100 questions to Askinadzi

30-04-2026

I consider Vladimir Askinadzi one of the best, if not the best witness of the search operation in 1959. If we apply the investigative motto "Means, Motive, and Opportunity" not for a suspect in a crime but for a witness, then Vladimir Mihaylovich checks all the boxes to be our best witness, that is. Here are the three most important things, in my opinion. First, he remembers, his mind is intact, but most importantly, his recollections are not biased by any theory. Second - he actually had the chance to find the bodies that had the injuries that couldn't be explained by anything else but "overwhelming force". Third, not the least, he agreed to answer our questions. I have always urged you to read what he has said throughout the years, but now we both agree that, in order to have consistent documents, it won't be a bad idea to revisit all his answers. It is a cart following tracks. If we try to continue where we ended, i.e., come up with new questions, then we presume that what has been said (the tracks) is firmly established. But they are not. So fire away! You can ask your questions in a comment here, in the Dyatlov Pass forum, in Taina.li, or on Facebook.

The idea is borrowed by Maya Piskareva and her 100 questions to Yudin. She died in 2017. Piskareva and Askinadzi shared a special bond.

You can cite a question by adding # and the number of the question to the link of the article.

1. A. Kaidalov: The essence of the problem is this: Ivanov, when closing the case, writes that on May 4, 1959, 75 meters from the fire, in the direction of the valley of the fourth tributary of the Lozva, i.e. Perpendicular to the hikers' path from the tent, under a layer of snow 4-4.5 meters deep, the bodies of Dubinina, Zolotarev, Thibeaux-Brignolle, and Kolevatov were discovered.
Also, there is a radiogram 5/5 at 9:30 a.m. The Kurikovs, 50 meters southwest of the cedar, in the place of a felled spruce forest, at a depth of 10 cm, discovered… (pieces of clothing)…" On the evening of May 5, apparently, you discovered the bodies in the stream under the snow.
Mohov also recalls that all discoveries occurred on May 5 (the day of publication that year).
Tempalov arrived from Ivdel on May 6 and wrote in the report that "all the bodies are in the water." They were excavated from under snow 2.5 to 2 meters deep."
Question: When you excavated Dubinina, was it possible that the bodies were discovered the day before without you and re-covered with snow (for example, to better preserve them in the cold), and then you rediscovered them the following evening?

Askinadzi: Firstly, all these "meters, tons, landmarks" have nothing to do with reality. Everything was measured "with a rope and a stick." The reliability is questionable, the coincidences are random.
And now the main answer. This couldn't have happened, even theoretically. The excavation volume, even with very rough estimates, was at least 9-10 cubic meters. Only a large team could have disturbed such a volume of compacted snow. Ortyukov didn't have that many "spare" people! I've repeatedly described how we excavated the ground: we used shovels to cut out blocks the size of construction blocks and manually removed them from the pit. So, in your opinion, whoever excavated the ground to place the bodies there would have had to, among other things, not only carefully bury the bodies again, but also compact the snow to a consistency that would allow them to form blocks the size of construction cinder blocks! Use your brain and imagination!

2. А. Кайдалов: Вы сообщали, что руководитель поисков Ортюков посылал вас за 20 км на Отортен, чтобы искать следы группы Дятлова. Хотелось бы уточнить, могло ли это быть именно 4 мая? Как вы считаете, не мог ли он гонять вас специально, чтобы в ваше отсутствие делать что-то тайком? Например, закапывать трупы в том месте, где вы их потом обнаружили.

Аскинадзи: Я считаю, что ответ на первый вопрос убедил Вас в нереальности такого события.

3. A. Kaidalov: Can you explain who Mohov is talking about to Sasha Kan (in 2012)?

MOHOV: There were five of us, 1, 2, 3, 4, and some other guy. I don't know him. By the way, he's not in the photo here. There are four of us here. And I don't remember that fifth guy, who was sitting with us at the table in Serov in the cafe where we were changing trains. But he was with us! There he is, sitting with us... and I don't even remember who this guy is.
KAN: Well, maybe he's a complete stranger?
MOHOV: Who the hell knows... But he's sitting with us, at our table. He's dressed the same as us. We all had the same windbreakers and boots that we were given at the military department.

