Rescuer Koptelov about finding a tent and cedar
The text of the conversation with the rescuer Yuri Yevtikheevich Koptelov, from the Slobtsov group, 02/01/2008. CENTER for civil investigation of the tragedy of the Dyatlovites. (from video Search member Dyatlov group Yuri Koptelov):
K.: Somewhere on February 19-20, we heard about the death and that in connection with the decision of the trade union committee and the director of the institute…
– Sorry to interrupt. From whom did you know?
K.: In recent years, I was the leader of weekend tourist groups and therefore hung out between lectures in the club. We had a tourist corner there. I hung out there, and, naturally, the news passed instantly. It's in UPI. There we have in the construction department area, where the trade union committee, only between the economic and construction departments, under this wing there was a tourist corner. And somewhere around 19-20 there was a rumor that in connection with the death, that is, they already assume that they died. For almost 3-4 weeks the group has not been in contact and there is a decision to organize searches. I heard this and offered my services. I say, I could also participate, especially since I'm from the city, I have equipment, I'm basically ready. On February 21, the question of the composition of Slobtsov's group was already discussed there. That it is necessary to send the Slobtsov group in the same number as the Dyatlov group was, that is, in the amount of nine people. I say that I would gladly join this group, since I knew Slobtsov, and from the group I knew Vadim Brusnitsyn. They say to me: Well, the group is approved, but we suggest you come tomorrow, that is, 22 spares, you never know what will happen. I say: OK, I agree. I will come tomorrow with full equipment. The next day, the group is lined up in the right wing, I stand opposite the group with equipment. The authorities are passing by, including a doctor there. And for some reason, the doctor rejected one comrade. And then they suggested to me: Get in line, you will be a participant. We checked the equipment, got on the bus and drove to the Uktus airfield. At the airfield, a plane was already waiting for us, some kind of AN.
– Military or civilian?
K.: Civilian, ordinary AN. We were loaded and we flew to Ivdel. That day we spent the night in Ivdel. We spent the night right at the airport.
– And what is the airfield in Ivdel, military or civil?
K.: Civil, but in general, there is a common airfield, there is a city on the one hand. On the other side of course there are camps. Both the military and the civilian part were present. In the morning they said that they would drop us by helicopter.
– And who met you there?
K.: Yes, we were met there, but who it was, I don't remember. As I said, there were 9 of us there, we flew in two helicopters, because we couldn’t even fit in one helicopter with all the equipment… But Sharavin and Yudin tell me that two people sat down with us, a «fireman» and Ivan. But I don’t remember and don’t know, because we could fly in different helicopters. And although we were on the route together, our group is large, we were stretched out. For example, I am at the tail of the group, someone is in the middle… And when skiing the track, only the first five changed, and for the latter to go to the first position – of course, this was not the case.
– Where were you dropped off? Show on the map.
K.: Sharavin and I parted ways here. I thought that we were landed on a hill, in an open area, close to the forest, 200 meters to the forest remained. Literally, here is such a gentle slope, we rolled down with equipment about 200 meters and there we were already met by a group that first arrived.
– On Otorten? No?
K.: So Sharavin and I disagreed. He says that we were dropped off on the right slope of Otorten… But I forgot to mention an important detail – they didn't let us out in the morning, almost until lunchtime, the weather was non-flying. Although the helicopter pilots were military pilots, they were not released because of the weather, and only in the afternoon the first helicopter took off first, and then the second. I was in the second helicopter. He says that he also flew on the second helicopter, it may well be. But he says that when we were dropped off at a point on the eastern slope of Otorten, and that at that time the group that arrived first had already managed to run to the top of Otorten and had already checked whether the Dyatlov group was on Otorten. Although I thought that we were not at Otorten. I believed that we were landed literally on the ridge, somewhere close to the confluence, where Auspiya enters Lozva. And I still believe that we were dropped off there. And Sharavin says that since there were no traces of the Dyatlov group on Otorten, we made a special detour and then went to Auspiya already. And I thought that we were walking along Auspiya for a while.
– «Axelrod» did you know?
K.: ‹Axelrod› I knew.
– According to information, Axelrod's group was landed on Otorten.
Sharavin says that Axelrod's group was landed earlier. And that it was Axelrod's group that ran there to the top.
