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. In the collage, you can see Krivonischenko's knife which is missing from the inventory of the items found anywhere and at all times.
How many knives were found?
Total of 6 knives: 3 penknives and 3 Finnish type knives
Dyatlov
Case file 13 - a penknife with stringed carabiner (in the pockets of the tarpaulin jacket and trousers, in the tent)
Thibeaux-Brignolle
Case file 14 - a penknife and a Finnish knife (in the pockets of the windbreaker and trousers, in the tent) No one from his family had a permit so the knife was not returned.
Slobodin
Case file 15 - penknife (in a pocket of his ski trousers, on his body, 480 m from the Cedar)
Case file 310 - A "big knife" presumed Kolevatov's, is mentioned by Tempalov who was the first investigator at the scene. He cut the tent to get access inside.
This is a photo of Kolevatov's knife made later, when Rimma Kolevatova was no longer alive in an interview with her daughter, Elena Kolevatova. According to Elena Kolevatova Lev Ivanov initially didn't want to return the knife to Kolevatov's relatives but then had change of heart and offered Rimma Kolevatova to choose either the knife or the sheath. She chose the knife. Now isn't this weird. Here is the receipt that has spawn the legend that Kolevatov had a permit for his Finish knife and Nikolay did not. Even if this was true the person to accept the knife had to have a permit.
May 6, 1959
Case file 341 "Ebonite sheath and a tablespoon of white metal were found under the snow at the location where the Dyatlov group tent was found." near the tent
Where were the knives found?
What is important also is where were they found.
In the tent
Dyatlov's penknife with stringed carabiner (in the pockets of the tarpaulin jacket and trousers)
Thibeaux-Brignolle's penknife and a Finnish knife (in the pockets of the windbreaker and trousers)
A "big knife" presumed Kolevatov's is mentioned by Tempalov who was the first investigator at the scene. He cut the tent to get access inside.
480 from the cedar
Slobodin's penknife (in a pocket of his ski trousers, on his body)
Missing
Krivonischenko's knife seen on many photos is not mentioned to have been found anytime, anywhere. But Lev Ivanov is saying that the hikers used it to cut branches for the fire under the Cedar. This is a head scratcher, one of many.
In the Resolution to close the case Lev Ivanov says that Krivonischenko’s knife was used to cut the trees since it was found in the ravine next to the last four bodies. The Protocol of inspection of the scene where the bodies were found goes into great detail about everything found there, including number and kinds of trees as well as clothing but never mentions any knives.
There is a misconception that is cited over and over, that Krivonischneko's knife was found at the tent on May 6, 1959. A sheath was found and not even that of the Kolevatov's knife because Kolevatov's was leather and the one discovered at the place where the tent was found more than 2 months prior to finding the sheath (tent was found on February 28) was ebonite.
I have a bizarre thought as to why Lev Ivanov didn't want to return both the knife and the sheath. Because they did not fit. The finding and reporting of the knives in the Dyatlov pass incident is riddled with discrepancies.
Knives on the trek
It is expected that the investigators took a look at the photos form the trek. Isn't it expected to account for all the knives? Or was it normal during the investigation things to disappear? Were the many photos where we can clearly see Krivonischneko's knife the reason why Lev Ivanov said in the resolution to close the case that this is the knife used to cut the branches in the ravine? This knife was never found. Read more
Where were the knives used?
From Captain Chernyshev’s testimony, chief of staff of military unit 6602 that took part in the search in 1959: "It can be assumed that at the fire besides Doroshenko and Krivonischenko there were other people since... No knifes were found on the bodies but the branches for the campfire were cut with a knife."
From Maslennikov's testimony, head of the search party in 1959: "Not far from the cedar there were two birch trees with deep cuts as if someone had tried to cut them off."
From Atmanaki testimony, member of the search party in 1959: "Twenty meters around the cedar were left traces of how one of those present at the cedar cut young fir trees with a knife, we saw about twenty such cuts, but we didn't find the cut branches except one."
Photo taken in 1959
According to Askinadzi (the searcher that found the bodies in May 1959), the first thing that got the Mansi attention were the cut tops of the fir trees. According to case files 341-343 the den was made from 14 fir tree and 1 birch tops. Yuri Yudin later noticed the discrepancy that there were only spruce trees that were cut near the den. Here are the trees that are typical for the area.
Jan 28, 1959, leaving 2nd Northern. Dubinina, Zolotaryov, and Kolmogorova cleaning their skis with knives
And, these are not crosses or a Mansi graveyard, but where the animals skins were hung to dry.
Knives reported to be found in this case
1. Dyatlov's penknife in the pockets of his jacket or trousers in the tent
2. 3. Thibeaux-Brignolle's penknife and a Finnish knife in pockets of his jacket or trousers in the tent
4. A "big knife" mentioned by Tempalov next to the cuts of lard in the tent
5. Slobodin's penknife in a pocket of his ski trousers on his body
6. In his resolution to close the case Lev Ivanov mentions Krivonischenko's knife to have been found next to his body, but this is not the case according to the protocols from the scene and recollections of Askinadzi who signed this very protocol.
This is not a photo from the trek, but c'mon, how can Zolotaryov leave on a trek without a knife? Combat veteran, WW2 survivor, knife expert... not even a penknife found on him?
