Bartolomey: "He led us 50 km for three days without a map - from memory"

What were Igor Dyatlov and his team like?

The name of Pyotr Bartolomey is well known to everyone who is even a little bit familiar with the topic of the death of the Dyatlov group. He is not only a scientist (inventor, teacher at UrFU, doctor of sciences, professor), for many years Pyotr Ivanovich was the head of the Dyatlov Group Memorial Fund. He left this post due to health reasons, but remains a member of the fund's board and, probably, the main authority among "Dyatlov experts": Pyotr Ivanovich was a friend of Igor Dyatlov and a participant in the search operations after the death of the hikers in 1959. This man personally knew almost all the members of the group: he himself went on hikes with them. Bartolomey was supposed to go on that fateful hike, but his studies changed his plans.

Pyotr Ivanovich Bartolomey. Photo: Vladimir Zhabrykov © URA.RU

… All the arguments point to some kind of man-made phenomenon. We don’t know what it was, but no group would crawl out of a tent and run down the slope. After all, a tent is salvation, it’s life. On a hike that Igor Dyatlov and I went on a year ago, in 1958, to the Subpolar Urals, there was such an incident: the wind began to pick up sharply and in 10-15 minutes it turned into a hurricane. We couldn’t put up a tent because we were above the forest zone.

The wind was so strong that it knocked us off our feet. The only salvation was to open the tent, weigh it down with backpacks, climb inside and close it.

We climbed in and held it with our bodies – it fluttered and hummed. We were dressed, as we walked, but I don’t remember whether we put on felt boots or sat on them. At about four o'clock everything calmed down and we began to doze. And Igor, when it was already getting light, got out and took a photo of the tent in this state.

The tent in which the hikers took shelter from the bad weather in 1958. A year later it will be found cut up on the Dyatlov Pass

Treks in 1958

— Where did you go hiking?

The hikers climb up the slope on crampons. They were made by Rustem Slobodin, and the fastening system was invented by Igor Dyatlov. Photo: Igor Dyatlov

— To the area of ​​Mount Narodnaya and Manaraga (though we didn't get to Manaraga — we didn't have time because the plane dropped us off in the wrong place). By the way, on that trip we used homemade "crampons" for the first time: thanks to them we could easily climb up the snowy slope, holding our skis in our hands. Rustem Slobodin made the crampons: he took a titanium plate (light, but very strong) and welded on spikes from track and field spikes 12-13 millimeters long. And Igor Dyatlov came up with such a clever fastener that the crampons were very easy to remove. It's a pity I didn't keep them: the last time I took them on a hike was in 1979, when we were following the Dyatlov group's route, then I realized that I wouldn't be going anywhere in winter, so I took them to the village and they got lost there.

I had that same tent and stove on that hike in 1958. It was collapsible (the pipe folded like an accordion and was pushed inside), and was suspended in the tent on a metal cable (that's why the guy ropes on the outside of the tent were needed). We hung socks and shoes on this metal cable: you lie down, and your socks dangle in front of your nose. The tent was long, sewn from two "dvushki" (which fit four people), and the pipe ran along the entire tent.

When a group member fell ill, firewood and porridge were carried from 10 km away. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

The stove was at the entrance, and the pipe outlet was at the end, and it was somehow attached to a rope. We slept across, slightly offset. The people on duty at the stove always changed: usually they were on duty for an hour, and at the Subpolar, since there were six of us, we had to be on duty for an hour and a half. In order not to fall asleep, the person on duty usually wrote a diary at this time - the small light from the fire from the stove was enough.

There were many trials on that trip, for example, we had to go 10 km into the forest, cook porridge there and carry it from there, as well as firewood to the camp site, because one of our men got sick (Moisey Akselrod fell into a gully in a stream). Many pictures have been preserved from that trip: my portraits, and Igor Dyatlov took the landscapes: it was difficult for me to get the camera out on the go, but he somehow adapted.

