Dyatlov Pass Forum
Theories Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: farelaurent on February 09, 2026, 08:41:13 AM
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I worked on the photo of the lights taken by the group
I wanted to bring out details
There is a light that has an octagonal shape
By increasing the contrast of the lights that appear on the left, when looking at it and stepping back, it looks like a face.
My name is Farel Laurent, I live in France in a city called Longwy.
(https://i.ibb.co/mrwwMgMf/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zWYY0D0q)
(https://i.ibb.co/KpQ1kZSX/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xtc40vdD)
(https://i.ibb.co/VpmLJhbz/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/84cmNRGf)
(https://i.ibb.co/R4SrvwKh/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1mod2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TqTjv3GK)
(https://i.ibb.co/PvZKZRKZ/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1mod3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ksgjgpjg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VcnP02T5/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9kKCmsWS)
(https://i.ibb.co/LXswcJHf/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/67qhT1L5)
(https://i.ibb.co/TDRJwfWj/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZRKvfj24)
(https://i.ibb.co/hFntB2Cc/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod7.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F4fj58nX)
(https://i.ibb.co/KBb6WKJ/m1.png) (https://ibb.co/2RWqdZT)
(https://i.ibb.co/39qBrSKV/poly2.png) (https://ibb.co/cSHDg2qR)
(https://i.ibb.co/nsFpSNzZ/poly3.png) (https://ibb.co/KjJnHpFR)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZzkPYgCM/polygone.png) (https://ibb.co/WvYwPz12)
(https://i.ibb.co/xZsC7n5/popo.png) (https://ibb.co/KnG0rty)
(https://i.ibb.co/Z1F6H3Zc/a1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3YjyfwJS)
(https://i.ibb.co/twH7L6TL/visage-1.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/TBTkfD7k/visage-2.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/KjmKwSdD/visage.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/5Wx1JSKT/visage3.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
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You applied digital filters and the like to a picture. Things like your octagonal shape are what happen then. When looking at the eighth and ninth of your pictures, I'm sure I can make out a CD. Does that mean, it's all about some storage medium from the future?
What do you suggest, that shape means?
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If you look at the original photo that the group took in zoom, you will also see this octagonal shape.
The photo is stored on my computer. The original photo appears as the second photo.
I didn't modify anything, I just applied color and sharpened the photo, that's all. The octagonal shape appears on the original, so it's not due to my filters.
It's either a man-made device, an extraterrestrial device, or a hoax.
It is impossible to answer this question; I do not believe in the avalanche theory or the theory of a tree falling on the tent
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Sure it's in there. I take it for lens flare.
(By the way, not to be rude, but because I found it cute and I myself like people pointing out things like that for me: The last word you mean is "tent". "aunt" is a parents sister. I believe in french it's le tente and la tante?)
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It's explained in here.
https://dyatlovpass.com/frame-34
The octagon shape is the middle of the lens. The lens is said to be Industar-22. I believe it's a fact that it's known that the lens is not fully extended. It this that causes the blurring . If you look at the pictures of the lens you can see the reflection of light on the glass and the 8 sided shape.
Frame 34 was the last picture taken in the camera and is the end of the film before you have to wind it back. As I understand it , this camera was found in the tent and is definitely not Zolo's camera as we know the photos that came before frame 34.
The link explains the most likely scenario.
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Yes, I had thought of that, but what do you think these lights are?
There are also testimonies from people who saw a luminous orb at the group's campsite.
Sorry for my very bad English
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Looking at the light on the left with a trail suggests an object moving downwards towards the ground
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It could be any source of light. A light bulb , a window etc. the light segments could be the window pains and the brighter big blur a reflection, it could be anything.
I think the context of this camera being stowed or packed when it was found suggests it wasn't used for any last minute photo of something mysterious. I would need to check the case files as I think one camera was attached to a tripod when found.
The story of a luminous orb seen at the campsite is a bit of a myth I think.
Lights were seen in the sky with rings etc but what direction , when and at what distance varies. Some were viewed from far away, 100km perhaps or more but that doesn't mean the orbs or lights weren't 200km away or less at 50km.
The description and one of the dates seems to match the launch of a space rocket or missile . There's a thread with videos of what was probably seen by these various observer's. It's to do with sunrise and the shadow of the earth, when the rocket gets to certain height or altitude, gases can be seen and depending on the rocket , various stages might be detached. They cause rings around the burning rocket stage for example .
Many lights were observed in the sky over the Urals before and after the dyatlov pass . It's the same all over the world. At any day of the week you would probably get people reporting lights in the sky. In ww2 I'm sure people saw the V2 and doodlebug and wondered what they were?.
If you Google or look on YouTube for space x launches you will see the drama that unfolded as the citizens didn't know what they were seeing, that was a couple of years ago.
The last photo is probably the last shot being taken so the film can be wound back. If I remember correctly, sometimes you would get a couple of extra shots on the film, some times bang on. Old cameras are a bit like a bolt action rifle, you have to wind ( load ) the film before you can take a photo( shot) . The camera may have been primed to take a shot and the searchers that were to develop the film just pressed the button and it took a random shot. We can see this in the link I supplied at the very bottom.
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I am now convinced that the octagonal shape is due to the aperture of the diaphragm, but this still does not explain the lights.
There is necessarily an explanation for the observed phenomenon. This explanation may be of natural origin or, more exceptionally, related to a phenomenon that is not yet understood.
Science prioritizes natural hypotheses, not by rejecting the supernatural, but because they are testable, reproducible, and falsifiable. This does not mean that other forms of explanation are impossible, only that they cannot be validated without measurable evidence.
The human mind is indeed structured to seek rational causes, as this framework allows for the construction of coherent and predictive models of reality. However, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
The hypothesis of life in another universe, endowed with an intelligence superior to ours, cannot be dismissed a priori. As long as no experimental data allows a definitive conclusion, this hypothesis remains speculative but logically acceptable, just like any other unproven explanation.
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It certainly doesn't mean I'm correct but there's probably more evidence or stronger argument for alien life in other incidents around the world.
The lights on or in the photograph represent light going through the lens at the time the shutter was open. The lens is not fully extended. That's about all we can conclude. Perhaps the shot was taken as the camera was being put back in it's case?
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I am not saying that you are right, nor that I am right.
We are caught up in this affair, and we simply want the real truth, not speculation.
But to obtain that real truth, we would need many elements that we no longer have.
Therefore, this affair will remain in the shadows forever.
I think of those young men and women who set out in search of an exceptional adventure,
which tragically ended in death.
May they rest in peace.
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I've just tried to verify, whose camera was the one on the tripod, for I completely forgot about the tripod. Tripods are used to steady the camera and therefor usually when taking night photos.
The case files state, that a camera was found on a tripod. It has a number, no owner. But it says, that 34 photos were taken, if I understand correctly. Please verify: https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-3-6?rbid=17743 (Sheet 5)
The only film with 34 photos belonged to Krivonischenko's camera. This is the film with that ominous 34th picture.
I don't know that model of camera, but I know old cameras. The ones I used in my childhood didn't easily take photos when placed back in their cases. A camera mounted to a tripod and laid somewhere in a tent, may very well, however. Especially when things get shifted, due to reasons.
Did anyone ever think about the possibility that that picture shows either the interior of the tent with some light source like a flashlight? I don't think there's a real mystery to that picture other than us wanting to know more details. But that's my gut feeling, not a proof.
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Thank you so much, dear friends, for this information. I'm going to go and look into it.
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The night is calm.
They are lying inside the tent, asleep.
Suddenly, a massive noise tears through the silence.
They wake up in shock.
The fabric of the tent trembles.
One of them cuts a hole in the tent and looks through the opening.
He takes a photograph.
Outside, something shines. A powerful, unreal light.
They shout to wake the others.
Fear takes hold of them.
They do not try to understand.
They all flee together, running,
leaving their belongings behind,
abandoning the tent,
vanishing into the frozen night,
without even taking the time to put on their shoes.
The mountain watches.
Silence returns.
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I've just tried to verify, whose camera was the one on the tripod, for I completely forgot about the tripod. Tripods are used to steady the camera and therefor usually when taking night photos.
The case files state, that a camera was found on a tripod. It has a number, no owner. But it says, that 34 photos were taken, if I understand correctly. Please verify: https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-3-6?rbid=17743 (Sheet 5)
The only film with 34 photos belonged to Krivonischenko's camera. This is the film with that ominous 34th picture.
I don't know that model of camera, but I know old cameras. The ones I used in my childhood didn't easily take photos when placed back in their cases. A camera mounted to a tripod and laid somewhere in a tent, may very well, however. Especially when things get shifted, due to reasons.
Did anyone ever think about the possibility that that picture shows either the interior of the tent with some light source like a flashlight? I don't think there's a real mystery to that picture other than us wanting to know more details. But that's my gut feeling, not a proof.
