was a 4th year student of the metallurgical faculty at UPI; lived in Sverdlovsk at 18 Kirov St. He took part in the search and rescue works as a member of the Akselrod party in the period Feb 26-28 in the area of Otorten. On March 1-9 he participated in the search in the area of height 1079. He led the UPI search party from Mar 25 to Apr 6. In this article he explains the origin of the theories. This is part 1 of 3 of his recollections.
Yuri Doroshenko's yearly years
08-04-2025
Olga Litvinova collected data about Yuri Doroshenko, his life and studies before entering UPI. There is interesting information about his teachers and his family before entering the institute. Also now the name, patronymic and surname of this girl standing at Yuri's funeral next to his mother and aunt has become known. She is his geography teacher from the school where he studied in 1954, also the head of the hiking club in school №44. She came to Yuri's funeral. She looks so young that till now it was considered possible that she might be his new girlfriend, the one Zina wrote about witnessing them holding hands.
Discrepancies in Stanislav Tipikin's recollections
01-12-2014
Tipikin was on Otorten searching for a note left by the Dyatlov group. On March 1, 1959, his search group was transferred to height 1079. We know by that time the tent and the first 4 bodies were found. Tipikin personally found the body of Slobodin and he says he was so stirred up that he doesn't remember anything else from that day. The problem is that Tipikin was not questioned in 1959. He started talking about the case in 2014, 55 years after the events. The discrepancies in his recollections may seem innocent, but in the light of the conspiracy theories they can be huge. Judge for yourself. He remembers that the day he arrived on the pass there were two bodies dragged up the slope from the ravine. He presumed they were Doroshenko and Krivonischneko, but they were frozen and couldn't tell who they were. He helped with one of the bodies but he is adamant that there was a group carrying up a second body. That's the problem - there was only one body left in the ravine when he arrived. Is there a body we do not know about? The obvious answer is hell no, but then there is a photo in Ivanov's archives without any attached note to it that looks very much like a frozen body, with not enough clothes on. The second inconsistency is that Tipikin remembers poking his head inside the Dyatlov tent and seeing the edges of the loin that were described by other searchers, too. The problem with this recollection is that the tent was already dismantled, sprawled, the items of the dead hikers wrapped in it, and dragged to the helipad for transportation to Ivdel. So Tipikin couldn't have seen the inside of the tent while it was pitched. This is a phenomenon called false memory. How do we draw the line between a false and a true memory?
Stanislav Aleksandrovich Tipikin
08-10-2014
Tipikin was a climber from UPI and knew Igor Dyatlov in person because of an argument at the sports club about equipment. Tipikin participated at the beginning of the search and has seen firsthand how they found the note on Otorten, the bodies under the cedar, dragged the bodies to the outlier for airlifting, finding the labaz and the body of Slobodin. His story varies on some facts from the official one.
Aleksandr Vinogradov about Nikolay Ognev and much more
01-10-2013
Vinogradov is a mining engineer who worked with Nikolay Ognev aka "The Beard" from 1962 to 1966. They even spend a month just the two of them in the middle of the taiga - plenty of time to talk and share. Vinogradov didn't know that Ognev met with the Dyatlov group. Ognev, although talkative on many topics, never mentioned the Dyatlov group. Ognev made an impression with his demeanor and appearance. Zina Kolmogorova even took down his address in her diary on January 27, 1959. It's not clear what for. Vinogradov testifies to the character of Ognev, and that he can't see the lumberjack workers going after the group of hikers for any reason. The recollections of Vinogradov are valuable for describing the prospecting geological activity in the area.
Aleksander Vinogradov
02-02-2000
Aleksander Vinogradov, a mining engineer and geological prospector, who worked in various capacities in expeditions in the North of the Krasnoyarsk region, the Nether-Polar, and Northern Ural explained: “One of the goals of the aeromagnetic survey is the search for the deposits of raw materials. It results in a map of the terrain with indications of the geomagnetic and gamma anomalies. Afterward, ground groups of geophysicists with portable equipment are delivered to those places. They make more accurate measurements of the anomalies and detail their geographical bearings. In case of serious anomalies, mining exploration and drilling works are planned and conducted in such locations.”
Radio operator Vladimir Lyubimov
11-09-2012
In 1959 Vladimir Alekseevich was a radio operator of a geological party in the area of Mount Yaruta. In 1947 he graduated from the Naval Special Forces Communications School, receiving the specialty of a radio technician and international radio operator. When serving in the Navy he had top secret clearance. When the party went out to work in the field, he usually was instructed by the chief of communications of the expedition to trace the broadcast. In February 1959 he listened to search parties' conversations over the radio. In April 1959, the head of the geological party instructed him to examine the slopes of Mt Yaruta for traces of the missing hikers or escaped prisoners. He knew Nevolin and Temnikov from the Dyatlov case.