K.: Maybe… It is in this that Sharavin and I have discrepancies number one. I believe that we were dropped off at the confluence of the Auspiya into Lozva, in an open area, and not on Lozva. And we went down, and here we had our first overnight stay. Then we floundered waist-deep in snow all day long, crossed from one side of the stream to the other, skiing there in some places, there was a section of skis, for example, 2-3-5 meters. We went from one side to the other, and in the end we went pretty well. I think we covered 10-12 kilometers. I have this impression. And they spent the night. In the morning we got together normally, as it should be, and only we literally passed there… Ah, and our scouts said that the path was already close, which was going up, that light forest was already beginning.
– From your band?
K.: The scouts from our group left, ran away in the morning on purpose. Let's say they ran for two kilometers, checked that there would already be light forests and it would be better. We had just gone some distance when we heard the plane. The plane began to circle above us. We then added a step to get to a clean, more or less open place. And when the plane flew over us, they began to shoot rockets from a rocket launcher, first, then with such, manual ones, they gave several rockets.
– What purpose?
K.: So that he can see us, where we are. He guessed where we were, flew in search of Otorten – Auspiya – Lozva, in this part, but he did not know where we were. When the rockets were given, he then went down lower, «waved» his wings and flew away. Then we quickened our pace, walked maybe a kilometer and a half, came to a more or less clean place. The plane reappeared. And here we just realized that he saw us clearly, we already posted a sign. He then made a circle specially above us and threw out a pennant. In this pennant there was a message that a conductor with a Mansi was coming after us, with a walkie-talkie, meet us.
– At that moment there were nine of you, before the guide and Mansi arrived?
K.: The fact of the matter is that we have this detail at odds. It turns out that there were nine of us plus these two «unidentified». Which I don't remember, but everyone else says they were. I say that I was almost a random person there. In person, I practically did not know anyone.
– They caught up with you, these ones, about which there was a message in the pennant? Mansi and radio operator?
K.: After we received a pennant – a message that a guide with a walkie-talkie was following us, we began to look for a place where the plane would clearly see us, where there would be water, firewood – a place for the base camp. We walked some distance and already in a good place, literally on a flat and open place, we set up a base camp. As a result, it turned out later that a kilometer and a half remained from him to the pass. On the same day we had an overnight stay here. And the next day I was on duty at the tent, by the fire. And everyone else went to search. And in the second half of the day, somewhere after 13-14, that is, immediately after lunch, a guide came from below with a Mansi, they came with a walkie-talkie and began to settle down here. Soon Slobtsov and Sharavin came, the rest of the group members from the search began to pull up.
– Who was the radio operator? Nevolin?
K.: Yes, Nevolin. And a Mansi by the name of Kurikov. Healthy looking.
– He was the chairman of the village council there…
K.: Yes, yes… They said that he volunteered himself, on purpose, so that there were no unnecessary questions.
And when in the evening, we read the diary and discussed…
– Wait a minute, whose diary did you read?
K.: Dyatlovsky.
– That is, Slobtsov and Sharavin took the diary there, in the tent?
K.: They took a diary there, a flask of alcohol…
– One diary? General?
K.: Like one, I don't know about others. I don't remember if we read the rest of the diaries, but I remember that we read one, the main diary, where each of them wrote a few lines. It ended there on the 31st, in my opinion, the number, and that's it. So I don’t remember in this Diary that the storehouse was mentioned. I have one of the questions: when was the storage shed installed? Why is the storehouse not reflected in the diary? This leads me to the conclusion that the store was put up not on the 31st, when the diary was written, but on the next day, and it was not included in the diary. And since it was set up the next day, then there is a possibility that they went to Otorten, and on the way back they were caught by a blizzard and so on. And therefore, in order not to lose orientation, not to go somewhere to the side, but to return to the storehouse, they deliberately stopped under this mountain so as not to completely get lost. Because on the 31st it was –24° with wind, each meter of wind gives 1° of frost. And if the wind added 10 degrees, it already gives –34°. And if it was 15-20 meters there, then it was already –40°. That is, with that wind, frostbite could have been. And plus, if they were late in time… Let's say why they could stop at the top? Because if they returned let's say from Otorten. I don’t take it that they walked two kilometers and set up a tent, then it’s not clear. I assume that they set up a storehouse, went to Otorten that day, and on the way back they passed through the loaches. On the way back from Otorten, I suppose they got here in the cold, in a blizzard, and by the time it was already getting dark. It was light on the loach, but below, at the level of the forest, it was dark;
– The fact is that it takes 3 days to go to Otorten. Or how much? There are 16 kilometers.
