Nurse Solter and the clothes...

[MDGross]

I'm a bit confused (what's new about that) about the subject of the hikers' clothes. Teddy, you can probably shed some light on this. In a 2008 interview, Nurse Solter states that when the first six bodies were brought to the morgue, she and the surgeon, Dr. Prudkov, were the only ones present. She says in the interview that she removed their clothes and washed the bodies. The corpses were then dressed in new clothes and placed in coffins. Solter then believes the coffins were flown to Sverdlovsk for burial. But if a restaging occurred, which is plausible, then the bodies needed to be redressed in their original clothes. My question is, how did the restagers know which clothes went with which bodies? Solter and perhaps Prudkov were the only ones who knew how the bodies were first dressed. And I don't believe they were involved in the redressing. This is important because if Yudin was shown photos of the hikers when they were found by the search team, he would know if the clothes were all wrong. So a degree of accuracy was needed. But the restagers hadn't seen the bodies in their original clothes. What shirt goes with who? What sweater, etc.? If Yudin believed the clothing was just as it should be, then perhaps the restaging never happened. I'm probably exaggerating the importance of the clothes. But it does seem important to me.

[KFinn]

I'm a bit confused (what's new about that) about the subject of the hikers' clothes. Teddy, you can probably shed some light on this. In a 2008 interview, Nurse Solter states that when the first six bodies were brought to the morgue, she and the surgeon, Dr. Prudkov, were the only ones present. She says in the interview that she removed their clothes and washed the bodies. The corpses were then dressed in new clothes and placed in coffins. Solter then believes the coffins were flown to Sverdlovsk for burial. But if a restaging occurred, which is plausible, then the bodies needed to be redressed in their original clothes. My question is, how did the restagers know which clothes went with which bodies? Solter and perhaps Prudkov were the only ones who knew how the bodies were first dressed. And I don't believe they were involved in the redressing. This is important because if Yudin was shown photos of the hikers when they were found by the search team, he would know if the clothes were all wrong. So a degree of accuracy was needed. But the restagers hadn't seen the bodies in their original clothes. What shirt goes with who? What sweater, etc.? If Yudin believed the clothing was just as it should be, then perhaps the restaging never happened. I'm probably exaggerating the importance of the clothes. But it does seem important to me.

I can not speak for Teddy but my understanding from 1079 is that redressing the bodies before restaging was the reason the clothing was mixed up (Dubinina in Krivonischenko's sweater, Zolotaryov in Doroshenko's hat, etc.)   They had not catalogued what belonged to whom.

[Igor Pavlov]

But it does seem important to me.

Very good question. Salter dealt with 6 bodies. According to our version - with those who were found directly in the tent under the rubble (tree) (at least four) + two more found nearby outside the tent. Those found in the tent had severe injuries and, most likely, damaged clothing. Salter had changed it. Later 4 bodies were found in May in a stream. It is their clothes that are mixed up as it was changed back. The others, if they could get out of the tent, could not help but get their own clothes. And not the fact that it was also damaged or dirty. So some of the bodies (not injured) were in their own clothes. They were found later on the slope. Yudin saw them, not bodies from the stream.

[MDGross]

Thank you, Igor Pavlov, for helping to clarify. Your reply brings up another question. Was Yudin prevented by the Ivdel authorities from seeing photos of the four bodies found in the stream? He would have seen that their clothing was mixed up. Then maybe he would have asked too many questions.

[RidgeWatcher]

I always remembered Nurse Solter and I believed her, she was very specific on certain points. I could never understand how the bodies could be so dirty, in that white ice and snow, that they had to be stripped and cleaned in the morgue. I also, for some reason, didn't catch on that Nurse Solter was actually a prisoner of the camp. Those were harsh times.

[Igor Pavlov]

Was Yudin prevented by the Ivdel authorities from seeing photos of the four bodies found in the stream?

The Party Regional Committee commission already in March said that the tourists died from the strong wind. The prosecutors had only to find the remaining bodies. not to continue the investigation. No one (even relatives) was informed about the injuries. The rav4 serious injuries became known only in the 90s, when someone got access to the criminal case.

[bertie]

No one (even relatives) was informed about the injuries. The rav4 serious injuries became known only in the 90s, when someone got access to the criminal case.

I hadn't realised or had forgotten that point

[marieuk]

Yes I didn't realise the families were not aware of the injuries at the time, until I read Teddy and Igor's book.  It can't have been easy for their loved ones finding out the extent of their injuries years later.

[Manti]

I do not know how this worked in 50s/60s Soviet Union, so just asking, but there must have been death certificates that the relatives would have access to. Did these not state a cause of death? Or was it something generic even though according to the (classified) autopsies the actual cause of death for example crushing skull injury in case of Thibo, was known? I have read that Semyon's death certificate is dated December. Are these certificates available somewhere online?

[Igor Pavlov]

... there must have been death certificates that the relatives would have access to. Did these not state a cause of death?

Currently, not all death certificates, which specify the cause of death, are known. The cause of death for the first five is listed as "hypothermia during a camping trip". For the rav4 the document is known only for Zolotarev. His cause of death is "the effect of low temperature". Most likely, there was a similar wording for the others found in May. There was no information about injuries.