When the first guidebook to the Urals was published in 1964, the compilers Maslennikov and Rubel included magnificent photographs taken by Dyatlov on that expedition.

— The conclusion of the investigative committee, which was prepared by the criminal investigator Sergei Shryabach (who recently passed away), said that the Dyatlov group did not have a map. Considering that the route was a first ascent, Shryabach called it an “adventure,” noting that the group was practically walking at random…

A modern map of the area where Dyatlov led the group "from memory" Photo provided by Pyotr Bartolomey

— We really didn't have maps, but that doesn't mean we were going at random. For example, on that same trip to the Subpolar Urals, we wanted to get maps from the Polar-Ural Expedition for part of the route, but the geologists said, "We can't give them to you, these are secret maps. But we can take you along your route by plane." We took two people — Dyatlov and Akselrod. The terrain there is so complex that you can get confused even with a map, and then Igor led us for three days for 50 kilometers without a map — only from memory, what he saw from the plane.

And here is a photo from the summer trip of 1958, a 3rd category, in Altai. The leader Igor Dyatlov is standing with a guitar, I am standing next to him. Everyone is so happy, and one person is sitting and drawing something — this is Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle drawing sketches (aka topos). Here is the famous Akkem Lake, here is the Akkem Glacier, where Mount Belukha is not far away - he sketched the entire hike, a whole album (I have it). Many people followed these steps later. How can we say after that that it was an adventure? So what if there were no maps - both Dyatlov and Thibeaux-Brignolle had a fantastic orientation on the terrain.

A sketch of the route through Altai, drawn by Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

— In the same conclusion, Shkryabach indicated that the participants' training was insufficient, and Dyatlov's experience as a leader did not correspond to a third-category hike. Were your friends experienced hikers?

— In addition to the ski 3rd category that we went with Dyatlov and Akselrod, in the summer of 1958, Dyatlov, Rustem Slobodin, Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle, and Yuri Yudin and I went in a 3rd category to Altai (the third category was the highest difficulty category of a hiking trip at that time, — editor's note). I went on a hike (also 3rd category) with Lyuda Dubinina in 1957 in the Sayan Mountains, I was the leader, and she was a participant. Yuri Krivonischenko was there too, only in the neighboring group. And in 1958, Lyuda went on a winter hike, although I don't remember with whom. I had gone to a 1st category with Zina Kolmogorova before. I knew Yuri Doroshenko, although I had not gone with him, and I knew Aleksandr Kolevatov - they had appeared in the hiking section.

So Dyatlov's group was experienced: all the participants had experience of hiking, some were 3rd category, some - 2nd category. Absolutely everyone had a 1st category.

On a hike to Altai: on the right is Pyotr Bartolomey, Igor Dyatlov is with the guitar, and next to him is Kolya Thibeaux-Brignolle drawing sketches. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

— You are considered a friend of Dyatlov, but judging by the pictures, you were his close friend, if not his best…

— A friend and that's it, the best or the worst, you can't find out now. It is important that we went through several hikes of the highest (at that time) difficulty category together, and this is like going on reconnaissance during the war. For me, Dyatlov's group are not abstract people, they are people from my team.

— And what experience did the "most mysterious member of the Dyatlov group" Semyon Zolotaryov have? How did he end up in the group?

Apart from Dyatlov, the other members of the group were not acquainted with Semyon Zolotaryov; they met him only at the train station. Photo: archive of the Dyatlov Group Memorial Foundation

— I can't say anything about Zolotaryov, because I don't know him. But I can guarantee that Viktor Bogomolov, who was the chairman of the route-qualification commission at the time, gives absolutely accurate information. He said that Zolotaryov contacted the MCC a few days before the hike. In Malakhov's program, they incorrectly said that he needed a third-category hike to get the title of master of sports. In fact, he needed to finish the winter 3rd category to become a senior instructor (he worked as a tourism instructor at the Kourovskaya tourbase).