K.: Sorry! Half day! Twelve kilometers.
– No, well, there and back…
K.: 12 km, you count. 12 km, moreover, there is no need to grind there… I went with the pioneers. It's 12 km. For two and a half or three hours we walked in one direction.
– Without skis?
K.: Why? By ski. I was in March 1976. We went to the left of Auspiya, what is the name of the river there, to the south?
– This one here?
K.: On the route we came from it. That is, this ridge, its left part along Auspiya. We went along this river, crossed, bypassed 1079 on the left, and went to Otorten. And from 1079 to Otorten we walked very little. We went that day to the devil, where after Otorten yet. And in our group there were schoolchildren from 5 to 10 grade.
– Did you go in the spring?
K.: We went in the month of March, yes. Therefore, 24 km, well, 26 km, what was worth going for the Dyatlov group? It didn't cost anything. Another thing is that on the way back… Well, naturally, if the doctor said that someone had a broken knee there, and if someone was injured on these, on the firn, they could get on the stones. When you ride the firn there… I rode the firn there in March 1976 – excellent, great pleasure, it carries you at a great speed, but you choose a clean place. And if the place where the stones will fall? Fortunately for us, none of us were hurt, not one of the schoolchildren. But if one of them suffered on the firn, then naturally, the delay was in time. The one who rolled down unsuccessfully, first had to be pulled out of there, because along this firn you can go down 2 km, and if you drove into some gully, it’s not so easy from… That is, they could lose an hour or two on this as well. Plus frost on the way back, they could catch a blizzard and wind. Therefore, I believe that on the way back, in order not to lose the landmark – the storehouse, they stopped. I think so.
– Well, this is quite likely, because their newspaper was called Otorten. That is, as if they went there. She hung in a tent on the wall. Korotaev said… Let's go back a little. And what happened next? Here come Slobtsov and Sharavin. You were on duty.
K.: I was on duty. In the evening they listened and read. And I don’t remember any mention of the storehouse in the diary. The next day Sharavin and I were sent to look for traces. Sharavin says that since it was already known where the tent was, we were given the task of finding a place closer to it to set up a base camp. But that's exactly the information I'm talking about only from his words. I thought that our task was to expand the search. And so we came to the tent with him. Explored around the tent. We found that the tent is standing, and there are literally traces from it.
– Approximately how many meters did you start?
K.: And straight ahead, here is a playground, maybe 8-10 meters from the tent, a short distance. And immediately the tracks begin. Right, that's parallel to the feet.
– How many do you remember these tracks?
K.: 8-9, we immediately counted it…
– That is, in one 8 in the other 9?
K.: It's just that we counted 8 clearly, and 9 – we said that «here, it seems, there is a trace or something incomprehensible.»
– Have you seen them yourself?
K.: Of course! We specially approached and decided when this trace could be left and why and who could leave it. Why, for example, was it not blown out? And it could not be blown out because if, say, you stomp hard, then it will harden. Or step on something warm. I mean, we discussed.
– Were the tracks recessed or elevated?
K.: Basically there were deepenings. Holes, mostly. Why do we say, or 9, or not. I don't remember now, maybe some traces were like elevations, but most of the traces were depressions. And these tracks went in different places in different ways. They walked some distance ahead, in the direction of this drop.
– How far did the tracks go?
K.: Well, 60 meters, maybe 100. And on this segment they were slowly lost. We got lost… because after, say, 12-20 meters, there is already a slope sharply down. There, the snow was already looser and the tracks began to be lost.
– Let's just get back to the tent. When you came to the tent, what did you see? What did the tent look like? How did she stand? Entrance? Skate? What was at the entrance of the tent?
K.: I didn't record the details. I fixed just the general position of the tent. Slobtsov and Sharavin told stories there when they returned. Therefore, we did not touch anything, the tent was examined, they had already touched it. Therefore, the fact that there were skis or poles, the position is approximately the same as in the photographs, I imagine it in approximately the same way. The entrance, as far as I remember, was towards the river Auspiya.
– That is, towards the pass?
