The Dyatlov Pass - what REALLY happened there.
So. I see that interest in this topic has increased again. For those who are seeing this for the first time, here is a link:
In short, in early February 1959, a group of nine people led by Igor Dyatlov died in the Urals. The circumstances of their deaths remain unknown, and the
case has been classified.
I also spent some time studying this story. And for me, the real reason became clear. Of course, there were no aliens there. Of course, there were no secret nuclear bunkers that the group found in the rock, either. And no NKVD soldiers shot them. And there were no American spies prying out the USSR's nuclear secrets, either. There was quite a logical consequence of the ideological brainwashing of the population by communist propaganda. The same thing that is happening now in Ukraine. It's a madhouse there, too. A massacre, like at Dyatlov Pass.
So. What was the Dyatlov group like? Most of them were 4th or 5th-year students. There were a few graduates who were a couple of years older. In general, it was a group of young people between the ages of 22 and 25. There was one person in the group who was much older than the others, Semyon Zolotaryov. He was in his late 30s at the time of the events. He was an instructor at the tourist base. It is reasonable to assume that he was the leader of the group, rather than Dyatlov. Especially if we take into account his field of professional activity along with his age.
When you look at this case, the first thing that stands out is the complete amateurism of those who are trying to understand it. Without any data, they are analyzing things based on rumors. This is how aliens and KGB agents are born. Of course, the first step is to familiarize yourself with the case's findings, interrogations, and medical examinations. This is logical. If there are corpses, there are medical methods to determine the cause of death.
You can retell for a long time how things went. All these versions, why could not be disclosed. I'm not a fan of this approach. What for? If I'm talking about what happened there. So maybe it's right to just retell what really happened there? Once to voice the correct version instead of endless transfusion and denial of all extraneous rumors about UFOs.
What happened at the Dyatlov Pass is actually quite banal. A group of Soviet students, under the supervision of an experienced "survivalist," embarked on a challenging mountain trek. They were enthusiasts of such extreme activities and hikes. Many of them kept diaries, and by reading them (which is essential for those seeking to understand the case), we can gain insights into their personalities and psychological profiles. These diaries are available online, and those interested can access them. I read this a long time ago, and I'm writing it from memory. I have no desire to spend time searching for and linking proofs.
What I learned from reading their diaries: these 22-25-year-olds were completely infantile. The level of brainwashing by communist propaganda is simply off the scale. It would seem: due to the fact that they are travelers. They should have known a little more about this world. Have more truthful information.
Perhaps Zolotarev possessed it, but kept quiet. This was most likely the most experienced, but also the most rational person of the entire group.
All the others lived in the world of "elves". Where all people are kind. And all is well. Their opinions, interests, and attitudes to life are completely childish. This is the impression that their diaries made on me. These diaries contain repeated references to the Mansi tribes. Local aborigines living in this permafrost. According to the ideas of the expedition participants, these Mansi were similar to the Chukchi people from Soviet jokes. Funny natives, good-natured towards visits from civilized people. And not posing any danger at all.
All this was the result of the work of Soviet propaganda about the brotherhood of peoples and world peace. Propaganda that completely discouraged these people, its victims, from feeling dangerous. And a sense of reality. Propaganda that did not apply to those very Mansies. Tribes that have lived on their own land for centuries, according to their own rules. Tribes that treated all outsiders as invaders. They hated the Soviet government, and perhaps the Tsarist government before that.
Yes, many local tribes have "civilized" and adopted an urban lifestyle. But not those who lived in the outback. But it was there, in the wilderness, that Dyatlov's group went. Where no civilization ever existed, and people lived according to their own customs and on their own territory.
Dyatlov's group set up camp on a mountainside for the night. The location was ideal from a safety perspective. However, they failed to consider that it was a popular trail used by local tribes. The group was making noise, possibly celebrating Zolotaryov's birthday (it's important to note that there was no alcohol involved). The locals were not pleased with this behavior. They had invaded their territory without permission.
They approached the tent. They did not leave any footprints, possibly due to the use of special attachments on their shoes for more even distribution of weight on the snow (
snowshoes). They were armed with something like a hunting rifle and, under the threat of the weapon, they brought all the members of the group out into the open air and forced them to line up in front of the tent. They told them to get the hell off their land. One of them entered the tent, started throwing things out, and cutting the tent from the inside with a knife.
