Mysterious Stories Blog
Strange, disturbing and mysterious stories from the outdoors
The mysterious story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident in Russia's Ural Mountains
WARNING - CONTAINS DISTURBING IMAGES
Revised December 2024
In February 1959, a group of nine Russian hikers lost their lives under strange circumstances in the shadow of the Kholat Syakhl mountain in the Northern Urals in what would come to be known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident. The case included bizarre behavior and inexplicable injuries and, to this day, remains unsolved.
Detailed photographs and documentation are available after the case files were released following the end of the Soviet era, and the extent is unusual for a historical event that took place over 60 years ago.
Theories abound over and above the official explanations of hypothermia and weather-related events, from foul play to the Siberian Yeti.
The expedition to the Northern Urals - Kholat Syakhl and Otorten
On January 31, 1959, a 23-year-old ski hiker named Igor Alekseyevich Dyatlov (Dee-at-lao-v) embarked on a journey to reach Otorten (Отортен), a mountain in the Northern Urals. Igor, a Soviet college student, brought a team of nine experienced hikers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute (now Ural State Technical University) for a two-week excursion into the northern Ural Mountains.
Igor Alekseyevich Dyatlov
Dyatlov's group consisted of Yuri Doroshenko (21), Lyudmila Dubinina (20), Alexander Kolevatov (24), Zenaida Kolmogorova (22), Yuri Krivonischenko (23), Rustem Slobodin (23), Nikolai Thibeaux-Brignolles (23), Semyon Zolotaryov (38), and Yuri Yudin (21).
Dyatlov Pass hikers 1959
Before he left, Dyatlov had told his sports club that he and his team would send them a telegram by February 21 as soon as they returned. On February 2, 1959, the group set up camp on the slopes of the Kholat Syakhl (now Dyatlov Pass). During the night, something forced members of the group to leave their tent, fleeing into the subzero extreme winter conditions.
The mountain near where the Dyatlov incident occurred is called Kholat Syakhl, which in the indigenous Mansi Holatchahl language means "dead mountain" or "silent peak", with a height of 3,598 feet (1,096.7 m).
The area is in the northern Ural region of Russia, on the border between the Komi Republic and Sverdlovsk Oblast near the northeast corner of Perm Krai. The subsequent deaths of the group occurred 6.2 miles ( 10 km) north of Kholat Syakhl.
The Ural Mountains, or “the Urals,” are a mountain range that runs from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. The range forms part of the conventional boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia. The mountains are rich in resources, including metal ores, coal, and precious and semi-precious stones. Since the 18th century, the mountains have contributed significantly to the mineral sector of the Russian economy.
The climate of the Urals is continental. The average January temperatures increase in the western areas from −20 °C (−4 °F) in the Polar to −15 °C (5 °F) in the Southern Urals, and the corresponding temperatures in July are 10 °C (50 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F). Our group was in the Northern part of the Urals.
The Northern Urals are dominated by conifers, namely Siberian fir, Siberian pine, Scots pine, Siberian spruce, Norway spruce, Siberian larch, and silver and downy birches. The forests are much sparser in this portion due to the climate. The Ural forests are inhabited by animals typical of Siberia, such as elk, brown bear, fox, wolf, wolverine, lynx, etc.
Arrival near Kholat Syakhl (now called Dyatlov Pass)
On January 31, 1959, the group led by Dyatlov arrived near Kholat Syakhl. and began to prepare for climbing. They cached surplus food and equipment that would be used for the trip back in a nearby wooded valley to reduce the weight carried up to their final destination, Mount Otorten.
On February 1, the group started to move through the area today known as the Dyatlov Pass. They planned to get over the pass and make camp for the next night on the opposite side, but because of worsening weather conditions, they deviated west, up towards the top of Kholat Syakhl. This was either intentional or they got disorientated in the snowstorm. Fading light may also have been a factor, as they likely needed to erect the tent before sunset.
Dyatlov decided to stop and set up camp there on the slope of the mountain in the late afternoon rather than moving 0.93 miles (1.5 km) down the hill to a forested area, which would have offered some shelter from the wind and snow. Yuri Yudin, who left the trip early due to illness, said, "Dyatlov probably did not want to lose the altitude they had gained, or he decided to practice camping on the mountain slope." The location of the tent was within sight of Mount Otorten, and it was clearly the group’s goal to head there on February 2.
The tent site was located on the north-eastern slope of mountain 1079 (Kholat Syakhl) meters at the mouth of river Auspiya., 0.18 miles (300m) from the top of the mountain, with a slope of 30 °.
Sometime late in the evening of February 1 or early in the morning of February 2, something happened that meant Dyatlov and the other eight hikers left the warmth and comfort of their tent and headed down the slope to the trees around a mile away. For reasons unknown, they hurriedly left the area, with several of them not wearing boots or proper outwear. The evidence appears to point to the tent being cut from the inside to aid in the escape. But they seem to have walked down the hill in an orderly manner.
Upon reaching a cedar tree in the forest, a fire was built and the group succumbed either to the environment or other factors.
Kholat Syakhl Dyatlov Pass
Kholat Syakhl Dyatlov Pass
The search for the Dyatlov hiking group
The Dyatlov group was expected back in Vizhay on February 12, 1959, but it never arrived, so preparations were made to start a search by February 21.
Initially, officials were reluctant to start an emergency search and rescue mission for the missing hikers because heavy snowfall in the area around Mt Otorten and Kholat Syakhl meant that it was first assumed the poor weather had delayed the group. However, pressure from the relatives of the hikers to the local head of the Communist party eventually forced the authorities to organize a search party.