K.: Yes, here we have a pass, it is long, there it is. Here is 1079, and here is a height of 880 – this is the pass… Here is the Auspiya River, here, here is 1079. If you take this pass 1079, the tent was just above the pass. She stood on a certain elevation, on a slope a little bit, on a certain elevation… If you take a little bit like this, in this relative position, then the tent stood like this. The entrance was directed – that's why I say that they probably came from Otorten – that the entrance of the tent was directed through the pass towards the river Auspiya. That is, this direction, as it were, was preserved to the south. They came, I believe, from the north. And when the tent was torn open and they jumped out, the tracks were perpendicular to the tent and went in this direction.
– You mean down?
K.: The pass remained here, and they left here. That is, they went to this side of the pass. Why? Because the entrance of the tent and the cuts were 90° relative to each other. That is, if they initially set up a tent and orientated themselves that they needed to go there, that they had a storehouse there, then, having broken the tent, they jumped out and lost their orientation by 90°. They may have wanted to run to the storehouse, but they lost their bearings by 90° and went to the wrong side of the pass, but went to this one. That is why, when some of them, Dyatlov, Dubinina, began to return, what kind of logic did they have? When they left and did not find the storehouse, they began to return to the tent again and look for the storehouse from there. When we decided that since the tracks go straight down into the hollow, we will try to go and see how far we can see these tracks. These meters passed, the tracks slowly began to end. The snow is already deep. First it was necessary to take this hollow, then this pass. Here we assumed that the bed of the stream, there were bushes on the left, and we first went along the left side. Here the bushes became thicker and thicker, we decided that it was impossible to pass here at best. We then went more to the right, to a more open place, crossed to the other side of the stream and on the other side of the stream began to slowly descend further, lower and lower. In the end, descending along this floodplain, along this hollow, we ran into a ravine. Well, such a vertical wall, 5 meters, maybe 7, or maybe even 10, even this wall was. Well, we say, let's climb up, look from above. We then climbed sideways, with steps, and on the left side here, we look, and in front of us there was a small row of bushes, we did not break through them, and to the left there was a passage. We went through the passage. Here, then, cedar. There are bushes behind the cedar. We go around the bushes and see – in front of us are two, heads to each other, and the remains of an extinct fire.
– What disposition? How was it with the tent? Were they behind the cedar or in front of the cedar? What kind of vegetation was there, large or not?
K.: The tracks end after 200 meters, but we go in this direction for another 1.5 km and run into a steep cliff. On it stands a cedar. We climb up the cliff with a ladder and go around the cedar on the left. Under the cedar, the remains of a fire and two corpses, poorly dressed and barefoot, lie with their heads to each other. We hurried to the pass to report our find. We did not have time to rise, as a helicopter arrived with investigators. Then a second helicopter arrived with soldiers and dogs. I was asked to show the tent. From the afternoon of February 27 and 28, I helped the soldiers equip the camp. March 1 – Misha Sharavin and I are in a free search. We are looking for traces above the cedar at a height of 860. We go skiing. March 2 – transported 5 corpses to the pass…
If you take a tent upstairs, like this along the front, then right here is a cedar. Represented? Here is such a slope, on the slope there is a platform, here in the front row there are bushes, here there are bushes, here there is a cedar. Here, one lays like this, head over here. The second one lies in his head, here in between, a fire and on the right here is a cedar. I recorded that they were in their underwear, practically barefoot. In the one that lay with its feet towards us, I recorded that the nose was very damaged. They were very dark, literally red. I believe that this is because they were in an open place, during this month they could even get burned from the sun, in principle. And the nose could be pecked by nutcrackers. That's what I decided then. That they could tan from the sun. Maybe something happened there, and from the sun they could also turn black, in an open place, wind, frost. The sun could melt snow on them, ultraviolet… But the nose was pecked. Then they decided that it was Doroshenko who was lying. And there lay, so across, Krivonischenko. But the fact that Krivonischenko was lying under the covers, I don’t remember this. I didn't see this.
– Haven't seen or don't remember?
K.: I don't remember him lying under the covers. I remember that they were both in their underwear. I have such an impression. Maybe Krivonischenko was partially closed, he seemed to be lying a little further away. This one is closer. We then passed literally 1-1.5 meters from his feet. We did not approach, so as not to touch anything there. Just looked, recorded for themselves. Since here we had a cliff of the ravine, so as not to go back into the ravine, we went around. Here the cliff turned into a certain slope of the pass. We walked here literally 300-400 meters and we hear a helicopter flying over the pass. We hurried to the pass. While the helicopter was unloading, we almost approached the helicopter. The distance was short. I'm told long distances. What are the distances? There, from the base camp, where we left, it was 1.5-2 km to the tent. And from the tent to the cedar, we then immediately estimated that it was 1.5 km, maybe a little more. And if, respectively, from the cedar to the helicopter, then it was already 2 km, the distance is also small, because we overcame it, well, literally… well, we naturally were on skis, rested.
