The criminal investigation passed through a number of men in a short period of time. It begs the question: Did one of them (or more than one) know what happened to the Dyatlov group? Was he replaced because he was close or had the answer? Is this conclusive proof of a cover up?
Here's how the investigation proceeded in an interview given by Okishev, who participated in the investigation from beginning to end. The criminal investigation was first handled by Tempalov, the Ivdel prosecutor. He was assisted in the investigation by another man from the Ivdel prosecutor's office named Korotaev. What did these two men uncover? They were soon replaced by Sverdlovsk Oblast prosecutor, Ivanov. Tempalov was actually questioned as part of the criminal investigation. And Korotaev and what he might have found aren't even mentioned in the case file. Then the investigation passed to Sverdlovsk Oblast Public Prosecutor, Klinov. It again raises the question had Ivanov found out too much? Okishev mentions that he had never heard of a prosecutor being present at any autopsies, as Klinov was present at each of the Dyatlov group autopsies. The criminal investigation at last was taken over by Urakov, the Deputy Federal Prosecutor for Investigations. He was from Moscow and certainly had the power to order a cover up. He also made the decision to close the case in May. Was he following orders from the KGB or the supreme power, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union?
Does all this point to a cover up of a military blunder, an exploded missile, for example? At this time in 1959 there was a Test Ban Treaty in place that prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons by the US, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, although it's highly unlikely that any of these countries paid much attention to it. Or does it hint at involvement by the KGB from the beginning?
All of this strongly suggests a state cover up. The crucial question is, of course, what was being covered up?
The criminal investigation passed through a number of men in a short period of time. It begs the question: Did one of them (or more than one) know what happened to the Dyatlov group? Was he replaced because he was close or had the answer? Is this conclusive proof of a cover up?Good post, sums it up very well. Imo Okishev's interview is a key facet of the mystery stating the degree of state involvement. What's interesting is that this seems to continue to the present day, a reopened investigaton with a ridiculously limited scope followed by an equally ridiculous conclusion.
Here's how the investigation proceeded in an interview given by Okishev, who participated in the investigation from beginning to end. The criminal investigation was first handled by Tempalov, the Ivdel prosecutor. He was assisted in the investigation by another man from the Ivdel prosecutor's office named Korotaev. What did these two men uncover? They were soon replaced by Sverdlovsk Oblast prosecutor, Ivanov. Tempalov was actually questioned as part of the criminal investigation. And Korotaev and what he might have found aren't even mentioned in the case file. Then the investigation passed to Sverdlovsk Oblast Public Prosecutor, Klinov. It again raises the question had Ivanov found out too much? Okishev mentions that he had never heard of a prosecutor being present at any autopsies, as Klinov was present at each of the Dyatlov group autopsies. The criminal investigation at last was taken over by Urakov, the Deputy Federal Prosecutor for Investigations. He was from Moscow and certainly had the power to order a cover up. He also made the decision to close the case in May. Was he following orders from the KGB or the supreme power, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union?
Does all this point to a cover up of a military blunder, an exploded missile, for example? At this time in 1959 there was a Test Ban Treaty in place that prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons by the US, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, although it's highly unlikely that any of these countries paid much attention to it. Or does it hint at involvement by the KGB from the beginning?
All of this strongly suggests a state cover up. The crucial question is, of course, what was being covered up?
I think that without solid proof we will not discover what happened. I think based 9n the available information that something unusual happened. The behaviour of the hikers seems strange. The way they left the tent and why the cuts were made, and how the cuts were made. Its bizarre. Infrasound? A massive dose of radiation? Poisoning? Drugs? Toxic chemical? It seems to me that tge cold wasn't the only thing that they hsd to deal with.
Regards
Star man
Investigator, Your point is well taken. And believe me, I've tried to make sense of reasonable explanations. I began with an avalanche scenario. Maybe they felt an earthquake and feared it would cause an avalanche. Maybe they heard an avalanche several miles away and with the wind and the sound echoing among the mountains, they thought it was much closer. Although there was no actual avalanche, maybe they thought one was happening. But as they fled the tent and started down the slope, wouldn't at least one of them turn around and see that there was no avalanche. Even if they believed they saw one approaching, why would they walk in the same direction as the avalanche? Wouldn't they turn 90 degrees and walk along the side of the slope out of the direction of the avalanche. Maybe a gale-force wind suddenly happened, the tent flapping wildly. But as long as the tent was standing, why not take time to put on your shoes, coat, gloves and hat? And if they fled the tent with the wind blowing, let's say 60 mph, wouldn't the wind chill be approaching minus 100°F. Surely, they would have frozen to death before they even reached the woods. I can't make the most reasonable explanations work.