Bogomolov said that they checked his qualifications, that he had hikes of previous categories, and offered three options for the hike - under the leadership of Sogrin, Dyatlov and Blinov. But Blinov had a "two", and with Sogrin he was not satisfied with the timing, so he turned to Dyatlov.

Igor was a man of few words, generally speaking, he did not like to discuss any problems with the group: he was the leader, and he made decisions himself.

In general, he met Zolotaryov on the train station platform in Sverdlovsk - I am telling this from Yudin's words.

But in general, Dyatlov's group was similar. For the first time, he had the idea of ​​a hike to the Northern Urals in Altai, where there were Kolya Thibeaux-Brignolle, Rustik Slobodin, Yuri Yudin and me. Igor said: "I want to go to Otorten." What it was, where it was, we naturally did not know then. There, he said, are interesting places there. Well, we were fired up. When we returned home from the summer hike in August, he began to form the composition of the group. He offered me too - I immediately agreed.

- So you could have ended up on that fateful hike?

Pyotr Bartolomey shows URA.RU footage from Igor Dyatlov's previous expeditions. Photo: Vladimir Zhabrikov © URA.RU

— In principle, yes. At the end of October, when we were discussing the hike and preparing the equipment, I took part. But in early November, it turned out that I would have a pre-graduation internship in Moscow at the same time. In order to go on the hike, I would have to take exams early and, most importantly, reschedule the internship. I chose the internship. Now the Ural energy system is considered the most advanced, a "pioneer" in the implementation of new control and automation systems, but back then, Mosenergo was the leader. And the head of the department, Arzamastsev, said: "What are you talking about? I worked so hard to get you an internship at Mosenergo!"

Understand, I was not sad about the hike, on the contrary. A hike is, after all, a hobby, entertainment, and here was an opportunity to go to Mosenergo for a pre-graduation internship! It was my dream. I was so happy!

I just told Igor: "Don't count on me - I'm going to Moscow for practice", and from that moment I was out of the group.

Khalizov and Chubarev also dropped out, Kolya Thibault, Rustik Slobodin, Yura Yudin and Igor Dyatlov remained from the summer hike. And then he started recruiting other people to the group.

Search work

- When did you find out about the death of the group?

- March 2, when I returned from practice in Moscow. I immediately rushed to the sports club, I say: "I want to take part in the search operation." They tell me - a group of climbers is being recruited, the leader is a teacher Kikoin. I knew him well from mountaineering, I went up to him - he said: "For God's sake, especially since you know these people and are involved in tourism." He included me in his group. They told us to prepare our gear, but not to take sleeping bags (they gave us army ones). But we took our own skis, because the army guys had skis with soft bindings: when you go uphill in them, everything wobbles, and it's generally scary to go downhill. But we had semi-rigid bindings (the kind hikers still use today - editor's note).

On March 5th we left for Ivdel. We arrived there on the morning of the 6th. The probes had already been brought in: climbers were being recruited because they were supposed to search for people under the snow, like during an avalanche. They put us up in a building (a school or a hotel - I don't remember now), and suddenly someone came in and asked: "Is there anyone among you who personally knew these people?" I said: "I knew almost all of them - I went on hikes with them."

He took me to a room where a cut tent was stretched out. He asked, "Is it yours?" I said, "Yes." And he told me how it was made and repaired.

Then he asked if I could determine whose things were where (they had already been moved there). I said I couldn't: I didn't know whose shirts or socks were whose. We talked a little more, and the next day the helicopter dropped us off at the base: the searchers' tents were where the Dyatlov group had their storage shed.

— Did you know who was interrogating you?