The secret of the mountain pass (part 1)
27-04-1999
In 2024 one of the journalists from the first generation Dyatlov case researchers passed away. Her ideas were the building blocks for further sleuthing of the greatest mystery of the 20th century. Nowadays we think that we have revelations and suggest this and that but to faster advance into uncharted territories it is wise to fist revisit the pioneers work. They had the advantage to talk directly to the contemporaries of the events in 1959.
The secret of the mountain pass (part 2)
28-05-1999
In 1999 Rimma Pechurkina wrote: "Of course, there is a desire to pave the way through the point of the tragedy of 1959. But the distance and lack of roads can interfere, and Dyatlov Pass, leaning against the Dead Man's Mountain, will remain Terra Incognita for a long time."
Today there are many roads, monuments, even a landing site bringing hikers to the Dyatlov Pass. And yet, we are nowhere closer to solving the mystery.
Excerpts from a conversation between Evgeniy Zinovyev and Egor Nevolin
02-02-1999
Nevolin unwittingly offers a completely different explanation for the broken branches of the cedar. Although he is not saying they were crushing branches, he is mentioning that the signal on the north side of the Dyatlov Pass was weak, and they had to bring the antenna up between two big cedars. These cedars can be seen standing tall to this day. But the branches were broken when the bodies were found. My theory is that they could have been broken by the first party that found the bodies in February for that same purpose, to mount an antenna to report to the Northern Geological Expedition.
Slobtsov interview 1999
01-03-1999
Slobtsov: "One day, when we were dragging corpses to the pass where a helicopter could land (which is now called the Dyatlov Pass), the wind was so strong that no one would believe it: you take a ski pole by the lanyard, and it hangs almost horizontally. There were many of us, we were dragging on skis, adapted, with ropes - we kept falling, grabbing onto whatever we could find. I fell once and grabbed onto someone's leg, grabbed onto one of the dead."
Expert glaciologist Victor Popovnin answering questions of the Prosecutor's Office of the Sverdlovsk Region about the Dyatlov Pass
14-05-2019
In 2019 the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sverdlovsk Region revisited the Dyatlov case, undertaking an expedition to the Dyatlov Pass and enlisting experts giving them specific assignments. It was kind of a spoiler alert that he would be looking only into 3 natural disasters: avalanche, snow slab and hurricane. The cornerstones of Kuryakov's conclusion are the findings of Doctor of Geographical Sciences Pigoltsina and glaciologist Popovnin. Kuryakov blames two weird snow slabs. The first one scared the hikers out, they lost the tent from site, went down, dug up a den and there they were hit by a second avalanche. Note that the traumas on Dubinina, Thibeaux-Brignolle and Zolotaryov were caused by the avalanche in the ravine. This is different from Buyanov's, aka Swiss avalanche scenario.
Microclimatic examination of the Kholat Syakhl mountain area for January-February 1959
20-07-2020
Туристы, по мнению Павлова и Хаджийска, поставили палатку рядом с тем самым кедром, где будут позже найдены трупы Кривонищенко и Дорошенко. Место очень удобное, непродуваемое, рядом ручей Лозьвы, есть где взять дрова для печки. Ребята обустроились, поужинали и легли спать. Массивный ствол упал на переднюю часть палатки, сминая находившиеся там котелки и ломая ребра Дубининой и Золотареву. Тибо, Слободин, Кривонищенко и Колеватов, находившиеся дальше от входа, получили удары только толстыми сучками и ветками.
In memory of Igor Olegovich Makushkin
02-02-2024
Igor Olegovich Makushkin is the son of the forensic expert Genrietta Churkina who performed the analysis on the Dyatlov group tent. Makushkin, senior lecturer of the forensic science department of the Ural State Law University, worked in the same laboratory as his mother from 1981 to 1993. He saw first hand the handling of the tent throughout the years till the day it was thrown in the garbage after more than 25 years crumpled in the corner of a basement. It wasn't even considered an evidence anymore. The staff was sitting on it during outdoor meetings.
Dyatlov Pass. Was there an avalanche?
