Dyatlov Group mystery
Alex TrubachevAn attempt to solve a long-standing mystery of Dyatlos Group tragedy without resorting to paranormal theories
Somehow, interest was suddenly stirred up in that old tragedy which almost sunk into oblivion without explanation of the reasons and facts. But it was precisely this understatement that brought back to life the gloomy ghosts of those who did not return from the snowy taiga in the winter of 1959. We play with this terrible toy, we turn the puzzle. But will it get easier if we resolve it? Wouldn't this make a dark story even darker?
Below is just an assumption, a private point of view, without claims for anything and God forbid - without condemnation. If anyone is to be judged, these are those who, for the amusement of the crowd, pulled out old bones from the mossy grave and arranged a vulgar farce, clowning with them - for their own benefit, and for others' entertainment.
If you are familiar with the plot of the story, you will understand what I am talking about below. And if you are not familiar, but love detectives very much, there is a lot of information on this topic at your service in the Internet. Just remember that this is not a detective, but a real human tragedy, worthy of compassion and oblivion.
What happened there, half a hundred years ago, in the impassable snows of the Ural mountains?! So this story sunk into my head, how many people are unsuccessfully racking their brains about it? However, so many stories were composed, it is impossible to count.
So may crazy theories were drug into the discussion: the delirium of local alcoholics, and world politics, evil phantoms and Chupacabras. But it’s still clear through, if you turn on the cold deductive brain, Sherlock Holms is tossing in his grave, everything is so primitive. Let's try everything put in a slender pile so that zealous of the historical nonsense do not dislocate their brains...
It is a sad story, pray to God that it be forgotten quickly. And after all, that almost went into oblivion, but no, it seems that those who died did not fully atone for their suffering. There was no forgiveness for them, and again a long-standing crime rose to the court of man. Well, maybe it's their fate to wander in the world so unforgotten, unforgiven, to be remembered by people every minute from futility and greed for amusements.
But the truth was there, and forgiveness will come from it. Only now you should forgive, and stop entertaining your boredom on rotten bones and shed blood. Do you want to know what has happened there?! May it be to you as you wish, and do not grumble later, as how everything went flat and not interesting.
There were no overseas spies in the taiga, no moose nor wild boars, no runaway criminals and unfortunate Russian escorts. And there were no guests from the other worlds either, in any form.
There was no avalanche, no matter how it seemed to some interested people to be the answer to all questions - no avalanche can cover human sins.
There was no thunder, no lightning, no extravagant silence. In short, there was no mysticism there, they did not deserve such a death.
If I say what I see – you dont not believe me, most likely you will close the eye of your mind...
I’ll try to approach from far away, maybe you will see the features of the truth...
What is it, the Dyatlov group did not have enough of time to pass the route? And why did they hang on Auspiya for so long?! Why was two days wasted, for what?
Why, leaving after dinner, the next camp was set in the most unfortunate place, in the middle of the wild white expanse? After all, then, without skies, they ran to the forest in half an hour... why did they put up a tent I the middle of the slope?
Answer, if you are smart, the specialists in vacuum explosions and rocket fuel!
Let's continue. Looks like it was warm enough, if without trousers and jackets, without boots, they ran down on the snow. Just not fear drove them. Hatred.
They did not hide from the frost, I will tell you a secret - the snow was wet. How else would their footprints then remain in columns of snow?! Dry snow, frozen to the sand condition, floats, never gets compact, there would be no "columns footprints" left on the surface. It was warm, they left the tent as it became unbearable to stay inside. But the ones who remained did not permit to take the clothes – the order was – take a short walk, get frozen, and return back to the tent.
But those who went out did not return. In an hour a fire flared up below in the forest, and fury exploded in the tent. This fury cut off the last bridges, destroyed the meaning of the return to all - a few strokes of the knife against the fold of the tent and there was nowhere to return - the wall of the mutilated tent hung in tatters... And blind fury descended the valley, merciless and bloody.
What happened next, few people remember. Only wind and cold winter. And the roots of the trees creak from what they cannot forget.
Until now, go, the scars are still there on those trees from knife wounds, when the branches were cut down in order to watch out the night in the snow. From the deadly revenge, when the rage faded, and the hands of the killers dropped wearily loosing the drops of blood.
The last one to die was the strongest, the main murderer and executioner, he paid the bill for everyone, but the burden that he took was already too great. Quite a bit he did not reach the destroyed tent, fell into the snow and froze to death.