Askinadzi: Perhaps you're talking about this photo?

This photo was taken by Fedorov. I'm sitting with my back to the viewer. In the photo: from left to right... Kuznetsov, Ortyukov, Mohov (wearing glasses), Suvorov. Tolya Mohov is mistaken. This photo was taken in the cafeteria at Ivdel Airport, not in Serov.

4. A. Kaidalov: Do you remember which of Dubinina's legs was wrapped, the left or the right?

TEMPALOV: On one foot, there are two woolen socks; on the right foot, half of a beige sweater is wrapped. There are traces of probe damage on the back of the head and back, according to V.M. Askenadzi, who identified Dubinina.
VOZROZHDENNIY: Left leg - part of the shin and foot are wrapped in a gray, scorched woolen piece from a sweater with sleeves. On her left foot is a torn, brown wool sock.
IVANOV writes that Dubinina's bare foot is wrapped in Krivonischenko's wool trousers.

Аскинадзи: See for yourself!

A. Kaidalov: Can you also clarify about the hats? Did anything fall off them during transport?

Askinadzi: I wasn't involved in transporting all the bodies, so I can't say what happened to the others.

5. A. Kaidalov: Do you remember if the bodies had head injuries (cracked skulls) or pierced necks (on the left, as in the photo, or on the right)? Was this discussed at all?

Askinadzi: No, it wasn't discussed. The revived one refused to perform an express examination of the bodies at the pass, demanding that they be transported to Ivdel.

6. A. Kaidalov: Do you remember if the bodies were loaded into the helicopter in zinc coffins, wooden coffins, or some kind of sewn-up bags? I recall it was the evening of May 8th.

Askinadzi: A brief summary of events.
As soon as all the bodies were recovered, we placed them in the liners of our sleeping bags, but the helicopter pilots refused to take them in that condition. Their instructions were that the bodies be packed in airtight containers. This is where Ortyukov and the pilot had a conflict. The helicopter departed without the bodies. We lifted them up to the pass, to the helipad, and, on Ortyukov's orders, set up an overnight watch. The next morning, the helicopter arrived with rubberized bags. We packed the bodies, without removing our liners, and shoved them into the helicopter as best we could.
That's it!!! After that, we could sleep as long as we wanted, cleaned the area, and gradually set up camp. I left on May 13th, the last ones – on May 15th…16th.

7. A. Kaidalov: Are the memories true: Ortyukov, with his own hands and without even gloves, dragged corpses to stretchers? He later developed eczema, red bumps on his skin that took a long time to heal... Yudin says of 18-year-old Suvorov: "He was told he was poisoned while searching for tourists. They told him this back then, in 1959. And he underwent treatment for a very long time."

Askinadzi: I don't know.

8. A. Kaidalov: Do you remember Maslenikov's secret visit in May, when he saw the scorched branches and showed them to Ivanov? Could it have been student Mohov (aka Matyukov) with a similar last name?

Askinadzi: Perhaps he arrived after May 13th, when I was no longer at the pass.

9. A. Kaidalov: To what extent do you agree with the popular criminal theories? For example, the versions of Igor Titov, Anna Russkikh (or others), how much are they right?

Askinadzi: It's difficult to calculate a percentage, but essentially, this is the result (for the aforementioned authors) of a traumatized psyche.

10. A. Kaidalov: How did this event affect your grades, exams, and subsequent career? It is believed that Okishev was sent to Chisinau, and Ivanov to Kustanai – to other republics, farther from the epicenter. You ended up in Sevastopol. Or was there another reason?

Askinadzi: I was a student, and administrative transfers didn't apply to me. I passed my exams quite well, getting straight A's in all my core subjects. After the exams, there was a break until September 1st, so I managed to go to Altai and get a bad grade. From September on, we were all scattered to different companies to write our dissertations, and we were also kept on working there. This was in Snezhinsk, where I worked for 14 years. After completing my postgraduate studies, I was sent by the Ministry to Sevastopol, where I remain to this day.

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