Thanks Missi. It was possibly mounted on the tripod for the two previous frames . When I say it might have been taken when being pushed back in it's case , I mean in its case or being packed anywhere ( I think the leather cases fold off the front ), just a fumbling accident with gloves or whatever. It would all depend if the film had been wound on for the next shot.
I suspect the tripod would be a miniature small one . It would be slightly impractical to mount the tripod for just one shot . I would think one would rewind the the film first , load new film , then attach the tripod for the subject matter, so this makes me think it was already attached.
I've mentioned this before and I'm sure one of the Yuri's was known to build miniature rockets or fireworks. I had considered that they had brought rockets or materials to build one and the plan was to take a night photo with the aid of the tripod and perhaps produce it in honour of the party. My thinking tied in a few things, the photo, lyundas bad mood that would be over in a couple of days , burns from the rocket going wrong and the cutting of the tent to get rid of the failed rocket . Perhaps chemicals released that affected breathing and the eyes. Obviously that theory has as many holes as the tent .....
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Yes, I do think as well, that the tripod was mounted for the previous pictures. Taking into account, that it seems to be very windy and snowy, that would make sense. Other than that, I could imagine that they wanted to take nightly pictures and didn't realize the film was already done (or almost done). And depending on the model of the camera, that did happen. At least it did to me...
I'm not sure about the rocketbuilding. I doubt that some kind of selfbuilt rocket would lead to burns like documented. I doubt, that they would cut the tent for disposing of it. That doesn't convince me. But again, that's a feeling, no proof.
Plus: Wouldn't chemicals or rests of rockets have been found?
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Yes, I do think as well, that the tripod was mounted for the previous pictures. Taking into account, that it seems to be very windy and snowy, that would make sense. Other than that, I could imagine that they wanted to take nightly pictures and didn't realize the film was already done (or almost done). And depending on the model of the camera, that did happen. At least it did to me...
I'm not sure about the rocketbuilding. I doubt that some kind of selfbuilt rocket would lead to burns like documented. I doubt, that they would cut the tent for disposing of it. That doesn't convince me. But again, that's a feeling, no proof.
Plus: Wouldn't chemicals or rests of rockets have been found?
I think the tripod would be used for low light too. The last 2 alleged photos of the tent trench may have used the tripod. My thinking again would be the low light at 5pm but I would also expect to see a bit more motion blur from moving arms and skis. Well we know one of the cameras was mounted to a tripod.
Yeah, the the rocket firework thing only fits a part of the puzzle but I was thinking along the lines of instead of the emergency of getting themselves out of the tent , it might be to get something out and firework chemicals could have ignited . There has been talk of perhaps old film igniting . Obviously it doesn't answer broken ribs or not taking more clothing etc.
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As I mentioned above, we can be pretty sure that this exact camera was mounted to the tripod, because the case files tell us, that the camera mounted to the tripod had 34 pictures taken and this is the only one with as many pictures on the film.
But whatever would have been used as chemicals for a rocket must have been brought on site somehow. Usually you place things like chemicals into boxes or glasses or whatnot. So those must have disappeared or they would have been found. And I would believe, they could have detected chemicals back then. So why no mention of anything like that?
Yes, I know, there are omissions in the files and many mistakes were made. It doesn't feel right...
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As I mentioned above, we can be pretty sure that this exact camera was mounted to the tripod, because the case files tell us, that the camera mounted to the tripod had 34 pictures taken and this is the only one with as many pictures on the film.
But whatever would have been used as chemicals for a rocket must have been brought on site somehow. Usually you place things like chemicals into boxes or glasses or whatnot. So those must have disappeared or they would have been found. And I would believe, they could have detected chemicals back then. So why no mention of anything like that?
Yes, I know, there are omissions in the files and many mistakes were made. It doesn't feel right...
No problem. I'm just juggling previous thoughts in case someone else thinks of something. Oddly enough, I ended up finding out that camera lenses were radioactive as they used thorium in manufacturing. These seem to be used in the west though and not the soviet union and we're stopped in the 70's. It's not even the same type of radiation but interesting none the the less.
I'm all for process of elimination.
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Regarding the flares and the tripod, in everything I have read, no one mentions flares. And in all the photos I have seen, I do not see the hikers with a camera tripod. Show me the article where they talk about pyrotechnic flares.
Do you think they had the time to bring flares to celebrate? Moreover, the expedition was level 3, the highest level. And regarding the tripod, I don’t think they would have burdened themselves with extra weight when their backpacks were already very heavy. I do not believe that at all.
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The fireworks were just an idea. There's nothing that really points to that direction.
As for the tripod: It is mentioned in the lists of what was found. If the hikers didn't bring the tripod it is a sign for manipulation by a third party. But I can believe that someone really into photography brought a tripod for better photos of nighttime. I know my father carried one across Amsterdam just to be able to take clear photos of the lights in the dark. I'll admit that was about 50 years later and there might have been lighter and more "foldable" models by then.
And although the expedition was a level 3 one, they were young people. They did things one would not expect on a journey like that. I've always wondered about the story at the train station. To me, that seemed reckless. But they did it, nevertheless. They even took a mandolin. So I guess, whatever they thought might be fun or worth investigating in, they took. Fireworks wouldn't be that far off. But again, as of now, I never saw anything pointing to that direction.
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Regarding the flares and the tripod, in everything I have read, no one mentions flares. And in all the photos I have seen, I do not see the hikers with a camera tripod. Show me the article where they talk about pyrotechnic flares.
Do you think they had the time to bring flares to celebrate? Moreover, the expedition was level 3, the highest level. And regarding the tripod, I don’t think they would have burdened themselves with extra weight when their backpacks were already very heavy. I do not believe that at all.
Dear farelaurent,
It is good to be flexible with thoughts about the dyatlov pass. It is surrounded and littered with made up claims.
The hikers had a tripod and was most likely a small telescopic one so relax. The level 3 just means more than 2 . To take flares is also reasonable. You wished for the reason for the light on the photo , I have given you three. Accidentally being taken by the hikers , accidentally or purposely taken by the searchers to finish the film so they can start developing the film or a photo of a flare / home made rocket.
Which or what you choose is up to you , you may have wanted me to say that it was the shuttle ship , #+821BS, from the intergalactic honorary quadrant collective carrier ship. The shuttle ships were known to have problems with the exhaust manifold when dealing with plasma fuel.
This was known within the government of the planet called ,"Some fantastic true idea", responsible for their contribution of shuttle manufacturing as they had previously been outsourcing the jobs to the planet Jogxico . Due to poor understanding of the economic models and cost cutting the defect was never rectified .
When they arrived at earth the shuttle was doing its usual exploration of a planet when the exhaust manifold started to play up causing it to lose altitude in the earths atmosphere. The lights observed by the witnesses and photos taken by the hikers are the plasma coming out of the shuttle. The shuttle bounced twice off the slope of 1079 but the SOP were followed which instructed the use of gaffar tape to be used in such an emergency . The crew , having wound the tape twice around the leak successfully regained altitude and managed to return to the mother ship.
Unfortunately, no evidence was left.
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Yes, indeed, you are right about the tripod; I have just seen it in the list of recovered items. However, regarding the fireworks, I think we should drop this theory: they do not appear in the list of the recovered items
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Attached is the document containing the list of valuable items removed from the tent of the missing Dyatlov group and presented by members of our search unit. The attached protocol lists the following items:
“Sharp” camera with a tripod and a broken light filter. Camera No. 488797. 34 photographs taken.
“Sharp” camera No. 486963. 27 photographs taken. Deep scratches on the body. The strap is torn.
“Sharp” camera No. 55149239. 27 photographs taken.
Hand compass.
Train and bus tickets.
Field bag.
Electric flashlight.
Two boxes containing wires, etc.
Diary belonging to Slobodin.
Sheet 6
Money and a letter from the Trade Department of the City Executive Committee.
Money in the amount of nine hundred seventy-five rubles.
Diary of Kolmogorova. Last entry dated January 30.
Routing Commission protocol.
Letter in the name of Dyatlov.
Route logbook No. 5, in three copies.
Sealed container containing 10 rolls of film, one roll of photographic film, and money in the amount of seven hundred rubles.
Assignment of Tomerip in the name of Dyatlov.
Maps, tracing paper, and photocopies (9 items).
Expedition plan.
(May be read as “11” – editor’s note.) Cover letter from the Institute’s Trade Union.
Passport in the name of Dyatlov.
Ivdel Jr. Attorney, Legal Advisor Judge Tempalov
Signature: /Tempalov/
Head of the Search Team E. Maslennikov
Signature: /Maslennikov/
Witnesses:
Signature: /Yarovoy/
Signature: /Slobtsov/
Signature: /Kurikov/
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By increasing the contrast of the lights that appear on the left, when looking at it and stepping back, it looks like a face.