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Well, this was, so to speak, a lyrical form in which the story is presented. Now I can say more clearly about the logic of events. The group got self-destructed - all died as a result of an internal conflict. The trigger for the conflict in the tense atmosphere of the winter travel could be any domestic troubles that, under extremely harsh conditions, could provoke unmotivated rage and cruelty. There were two leaders in the group - the fact is obvious. Moreover, the youngest and most inexperienced was the official leader. The other - an adult, mentally crippled by the 5 years being in the war, a dark horse with an obscure past, well trained and strong - for how long would he obey to the inarticulate leadership of a snotty youngster?!
There was no homogeneity in the group, even now, it can be seen in full view - the team was raw and hardly operable. If they had prepared seriously, they would not have taken the girls, otherwise it is just turn to be a student skiing party, more entertaining than doing something really hard or serious.
Visible problems began when the pace of the group's progressing along the route unnecessarily slowed down. The group obviously suffered from a lack of time, they did not have enough space in their schedule to leave the route on time, they would have to hurry. But in reality everything turned out the other way - they lost two days for nothing.
On the last day, it was so strange decision – to spend the night in a so uncomfortable place in the middle of a slope ?! After all, in half an hour there was straight way to the forest below... The forest there is fire and no wind, and you can put up a tent normally, without hiding it in the snow to the roof.
There was not extremely cold that night - the footprints speak about this eloquently, how can no one see that?! Snow would not get compressed into columns in the frost, this can only happen under certain conditions - at an air temperature of about zero, when the top layer of snow had to warm up - the thaw lasted for several days.
The most difficult thing is to restore the chain of events of the climax of the situation - the last night and, possibly, the day that followed it, there are just few facts for this, there are not enough information. You can only think up, or conjecture. But even from the fragments, the picture is rather gloomy...
After the scandal in the tent, the group split up – some people decided to go down to spend the night in the forest - by the fire it was considered to be better than in the tent with the enemy. But the division of the group was not accepted by everybody - perhaps in order to make the renegades to return, those who remained in the tent did not allow to the others to put on their warm clothes and shoes – so to say – you can get frozen and return soon considering your behavior.
But they did not come back. They went to the forest and lit a fire. Behind the cedar tree, so that it was not visible from the tent up on the slope. A sentinel climbed up the cedar - to watch what was happening up there around the tent.
But the watch did not help - something unexpected happened anyway... Looks like those who stay in the tent were looking for something... Maybe it was the camera that they later found on Zolotarev’s neck... Now it’s impossible to find out. But, something was either found in the tent, or not found by those who remained there... And that fact provoke a blind rage which went down, destroying the tent with the knife, getting ready for doing the worst thing – as most obviously there was no way back.
What was going on at the cedar below is better not to think about, you can imagine something too terrible. Fight. Blinded by rage people, silent night taiga. Primal cruelty. Then - a belated revenge of the survivors, just as furious and ruthless - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
The finale of the story is sad - the three survivors, beaten, exhausted by the fight, are trying to return to the tent - they have no chances and means to start a fire again... The strongest one died the last - literally a few meters from the tent with food, alcohol and warm clothes.
A few more suggestive facts:
Never in a friendly team, an undressed girl will freeze to death next to a dressed shod man.
The flooring in the valley was built by those who had no illusions about returning to the tent - they knew that it was destroyed... perhaps they destroyed it by themselves.
There were no traces left of the three people that tried to return to the tent due to the fact that it got colder and the snow was no longer compressible. This unexpected and (possibly) severe cold was the final cause of the death of the entire group.
The Soviet authorities put the secrecy on the case not for political reasons - if there was a high interest in the hiding this story, there would be no problems to do this - it would not cost the authorities anything to issue an official truth-like false version that would put an end to all the vague rumors.
Apparently, the case was hushed down by the local authorities, who got into their hands some facts that reveal the very unpleasant circumstances that, like dirty linen from the hut as Russian proverb says, should not been taken out. The case was closed up and put into the secret shelf for moral and ethical reasons. In order not to discredit the image of a Soviet citizen and Communist party with this story.
Here is just a version. Simple and most likely final. Ugly. Understandable. With no mysticism.
May them rest in peace.
The author of the text is Alex Trubachev,
Photographs are from the archive of films found in the belongings of the deceased group
MCS EDIT 2023