The reality of what was happening had not yet reached the members of the group. In their minds, it simply could not be true. How could the Mansi be evil? After all, it was the Soviet Union, the Friendship of Peoples. It was due to a misguided reaction. Instead of acknowledging the violation of the Mansi people's rights to their territory, they seemed to be asserting their own rights. The conflict continued to escalate. The Mansi people's hatred towards outsiders continued to simmer.
The Mansi ordered the strangers to take off all their clothes. The demand was unrealistic, as was the situation itself. However, these young people, with their minds completely brainwashed by internationalism, were completely unprepared for real life. Not understanding what was happening, they began to comply with the demands of these strange people who had pointed their weapons at them.
Not everyone understood. Zolotaryov understood perfectly well. He knew. That to part with clothes in such a cold - it is death. Why give clothes under the threat of being killed with a gun, if the consequence of this action is death from freezing? He stuck. And categorically refused to take off his clothes. With him stuck some more.
The Mansi didn't press him. They were afraid to use firearms, as it would attract attention and leave traces on the corpses. They were content with the fact that most of the expedition members had removed their warm clothing.
After that, they were driven away from the tents. They were told to get out. Without their clothes. At gunpoint, Dyatlov's group began to retreat. They descended the mountain, and then a split occurred: some wanted to wait right there until the Mansi left and simply return to the tents. They started building a fire. Dyatlov was apparently the leader of this group. The other group followed another leader, Zolotaryov, who believed that they should hide.
Zolotaryov's group left and set up a hiding place in a streambed. There they made a bed and began to hide. They did not light a fire.
The rest of them started a fire in the open, without hiding. They brought a large amount of firewood and branches.
All this time, the Mansi continued to stay at the tents and did not allow them to return. They saw a campfire. This wasn't part of their plan. They went down to the fire and put it out. The people who were there could no longer offer physical resistance - they were dying of cold. They were beaten up and made unable to continue resisting the cold (Doroshenko, Krivonishchenko). Some people ran to the tents (Dyatlov, Slobodin, Kolmogorova). The Mancis caught up with them and smashed their skulls in. They didn't even try to avoid leaving any traces.
Zolotaryov's surviving group (Zolotaryov, Dubinina, Thibault-Brignol, Kolevatov) eventually returned to the camp and discovered the corpses. They stripped the bodies of their clothes and returned to their hidden valley.
But you can't hide from the Mansi on their territory. Soon, the Mansi found the remaining members of the group, including Zolotaryov.
The Mansi found their camp and began to beat them, breaking their ribs. They cut out their eyes and tongues. (this part is optional; wild animals may have later gnawed on the lips/eyes/tongues of the corpses)
After the job was done, the Mansi left.
When the investigators started to appear, their first version was that the group had been killed by the Mansi. They had been killed in the traditional way of the northern peoples, by cold. Of course, they didn't believe all the stories about UFOs that came from the Mansi themselves. They claimed to have seen "glows," "UFOs," and so on.
The Mansi knew exactly what had happened. That's why they started making up stories.
Why was the case classified? It was all because of the same ideology. What happened was completely at odds with Soviet ideology, with all the slander they were feeding the population. It was impossible for these ridiculous Chukchi-Mansi natives to do such a thing. The case was classified and banned. In the best Soviet tradition, problems should not be solved, but rather ignored.
Where did I get all this from? Well, I'm not the kind of person who believes in mysticism and rumors. I just studied the case materials and primary sources. And the obviousness of what happened at the Dyatlov Pass is just ... obvious?
My version explains everything.
It doesn't sound strange anymore: Dyatlov's group was forced out of their tents under the threat of weapons, after being stripped naked.
Court medical examination reports:
Zolotarev:
Why are the injuries of the group members so different? Because some of them froze and died from the cold. Some were "moderately" stunned and died from the cold as a result of their inability to move. The last ones, along with Zolotorev, were found in a shelter and were beaten to death because they did not die from the cold due to their more rational behavior (keeping their clothes on and trying to hide).
That's the mystery of the Dyatlov Pass.