(https://i.ibb.co/twH7L6TL/visage-1.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/TBTkfD7k/visage-2.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/5Wx1JSKT/visage3.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
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Pareidolia
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or the killer's head grin1
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(https://i.ibb.co/4gS3x698/visage3.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
Long time, no sea! shock1 shock1
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(http://) bow7 lol2
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(https://i.ibb.co/4gS3x698/visage3.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
Long time, no sea! shock1 shock1
lol2
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dance1
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During a future expedition to the pass, it would be necessary to bring a drone equipped with a thermal camera in order to conduct reconnaissance and map the terrain.
Additionally, carbon-14 analysis should be carried out on the ground, along with DNA sampling on certain discovered elements.
A live-streaming camera should also be installed to record everything happening at the pass. This would make it possible to identify whether lights appear at times in the area of the pass.
Radiocarbon dating, also known as carbon-14 dating or residual carbon-14 counting, is a radiometric dating method based on measuring the radioactive activity of carbon-14 contained in organic matter whose absolute age is to be determined — that is, the time elapsed since the death of the organism (animal or plant) from which it originates.
The range of application of this method corresponds to absolute ages from a few hundred years up to a maximum of about 50,000 years. The application of this method to ancient events, particularly those older than 6,000 years (prehistoric period), has made it possible to date them much more precisely than before. It has therefore brought significant progress to archaeology and paleontology.
(https://i.ibb.co/Xfm8LSrs/Dyatlov-pass-in-color-by-Lollipop-12-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vC2YqZ6P)
(https://i.ibb.co/q3C7hSh9/B-01.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ksJ5z7z0)
(https://i.ibb.co/gFjDgrrt/B-02.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Pzm5Crr1)
(https://i.ibb.co/jkHM98G2/B-03.jpg) (https://ibb.co/m5SqrRtw)
(https://i.ibb.co/W9v3JwD/Dyatlov-pass-colorized-by-Timur-Gumarov-03-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0NyXbSB)
(https://i.ibb.co/W8JvwNT/Dyatlov-pass-expedition-2022-063.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sxY9GpB)
(https://i.ibb.co/0NXQ3Wc/Dyatlov-pass-in-color-by-Lollipop-07-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FvWntfK)
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What do you want the thermal map for?
Why do you want the ground to be investigated for its age?
Which items do you want to have analysed for DNA?
A camera would be interesting, though it would only verify if there are lights today, not if there were back then. It's a step to plausibility though. I just think it's be difficult because of the harsh environment. And I don't know what the laws in Russia say about random cameras. It would be difficult in Germany, I think.
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Thermal imaging technology enables the detection of objects that emit heat, a capability beyond the limits of human vision. It is possible that physical evidence remains at the site but has not yet been identified. An aerial survey of the area would provide valuable insight into the environmental challenges the group may have faced. Furthermore, it would allow for precise mapping of the terrain, contributing to a more rigorous evaluation of the existing theories.
Rather than studying the age of the soil, my focus would be on dendrochronological analysis — specifically determining the age of certain trees. Establishing when the cedar tree died and fell could be crucial. If the exact date were determined, it could either support or refute the hypothesis that the cedar tree collapsed onto the tent.
In terms of forensic analysis, any objects dating from that period could potentially undergo DNA testing to identify traces of human or animal genetic material, or even unknown biological markers. In France, cold cases involving murders committed more than fifty years ago have been successfully solved through advances in forensic science, with perpetrators identified decades later.
If the objective is to establish the truth, all available scientific methods should be employed, taking full advantage of technological progress. I have also considered the use of artificial intelligence: by inputting all verified data into a structured analytical model, AI systems could assist in identifying inconsistencies, testing hypotheses, and generating plausible reconstructions of the events that may have occurred that night.
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Well, I'd suspect, that items not found by now won't be big enough, that their difference in temperature would register on a thermo camera. I don't know though. Do you have detailed information? Also you'd have to fly the drone carrying it beneath the trees, firstly because the area changed since then and secondly because to be sure they were not in the forest, but actually camping on the slope, you'd have to verify what could be found there.
A precise mapping would be helpful, but wasn't the area scanned by drones during summer already?
The age of the fallen trees in the area could be helpful, indeed.
In order to analyse DNA, you first need to find some. Many items have been handled by many people since they were found. You still could look whether traces of DNA can be found. But I'd suspect it'd be expensive and won't yield helpful results. If you find traces you can analyse, they will most likely originate from A one of the hikers, B one of the searchers, C one of the handling scientists, forensics or whoever was involved. You probably won't find DNA traces of all of those people to verify. And even if you could and you would find some other traces, you still wouldn't know who left those traces in the first place. It'd be a little like finding traces of Jack the Ripper. Who would you want to test the traces against?
And I really doubt that most AI, especially those we can get our hands on, are evolved enough to help out with an authoritative result.
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I am simply proposing possible avenues of investigation to the relevant authorities. I am not an investigator.
Regarding artificial intelligence, it can indeed provide significant support in analyzing data that has already been collected and in comparing it with other information in order to detect potential inconsistencies. It can also help reconstruct an event based on the data integrated into its analytical system.
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A dendrological analysis has been done with bore samples in the past. Teddy comissioned them. With regard to artificial intelligence, well, it is! AI is just summarizing what is already known and/or speculated. What we hope for is some emergent revelation which has defied our best sleuthing. It would be the a ha moment.
At the very root of all these investigative threads is the realization that knowing the " how" of anything does not explain the " why" of it.Further, we are vexed because for the " how" of things, there is more than one explanation. At the most fundamental level, it reduces to something caused by an indifferent Nature versus distinctly interested humans ( read conspiracy buffs).
The fundamental question is and has always been quite simple, " Why did they leave the tent?" All else proceeds from that answer.
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I agree with what you said regarding the analyses that have already been carried out.
Why did they leave their tent? Yes, that is the ultimate question, but it leads to several theories.
There is something for everyone: a killer, the KGB, a Yeti, extraterrestrials, the cedar tree falling onto the tent, an avalanche, a conspiracy theory, the indigenous people…
I only know one thing for sure: the group is the only one who truly knows what happened, and there is only one truth. But which one? That remains a mystery.
The most solid explanation remains a natural cause, probably related to a small avalanche or an unstable snow slab phenomenon.
On the night of February 1–2, 1959, the group led by Igor Dyatlov was camping on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl in the Ural Mountains. The weather conditions were extreme: strong winds, temperatures around –25 to –30°C, and reduced visibility.
Why leave the tent almost without clothing?
This suggests an urgent escape, perceived as an immediate threat. A snow slab beginning to give way, a dull rumble, pressure on the tent… This could have triggered a controlled panic response: they exited quickly, thinking they would return afterward.
Then hypothermia did the rest. At those temperatures, mental abilities decline rapidly. Some of the injuries found on the bodies may be consistent with falls into a snow-covered ravine.
Theories involving the KGB, a Yeti, extraterrestrials, or a conspiracy are fascinating — and humanly understandable. Our minds seek a cause proportional to the tragedy. But no solid evidence supports these extraordinary hypotheses.
What makes the case disturbing is not necessarily the supernatural. It is the combination of:
pitch-black night
extreme cold
total isolation
acute stress
decisions made within seconds
And under such conditions, even experienced hikers can make a fatal mistake.
There is only one truth, yes.
But it is possible that this truth is simpler — and more tragically human — than what our imagination would like to believe.
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I am simply proposing possible avenues of investigation to the relevant authorities. I am not an investigator.
Regarding artificial intelligence, it can indeed provide significant support in analyzing data that has already been collected and in comparing it with other information in order to detect potential inconsistencies. It can also help reconstruct an event based on the data integrated into its analytical system.
I think the relevant authorities looked at all avenues.plus the area is highly contaminated .
As for AI , it is extremely restricted for this purpose , there is no information for it to collate .
Teddy has had the tree tested and it seems it fell late 1958 to early 1959.
Dyatlov pass has been littered with tourists , young and old , by helicopter , quad bike , jeep , truck ,4x4 foot , ski , skidoo, in winter and summer. There's tourist packages to book if you like?
No one's taken a photo of orbs yet...
