3 bodies were visible

[amashilu]

Maslennikov 1 -- Radio 27/II 59
Immediately after the descent, the four found corpses were excavated and identified. They are Dyatlov Zolotaryov Krivonischenko Kolmogorova ... Three bodies were partially visible in the snow. A dog found the fourth.

Three of them were partially visible. All Maslennikov and his crew had to do was walk down the slope and there they were, visible. They were found "immediately."
This seems odd to me. If indeed they were on their way back to the tent, as many think, I had always imagined them as trying to push through heavy snow and becoming exhausted, which would explain their inability to continue. Those of us who grew up with heavy snow know how exhausting that is. But here, it doesn't seem that way. They were just walking up the slope and then they fell and died, and three weeks later, their bodies were still visible. Why? Maslennikov mentions several times how deep the snow was, but apparently not where these three were found.

[Ziljoe]

As I understand it, there is no mystery here. The two Yuri's at the ceder were partially covered. I believe the trail of footprints lead in that direction. We can see in the photo's.

We can see that Igor was almost covered by snow. He may have been at one point but the wind blew away what there was. So, Igor, Zina and Rustem are covered by snow. The depth of the snow will change constantly on the slope.

I think the radiogram was used for short communication. It may add to the confusion.

[amashilu]

The quote is from Malennikov, case files. He says the bodies were all visible, not buried. I looked at the photos before posting. He is right. They were partially buried, but visible. Why do you argue? Help me here, I am curious to your motive and thought process.

[Ziljoe]

The quote is from Malennikov, case files. He says the bodies were all visible, not buried. I looked at the photos before posting. He is right. They were partially buried, but visible. Why do you argue? Help me here, I am curious to your motive and thought process.

Which bodies? We can see the two Yuri's.

Igor has an elbow out, the other two are covered. . Zina and Rustem. He may have arrived when they were not covered?

[Manti]

Are there photos of Zina, Rustem and Igor as found, before being dug out? I thought there weren't any

[Manti]

Rustem, found on the 5th of March, not "immediately".Part of his shirt might have been visible, hard to tell. But clearly he was mostly under snow:

[Manti]

Zina, found on Feb 27. Also seems to have been mostly under snow but again maybe a small part of her clothing was visible above the snow? Not possible to tell from the photo:

[Ziljoe]

The quote is from Malennikov, case files. He says the bodies were all visible, not buried. I looked at the photos before posting. He is right. They were partially buried, but visible. Why do you argue? Help me here, I am curious to your motive and thought process.

You say and please forgive me, I am only trying to clarify your post.

 Three of them were partially visible. All Maslennikov and his crew had to do was walk down the slope and there they were, visible. They were found "immediately."
This seems odd to me. If indeed they were on their way back to the tent, as many think, I had always imagined them as trying to push through heavy snow and becoming exhausted, which would explain their inability to continue. Those of us who grew up with heavy snow know how exhausting that is. But here, it doesn't seem that way. They were just walking up the slope and then they fell and died, and three weeks later, their bodies were still visible. Why? Maslennikov mentions several times how deep the snow was, but apparently not where these three were found.

I think Maslennikov is talking about the first three found. The two Yuri's were found at the ceder. Under the tree, we can see the photos of them and the amount of snow on top of them.  I don't think Maslennikov was the first on scene at the ceder, he states in the case files.

"Krivonischenko and Doroshenko bodies were found by members of Slobtsov group - Strelnikov and Sharavin. Karelin was also there."

Igor was found next. I believe part of his arm was visible. But this was obviously missed when the searchers were going down hill following the footprints to the ceder, so he can't have been that easy to see on a bare slope.

Then Zina was found later that day by a search dog I believe.

Then a couple of days later Rustem was found with a probe.

When Maslennikov  says

Maslennikov 1 -- Radio 27/II 59
Immediately after the descent, the four found corpses were excavated and identified. They are Dyatlov Zolotaryov Krivonischenko Kolmogorova ... Three bodies were partially visible in the snow. A dog found the fourth

To read it another way, for example

" directly below the slope, the four bodies have been excavated and identified  , three bodies were partially visible in the snow, forth body was found by a dog."


This radiogram is early on and is reporting that they have found four bodies , the most important thing is the quick update to HQ. We will notice that it is inaccurate in the first instance as it is before they clearly identified who they found. Zolotaryov was not one of the first four found.

The slope is exposed to the wind and it can blow the snow away and in parts rocks and Tufts of grass can be exposed . New snow can fall or be blown from other slopes only to settle in new troughs etc .
The snow further into the forest is different, it doesn't get blown away as much and will gather into ravines where the ravines get filled by snow fall and snow drifts.

We can see that Igor is well buried and from the part excavated photo's of Zina and Rustem , we can see the depth of snow around them. Both of them were covered.

Maslennikov is just reporting what he has collected from the searchers on site in a short transcript radiogram. The case files are different and hold more detail.

There is no mystery in his radiogram . I am not trying to argue, honest.