– Did you go skiing?
K.: Of course, on skis, but what about? And how would we go there without skis?
– And there was crust in some places.
K.: Nast was there, but where? Upstairs. And the ravines along which we walked, and through the woodlands, but along the floodplain? What kind of crust is there? There was no nasta.
– Let's clarify about the cedar. Have you looked at cedar? What state was he in? What did you find there? We did not specifically examine it at that moment. We only saw that the branches were broken off high.
– Did they come close to him?
K.: We were only 3 meters away from the cedar.
– Did you notice if the branches were broken off or cut down?
K.: Were broken off. If cut down, you can immediately see.
– To what height?
K.: The height was quite decent. They tell me that there are so many or so many meters… Well, maybe 3 meters, maybe 3.5. I can somehow imagine. They tell me that at such a height. No, not higher than 3.5 meters. The above was not correct.
– And where were the broken branches? Didn't you notice?
K.: No broken branches were seen anywhere. We saw only the remains of a fire.
– And the broken branches? They did not hang on a cedar?..
K.: No, of course not.
– There is just information that they were hanging. Some branches seem to have remained hanging on the cedar. Did not see? Or don't you remember? Maybe they were lying near the cedar?
K.: Here I visualize now… Maybe they were. So what is the situation. When we approached and walked around the cedar, there were fir trees, pine trees there, not high, but they were taller than us. There was little woodland around the cedar here. Perhaps there were some branches, but in light forests. But we focused not on this, but on that situation: who is lying, how many people, in what position they are lying. And since the cedar was a purely indicative figure for us, we only glanced at what was under the cedar, that the cedar was free of branches at some height, and that was all. We didn't have a task to investigate.
– But maybe you suddenly remember something now…
K.: Perhaps these branches were. Maybe there was something in the woodlands, but since we came and walked along, and went up there, we recorded only this, such a state. I fixed. Misha's testimony is slightly different, but maybe… they could have looked from different positions.
– What can you say about the presence of deadwood in the area?
K.: I didn't see anything anywhere.
– Maybe covered with snow?..
K.: None of this happened. I explain. It was the first half of February 27, in the second half of February 27, after I brought the investigators to the tent and showed that this was the tent, after that they told me: go to the camp. I was setting up an army tent. Then on the second day I again set up the second tent. But on March 1, Misha and I again, we were released on a free search, to rest. And since three were found already in the hollow these days, I did not participate there. Misha, in my opinion, also did not participate.
When it was known that three and more had been found, they say, while the dogs could not find anything else there, we were released to search. Said, «you explore height 880». Then this time we directly came practically to the cedar and from this cedar we climbed already now, continuing the direction of the tent-cedar – height 880. We even continued to the height of 880. This is how we passed this height of 880, and already from the top of the height we skied through the forest. They did the ski track themselves on skis. Here in this free search, we did not see any traces, no deadwood, nothing. Because we were now at the cedar for the second time.
– Now back to the fire. What was the fire, what kind of firewood was it? At what distance?
K.: We didn't watch anything then, no firewood. We looked, here is about such a campfire, such a platform, it seemed to stand out dark, black. On it is such a small pile of burnt branches. About a meter, even less, probably half a meter, two lay from the fire. We didn't come, we didn't touch. Our business was to record and quickly report that, behold, they found the first. We were not given the task of examining, we were given the task of finding, identifying…
– No, well, a task is a task, but you saw it yourself… Now what can you say, according to your memories?
K.: That's what I recorded, that's what I'm telling. Bonfire, flat ground…
– Were there tracks around the cedar? Were there any foreign objects?
K.: No, there were no traces, there was nothing. The thing is, it's been a month. It was covered in snow. By the way, it was a little bit covered in snow. Here the corpses lay, they were also powdered, well, literally, as if just now it had blown, powdered, and that was it. They were practically open. Well, that's how you lie down on the floor, two centimeters next to you will lie down and literally sprinkle you, and that's it. This is how they lay.
– Was the bonfire behind the cedar in relation to the tent?