(https://i.ibb.co/Gf4RGqW5/Screenshot-20260213-140026-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/0pRr1xCG)
(https://i.ibb.co/DHC7h8Tq/Screenshot-20260213-135958-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/B5ZgbrF1)
(https://i.ibb.co/LXyVV9Tg/Screenshot-20260213-135801-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/Q3VyyYWH)
(https://i.ibb.co/sdwr2bqj/Screenshot-20260213-135809-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/MxVLsZ7n)
(https://i.ibb.co/6JNF0WSm/Screenshot-20260213-135732-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/jZHDkrYT)
(https://i.ibb.co/SXGQcN0W/Screenshot-20260213-135747-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/WWjD0nFq)
(https://i.ibb.co/ns7F1ZQx/Screenshot-20260213-135908-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/mC93y1hf)
(https://i.ibb.co/Css26F79/Screenshot-20260213-135919-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/Wppt01yz)
(https://i.ibb.co/6cBm31RH/Screenshot-20260213-135834-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/vCYH7Qx3)
(https://i.ibb.co/HTCFJSrM/Screenshot-20260213-135856-Maps-2.png) (https://ibb.co/Qvkb5g6q)
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Thank you for this information, my dear friend.
As for the expedition, I would have been interested, but for scientific purposes rather than tourism. The problem is that, given the current situation between European countries and Russia, it would be impossible for me to travel there.
The 19th package of sanctions, adopted by the EU on October 23, prohibits organizing or promoting tourist trips to the Russian Federation, whether individual or group stays. On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the Official Journal of the European Union published its 19th package of sanctions against Russia. Among these measures, European travel agencies may no longer organize or promote individual or group trips to the Russian Federation. Travel there is also formally discouraged by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Fines and prison sentences
“The sanctions concern both group and individual travel and also prohibit the advertising of these services as well as the work of tour guides assisting Russian tourists,” explains Pavlina Ilieva, president of the Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents “Union Future of Tourism,” in an interview with the online newspaper Sofia Sega.
In Saint Petersburg, French-speaking guide Anouar Tuiek, 35, has observed a significant decline in international clientele.
“Unfortunately, we almost no longer have French-speaking tourists coming to visit our country,” he explains.
According to him, French tourists are now being replaced by a few visitors from Algeria or Tunisia, but this new flow remains very limited.
“French travel agencies no longer work with Russia. It’s complicated in terms of flights and payments. There are still individual travelers who find guides without going through agencies.”
Faced with the drop in clientele, some tour guides have turned their activity into a simple hobby, while others have left the profession altogether.
(https://i.ibb.co/MyBPmzD4/test2.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
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The images put me in mind of something closer to home.It is the James Dean memorial at Cholame, California. James Dean a rising young movie star captured the spirit of youthful rebellion in the 1950's. He was driving a low slung Porche Spyder race car when an oncoming vehicle crossed in front of him on a country highway. Where he crashed and died was actually a distance away from where a memorial was erected. That road has recently been reworked so as to make the crash site a patch of ground out in the country behind a fence with no markers. In a similar vein, Boot Rock has become the de facto shrine standing in for the last camp of the hikers. The tent location too, is subject to debate.
We are human and we need and value symbols.
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I worked on the photo of the lights taken by the group
I wanted to bring out details
There is a light that has an octagonal shape
By increasing the contrast of the lights that appear on the left, when looking at it and stepping back, it looks like a face.
My name is Farel Laurent, I live in France in a city called Longwy.
(https://i.ibb.co/mrwwMgMf/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zWYY0D0q)
(https://i.ibb.co/KpQ1kZSX/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xtc40vdD)
(https://i.ibb.co/VpmLJhbz/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/84cmNRGf)
(https://i.ibb.co/R4SrvwKh/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1mod2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TqTjv3GK)
(https://i.ibb.co/PvZKZRKZ/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod1mod3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ksgjgpjg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VcnP02T5/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9kKCmsWS)
(https://i.ibb.co/LXswcJHf/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/67qhT1L5)
(https://i.ibb.co/TDRJwfWj/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZRKvfj24)
(https://i.ibb.co/hFntB2Cc/Krivonischenko-camera-film1-34mod7.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F4fj58nX)
(https://i.ibb.co/KBb6WKJ/m1.png) (https://ibb.co/2RWqdZT)
(https://i.ibb.co/39qBrSKV/poly2.png) (https://ibb.co/cSHDg2qR)
(https://i.ibb.co/nsFpSNzZ/poly3.png) (https://ibb.co/KjJnHpFR)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZzkPYgCM/polygone.png) (https://ibb.co/WvYwPz12)
(https://i.ibb.co/xZsC7n5/popo.png) (https://ibb.co/KnG0rty)
(https://i.ibb.co/Z1F6H3Zc/a1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3YjyfwJS)
(https://i.ibb.co/twH7L6TL/visage-1.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/TBTkfD7k/visage-2.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/KjmKwSdD/visage.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/5Wx1JSKT/visage3.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
Well, it's interesting. It looks like a Yeti-type face. Of course, that could be because we see in it that type of face.
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Yes, I had thought of that, but what do you think these lights are?
There are also testimonies from people who saw a luminous orb at the group's campsite.
Sorry for my very bad English
We need to know if anyone saw orbs of light at the tent site at the actual time of the incident.
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I am not saying that you are right, nor that I am right.
We are caught up in this affair, and we simply want the real truth, not speculation.
But to obtain that real truth, we would need many elements that we no longer have.
Therefore, this affair will remain in the shadows forever.
I think of those young men and women who set out in search of an exceptional adventure,
which tragically ended in death.
May they rest in peace.
Obviously, we need every bit of evidence we can get. We continue to analyse what little we have to go on. But it should be noted that lots of things have cropped up since the fall of the USSR. More may yet crop up.
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The night is calm.
They are lying inside the tent, asleep.
Suddenly, a massive noise tears through the silence.
They wake up in shock.
The fabric of the tent trembles.
One of them cuts a hole in the tent and looks through the opening.
He takes a photograph.
Outside, something shines. A powerful, unreal light.
They shout to wake the others.
Fear takes hold of them.
They do not try to understand.
They all flee together, running,
leaving their belongings behind,
abandoning the tent,
vanishing into the frozen night,
without even taking the time to put on their shoes.
The mountain watches.
Silence returns.
I think if they were awakened or alerted to such a noise, they would first of all look out from the entrance to their tent, not cut it.
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My doggerel,
Inside the tent, at night they will lay
to rest from their efforts expended that day.
A meal not so hot, a blanket quite cold
They talk about love and Symphony in Gold.
Did they write in secret or record words spoken
to make a combat leaflet called the Evening Ortoten?
To bed they turn, its dark and its late,
Except for two who must urinate.
Now, snuggled and cozy in some state of undress,
They hear the wind rise, but try to get rest.
A ridge of show piles up near the tent,
to strain what's below and cause an event.
It slips all at once with devilish ease,
those caught inside inside find it harder to breathe.
"Out!", comes commands and shiny knife blades
for cutting away canvas, there's lives to save.
Now, out in the cold with no time to spare,
they head for the woods and make fire there.
It seems not enough and the cost was too high,
so they find a deep ditch and to the dead say, "goodbye."
Their troubles are not over, the plan isn't sound.
More sliding snow pushes them to the ground.
For three who remain, their choice is quite clear.
Go back to the tent and get out of here!
But time and cold are indifferent to them.
They tried to succeed but fall in the end.
When later discovered, the finders all said,
" I wonder what happened, all of them dead".
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Your account deeply moved me; it brings out a great deal of emotion in me when I think about them.”
“One day, the truth will come out. May their souls rest in peace.”
(https://i.ibb.co/cnKGbGm/f6a32da2a3ad0867b849e134081bf75f.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BMHX4X1)
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The night is calm.
They are lying inside the tent, asleep.
Suddenly, a massive noise tears through the silence.
They wake up in shock.
The fabric of the tent trembles.
One of them cuts a hole in the tent and looks through the opening.
He takes a photograph.
Outside, something shines. A powerful, unreal light.
They shout to wake the others.
Fear takes hold of them.
They do not try to understand.
They all flee together, running,
leaving their belongings behind,
abandoning the tent,
vanishing into the frozen night,
without even taking the time to put on their shoes.
The mountain watches.
Silence returns.
I think if they were awakened or alerted to such a noise, they would first of all look out from the entrance to their tent, not cut it.
There can only be one reason for this. The young people may have had a malevolent interaction with an unknown force before setting up their tent! They initially wanted to camp in the forest, but the unknown force may have prevented it. It may have affected and frightened them with strange, terrifying noises. Because of this, they may have decided to abandon camping in the forest and climb the hill instead. And the unknown force followed them and became visible. The reason they looked at it by cutting open the tent instead of looking through the door is because of their previous negative interaction with it. They were terrified and all wanted to look at it at once. That's why they wanted to cut open the tent and look at it all together, instead of one by one. Their willingness to cut open the tent is definitive proof of how much they were affected by the unknown force!
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The night is calm.
They are lying inside the tent, asleep.
Suddenly, a massive noise tears through the silence.
They wake up in shock.
The fabric of the tent trembles.
One of them cuts a hole in the tent and looks through the opening.
He takes a photograph.