The head of the military department of UPI, Colonel Georgiy Semyonovich Ortyukov, took charge of the search and rescue operation, and several students from Ural Polytechnic Institute volunteered to search. An aerial search was also organised, using flights from Ivdel airport.
Several rescue parties were sent to the region on February 21. One of these groups was headed by Blinov, another by Sogrin, who had just returned from a trip to the area, and another group headed by Vladislav Karelin joined the search effort.
The search group included Boris Slobtsov, Michael Sharavin, Evgeniy Maslennikov, Lev Ivanov, Georgiy Ortyukov, Vadim Brusnitsyn and Moises Akselrod.
On February 22, several prison guards from the IvdelLag under Captain A.A. Chernyshev's leadership and another seven MVD officers under Lieutenant Potapov's command joined the search. Another three groups were formed in UPI from student volunteers under the leadership of Oleg Grebennik, Moises Akselrod and Boris Slobtsov. Local Mansi hunters also volunteered, and Moscow sent several specialists, including E.P. Maslennikov, Baskin, Bardin and Shuleshko.
On February 23, Boris Slobtsov’s team was dropped near Mount Otorten, Dyatlov’s final destination. On February 24, they reached the mountain and concluded that the hikers never made it there as there was no record at the summit.
The tent is located
The Dyatlov group tent photographed on February 27, 1959
On February 25, Boris Slobtsov and his group found a trail of skis that he assumed to be that of the Dyatlov party. The next day, they discovered the tent on the slope of Kholat Syakhl; photos were taken on February 27. On examination, the sides of the tent were cut from the inside. The nature and form of all cuts suggest that they were formed by contact with the canvas inside the tent with the blade of a knife.
The entrance of the tent was looking south. The north part was covered with 15-20 cm of snow. It was unclear from the investigation reports whether the tent was cut on both sides and whether the door was fastened. Lack of detailed photographs of the snow in the area made it difficult to ascertain who had been in the vicinity before the search party arrived. However, searchers recalled that there were definitely 8-9 tracks of footprints left by hikers who wore almost no footwear. Their feet pressed the snow, leaving characteristic "columns" of pressed snow with a footprint on top. Members of the group walked in a single file with a tall man walking in the back. His footprints partially covered the other footprints of those who walked before him. Overall, the path gave an impression of organized and unrushed descent down the slope of the mountain. Several trails would deviate from the general direction but then rejoin the group. It did not look like the Dyatlov group had run for their lives from the tent in a disorganized frenzy.
Vladimir Korotaev, who 1959 was a young investigator, recalled the events of that time and said that a major break in the case was made almost by accident. A woman was called to help mend his uniform. She looked at the tent and confidently said the cuts were made from inside, changing the investigation entirely. Forensic analysis on April, 3-16, 1959 by senior forensic expert Genrietta Eliseevna Churkina at the Sverdlovsk Forensic Laboratory confirmed the cuts were made from the inside in his opinion.
The tent was located on the northeast slope of mountain 1079 at the source of the River Auspiya, 0.18 miles (300m) from the top on a slope of 30°. The campsite consisted of a pad of flattened snow; on the bottom were stacked eight pairs of skis. The tent was stretched on poles and fixed with ropes. Nine backpacks were located at the bottom of the tent, and they contained various personal items, such as jackets, raincoats, and nine pairs of shoes. There were also men's pants, three pairs of boots, warm fur coats, socks, a hat, ski caps, utensils, buckets, a stove, ax, saw, blankets, food: biscuits in two bags, condensed milk, sugar, concentrates, notebooks, an itinerary and many other small items and documents, camera and accessories to a camera.
A satirical propaganda leaflet the Dyatlov group put together was found near the tent's entrance.
It was concluded from the general appearance and density of the snow in the area that the tent’s condition was not caused by an avalanche but blown over by the wind. Near the tent, a pair of skis were sticking out from the snow and at the entrance of the tent in the snow was an ice axe. and nearby Dyatlov's jacket. A penknife on a carabiner and a pocketbook with Zina Kolmogorova's photo inside was in the pockets. It was strange that Dyatlov had removed his jacket outside the tent, or perhaps it had been accidentally dropped.
On the side of the tent, on top of 10 cm of snow, Dyatlov's flashlight was located and confirmed to be in working condition From Slobtsov’s witness testimony, "It was strange that while there was a layer of snow, 2-4 inches (5-10cm) thick under the flashlight, there was no snow on top of it, and it was snowed slightly on either side."
The Dyatlov group appeared to have left the tent without outer clothes, hats, gloves and shoes and headed down the slope to the forest, not to the storage site where they had left provisions before climbing Kholat Syakhl.
What made them leave the tent? The footprints suggest they left in a fairly calm and orderly manner. However, they would have known the importance of property footwear and outerwear in these sub-zero temperatures, and it seems strange that they did not spend a minute or two gathering these key items. Nothing but fear of imminent death would have gotten them to leave without boots and outerwear.
Once at the shelter of the treeline, they successfully made a fire, which they may have believed would be sufficient if they could soon return to the tent. They may have wrongly believed an avalanche was imminent and wanted to seek shelter in the treeline until it passed. In the hours and days ahead, the whole group died.