22-02-2025
In all likelihood, there was no avalanche on the slope of Kholat Syakhl on the night of February 1-2, 1959. The endless discussion of this theory in the media only strengthens the suspicion that they want to hide from us the most inconvenient reason for the death of the guys. As the famous researcher of the tragedy, writer Oleg Arkhipov said in one of his recent interviews "Until the state reveals the necessary details, they will always talk about an avalanche."
Only an official investigation can solve the mystery of the death of the Dyatlov group
14-02-2025
No one will ever solve the mystery of the death of Igor Dyatlov's group with a confident end to this problem, despite the confident statements of dozens of authors of versions. And then only echoes of the "game" of the so-called "Dyatlov scholars" under the conditional title "The Mystery of the Dyatlov Pass". Unfortunately, many want it to continue forever. Only official structures can solve the mystery in the course of a real, unbiased investigative proceedings. And historical and archival examinations must be fully involved in this.Simply put, the archives that tenaciously guard secret documents must be opened. But for this, the highest circles must come to an understanding of the timeliness of this step. The question is in political will and expediency.
Questions about the autopsy reports
01-02-2025
Dmitrievskaya, Litvinova, and former forensic expert Ankudinov claim that the autopsy reports in the case files from May 9, 1959, are not the ones written by Vozrozhdenniy. Failure to comply with the legal standards for forensic medical examination in place at the time. Comparison analysis proves the autopsy reports from the case files are typed on the same typewriter as the copy of the resolution to close the case typed by Lev Ivanov from the supervisory proceedings. This typewriter is located at the Sverdlovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office and not the Sverdlovsk Regional Bureau of Forensic Examination, which essentially, according to Ankudinov, strips the documents of its legal force. Numerous incorrect verbiage and typos make it hard to believe that a person with a medical background, let alone an expert, has authored the documents. Are these findings sufficient grounds for reopening the case?
Hikers from all over Russia followed the Dyatlov group's route
02-02-2024
Get to the Mountain of the Dead and try to solve the mystery of the death of the Dyatlov group. In early February, a group of hikers from all over Russia followed the route of the students of the Ural Polytechnic University. During the hike, they even managed to conduct a number of experiments on the pass.
Journal Aleksander Alekseenkov Winter 2025
10-02-2025
This is the journal of Aleksander Alekseenkov about the expedition to the Dyatlov Pass that took place 27 Jan - 8 Feb, 2025, illustrated with vadim Gumerov photos. During the expedition experiments were done with a replica of the Dyatlov group tenet, and a burning stove similar to the one Dyatlov used in his fateful trek.
Knives in Dyatlov group
24-12-2024
In the Dyatlov case, we have penknives (folding pocket knives with small blades) and Finnish-type knives. To this day to carry a knife with a blade longer than 10 cm you need a permit. The first place they will confiscate your knife would be at the luggage and body scanners in the train stations and subway. On a trek everybody needs a knife of some sort, to cook you need a knife. In this case, knives are missing, not just because they should have been, but because we see them in the photos and they are missing later on. This is either tampering with evidence or indication of a presence of a third party.
Night at the Dyatlov Pass
12-12-2024
A chance to spend the 66th anniversary of the tragedy night February 1-2, 2025, on the spot and in a replica of Dyatlov group tent, and a burning stove similar to the one Dyatlov used. You will trace the route of the fateful trek, visit the landmarks sites, meet Mansi and spend a night in their guest house, experience the mighty Urals in winter and soak in a Russian bathhouse.
Elena Kolevatova's letters
27-06-2014
"The studies were coming to an end, and his assignment to a closed city was approaching. This upset Sasha, because it meant the end of the hikes. That is why he decided to go on a hike for the last time, although he did not particularly want to go under Dyatlov's leadership. He was too authoritarian. But the guys were experienced, responsible, and could cope with almost any problem. The group didn't return on time, which was unusual. After a while, relatives started contacting the hiking club, but they couldn't tell me anything either. Relatives were at a loss, because in winter hikers couldn't stay in the forest for long, and if one of them had come out to people, he would have definitely told them. And the days of waiting and despair dragged on."
Determining where Dyatlov tent was found in 1959
09-10-2024
This is a chronological account of the efforts of Russian researchers to find the exact location of the Dyatlov group's tent on the slope of 1079. Today we have the testimonies of the searchers who found it in February 1959 and photographs. The tent's location is at the heart of many debates, especially the avalanche. Russians have put a lot of effort into engaging strategies, science, and field research. They have even named the stones on the slope and know every curve of the ridge. Cairns and poles with signs have populated the area of 10 m2 where the terrain is disturbed by ATVs, and throughout the years the passion with which the pretenders defend their claims are not dying down