Outside, something shines. A powerful, unreal light.
They shout to wake the others.
Fear takes hold of them.
They do not try to understand.
They all flee together, running,
leaving their belongings behind,
abandoning the tent,
vanishing into the frozen night,
without even taking the time to put on their shoes.
The mountain watches.
Silence returns.
I think if they were awakened or alerted to such a noise, they would first of all look out from the entrance to their tent, not cut it.
There can only be one reason for this. The young people may have had a malevolent interaction with an unknown force before setting up their tent! They initially wanted to camp in the forest, but the unknown force may have prevented it. It may have affected and frightened them with strange, terrifying noises. Because of this, they may have decided to abandon camping in the forest and climb the hill instead. And the unknown force followed them and became visible. The reason they looked at it by cutting open the tent instead of looking through the door is because of their previous negative interaction with it. They were terrified and all wanted to look at it at once. That's why they wanted to cut open the tent and look at it all together, instead of one by one. Their willingness to cut open the tent is definitive proof of how much they were affected by the unknown force!
You certainly have a point about them being driven to the slope because of something down in the forest that was causing them some alarm. And maybe they knew that something was then at their tent site and decided to flee quickly by cutting open the tent. Something definitely scared them at the tent site for them to flee, not dressed properly.
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A distinction must be made between a malevolent force and an indifferent force. Those who embrace conspiracy just don't know the facts.All behavior is motivated is there are none to support a directed malevalent force on a bunch of college kids out for a hike. It is all logical constructions based on false premises. There is a certain satisfaction in embracing melancholy. Let's drink and sing sad songs. Let us write sad poetry. Let us lay wreaths and cast plaques. Why? it is the hope that when we too die, someone will care enough to do those things for us because we mattered and are remembered. However, when taken to an extreme, you get pilgrimage and a cult following for these things.
Nature is an indifferent force. Further, if you care to throw evolution into the mix, then Nature does not care if you survive an event or not. It is nice if some of your kind actually do, they who survive make babies that might also have the adaptation that works for them too. Nature is indifferent to that also.
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Yes — and the evidence we do have, while not conclusive, consistently points toward a weather‑driven scenario. More importantly, that’s exactly where the case files themselves land. The investigators reached the same place: something in the environment forced the group out, they just couldn’t determine the exact mechanism.
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The evidence we do have, while not conclusive, consistently points toward a weather‑driven scenario. More importantly, that’s exactly where the case files themselves land. The investigators reached the same place: something in the environment forced the group out, they just couldn’t determine the exact mechanism.
I reserve the right to have different opinion. The evidence we have consistently points that Urakov, Okishev, and Ivanov did excellent work to camouflage what happened in reality. Lots of people do believe that the No-number case and corresponding case files truly reflect the DPI investigation process and outcome. I am glad to see that Soviet Prosecutor's Office workers had such high qualification and skills. This indicates that investigations of criminal cases, where they did not have management pressure for predefined results, were peanuts for them.
As for the 'Bad weather' theory proponents, I am waiting with genuine curiosity which kind of natural calamity they will select finally. The russian officials propose good variety of choices:
- Big Hurricane (Khruschev and the Central Committee);
- Avalanche + collapse of a snow cornice (prosecutor Shkryabach);
- Avalanche + one more Avalanche (prosecutor Kuryakov);
- leave it anonymous (prosecutor Ivanov).
grin1
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“Different prosecutors proposing different variants of an environmental trigger doesn’t imply camouflage — it reflects incomplete data and normal Soviet bureaucratic inconsistency. The case files don’t show evidence of a directed or malevolent cause, and they don’t show evidence of a cover‑up either.”
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I think what Senior does not appreciate is that if the DPI were a mikitary accident/ incident, then the military, not civilian authorities would take control. On the other hand, if it were a civil accident/incident, then military involvement would be discouraged because their authority would complicate any cover up. If it were political assassination, the imvestigation would be curtailed outright, but much more probable is the system making a public exaample of the deceased.
5he DPI was a weather related tragedy resulting from youth who anticipated success, but were too poorly equipped and funded to survive the rigors and variables of the hike. Everything in the criminal ( poor label) case points to it. Nothing points elsewhere. Those who lean into conspiracy just lack the facts, so they compensate with logical constructions. Logic is not truth.
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The fact that Klinov, civilian prosecutor, rushed to Ivdel to supervise the first 5 autopsies clearly shows that it was civilian incident. In case of military incident, we would have had a military prosecutor rushing to Ivdel.
The simple logic suggests that Ivanov would have never talked about fireballs' blasts and death rays, if it had been avalanche or huricane.
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It helps to know when Ivanov made those bold claims.
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Ivanov made those claims when his former bosses passed away and drastic changes in the country's political system provided him more freedom to speak. This is logical. But 'when?' is a secondary question. The primary question is 'why?'. Why did he speak about blasts and rays, while he could simply say 'snow slab'? And why did he apologize before the hikers' relatives? It's not his fault that snow slab happened unexpectedly in the mountains and the group reacted by fleeing half-naked to nowhere.
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He was just as much in the dark as everyone else, else there would be no mystery.
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The mystery is not because of Ivanov. If you're not allowed to write something, you don't write it, even if you know it.
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Senior, the difficulty with using Ivanov’s late‑life comments as evidence is that they don’t reflect his 1959 investigative position — they reflect the glasnost media environment he was speaking into. By the early 1990s, journalists were actively encouraging dramatic explanations, and retired officials were suddenly free to speculate without consequences.
In the 1959 case file — the only place where he was working under legal responsibility — he never mentions:
- blasts
- rays
- weapons
- secret tests
- or any directed cause
He closes the case as an accident triggered by an environmental factor.
That’s the version he signed his name to.
His later interviews are inconsistent, speculative, and shaped by the era, not by evidence.
That’s why “why didn’t he just say snow slab?” isn’t really the right question — the slab model didn’t exist in 1959, and Ivanov wasn’t a snow‑science specialist.
The case file and the glasnost interviews don’t match because they come from two completely different contexts.
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They couldn't call it capitalism, but spinning a good old fashioned conspiracy complete with lights in the sky and even LGM certainly supllemented the retirement pension, yes?
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They couldn't call it capitalism, but spinning a good old fashioned conspiracy complete with lights in the sky and even LGM certainly supllemented the retirement pension, yes?
Exactly — the glasnost tabloids discovered that mysteries sell better than meteorology
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The glasnost tabloids discovered that mysteries sell better than meteorology
While the 'Bad weather" theory proponents hint that Lev Ivanov raised money by distributing his fantasies in tabloids, we may return to the topic of this thread and look at the Sheets 378-380 from the case files. We can see that prosecutor from the town of Novaya-Lyalya interrogared Mr.Skorykh, who said the following:
"I ran out onto the porch, and from the second floor of the house I live in, I saw a large, glowing ball moving northward and flashing red and green lights in turn. The ball was moving very quickly, and I only had a few seconds to observe it before it disappeared over the horizon."
The first question we might ask is: why did the prosecutor of Novaya-Lyalya decide to interrogate a witness about "glowing ball"? Novaya-Lyalya is a different region, which is nothing to do with the Ivdel region. The only reasonable answer is that the prosecutor received an investigative order from Sverdlovsk, highly likely from Ivanov. This clearly indicates that already in 1959 Ivanov was actively looking for fireballs evidence. In 1990-s he just revived this line of investigation.
Now, we can see that the "glowing ball" was flashing red and green lights, and this rules out a meteor, which would not have used air navigation alarm signals. We end up either with manmade flying object or with aliens ship, which politely switched on navigation lights in the Earth's atmosphere. In both cases we have a proof of certain artificial object flying over the Urals the same month the DPI occurred. As the object remaind unidentified, it gave Ivanov full right to talk about UFOs in 1990-s
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Pershin questioning a man in Novaya‑Lyalya doesn’t prove Ivanov ordered anything. It proves Pershin had a pen, a witness, and a circular on his desk.
If Ivanov was ‘actively hunting fireballs’, he forgot to mention it in his own investigation, his own notes, his own conclusion, and every document he actually signed.
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Well, it is,certainly kind of the LGM to flash colors we are capable of seeing grin1 It would also be kind if Gary Powers kept his running lights on while thumbing his nose at the bear. I can't help but feel that if Ivanov was fishing for a sensationalistic twist on the DPI, Mr. Skorykh could spin him a yarn or two. I mean these red and green lights each being distinct and bright enough to be seem crossing a mountain range? I am thinking pin point light sources like twinkling stars. Red and green lights...on wingtips? Rotating single source? Stars? Pulling Ivanov's leg? Lights are not going to send nine people to their deaths, let alone do nothing more than raise an eyebrow. I think I've seen the light. dance1
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Pershin questioning a man in Novaya‑Lyalya doesn’t prove Ivanov ordered anything. It proves Pershin had a pen, a witness, and a circular on his desk.