Discovery of bodies near the Cedar Tree
Remains of a fire under the cedar with broken branches
On February 27, 1959, at 11 am, at a distance of around 1 mile (1.5km) from the group’s tent, Mikhail Sharavin and Boris Slobtsov, students at the Ural Polytechnical Institute, assisting in a search for the nine hikers, found the first two sets of remains. The bodies were of Yuri Doroshenko and Yuri Krivonischenko. Neither Sharavin nor Koptelov were questioned during the investigation. Sharavin said that by the time the investigation was conducted, he was in a hospital and couldn’t testify. The statement in the criminal files is by Slobtsov:
"While looking carefully around the area, Mikhail (Sharavin) noticed something dark close to a cedar tree. There was a flat area next to the cedar, and on this were the remains of a fire. About two or 3 m from the fire, they found Yuri Doroshenko, frozen without his clothes and with his hand burned; and a little to the side, they found Yuri Krivonischenko in the same state. Under Doroshenko’s body were three or four cedar branches of about the same thickness."
Describing the condition of the bodies in the official record, Vasily Tempalov, the prosecutor in the criminal case, stated, ”Krivonischenko’s right leg has no footwear. On his left foot, there is a brown sock that is torn. Another sock like this was discovered half burnt next to the fire. On the backs of his hands, the skin is torn. Between the fingers, there is blood. The index finger is also torn. The skin of the left shin is torn and covered in blood. There are no more visible injuries on his body. Doroshenko has woollen socks on his feet and over these socks, another lighter sock. His ear, lips and nose are covered in blood, and on his left hand, the middle finger is bloody."
At the time, however, it wasn’t obvious that one of the corpses was Doroshenko’s. Ortykov reported in the radio message sent by the search team to Ivdel, "His face is completely covered in snow, but we’re now of the opinion that he is Doroshenko, not Zolotaryov. They are both the biggest guys."
A student in the search party, Vadim Brusnitsyn, made a statement for the criminal case, ”Next to the bodies was a fire. Nearby were more than ten small fir tree branches, cut with a Finnish knife. The lower dry branches, about 5 cm in diameter, had been cut from the cedar. Some of these were lying next to the fire. The snow around was trampled.”
From Captain Chernyshev’s official statement, ”It’s possible to conclude that other people had since been by the fire. We found various garments next to it rather than on the bodies, but we didn’t find any other bodies. The trees near the fire had been cut with knives, but we found no knives with the bodies.”
Maslennikov stated that Doroshenko and Krivonischenko, "maybe with the help of others, had made a pretty good fire with the branches of fir trees. But that fire had been alight for maybe an hour and a half (3.14 inches / 8cm branches of cedar had burned through)".
Atmanaki: ”For about 20 m around the cedar, there was evidence of young fir trees being cut with a knife. We saw around 20 such cut stumps. But we didn’t see any of the cut branches left, except for one. It isn’t possible to imagine they were used to maintain the fire. First of all, they are not good for firewood. Second, around them were quite a lot of dry twigs and materials.”
The search team sent another radio message stating, "The volume of work done here in making this number of cuts suggests there were more people here than only these two."
Maslennikov: ”Several wool and cotton socks were scattered around the fire. A woman’s handkerchief was burned through in several places, as well as some fragments of woollen clothes. But we didn’t find the actual clothes themselves. In particular, we found the cuff of a dark sweater there, not on the bodies. Also, we found some money, eight rubles.”
Captain Chernyshev: ”All the low branches of the cedar within arm’s reach were broken completely. One was cut 13-16 feet (4 or 5 m) high. They were thick. These types of branches are extremely difficult to break, even if, for instance, you hang on them with the whole weight of your body.”
Maslennikov: ”The lower dry branches of the cedar were broken up to 2 m high. Somebody climbed the tree because the branches 4 or 5 m high were also broken.”
Atmanaki: ”Most of the dry branches up to 5 m were broken. Besides this, the side of the tree faces the slope, and the tent is completely cleared of branches. These were not dry; they were young and were not used. Some of them were just lying on the ground, and the others were hanging on the lower branches of the cedar. It looked as if someone had created a viewing hide facing the site from where they came.”
Igor Dyatlov was found 300 m from the cedar tree, face up, head towards the tent. Above the snow line, only his hands were visible, with his fists clenched in front of his chest.
Further Discovery of bodies - the Den
B.L. Suvorov in the Den
Search efforts continued, but two months went by without a trace of the remaining four hikers.
Then, in May 1959, enough snow had melted when a Mansi native Kurikov with his dog noticed some cut branches forming a sort of trail which they followed. 164 feet (50m) from the cedar, he came across some black cotton sweat pants, the right leg cut off with a knife and some cedar branches. A young fir tree was missing its top, and he came across another piece of clothing - the left half of the women's light-brown wool sweater, the right half and sleeves cut off. The Sweater was presumed to belong to Lyudmila Dubinina.
50 feet (15 m) up the bank from the stream, Kurikov found half of a beige sweater and the other half of the ski trousers.
The area was previously searched with avalanche probes, but the snow was very deep. Ural Polytechnical Institute students Vladimir Askinadzi and Boris Suvorov Kurikov assisted in the search, and they followed some small fir tree branches in the snow where 164 feet (50m) from the cedar. They found a snowdrift. They began to dig, and at a depth of 11.5 feet (3.5m), they found cut branches covered with clothes. The bed of branches consisted of fourteen fir tree branches and one birch, and on top were belongings and clothes, which made four makeshift seats.
A makeshift den had been constructed by the surviving four members of the Dyatlov group. The spot was around 250 feet (70-75m) from the cedar in a ravine.
The clothes included one leg of a pair of black ski trousers, a thick brown woollen sweater, a white woollen jumper made in China, and a pair of brown trousers tied at the ankles but flared open with a tear to widen them. They found a spoon and a knife sheath 50 feet (15 m) from the den, but surprisingly, no knife as a sharp instrument had clearly been used to cut branches and clothing.