Photo of the Dyatlov group's tent, flown from the pass to Ivdel. Photo: courtesy of Pyotr Bartolomey

— He later introduced himself: "Investigator Ivanov." He was much older than me: I was 21 years old - a kid compared to him. During the search, he lived with us: in one tent there were us, 11 or 12 climbers and 10 soldiers (all with probes), in the second tent lived the radio operator, soldiers and someone else. Now I don’t remember whether Ivanov spent the night with us or in the second tent, but he was constantly sitting with us, asking questions all the time.

— About what?

— He was thinking. We were all absolutely sure (and there were such rumors in the city) that it was a missile - no one accepted other versions. But it was unclear why there were no traces of it left. If it fell, then where are the debris? So we walked around and guessed, and so did he. This lasted three days - March 6, 7 and 8. Every day we climbed the pass (we changed our shoes right at the place of the parapet that remained from the tent) and from there we went down, feeling the snow. Ivanov did not climb the mountain - he sat at the base all day. And then on the third or fourth day, when we were already heading "home", to the base, a helicopter flies. It lands right on the pass (there is more or less level ground there), one of the pilots runs out: "Guys, we have lost radio contact with the base, send Ivanov here: he is urgently called to Sverdlovsk."

Lev Ivanov, who investigated the death of the Dyatlov group, apologized to the relatives of the deceased hikers 40 years later. Photo: Anna Mayorova © URA.RU

We went down to the labaz: "Lev Nikitich, the helicopter is waiting for you." He grabbed his things and said: "Well, guys, the devil knows why they needed me there. But in a couple of days I'll be back and we'll continue our conversations." And none of the hikers ever saw Ivanov again - he didn't let anyone near him, not even Evgeniy Maslennikov (the most experienced at that time, the first master of sports in tourism in the Urals, who led hikers and climbers during the search operations). It turned out later that Ivanov was sent to Moscow after that. And in 1990 he wrote an article (published in the newspaper "Leninsky Put" in Kustanai), in which he asked for forgiveness from the relatives of the Dyatlov group...

It was written: "And then I adhered to the version of the death of student hikers from the impact of an unknown flying object... When I reported [to the second secretary of the Sverdlovsk regional committee of the CPSU] A.F. Yeshtokin about my findings - fireballs, radioactivity, he gave absolutely categorical instructions: to classify absolutely everything, seal it, hand it over to a special unit and forget about it. Needless to say that all this was precisely carried out?"

Igor Dyatlov's group's expedition to the Subpolar Urals, 1958. The geologists agreed to show the hikers the area from above and also give them a lift to the starting point. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

While waiting for the flight, the hikers descended into a mine for rock crystal. From left to right: site manager Krupko, chief engineer of the mine Matveev, Pyotr Bartolomey, Igor Dyatlov, Nikolay Khan. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

In route. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Igor Dyatlov in a homemade ski mask. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

В том походе на Приполярный Урал. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

The Dyatlov group's tent a year before the tragedy. Subpolar Urals. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

В том походе. Фото: Игорь Дятлов

Mountain rivers are treacherous even in winter: Moisey Akselrod fell into a gully in a stream. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Mt Narodnaya and the pass where the group descended. Photo: Igor Dyatlov

On the way to Manaraga. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Manaraga. This photo by Igor Dyatlov later appeared in the 1964 Ural guidebook.

Hikers dry their butts over a fire. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Setting up a tent in a stormy manner, on the mountainside - just like at Dyatlov Pass. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

«Лучше гор могут быть только горы» Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

And this is already a hike to Altai (summer 1958), during which the idea of ​​going to Otorten in winter was born. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Returning from the hike: in the photo are friends: Igor Dyatlov and Pyotr Bartolomey. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey

Participants of the 1958 expedition to the Subpolar Urals: Moisey Akselrod, Igor Dyatlov, Nikolay Khan, Pyotr Bartolomey, Evgeniy Chubarov and Vyacheslav Halizov

In 1979, Bartolomey and his comrades followed the Dyatlov group's route and reached the Manpupuner plateau. Photo: Pyotr Bartolomey