Ivanov, who in an interview many years later, did believe that some of the last photos and eyewitness accounts pointed to fireballs in the sky, which he felt could have some intelligent force controlling them. But the first to investigate was Tempalov, the Ivdel prosecutor, and Korotaev, an investigator from the prosecutor's office. For at least a few days, these men had the best look at a scene that hadn't been disturbed. Perhaps they found the answer to the mystery. Of course, we'll never know. But it strikes me as strange that the were both pulled from the case and that there is no "official" record of all they might have found. Just my opinion and nothing more.
Star man, Yes, it's possible that the KGB or Soviet military caused the Dyatlov group's death. Maybe they saw something that they weren't supposed to see. Maybe espionage explains it all. I don't know. However, it is one explanation for the cover up.
Another interesting question is - "if there was clearly a cover up, then why is it so obvious? Why wasn't it done better?". If state personnel were on site before the search party surely the bodies, tent etc would have simply been disposed of never to be found?Yes! This is what I keep coming back to. Everything points to a coverup; but that fact in itself is suspicious. It's almost as though they aren't entirely sure what they are trying to cover up, or why, or how. (The old joke when two conspirators give themselves away by telling different lies because they are in such a hurry to explain away suspicious evidence.) It's too uneven and disorganized.
Theory 1 :-
They (the state) didn't know they'd killed them until Tempalov's investigation was underway. Then it was in the public domain and known to highly connected people like YuriK's father (construction manager of power stations and carried the personal approval of Stalin). So the only choice was to take control of the public domain and use it's resources to locate the last four bodies as defection of workers at sensitive installations would have concerned them. On their discovery it was then closed (with extreme prejudice - seems like Ivanov was read the riot act, Urakov travelling from Moscow).
Theory 2 :-Whatever actually happened was unknown to the state but it had a (big) problem with Ivanov connecting the deaths with "lights in the sky" from many witnesses who seem to have seen rocket testing (Feb17, Mar31). So he was read the riot act fairly early into the saga and became "a changed man". Once all the bodies were found then the case was shutdown with the authority of Urakov in person. How they died was a trivial matter, what mattered was national security. In this theory the cover up is a red herring.
But, again, why the continuing smokescreen? Maybe I just have a suspicious nature, or maybe it's due to difficulties of translating, but several interviews/quotes of people near the event (Bienko, Ivanov, et.al.) feel evasive to me. Too much explaining of questions that weren't asked, and ignoring of other explicit questions.Yes i'd agree that many of the interviews seem strange. Ivanov's commitment to fireorbs for instance. Not a jot of self doubt or balance from a professional investigator.
I am convinced that someone knows the truth. But we are talking about the year 1959. Soviet Union. Everything that the public should not notice was covered up. Regardless of whether it was a reactor accident or a missile accident. The Soviet Union was riddled with political officers and KGB men. And I'm also sure that there are other documents on this case there are under lock and key. The latest investigations by the public prosecutor's office show once again that today's state has no interest in solving this case.
The avalanche? neg1
The circumstantial evidence for a military presence is reasonably strong.
Unless you believe in alien spacecraft, or ball lightning, the orange orbs seen hovering in the night sky, lasting from seconds to minutes, could be helicopter/s, where a search light appears orange at distance, or amber lamps were deployed for higher contrast in snow, as with car headlamps in alpine regions. Rotor noise would not be heard by witnesses at distance.
Mention is made of swirl marks seen in the snow near the tent, which could be caused by the downdraft from the rotors.
The subject of Alien Spacecraft will cause a strong reaction for obvious reasons, but it still needs to be considered. Its not just a big World, its a big Universe and beyond. Aircraft engines and indeed those of an Helicopter can sometimes be heard for many miles. The Swirl Marks may be a phenomenom similar to the Crop Circle phenomenom. Alien Spacecraft would be a phenomenom.
It seems this discussion is veering off course. The first question is – do you believe there was a cover up or not?
I was reading about Direct Energy Weapons and found this bit interesting:
In terms of immediate effects, lasers can produce anything from a glare or slight warming of the skin to blindness and severe skin burns. Pulsed high-power lasers can produce plasma in front of a target, which then creates a blast wave with subsequent blunt trauma.
is it possible that the injuries were caused by some futuristic type weapon? could that explain the lack of damage to the skin and the radiation on the clothing? And who would have had access to such weapons?
It is important to consider the implications of this. There would be no need to cover up, if it were an accident.
There was a cover up - that is what we can say with absolute certainty.
It is important to consider the implications of this. There would be no need to cover up, if it were an accident.
Reply #27
..............
There was a cover up - that is what we can say with absolute certainty.
It is important to consider the implications of this. There would be no need to cover up, if it were an accident.