The bodies were found a few meters away from the clothes of Krivonischenko and Doroshenko - pants and a sweater. All clothes had been cut when they were taken from the bodies of Doroshenko and Krivonischenko. Bodies of Thibault-Brignoles and Zolotaryov were better dressed, Lyudmila Dubinina’s fur jacket and hat were found on Zolotaryov, her leg was wrapped in woolen trousers that belong to Krivonischenko. Krivonischenko’s knife was found close to the bodies. It was used to cut off branches of young fir trees.
66 feet (20 m) from the den, a fragment of flesh was found 13 feet (4m) deep in the snow. Dubinina's body was found in the ravine on May 5, 1959. From the official record of the discovery of the bodies:
“On the northwest slope of Hill 880, about 50m from the cedar, in the stream, we have discovered four bodies: three men and one woman. The body of the woman has been identified as Lyudmila Dubinina. The bodies of the men cannot be identified without removing them from the water. They are buried in snow 2.5 m deep. The men are lying with their heads facing north and downstream, and the body of the woman is lying facing upstream. She is dressed in a small skullcap and a yellow sleeveless shirt. Then a flannel shirt; two sweaters, one gray the other dark; and on her legs are leggings and brown ski trousers. On one foot are two woollen socks and, on her right foot is bound half of a beige sweater. On the back of her head and back there are traces of damage from our probe. Her body is decaying.
The first man is dressed in a khaki-colored windbreaker, and on his wrist he has two watches, one a Pobeda and the other a Sportif. The Pobeda had stopped at 8:38, and the Sportif showed 8:15. It is not possible to see the head and legs of this body, because he is not completely exposed. The other two bodies lie in a kind of hug, both with nothing on their heads, and some of their hair missing. They are both dressed in windbreakers, but it is hard to say what else, and it will have to wait until we get them out of the stream. The bodies are decaying, and we have photographed them. They need to be taken out of the stream immediately because they are decaying fast and will soon be lost in the stream, which is very fast.”
It was Vladimir Askinadzi’s probe that damaged Dubinina’s neck. He recalled that the distance between all the heads of those found in the brook was about 11.5 inches (30cm) - they were all very close to each other. He also said that Dubinina’s head was lying down on a kind of a natural ledge with water pouring over it, and her mouth was open, and there were claims that the tongue was ripped or eaten. The medical records stated that the tongue was missing.
Georgiy Ortyukov, the Army Colonel in charge of logistics and helicopter support, saw a notebook in Zolotaryov’s hand. Vladimir Askinadzi recalled that it was hard to identify the bodies as they found them, and it was Colonel Ortyukov who was deciding who was who. ‘We were surprised,’ Askinadzi said, ‘because it was really hard to see, and no one could object or disagree.’
Askinadzi said that Colonel Ortyukov grabbed a notepad from Zolotaryov’s hand, looked at it, cursed and said: "He’s written nothing." He appears to be the only one who saw the notepad. Its whereabouts are unknown as it was never filed in evidence.
Colonel Ortyukov and some soldiers took all the bodies from the stream, carried them up the bank and placed them on special stretchers to drag them across the snow, then took them up to the pass to the helipad. A helicopter arrived, but the pilots refused to take the bodies onboard, complaining this was outside their official duties. It has been said that the pilots knew the bodies were radioactive and, for this reason, didn’t want them in the aircraft.
Ortyukov sent the following radiogram: “This is a scandal! I and fourteen other people brought these bodies on our shoulders, and they refused to take the bodies in spite of my insistence. As a Communist, I am outraged by the behavior of the crew and ask you to inform the Communist Party leader about it. And I have to mention to you for clarity that these bodies are frozen.
We packed them for transportation, and there was no reason to refuse to take them. The medical expert refused to examine or to cut the bodies here on site. It is absolutely not dangerous from the point of hygiene. They are folded and covered in special impervious material. The crew said they would not transport them until they are in Zinc coffins.”
Colonel Ortyukov was forced to get out his pistol and threaten the crew. Vladimir Askinadzi intervened, after which the medical expert reorganized how the bodies should be packed for transportation, and they were finally airlifted for transportation to Ivdel.
It was probably the idea of ex-soldier Zolotaryov to build the snow den, as it was a common winter survival technique for the military. It may have offered the best chance for survival for those who remained behind, waiting to be rescued. The cedar branches minimize contact with the snow and ice beneath the den. Furthermore, Ludmila Dubinina had Krivonischenko's sweater and pants.
The autopsies of those in the den all showed significant trauma.
Dates of discovery of bodies with photos
February 27, 1959
Yuri Doroshenko
Yuri Krivonischenko
Igor Dyatlov
Zina Kolmogorova
Yuri Doroshenko and Yuri Krivonischenko remains
Zina Kolmogorova remains
Igor Dyatlov remains
March 5, 1959
Rustem Slobodin
Rustem Slobodin location of remains
May 5, 1959
Lyuda Dubinina
Semyon Zolotaryov
Aleksander Kolevatov
Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle
Kolevatov, Zolotaryov and Thibeaux-Brignolle remains
Lyuda Dubinina remains
Autopsies
On March 4, 1959, this was performed by the regional bureau forensic pathologist Boris Alekseevich Vozrozhdenniy and the city medical examiner of Severouralsk Ivan Ivanovich Laptev. Rustem Slobodin's autopsy was performed on March 8 by Vozrozhdenniy alone.