[amashilu]

QUESTIONS TO VICTOR VASILYEVICH POTYAZHENKO

He told him what we saw on takeoff, 500-700 meters, or maybe even a kilometer, along the way, there is something that looks like a tent. He said "If you find it, don't enter the tent, don't touch or trample anything. If there are bodies, don't touch them, do not turn anything over." And he said to me "Yes, they went where I told them and they found there some kind of tent. In addition, down — if you look maybe 200 meters down the slope — they found three corpses lying, three students."

I: When, what day, do you remember?

VV: Well, when we arrived, on the second or third day they went to look for a tent and they found these three.

I: That is, in one day - the tent and the corpses?

VV: Yes, at the same time. Well, they found the tent, then they see that it is torn apart and look down - it seems that there is something there. You know, it's so easy to say, but such a steep descent - with snow, and the length is still ... It's scary to walk, you can even fall down and crash there.

I: Were the bodies covered in snow?

VV: No, they were just lying like these... you know... like sculpture knocked off its pedestal...

I: So they were visible?

VV: Yes, that's how they lay.

[marieuk]

It sounds like Viktor is relaying what somebody told him, i.e. he didn't find the bodies?  If so, then I would imagine his recollection would be less reliable than the people who found them.  By the way, is it just me or does Zina looks like she's been pushed over sideways and stayed where she dropped?  I've not seen the photo before. 

[Ziljoe]

I agree Marieuk.

There are special ways to ask questions when interviewing and they should be applied in a way as not to lead or provoke an answer that you might want to hear.

It sounds like the interviewer is showing him pictures.

We have a picture in the 18+ photos of Zina, one of the Yuri's and Igor at the rock at the top of 1079. There only three bodies there , with what looks like a blanket and no snow. The other Yuri had been left at the ceder.

It is perhaps this that he is describing and it would be a true statement. It's just he's describing seeing the bodies after they have been found and taken to the top of the hill for the helicopter.

The searchers were not all in the same place at the same time and those in charge were separated, they admit that others would have a better understanding as they were at a particular location when things were found.

I think this has got to be understood, it's not a crime scene in the sense that they document everything. They searchers don't perceive it that way , they speculate and try to figure out what happened on site and are trying and hoping to find people alive.

 Day 1 of the search gives them a realisation that they may not find the others alive. They will all be trying to work out what might have happened as they go to sleep and then discuss there thoughts the next day. Description of events will start to get muddy in everyone's minds.

[amashilu]

He was talking with Ortyukov, who was directing him where to fly.

(Feb. 25) But the fact is that when I flew there later with Ortyukov, to see what was there, I say that I couldn't land there, because the clearing was not big enough. I said that I need another 10 meters to the left and right, and I will come in for a landing, to completely cut down the forest, so that I don’t get hooked. And I think to myself - they will cut down here for at least a month - there are so many trees here. I have a helicopter with a span of 30 meters, and I need 50 meters, 10 meters more to the left and right so I can maneuver. I think - well, they will be chopping for how many days. In short I told them what they needed to do, but I had to do what I can in the meantime. Ortyukov said "That's it, we are freezing, we had seen enough, we are going back. We flew home, that is, to Ivdel. And when we started to return home, who is needed there - the investigator, Ortyukov, my crew - launched the helicopter and flew - well, when accelerating... he must run forward, so that he could accelerate the speed so that I could fly... We are began to accelerate - and already lifted 50-70 meters, I look ahead I told Ortyukov: "Look, there is something like a tent." He saw it and said "Yes, yes. But you can't land there." For some reason it was clear there - the snow was exceptionally white, no one had been there - and poles are sticking out, it was clear that people left them there. Because they were... they seem to be arranged in a square. And the tent - it seems to be gray, faded by the sun, or in general it was so worn out that you can’t understand what color it is. Covered with snow. But Ortyukov said "Go home, let's go home." So we took off.

VV: And there the day is short in February, it is necessary to fly home, and the frost was severe. When we arrived he said "That's all, go rest, tomorrow we will figure it out and do something about it." A day or two passed, he called me in the hotel where I stayed, said "Come to the airfield, we will fly there." We flew. When arrive, and he said to me "The people who were in the tent cut down trees to clear the forest, and more guys joined, other people (I asked "How many people are there?" "Yes, he said, there will be enough people") to check if this was a tent or something esle. It turns out that the radio operator brought the radio station, and Ortyukov talked to him. He told him what we saw on takeoff, 500-700 meters, or maybe even a kilometer, along the way, there is something that looks like a tent. He said "If you find it, don't enter the tent, don't touch or trample anything. If there are bodies, don't touch them, do not turn anything over." And he said to me "Yes, they went where I told them and they found there some kind of tent. In addition, down, if you look maybe 200 meters down the slope, they found three corpses lying, three students."