K.: Just explaining. Here is the tent. Here we are perpendicular to the entrance, here from this section, here is the section, this is the slope of the tent. We both went, so right perpendicular and walked. We came to a cliff, here it is a cliff. On the edge of the platform. Here he stands, cedar. We came to a cliff, and along the edge of the cliff there was woodland. In order not to break through the light forest, there was a small passage here. So here is the cedar. We passed through this passage around the cedar. It is clear where the cedar is? He's on the edge of a cliff. This cliff is parallel to the tent.
– And how far from the cliff was the cedar?
K.: Quite a bit. Meters can be 7 maximum. And the fire… one and a half or two meters from the cedar, here lay the first corpse, and after half a meter there was a fire.
– Between them, right? Between the cedar and the dead?
K.: There was a meter and a half between the cedar and the deceased, well, two.
– Was the bonfire near the cedar or on the other side of the dead?
K.: There was a bonfire – Doroshenko was lying closer to the cedar, with his back to the cedar, on his back or not on his back… Here is the cedar. This is how Doroshenko lay, this is how Krivonischenko lay. They lay head to head.
– Was there a fire between them?
K.: (draws) Here is a cedar. Here they lay, and here is the fire.
– Did the stream flow here? Why did the break occur?
K.: Well, of course. The main stream is right here. This is a tributary of the Lozva. And here is Lozva. And this is Otorten already.
– Somehow they were both lying along the fire, as it were.
K.: Not along, but with their heads to each other. So and so, lay. But that's okay, because they were both warming themselves by the fire.
– I don't understand this picture. Because the map is different. May I have a leaflet? I'll draw like on a map.
K.: Here, look at the map. I am repeating what is shown there.
– According to the map, it turns out like this. If this ridge goes…
K.: You mean the Ural Range?
– Yes, the Ural Range. Here is Auspiya, here is mountain 1079, here is a spur, here is 880, here is 905. And here is Lozva, it goes far, and here are the tributaries – 1,2,3,4… So, the tent is here was, they ran downstairs, and the cedar was right here. And from the cedar to the ravine, where they found the latter, it was 50-70 meters.
K.: I will explain. Here is the river. We will continue the slope, we found it in this area, here it is exactly 70 m. That's where they found below the last four.
– No, wait. What, when they ran, did they climb up the cliff up to the cedar?
K.: Well, how else? A ravine blocked their path.
– Their path was blocked by a ravine 5 m high? We did not have such information.
– Bypassed. Did you bypass?
K.: No, we didn't bypass. We just climbed, we climbed a ladder, not like we go skiing, but climbed a ladder specially, on skis.
– Well, they are without skis.
K.: There the slope was 70-80 degrees.
– Was the ravine blocking your path?
K.: Of course. We ran into him. But we look, the height, some kind of observation platform, we went out, and just went out to the cedar and went out to the fire.
– Was the ravine heavily snow-filled? Why couldn't they find these right away? Or was it deep?
K.: Imagine, here we had 3, 5 or even 7 meters, and so I remember. Well, 3-4 meters was exactly the height. Well, imagine, if this is a real ravine, it means that we are 3-4 meters below us. Do you agree? And if 70 m to the side? So it's more deep. If the wind always blew only in this direction, over the mountains. I was there in 1976 as well. The wind was blowing in only one direction. And here is already a height of 880, there is already a forest and therefore the snow was all delayed. And so, naturally, the ravine was leveled.
– And the difference was 5 meters?
K.: There were definitely 3-4 meters. Maybe even more, because we did not overcome it so easily.
– I have not seen such information before.
K.: I say, not just like going up the hill, forward with skis, but we climbed specially with a ladder. That is, sideways upwards.
– So you didn't find any traces here?
K.: And there it was powdered with snow.
– The handkerchief was burnt, the money was lying around… it was written.
K.: They found it later. Then they sorted out those who were supposed to.
– You had no time.
K.: Our task was different – to capture and report. And it wasn't our job to figure it out. (…) We could have messed it up, and then we would have wondered where that came from?
- By the way, did you have an assignment from the prosecutor’s office so as not to spoil anything or did you know this yourself?
K.: Yes, we didn’t have any task, and there wasn’t from the very beginning.
- So the UPI sent you and no investigator spoke to you?
K.: No, we had a task...
- Was there some kind of instruction?
K.: None. The instructions were simple: we are sending you from UPI, your task is to find, if possible, and report. How it was roughly...