Igor Dyatlov Cause of death: hypothermia
Igor Dyatlov Autopsy
Dyatlov’s complexion was described as "bluish-red". He wore an unbuttoned fur sleeveless vest - outer side blue cotton, inner side dark grey fur (Yudin later recognized this as a garment he gave to Krivonishenko when he left), a blue sweater, and a long sleeve red cotton shirt. The breast pocket of the shirt contained four pills of Streptocide, an anti-inflammatory agent used for wound infections still in their blisters. He wore a blue sleeveless cotton singlet and ski pants over his pants but was not wearing boots. The watch on his wrist had stopped at 5:31.
He had minor abrasions on the forehead, the upper eyelids, above the left eyebrow, brown-red abrasions on both cheeks and dried blood on lips.
His lower jaw had a missing incisor, but the mucosa was intact, indicating that the tooth had been lost before the trip.
He had bruised knees without bleeding into the underlying tissues and both ankles had brownish red abrasions, sized 1x0.5 cm and 3x2.5 cm, with hemorrhage into the underlying tissue.
There was a single incision 4x2 cm in the lower third of the right tibia
There were many small scratches of dark red color on the lower third of the right forearm and palm surface with a purple-gray discoloration on the back side of the right hand.
Metacarpophalangeal joints on the right hand had brown red bruises, a common injury in fist fights. The left hand was brown-purple color with brownish-red bruises. There were superficial wounds on the 2nd and 5th finger on the left hand and a skin wound on the palmar surface of the 2nd 5th finger of the left hand.
There were no internal injuries. The amount of urine in the bladder was about 1000 cm3. Cause of death: hypothermia.
Yuri Doroshenko : Cause of death: hypothermia
Yuri Doroshenko autopsy
Yuri Doroshenko was 180 cm tall - the tallest member of the group. The complexion of the deceased was described as "brown-purple". He was wearing a sleeveless cotton undershirt, a sleeve checkered shirt with two empty breast pockets with all six buttons fastened, shorts and swimming trunks, blue cotton underpants fastened with two buttons - badly ripped on the front of the right side with one large hole 23 cm in length and inside the thigh of the left side 13 cm in length. He was wearing a different set of wool socks on both feet,. The socks on the left foot were burned. No shoes.
Livor mortis spots were located at the back of the neck, torso and extremities, which was not consistent with the position of the body in which it was found, meaning the body was moved sometime after the blood stopped circulating.
in the hair, particles of moss and pine needles were found, and hair was burned on the right side of the head. The ear, nose and lips were covered with blood with a swollen upper lip with dark red hemorrhaging.
His right cheek's soft tissue was covered with grey foam, grey liquid coming from his open mouth. Most likely cause was pulmonary edema.
Ear auricles were bluish-red in color; in the right ear lobe and tragus, there were dense patches of brown-red colour.
The inner surface of the right shoulder had two abrasions of 2x1.5 cm with no bleeding in the tissues and two cuts on the skin. The Right armpit had a bruise of 2x1.5 cm. Brown-red bruises sized 4x1 cm, 2.5x1.5 cm, and 5x5 cm in the upper third of the right forearm.
Swelling and minor abrasions in the rear of the right-hand soft tissue. Bruise with bleeding into the underlying soft tissue on the back of the right hand corresponding to the second metacarpal bone. The soft tissues of both hands and fingertips were especially dark purple. All fingers and toes were severely frostbitten, likely requiring amputation if he had been rescued.
On the inner surface of the left shoulder in the lower third was an abrasion brown-red colored. On the inner surfaces of the left elbow, minor abrasions of brownish-red color. On the inner surface of the left forearm, there was a surface skin wound covered with dried blood. Similar bruises in pale red color on the shins of both legs.
Death occurred 6-8 hours after the last meal. The amount of urine in the bladder was 150 cm3. This volume is smaller than what would be expected in case of death by hypothermia. The body was still making efforts to fight the cold at the time of death. In hypothermic death cases, there is significantly more urine in the bladder.
The foamy grey fluid that was found on the right cheek of the deceased could have been caused by someone or something pressing on his chest cavity. This method was common during interrogation by the NKVD. The cause could also be a fall from a tree. This aspect was ignored in the final papers that cited hypothermia as cause of death.
The bruises and abrasions, were described as non-life threatening and it was explained away that he hit nearby rocks, ice, and other surrounding objects in a state of agony.
Yuri Krivonischenko : Cause of death: hypothermia.
Yuri Krivonischenko post mortem in Ivdel hospital
Yuri Krivonischenko wore an undershirt, long-sleeved checkered shirt, swimming pants, long underpants and torn socks on his left foot. He was not wearing any boots.
He had bruises on the forehead 0.3x1.8 cm and diffuse bleeding in the right temporal and occipital region due to damage to the temporalis muscle. There was a bruise around the left temporal bone.
The tip of the nose was missing with no traces of blood, indicating it was most likely bitten off by an animal post-mortem, especially as he was found face up.
The ears were frostbitten, and a portion of the epidermis from the right hand was found in the mouth.
The back of the right hand was swollen - fingers brownish-purple. The tips of the fingers on the right hand were dark brown color, minor skin abrasions on the soft tissue. The palm of the right hand was bluish-red color with a dark brown skin wound with jagged edges at the base of the thumb. In the middle phalanx of the fingers, 4-5 cutaneous wounds with hard edges and charred surfaces. There was a detachment of 2 cm of the epidermis on the back of his left hand. There were dark red abrasions on the left wrist, and the back of the left hand was swollen.
He had an abrasion pale red color on the right side of the chest 7x2 cm and 2x1.2 cm and pale red abrasions along the middle clavicular line at the edge of the rib of the right hypochondrium.