Most people tend to believe that investigation department of USSR Prosecutor's office worked shoddy and did not care much about Criminal Procedure Code. They do not know (or do not want to know) that Prosecutor's office was very disciplined structure, where subordinates strictly obeyed to the procedures and orders from higher ranked prosecutors.
A witness can only be interrogated (может быть допрошен) if a criminal case has been initiated, and only when one of the two options is valid:
1. When the investigator is in charge of the criminal case, or when the investigator is a member of an investigative team that is investigating the case.
2. When the investigator is carrying out an investigative assignment from another investigator who is in charge of the case. In 1959 that was Article 126 of the RSFSR Criminal Procedure Code.
(https://i.ibb.co/ZzBTpRh6/Art-126.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0yCJRpfj)
The interrogation protocol of Skorykh dated May 29th 1959 has all the attributes of interrogation protocol conducted in accordance with investigative assignment. The interrogation of Popov dated February 6th 1959 fits the same type of procedure as well.
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I'm using AI to try and build an over all view of why these documents exist. I'm also arguing against it. Quite difficult. The problem we have is what's procedure and the contradiction that if what I put forward below . If Popov's statement was done under some criminal case then the case files are not legal. That means they weren't following process and obeying anything.
Below is what I think is what we are seeing.
1. Popov’s 6 February protocol = routine administrative verification
Popov’s document has none of the legal attributes of a Criminal Procedure Code interrogation:
- no case number
- no article of the code
- no investigator title
- no procedural warnings
- no investigative content
This places it squarely in the category of a pre‑case verification interview — the kind routinely done during missing‑person checks, tourism oversight, and winter route monitoring. It is simply a duty officer recording what the local communications chief knew about tourist movements.
It is not evidence of a criminal case on 6 February.
---
⭐ 2. Early enquiries (Feb 12–20) were improvised and fragmented
Once the group missed their expected telegram on 12 February, concern escalated gradually. The search organisation documents (12 Feb–8 Mar) show:
- the Sports Committee did not have the route plan
- the route had to be reconstructed from Dyatlov’s friend who dropped out
- local authorities were asked to check hut logs, depot logs, and village sightings
- Popov’s note fits exactly into this pattern
These were “feelers”, not criminal investigative actions.
---
⭐ 3. Search planning followed the reconstructed route
Once the route was pieced together, the search teams did what any competent rescue operation would do:
1. Identify the furthest point (Otorten).
2. Identify intermediate waypoints (Auspia, Lozva, labaz).
3. Deploy teams to multiple likely locations simultaneously.
This is documented in the “Organization of the Search” sheets (12 Feb–8 Mar) .
---
⭐ 4. The tent changed everything
When the tent was found on 26 February, the search instantly shifted from “find the hikers” to “recover the hikers”.
The case file shows:
- search groups at other locations were recalled
- all manpower was redirected to the tent area
- the criminal case was opened that same day (26–28 Feb)
- subsequent witness testimonies begin after the case is opened
This is exactly what you’d expect in a real‑time rescue‑to‑recovery transition.
---
⭐ 5. Pershin’s later note (29 May) is just a late administrative report
Pershin’s document:
- arrives months after the case is opened
- has no assignment
- has no procedural status
- contains no Dyatlov‑specific content
- matches the pattern of a district prosecutor responding to a circular
It was placed in the file because Instruction No. 33 required all late‑arriving materials to be stored with the case.
It is not evidence of a secret early investigation.
---
⭐ Final synthesis
- Popov’s 6 Feb note = routine check, not a criminal action.
- Early enquiries = ad hoc information‑gathering to reconstruct the route.
- Search plan = logical progression from reconstructed route to Otorten.
- Tent discovery = pivot point that pulled all teams to one location.
- Pershin’s note = administrative debris, not a hidden investigative order.
This is the simplest explanation
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- Popov’s 6 Feb note = routine check, not a criminal action.
- Pershin’s note = administrative debris, not a hidden investigative order.
О, yes! That was obviously common approach of soviet criminal invesigators. Popov participated just in routine check, but he was asked to sign understanding of possible legal consequences according to Articles 92 & 95 of the Criminal Law. Pershin and Skorykh had just a friendly chat about flying objects, but Skorykh was also asked to sign understanding of possible legal consequences. Now, expert Vozrozhdenniy performed 9 autopsies and issued 9 acts. Each act is a key document for the criminal case, which defines what was cause of death of each hiker. But Vozrozhdenniy was not asked to sign even a single understanding clause, which gave him absolute freedom to write in the acts whatever he wanted - no punishment would have followed. Nice settlement, isn't it? But I am sure, AI will justify that -- all soviet investigators treated case files like that. grin1
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- Popov’s 6 Feb note = routine check, not a criminal action.
- Pershin’s note = administrative debris, not a hidden investigative order.
О, yes! That was obviously common approach of soviet criminal invesigators. Popov participated just in routine check, but he was asked to sign understanding of possible legal consequences according to Articles 92 & 95 of the Criminal Law. Pershin and Skorykh had just a friendly chat about flying objects, but Skorykh was also asked to sign understanding of possible legal consequences. Now, expert Vozrozhdenniy performed 9 autopsies and issued 9 acts. Each act is a key document for the criminal case, which defines what was cause of death of each hiker. But Vozrozhdenniy was not asked to sign even a single understanding clause, which gave him absolute freedom to write in the acts whatever he wanted - no punishment would have followed. Nice settlement, isn't it? But I am sure, AI will justify that -- all soviet investigators treated case files like that. grin1
Senior, for me it is difficult to understand every process that took place but I'm trying to apply logic to what has been presented. It seems slightly counter intuitive, that I accept but you’re treating the presence of Articles 92/95 as if it automatically makes a document a CPC interrogation. It doesn’t. Those clauses appear on all standard protocol templates — including the ones used in pre‑case verification, workplace checks, administrative questioning, and missing‑person enquiries. The form carries the warning by default; the legal status comes from the case number, investigator authority, and procedural framing. Popov’s 6 Feb note has none of those attributes.
By contrast, Vozrozhdenny’s autopsy acts are CPC documents — they’re part of the investigative section of the case file — and the CPC does not require a forensic expert to sign a witness‑warning clause because an autopsy act is not testimony. It’s an expert conclusion. Different procedural category, different requirements.
So the pattern is perfectly consistent:
– administrative interviews use the standard template with the boilerplate warning,
– criminal interrogations require a case number and investigator authority,
– expert acts do not require witness warnings at all.
There’s no contradiction here — just three different document types being treated according to their own rules.
In AI simplicity below
Why Popov’s 6 Feb document is not a CPC interrogation
Even though the header says “Protocol of witness testimony”, the legal status of a document in 1959 depended on three things:
1. Case number
2. Investigator assigned to the case
3. Reference to the criminal case in the header
Popov’s document has none of these.
It has:
- no case number
- no article of the CPC
- no mention of an investigator assigned to a case
- no reference to a criminal file
- no investigative questions
- no connection to the Dyatlov case
Instead, it has:
- a duty police officer (Chudinov), not an investigator
- a village location, not an investigative office
- administrative content (tourist sightings, weather)
- a pre‑case date (6 Feb — the case wasn’t opened until 26–28 Feb)
This places it firmly in the category of pre‑case administrative verification, not a criminal interrogation.
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Why the Articles 92/95 warning appears anyway.
The warning clause (“forewarned of liability under Articles 92 and 95”) was:
- pre‑printed on the standard protocol form
- used for all types of questioning
- including administrative checks, workplace incidents, missing‑person enquiries, and routine police interviews
The presence of the warning does not mean:
- a criminal case existed
- the CPC was invoked
- the person was a procedural witness
- the document was part of an investigation
It only means the officer used the standard blank form.
This is normal Soviet paperwork practice.
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Why Vozrozhdenny didn’t sign such a clause
- an autopsy act is not testimony
- a forensic expert is not a witness
- CPC rules do not require experts to sign witness‑liability warnings
- experts sign expert conclusions, not witness protocols
Different document type → different legal requirements.
There is no inconsistency.
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⭐ What Popov’s document actually is
It is:
- a routine administrative interview
- taken by a local police captain
- during the missing‑tourist verification period
- using a standard protocol template
- later inserted into the case file once the criminal case was opened
This is exactly how pre‑case materials were handled.
So, it seems there are layers to the case file that don't look logical if we assume that all the documents in it are conducted by the investigators at the same time and for the same reason under a criminal case number.
Popov's statement is the easiest one to look at ,as it has the biggest extreme of what we would expect to find.It's signed the 6th of February as you know and the hiker's weren't really reported missing until after the 12th .