- Well, “you’ve done your job and don’t bother me anymore.” Everyone had that meaning...
K.: Nothing like that was said directly.
- Whose radio operator was at his disposal? You reported back to Slobtsov, right?
K.: We did not have a radio operator at our disposal.
- Was he on his own?
K.: Of course, on my own.
- What did he convey? Did he have a microphone?
K.: I don’t remember, because Slobtsov studied there.
- So he himself conveyed something? And Slobtsov told him that, for example, “have you found such and such?”
K.: Of course. I don't know there. I already said that I was there «the fifth wheel in the cart», so they didn't report to me. I say, we didn’t have any instructions «do this, but don’t do this». Nothing was said on the bus or in the UPI. I don't remember us being told anything. On the bus, maybe they said something to Slobtsov, or to someone. I don't remember.
– Literally didn't say anything to anyone?
K.: They didn't say anything. Then we flew in the plane, flew in a helicopter, threw us out – there were no conversations, there was nothing of this. What about information? Suppose they sent us. They said: there is a tent over there, you need to explore further. If possible, choose a place for a new base, closer to the tent. That's the whole conversation with us.
– Fine. And what did you do next when you returned from the cedar?
K.: When the helicopter landed with the authorities, we approached the helicopter, here the authorities poured out. We reported. As far as I remember and imagine, I was asked to show where the tent was. I don't know if Misha was at the tent again or not. I went to show. Yes, there, I say, a tent, not far, you can see. Well, show me closer, they say.
– You mean, a tourist tent? Yours was there too.
K.: Yes, Dyatlov's tent. I say: «there is a tent, close.» And they: «Well, show me, you were there, but we weren’t.» I say: «Come on, I'll show you.» He showed me the tent. After that, they tell me: «that's it, go.» Well, I'm back at the pass. Only from the pass I began to descend, and here things are already lying around, the road has been beaten, the ski track has been beaten. I went down this track. Things are on the left, on the right. The things of the soldiers are here… Well, when I approached, they say: «Help the soldiers put up a tent.» I say: «And our camp, and my things?». Some of my things remained in the camp. They tell me: «so your things are already being lifted, and the storage shed has already been found there.» And I went to help put up the tent. We all spent the night in this tent. And the next day, as far as I remember, they asked me again to put up a second tent, so there were a lot of people, and so that the authorities and officers were in one tent so that they could discuss it, and the soldiers so that they could rest in peace in another tent. I say: «OK, I'll help.» «At the same time, tell me where you can get water, where you can get firewood, where to make a toilet?» So I was here and worked with the second tent for the whole second day practically. But on the third day, Misha and I again went to the tent and explored the height of 880. And that's it. And already on March 2, we were engaged in the delivery of corpses to the pass. Those five people that were found. At the pass, they said, there will be a helicopter and pick up the corpses, and pick you up. The helicopter flew in, took away all the corpses, but they didn’t take us that day. We already flew the next day ago.
- You flew away and never returned there?
K.: Yes, we were already in Sverdlovsk on March 5th. I returned there, was on the second search. This was around the end of March. There they were already testing the snow with such long poles.
- They didn’t find anything on you?
K.: No, I have nothing on me. That comes later.
- That is, you haven’t seen those four.
K.: No, I didn’t see them.
- Well then, a question about the diary. You said you read the diary. And where did they put it then?
K.: All questions about the diary are for Slobtsov, because he took it, he gave it away. To whom, I don’t know.
- Who gave you all the commands up there? Who said: “Take me to the tent?” Who was in charge of all this?
K.: I don’t remember now. I didn’t know practically anyone.
- What kind of uniform did they have? Military, civilian?
K.: Civil. It is quite possible, as they say, that Chernyshov was in the first helicopter. Ivanov, Korotaev, which helicopter were they in? Between the first helicopter and the second, as far as I remember, there was a difference of only 15 minutes. Maybe a little more. Because when we climbed the pass, the first helicopter was already unloading, and when we approached it while it was unloading, the second helicopter was already approaching. It sits nearby, a couple of hundred meters from the first one. Right before our eyes. Apparently they were flying one after another.
- You didn't know who arrived?
K.: How could we know this? We are strangers, they are strangers. Moreover, he didn’t know anyone there.
Topic: Koptelov: Two under the cedar lay perpendicular! (Read 10253 times)