Pink and brown-red bruise on his left buttock 10x3 cm
Three linear skin lesions with straight edges, sharp corners and depth up to 0.3 cm on the inner side of the upper third of the left thigh
Three cutaneous wounds with sharp corners on the inner side of the upper third of the left hip. Dark brown abrasion on the front of the right femur and tibia. Dark brown-red abrasions on the front-inner left thigh.
There was edema on the left leg and foot, with a burn in the area of 31x10 cm on the entire outer surface of the leg. Patches sized 10x4 cm of brown-red epidermis peeling from the back of the left foot, the second toe charred to dark brown color and the tissue was dense to the touch.
The amount of urine in the bladder was 500 cm3.
The presence of skin between his teeth that was torn from his hand might suggest that Krivonischenko tried to stay on the cedar tree as long as he could and tried to awaken his irresponsive hands by biting himself, or he was trying to stifle a cry.
Zinaida Kolmogorova Cause of death: hypothermia due to violent accident.
Zinaida Kolmogorova post mortem in Ivdel hospital
Zinaida Kolmogorova was found 630 m from the cedar, face down, head towards the tent. She was better dressed than the bodies under the cedar. She had two hats, a long-sleeved undershirt, a sweater, a checkered shirt and another sweater with a torn cuff on the right sleeve. It was unclear whether she cut them or another person tore them. The Sweaters were inside out, which is not unusual for mountaineers when they try to dry clothes by wearing them.
She also wore cotton sports pants, trousers, ski pants with three small holes at the bottom of the right trouser-leg, and three pairs of socks. Two pairs were thin; the third pair was woollen with insoles inside. She was not wearing any boots. 5 rubles were in her pocket, and a military-style protective mask was on the left side of her chest between the top sweater and the checkered shirt underneath.
Kolmogorova had a dark red abrasion on the right frontal eminence, with a pale gray area 3x2 cm above the right eyebrow, dark red abrasion on the upper eyelids, a brown red graze on the bridge and tip of the nose.
There were numerous abrasions on the left cheekbone and bruised skin on the right side of the face.
There was a brown-red abrasion on the back of both hands in the area of metacarpal phalangeal and inter-phalangeal joints with a wound with jagged edges and missing skin on the back of the right hand at the base of the third finger.
There was frostbite on the phalanges of the fingers.
There was a long, bright red bruise 29x6 cm in the lumbar region on the right side of the torso.
The amount of urine in the bladder was 300 cm3.
Medical examination showed that Zinaida was not sexually active at the time of her death.
Aleksander Kolevatov
Aleksander Kolevatov’s body was well-insulated, but he was missing a hat and shoes. His upper torso was protected by a sleeveless shirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater, fleece sweater a damaged ski jacket with a zipper found unzipped. The Ski jacket had a large hole on the left sleeve with burnt edges, measuring 25x12x13 cm. His right sleeve was also damaged. Several tears 7-8 cm were found. The jacket was unbuttoned and unzipped.
A key, safety pin, some blank paper and two packages of pills (soda and codeine) were found in his pockets.
The lower part of the body had shorts, light pants, ski pants and another pair of canvas pants. From the right pocket, doctors retrieved a box of wet matches. Kolevatov had no boots but wore home-knitted woollen socks with some fire damage. A light sock underneath a woollen one also protected his right foot. His left foot had three socks. Additionally, a bandage was discovered on the left ankle, but it was probably put there before the Incident since the group left their first aid kit in the tent.
The waistband of his sweater and the lower parts of his trousers later tested radioactive.
There was a lack of soft tissues around the eyes. The eyebrows were missing, and the skull bones were exposed.
The bridge of the nose was straight; the nose cartilage was soft when palpated and had unusual mobility; the base of the nose was flattened with the nostrils compressed.
There was an open wound behind the ear, size 3x1.5 cm and a deformed neck. There was diffuse bleeding in the underlying tissues of the left knee.
Softened and whitened skin (maceration) of the fingers and feet, consistent with putrefaction in a wet environment. The skin had a gray green color with a tinge of purple.
Rustem Slobodin Cause of death: hypothermia
Rustem Slobodin autopsy
Rustem's body was found 0.28 miles (480 m) from the cedar on March 5, the day after the autopsy of the first four bodies, covered with 50 cm of snow, face down, head towards the tent. He was better dressed than the previously found hikers. He wore a long-sleeved undershirt, shirt, sweater, two pairs of pants, four pairs of socks, and one felt boot (valenka) on his right foot. His watch stopped at 8:45 am.
On the chest under the sweater were two shoe insoles. In the shirt pocket were 310 rubles and his passport. In other pockets, there was a small folding penknife, pencil, pen, comb in a plastic sleeve, a box of matches with 48 match sticks, and one cotton sock.
He had hemorrhages in the temporalis muscles, minor brownish red abrasions on the forehead, two scratches are 1.5 cm long at the distance of 0.3 cm between them. There were brownish red bruise on the upper eyelid of the right eye with hemorrhage into the underlying tissues. There were traces of blood discharge from the nose, swelling and a lot of small abrasions on both sides of the face.
He had bruises in the metacarpophalangeal joints on both hands (bruised knuckles). Brown cherry bruises on the medial aspect of the left arm and left palm, swollen lips, bruises on the left tibia in dimensions at 2.5x1.5 cm
The epidermis was torn from the right forearm, and there was a fracture of the frontal bone 6x0.1 cm located 1.5 cm from the sagittal suture.
Boris Alekseevich Vozrozhdenniy suggested that the fracture in his skull could have been done with a blunt object, and the Medical autopsy further states that he probably suffered loss of coordination due to initial shock right after the blow that could have sped up death from hypothermia.