So, it's either a conspiracy, a typo, or something else . The something else is a routine over sight statement collected at some point during the search or investigation . Popov was interviewed by a duty police officer on the comings and goings of people moving through Vishay on completely separate issue's to the dyatlov group. It was a routine check , this was a standard practice and these statements were written on the piece of paper that said interrogation as that's basically all they had .
During the official investigation phase or early search phase, Popov's routine document was collected as evidence and inserted into the case files . It's taken as evidence that the hikers passed through when they were supposed to, that's it , that's all....
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By contrast, Vozrozhdenny’s autopsy acts are CPC documents — they’re part of the investigative section of the case file — and the CPC does not require a forensic expert to sign a witness‑warning clause because an autopsy act is not testimony. It’s an expert conclusion. Different procedural category, different requirements.
So the pattern is perfectly consistent:
– administrative interviews use the standard template with the boilerplate warning,
– criminal interrogations require a case number and investigator authority,
– expert acts do not require witness warnings at all.
You do not need to go far to find out that the above statements are not correct.
What makes you think that soviet law enforcement officials used the same template for all types of communication with witnesses? Why do you think that there was no template for administrative interviews? And even if you think that there were no such templates and invesigators had to use universal interrogation template, why do you think that witnesses were asked to sign the understanding clause on those templates? Why was not that clause simply ignored, if the topic of communication was purely administrative?
In the case files you can find another expert's report - the tent inspection by Ms.Churkina. And you can see that her boss Mr.Kretov put his signature that Churkina was informed about possible consequences according to the Criminal Law articles 92 & 95. Why does it work here, but does not work in case with Vozrozhdenniy reports?
And finally, please consider what party Ivanov ordered to perform the autopsies. Was that a private expert or government organization? The reports say that Vozrozhdenniy represented Sverdlovsk region's criminal medical lab, which was based in Sverdlovsk. And do you see who actually issued the reports? First 4 reports were issued by Severouralsk branch office of the lab, which is more or less OK, though Vozrozhdenniy did not belong to the branch office. The report on Slobodin was issued by Ivdel's morgue (!). The last 4 reports were issued by Vozrozhdenniy as a private person, no organization was behind him. This clearly shows that Sverdlovsk region's criminal medical lab actually issued no reports -- at least, in the framework of the case files.
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By contrast, Vozrozhdenny’s autopsy acts are CPC documents — they’re part of the investigative section of the case file — and the CPC does not require a forensic expert to sign a witness‑warning clause because an autopsy act is not testimony. It’s an expert conclusion. Different procedural category, different requirements.
So the pattern is perfectly consistent:
– administrative interviews use the standard template with the boilerplate warning,
– criminal interrogations require a case number and investigator authority,
– expert acts do not require witness warnings at all.
You do not need to go far to find out that the above statements are not correct.
What makes you think that soviet law enforcement officials used the same template for all types of communication with witnesses? Why do you think that there was no template for administrative interviews? And even if you think that there were no such templates and invesigators had to use universal interrogation template, why do you think that witnesses were asked to sign the understanding clause on those templates? Why was not that clause simply ignored, if the topic of communication was purely administrative?
In the case files you can find another expert's report - the tent inspection by Ms.Churkina. And you can see that her boss Mr.Kretov put his signature that Churkina was informed about possible consequences according to the Criminal Law articles 92 & 95. Why does it work here, but does not work in case with Vozrozhdenniy reports?
And finally, please consider what party Ivanov ordered to perform the autopsies. Was that a private expert or government organization? The reports say that Vozrozhdenniy represented Sverdlovsk region's criminal medical lab, which was based in Sverdlovsk. And do you see who actually issued the reports? First 4 reports were issued by Severouralsk branch office of the lab, which is more or less OK, though Vozrozhdenniy did not belong to the branch office. The report on Slobodin was issued by Ivdel's morgue (!). The last 4 reports were issued by Vozrozhdenniy as a private person, no organization was behind him. This clearly shows that Sverdlovsk region's criminal medical lab actually issued no reports -- at least, in the framework of the case files.
Senior, you’re stacking a lot of assumptions on top of one another and then treating them as if they were facts. Let’s separate what’s actually in the documents from what you’re inferring.
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1. The 92/95 clause and “templates”
You’re arguing as if there were three different things:
- a “purely administrative” form with no warning
- a “criminal interrogation” form with 92/95
- and that the presence of 92/95 automatically proves the second
That’s not what the paperwork shows.
What we actually see in the Dyatlov file is:
- one standard protocol format used in multiple contexts
- the same warning block (92/95) appearing whenever that format is used
- different legal statuses determined not by the warning, but by:
- presence/absence of a case number
- who is conducting it (investigator vs duty officer vs lab head)
- whether it’s attached to an open case or pre‑case material
Popov’s 6 Feb protocol has:
- no case number
- no reference to a criminal case
- a local police captain, not an investigator
- content unrelated to any specific offence
So legally it sits in the pre‑case verification bucket, even though the officer used the standard protocol with the standard warning.
The warning is boilerplate. The status comes from context.
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2. Churkina vs Vozrozhdenny
You’re treating Churkina’s tent inspection and Vozrozhdenny’s autopsies as if they were the same procedural act. They’re not.
- Churkina is giving a forensic‑style description of a physical object (the tent) in a form that is structured like a protocol. Her boss signs the 92/95 block because the document is framed as a protocol of inspection with an attached expert element.
- Vozrozhdenny is issuing expert conclusions (акты судебно‑медицинского исследования трупа). Those are not witness protocols and not “testimony” in the CPC sense. The CPC does not require experts to sign a witness‑liability clause for their conclusions; their responsibility is governed by other provisions and by their professional status.
Different document type → different formalities. The fact that one carries a 92/95 acknowledgement and the other doesn’t is exactly what you’d expect if you distinguish between “protocol of action with a warned participant” and “expert act”.
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3. “Private person” vs “organization” in the autopsy headers
You’re reading far too much into the letterhead variations.
Across the nine acts we see:
- references to the Sverdlovsk regional forensic bureau
- a Severouralsk branch
- Ivdel morgue
- and acts signed personally by Vozrozhdenny
That doesn’t mean:
- the regional lab “issued no reports”
- or that he suddenly became a “private person” outside any institution
It means:
- he was a regional expert working across multiple facilities
- the acts were typed and registered where the bodies physically were
- the header reflects the local facility, the signature reflects the expert
This is completely normal for Soviet forensic practice: one expert, multiple sites, mixed headers, same procedural status.
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4. The pattern you’re trying to call “inconsistent”
If you strip away the rhetoric, the pattern is actually very simple:
- Pre‑case / administrative questioning:
Standard protocol form, often with 92/95 block, no case number, used by local police or officials. Popov fits here.
- Criminal interrogations / procedural actions:
Protocols with case number, investigator authority, clear linkage to the opened case.
- Expert acts (autopsies, forensic conclusions):
Standalone expert documents, no witness‑warning clause, responsibility anchored in expert status and institutional framework, not in 92/95.
That’s not a “nice settlement” invented to excuse sloppiness; it’s just three different categories of document doing three different jobs.
If you want to argue that the Soviet system was messy or inconsistent in practice, that’s a separate discussion. But you can’t turn every appearance of 92/95 into a magic stamp of “criminal interrogation”, nor can you turn header variations into proof that a regional forensic lab “issued no reports"
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If you want to argue...
No, it's not my intention. I have just pointed to a few important drawbacks of the known case files. Such drawbacks cannot exist in real case files, which are supervised by the top Prosecutor's office officials. The case files are a camouflage for the main case, which was investigated by a special team of the RSFSR Prosecutor's office. The only requirement which was raised for the case files was that they should not point to the true cause of the incident. That's why any theory built on the contents of the case files solely is to fail.
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No, it's not my intention. I have just pointed to a few important drawbacks of the known case files. Such drawbacks cannot exist in real case files, which are supervised by the top Prosecutor's office officials. The case files are a camouflage for the main case, which was investigated by a special team of the RSFSR Prosecutor's office. The only requirement which was raised for the case files was that they should not point to the true cause of the incident. That's why any theory built on the contents of the case files solely is to fail.
Sorry Senior — “debate” might have been the better word.
I suppose the real question is whether one believes the files are complete or incomplete. But even if we set that aside, the internal structure of the documents we do have is still consistent with standard Soviet practice:
– administrative interviews on the standard protocol blank (with the boilerplate 92/95 warning),
– criminal interrogations with a case number and investigator authority,
– and expert acts that don’t require witness‑liability clauses at all.
That pattern doesn’t really change even if one assumes additional materials existed elsewhere.
I agree that it’s useful to consider hypothetical scenarios where the files might be incomplete or manipulated — that’s part of good analysis — but we also have to run that in parallel with what we know about Soviet paperwork from that era. That’s not easy, because a lot of comparable cases are still in regional archives or were never scanned in the first place.