He told him what we saw on takeoff, 500-700 meters, or maybe even a kilometer, along the way, there is something that looks like a tent. He said "If you find it, don't enter the tent, don't touch or trample anything. If there are bodies, don't touch them, do not turn anything over." And he said to me "Yes, they went where I told them and they found there some kind of tent. In addition, down — if you look maybe 200 meters down the slope — they found three corpses lying, three students."

[Ziljoe]

He was talking with Ortyukov, who was directing him where to fly.

(Feb. 25) But the fact is that when I flew there later with Ortyukov, to see what was there, I say that I couldn't land there, because the clearing was not big enough. I said that I need another 10 meters to the left and right, and I will come in for a landing, to completely cut down the forest, so that I don’t get hooked. And I think to myself - they will cut down here for at least a month - there are so many trees here. I have a helicopter with a span of 30 meters, and I need 50 meters, 10 meters more to the left and right so I can maneuver. I think - well, they will be chopping for how many days. In short I told them what they needed to do, but I had to do what I can in the meantime. Ortyukov said "That's it, we are freezing, we had seen enough, we are going back. We flew home, that is, to Ivdel. And when we started to return home, who is needed there - the investigator, Ortyukov, my crew - launched the helicopter and flew

I see this ( Victor and Ortyukov) as them landing close to the searchers base camp. They advise that the landing zone needs to be bigger. Ortyukov is needed back at ivdel. It is starting to freeze.

- well, when accelerating... he must run forward, so that he could accelerate the speed so that I could fly... We are began to accelerate - and already lifted 50-70 meters, I look ahead I told Ortyukov: "Look, there is something like a tent." He saw it and said "Yes, yes. But you can't land there." For some reason it was clear there - the snow was exceptionally white, no one had been there - and poles are sticking out, it was clear that people left them there. Because they were... they seem to be arranged in a square. And the tent - it seems to be gray, faded by the sun, or in general it was so worn out that you can’t understand what color it is. Covered with snow. But Ortyukov said "Go home, let's go home." So we took off.

They see the tent on take off, it seems it is not appropriate to land.

VV: And there the day is short in February, it is necessary to fly home, and the frost was severe. When we arrived he said "That's all, go rest, tomorrow we will figure it out and do something about it."

Ortyukov says he has to figure out what to do to Victor and it is the end of that day.

 A day or two passed, he called me in the hotel where I stayed, said "Come to the airfield, we will fly there." We flew. When arrive, and he said to me "The people who were in the tent cut down trees to clear the forest, and more guys joined, other people (I asked "How many people are there?" "Yes, he said, there will be enough people") to check if this was a tent or something esle. It turns out that the radio operator brought the radio station, and Ortyukov talked to him. He told him what we saw on takeoff, 500-700 meters, or maybe even a kilometer, along the way, there is something that looks like a tent. He said "If you find it, don't enter the tent, don't touch or trample anything. If there are bodies, don't touch them, do not turn anything over." And he said to me "Yes, they went where I told them and they found there some kind of tent. In addition, down, if you look maybe 200 meters down the slope, they found three corpses lying, three students."

When Ortyukov speaks to Victor after a couple of days, there had been radio communication where Ortyukov tells base camp what they saw when in the helicopter.  This discussion between Victor and ortyukov is after the searchers had found the tent, we have a two day window of these events to unfold from when Victor says they saw the tent. This fits chronology with events on the ground by other statements. So depending on the last communication to ortyukov from the searchers , ortyukov has told Victor what has happened in short hand over two days.

From here we should jump to the statements from the searchers on the ground, the students found the tent also, perhaps in parallel to it being spotted by Victor and ortyukov from the helicopter.

The found 4 bodies quickly on the following day after the students discovered the tent. Only 3 bodies were transported to bootrock on the first day so that might be part of the confusion. It depends on who's talking to who on the ground and then relaying the information forward.

[Ziljoe]

 note:

Victor does not say they saw bodies on the slope when they saw the tent from the helicopter but states he saw 4 poles in a grid, most likely the corner ski poles . If he can see ski poles or skis in such detail he does not mention seeing three bodies 200 meters away.

[Ziljoe]

As I understand it, in short.

25th of February, searchers are being landed in various locations. The base camp is where Victor goes on the 25th. The landing zone has not been prepared. There is discussion on what is needed for a landing zone. Ortyukov decides it is starting to freeze and must go back. On take off they see the tent. On return to ivdel,

 25th/26th of February ortyukov has communication with the base search camp as there is a radio operator there. Ortyukov gives instruction to searchers.

27th/28th ortyukov contacts Victor and they return to the pass. Ortyukov updates Victor what has occurred and been found. The tent and 4 bodies have been found by those dates.

From the photos we can see all of the first 5 bodies  were covered by snow to some degree. It is only the two Yuri's that could be seen easily as bodies under snow. However , three bodies were moved up the slope by the rescue team on the first day, uncovered and left exposed at boot rock.

Many of the other searchers would have seen the bodies pass them going up the slope as they were searching and probing and perhaps those arriving at boot rock would also see those uncovered bodies adding to confusion.