All bruises and scratches were blamed on last-minute agony. However, the injury pattern is a reverse of what we would usually see in injuries suffered by a freezing man in the last minutes of his life. It looks as if Rustem fell repeatedly on his face while walking down the mountain. And every time he fell, he managed to hit the sides of his head. This is unusual for a man who was probably in better physical shape than anyone else in the group. Rustem's body had an icy bed under it from the hardening of the thawing snow. This means that the body fell when relatively still warm, and there was a noticeable heat exchange in the environment. This observation and conclusion were mentioned in Akselrod's testimony, but he hadn't seen the rest of the bodies when they were found, so if Akselrod was the only one registering the fact, then the rest might as well have icy beds that nobody testified about.
Lyudmila Dubinina Cause of death: hemorrhage into the right atrium of the heart, multiple fractured ribs and internal bleeding.
Lyudmila Dubinina autopsy
Lyudmila wore a short-sleeved shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and two sweaters. The brown sweater belonged to Krivonischenko - one of the two found beneath the cedar and lately tested radioactive. The body was dressed in underwear, long socks, and two pairs of pants. The external pair was severely damaged by fire and subsequently ripped. She also wore a small hat and two pairs of warm socks. A third sock was not paired. Lyudmila, apparently in the last attempt to preserve her feet, took off her sweater and cut it in two pieces. One half she wrapped around her left foot, whilst the other half she left or dropped unintentionally on the snow.
The soft tissues were missing around the eyes, eyebrows, and nose bridge, and the left cheekbone was partially exposed.
There were damaged tissues around the left temporal bone, size 4x4 cm.
The eye sockets were empty, and the eyeballs were missing. Nose cartilages were broken and flattened. Soft tissues of the upper lip were missing, and teeth and upper jaw were exposed. The tongue was missing.
Ribs 2, 3, 4, and 5 were broken on the right side; two fracture lines were visible. Ribs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 were broken on the left side; two fracture lines were visible.
Massive hemorrhage in the heart's right atrium.
Bruise in the middle left thigh, size 10x5 cm.
Dubinina was lying on a kind of natural ledge with water rolling over it. Her mouth was open. There are claims that the tongue was ripped, or eaten, or whatnot. The medical records simply said that "the tongue is missing". Vozrozhdenniy describes the missing hypoglossal muscle as well as muscles on the floor of the mouth.
It was noted that the stomach contained about 100 g of dark brown mucosal massused by some as an indication that the heart was beating and the blood was flowing when the tongue was removed from the mouth.
Medical examination shows that Lyuda was not sexually active at the time of her death.
Semyon Zolotaryov
The body of Semyon Zolotaryov was found with two hats, a scarf, a short, long-sleeved shirt, a black sweater, and a coat with two unbuttoned upper buttons. The lower part of the body was protected by underwear, two pairs of pants and a pair of skiing pants. He had a copy of newspapers, several coins, a compass, and a few other items. His feet were protected by a pair of socks and a pair of warm leather handmade shoes known as "burka".
He also had a camera around his neck, unfortunately melting water damaged the film. He was also found holding a pen in one hand and a small notepad in the other. Vladimir Askinadzi recalls that Colonel Ortyukov grabbed the notepad, looked at it, cursed and said: "He’s written nothing." He seemed to be the only one who had seen the notepad.
The autopsy stated that the eyeballs were missing, missing soft tissues around the left eyebrow, size 7x6 cm, and bone was exposed. There was an open wound on the right side of the skull with exposed bone, 8x6 cm in size.
He had broken ribs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on the right side, two fracture lines.
Both Zolotaryov and Dubinina had similar injuries, but they had very different body composition and size. This would suggest that whatever caused these injuries was not caused by a single event.
Еxcerpt from the interrogation of fa orensic expert of the Regional Forensic Investigation Bureau Boris Vozrozhdenniy led by Junior Counselor of Justice and Criminal Prosecutor of Sverdlovsk region, Lev Ivanov, on May 28, 1959:
How is it possible to explain the cause of the damage to Dubinina and Zolotaryov? Is it possible to combine them into one cause?
I think the character of the wounds on Dubinina and Zolotaryov – a multiple fracture of the ribs – on Dubinina were bilateral and symmetrical, and on Zolotaryov were one-sided. Both had hemorrhaging into the cardiac muscle with hemorrhaging into the pleural cavity, which is evidence of them being alive when injured and is the result of the action of a large force, similar to the example used for Thibeaux-Brignolle. These wounds, especially appearing in such a way without any damage to the soft tissue of the chest, are very similar to the type of trauma that results from the shock wave of a bomb.
How long could Dubinina and Zolotaryov have lived?
Dubinina died 10-20 minutes after the trauma. She could have been conscious. Sometimes it happens that a person with a wound to the heart (for example, a serious knife wound) can talk, run and ask for help. Dubinina’s situation was one of complicated traumatic shock resulting from the bilateral rib fracture, with subsequent internal hemorrhaging into the pleural cavity. Zolotaryov could have lived longer. It needs to be considered that they were all trained, physically fit, and strong people.
Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle
Thibeaux-Brignolle was well protected, wearing a canvas fur hat and a home-knitted woollen hat. His Upper body had a shirt, wool sweater worn inside out and a fur jacket on a sheepskin. Woollen gloves were found in the right pocket, along with three coins, a comb and several pieces of paper. The lower part of the body had underwear, sweatpants, cotton pants and ski pants. On his feet, he wore hand-knitted woollen socks and a pair of felt boots (valenki). He wore two watches on his left arm. One stopped at 8:14 and the other at 8:39. Cadaveric spots were discovered on the back of the upper body, neck and upper extremities. Face hair length up to 1cm.