I’m just not convinced the case files are “camouflage,” because they follow a very ordinary narrative for a search‑and‑recovery operation that turned into a death investigation with an unclear environmental cause. If there had been a special team trying to hide something, I would expect the files to be more conclusive, not less.
What sometimes looks like camouflage may simply be our modern misunderstanding of the type of documents we’re looking at and how Soviet law and paperwork functioned in that period. I am still learning as I go.
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Sorry Senior — “debate” might have been the better word.
Debate is always welcome! Format of the forum implies that. )
... how Soviet law and paperwork functioned in that period.
I do not know whether you have seen this in-depth analysis of the Soviet rules that regulated criminal medical expertise process. The materials presented by Olga include a lot of official instructions and real documents from that period, that draw completely different picture from yours.
https://taina.li/forum/index.php?topic=19002.msg1635925#msg1635925
Please have a look at the Olga's post and compare her comments with your statements how Soviet expert reports for criminal cases were done.
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Sorry Senior — “debate” might have been the better word.
Debate is always welcome! Format of the forum implies that. )
... how Soviet law and paperwork functioned in that period.
I do not know whether you have seen this in-depth analysis of the Soviet rules that regulated criminal medical expertise process. The materials presented by Olga include a lot of official instructions and real documents from that period, that draw completely different picture from yours.
https://taina.li/forum/index.php?topic=19002.msg1635925#msg1635925
Please have a look at the Olga's post and compare her comments with your statements how Soviet expert reports for criminal cases were done.
Thanks Senior — I’ll read through Olga’s post. It’s interesting background on Ustinov and on how the forensic service in Sverdlovsk developed, but I don’t actually see anything in it that contradicts the Dyatlov documents.
Her material describes the institutional framework of Soviet forensic medicine — who ran the bureau, how experts were trained, how the service was organised, and so on. That’s useful context, but it doesn’t show that the Dyatlov case file violates those rules, nor does it present any contradictory autopsy, protocol, or expert act.
The documents in the case file still fall into the standard categories we’d expect:
– protocols using the standard blank with the boilerplate 92/95 warning,
– case‑numbered interrogations once the case was opened,
– and expert acts, which don’t require witness‑liability clauses at all.
So while Olga’s post is valuable for understanding the history of the bureau and Ustinov’s role in it, it doesn’t actually demonstrate that the Dyatlov case file is “camouflage” or that it conflicts with the forensic regulations of the period.
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A distinction must be made between a malevolent force and an indifferent force. Those who embrace conspiracy just don't know the facts.All behavior is motivated is there are none to support a directed malevalent force on a bunch of college kids out for a hike. It is all logical constructions based on false premises. There is a certain satisfaction in embracing melancholy. Let's drink and sing sad songs. Let us write sad poetry. Let us lay wreaths and cast plaques. Why? it is the hope that when we too die, someone will care enough to do those things for us because we mattered and are remembered. However, when taken to an extreme, you get pilgrimage and a cult following for these things.
Nature is an indifferent force. Further, if you care to throw evolution into the mix, then Nature does not care if you survive an event or not. It is nice if some of your kind actually do, they who survive make babies that might also have the adaptation that works for them too. Nature is indifferent to that also.
You state '' A distinction must be made between a malevolent force and an indifferent force ''. But are you saying that there can only be 2 types of force ? Or is this statement aimed specifically at the Dyatlov Case ?
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The evidence we do have, while not conclusive, consistently points toward a weather‑driven scenario. More importantly, that’s exactly where the case files themselves land. The investigators reached the same place: something in the environment forced the group out, they just couldn’t determine the exact mechanism.
I reserve the right to have different opinion. The evidence we have consistently points that Urakov, Okishev, and Ivanov did excellent work to camouflage what happened in reality. Lots of people do believe that the No-number case and corresponding case files truly reflect the DPI investigation process and outcome. I am glad to see that Soviet Prosecutor's Office workers had such high qualification and skills. This indicates that investigations of criminal cases, where they did not have management pressure for predefined results, were peanuts for them.
As for the 'Bad weather' theory proponents, I am waiting with genuine curiosity which kind of natural calamity they will select finally. The russian officials propose good variety of choices:
- Big Hurricane (Khruschev and the Central Committee);
- Avalanche + collapse of a snow cornice (prosecutor Shkryabach);
- Avalanche + one more Avalanche (prosecutor Kuryakov);
- leave it anonymous (prosecutor Ivanov).
grin1
You are not alone. But we seem to have drifted again from a picture of lights to malevalent forces and other forces and then back to the gist of all arguments !
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I think what Senior does not appreciate is that if the DPI were a mikitary accident/ incident, then the military, not civilian authorities would take control. On the other hand, if it were a civil accident/incident, then military involvement would be discouraged because their authority would complicate any cover up. If it were political assassination, the imvestigation would be curtailed outright, but much more probable is the system making a public exaample of the deceased.
5he DPI was a weather related tragedy resulting from youth who anticipated success, but were too poorly equipped and funded to survive the rigors and variables of the hike. Everything in the criminal ( poor label) case points to it. Nothing points elsewhere. Those who lean into conspiracy just lack the facts, so they compensate with logical constructions. Logic is not truth.
But what you have just stated does not make sense ! ?
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The fact that Klinov, civilian prosecutor, rushed to Ivdel to supervise the first 5 autopsies clearly shows that it was civilian incident. In case of military incident, we would have had a military prosecutor rushing to Ivdel.
The simple logic suggests that Ivanov would have never talked about fireballs' blasts and death rays, if it had been avalanche or huricane.
We can not say for certain if that is the case. Originally it was a search mission to find missing hikers. It developed from that as the different elements came in to sight.
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Ivanov made those claims when his former bosses passed away and drastic changes in the country's political system provided him more freedom to speak. This is logical. But 'when?' is a secondary question. The primary question is 'why?'. Why did he speak about blasts and rays, while he could simply say 'snow slab'? And why did he apologize before the hikers' relatives? It's not his fault that snow slab happened unexpectedly in the mountains and the group reacted by fleeing half-naked to nowhere.
Lots of things started to appear once the USSR collapsed. Ivanov had his theory about what happened and it certainly was nothing to do with a weather event aka snow slabs.
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He was just as much in the dark as everyone else, else there would be no mystery.
Except Ivanov seemed confident in his assertions about what actually happened.
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They couldn't call it capitalism, but spinning a good old fashioned conspiracy complete with lights in the sky and even LGM certainly supllemented the retirement pension, yes?
Any evidence that Ivanov profited from his theory ?
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The glasnost tabloids discovered that mysteries sell better than meteorology
While the 'Bad weather" theory proponents hint that Lev Ivanov raised money by distributing his fantasies in tabloids, we may return to the topic of this thread and look at the Sheets 378-380 from the case files. We can see that prosecutor from the town of Novaya-Lyalya interrogared Mr.Skorykh, who said the following:
"I ran out onto the porch, and from the second floor of the house I live in, I saw a large, glowing ball moving northward and flashing red and green lights in turn. The ball was moving very quickly, and I only had a few seconds to observe it before it disappeared over the horizon."
The first question we might ask is: why did the prosecutor of Novaya-Lyalya decide to interrogate a witness about "glowing ball"? Novaya-Lyalya is a different region, which is nothing to do with the Ivdel region. The only reasonable answer is that the prosecutor received an investigative order from Sverdlovsk, highly likely from Ivanov. This clearly indicates that already in 1959 Ivanov was actively looking for fireballs evidence. In 1990-s he just revived this line of investigation.
Now, we can see that the "glowing ball" was flashing red and green lights, and this rules out a meteor, which would not have used air navigation alarm signals. We end up either with manmade flying object or with aliens ship, which politely switched on navigation lights in the Earth's atmosphere. In both cases we have a proof of certain artificial object flying over the Urals the same month the DPI occurred. As the object remaind unidentified, it gave Ivanov full right to talk about UFOs in 1990-s
Well put. Too many times in this Forum over the years members have rubbished Ivanov without good reason. We all know that the USSR was a somewhat retricted society so its obvious that with its collapse people were going to come out and tell all sorts of things, true or false, mistaken or otherwise.
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If you want to argue...
No, it's not my intention. I have just pointed to a few important drawbacks of the known case files. Such drawbacks cannot exist in real case files, which are supervised by the top Prosecutor's office officials. The case files are a camouflage for the main case, which was investigated by a special team of the RSFSR Prosecutor's office. The only requirement which was raised for the case files was that they should not point to the true cause of the incident. That's why any theory built on the contents of the case files solely is to fail.
Very well put. You do have a good point. We are given the case files but we dont know if they are true or false or whatever. We work with them though.
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What can be offered to view the glass as half full? I appreciate it being described as half empty.