There were multiple fractures to the temporal bone, with extensions to the frontal and sphenoid bones.
There was a bruise on the upper lip on the left side and hemorrhage on the lower forearm, size 10x12 cm.
Vozrozhdenniy, who undertook the autopsy, excluded an accidental fall on the rock as a possible cause for such a massive and unusual fracture.
From what kind of force could Thibeaux-Brignolle have received such injury?
In conclusion, it’s shown that the damage to Thibeaux-Brignolle’s head could have resulted from the throwing, fall or jettisoning of the body. I don’t believe these injuries could have been the result of Thibeaux-Brignolle simply falling from the level of his own height, i.e. falling and hitting his head. The extensive, depressed, multi-splintered (broken fornix and base of the skull) fracture could be the result of an impact of an automobile moving at high speed. This kind of trauma could have occurred if Thibeaux-Brignolle had been thrown and fallen and hit his head against rocks, ice, etc., by a gust of strong wind.
Could Thibeaux-Brignolle be hit by a rock in someone’s hand? In this case, there would have been damage to the soft tissue, which was not evident.
How long could Thibeaux-Brignolle have lived after the trauma? Could he have moved on his own, talked, etc.? After this trauma, Thibeaux-Brignolle would have had a severe concussion; that is, he would have been in an unconscious state. Moving him would have been difficult and, close to the end, movement would not have been possible. I believe he would not have been able to move even if he had been helped. He could only have been carried or dragged. He could have shown signs of life for 2-3 hours.
Timeline - The Dyatlov Pass incident
1959
January 23: The group of ten takes a train from Sverdlovsk to Serov, with the usual intense winter conditions of the area with temperatures around -22° F (-30° C).
January 24: They arrive at Serov in the morning, where Yuri Krivonischenko is detained for soliciting and singing out loud and released, and a drunk accuses them of having stolen his vodka.
January 25: They arrive by train in Ivdel and take the GAZ-51 bus to Vizhay
January 26: A truck GAZ-63 takes the group to a logging community called District 41
January 27: They hire a sled to travel 24 km to the abandoned North-2 mining settlement
January 28: Yuri Yudin left the group and went back with the sled due to sciatica, reducing the size of the group from 10 to 9 members. He would be the only member of the expedition to survive. They spend the night on the banks of the Lozva river
January 29: They travel on skis from Lozva to the Auspiya River, where they spend the night
January 30: They pitch their tent on the banks of the Auspiya River
January 31: The group tries to climb from Auspiya to the Lozva River (now called Dyatlov Pass) and goes back to spend the night on the banks of the Auspiya River
February 1: They make a supply cache and go 1650 feet (500m) off their planned route, covering 1.25 miles (2km) and pitch their tent on the north slope of Kholat Syakhl
February 2: The Dyatlov group flee their tent
February 12: The group were expected back in Vizhay but never arrived.
February 21: The group was supposed to send a telegram when they were back; by this time, with no communication, a search party was formed to look for the missing students.
February 26: Mikhail Sharavin and Boris Slobtsov find the tent. Prosecutor Vasiliy Tempalov opens an official investigation
February 27: The bodies of Doroshenko, Krivonischenko (by Sharavin and Koptelov), Dyatlov (Mansi Kurikov group), and Kolmogorova (by Moiseev rescue dog) are found
March 2: The cache is found by Slobtsov and Kurikov
March 4: The Autopsy of Doroshenko, Krivonischenko, Dyatlov and Kolmogorova is completed
March 5: Slobodin’s body is found by Karelin and soldiers from Lt. Potapov’s group. Akselrod notices the icy bed under the body.
March 8: The autopsy of Slobodin is completed
March 9: Doroshenko and Kolmogorova are buried in the Mihaylovskoe cemetery. Krivonischenko is buried in Ivanovskoe Cemetery
March 10: Dyatlov and Slobodin are buried in the Mihaylovskoe cemetery
March 17: Vladimir Korotaev is fired, and Lev Ivanov is assigned as a lead investigator
May 5: The bodies of Dubinina, Kolevatov, Thibeaux-Brignolle and Zolotaryov are found (by Askinadzi)
May 9: Autopsy of Dubinina, Kolevatov, Thibeaux-Brignolle and Zolotaryov are completed
May 11: Dubinina and Kolevatov are buried in Mihaylovskoe cemetery and Zolotaryov in Ivanovskoe cemetery.
May 12: Thibeaux-Brignolle is buried in Mihaylovskoe cemetery.
May 27: Radiation analysis report on clothes and tissues of Dubinina, Kolevatov, Thibeaux-Brignolle and Zolotaryov
May 28: Case closed with Official statement for closing the case given by Junior Counselor of Justice and Criminal Prosecutor of Sverdlovsk region, Lev Ivanov:
“The deaths of the expedition members were due to a series of mistakes by Dyatlov. On February 1 he began the ascent to the summit at 3 PM, even though he knew about the difficulty of the terrain. Furthermore – and this was Dyatlov’s next mistake – he chose a line 500 m to the left of the planned pass that lies between Peak 1079 and Peak 880. So the group found themselves on the eastern slope of Peak 1079. They used what was left of the daylight to ascend to the summit in strong winds (which are typical for this area) and low temperatures of minus 25 degrees centigrade. Dyatlov found himself in bad conditions for the night, so he decided to pitch his tent on the slope of 1079 so as to start in the morning without adding the distance from the forest (~1 km) to the remaining trek of about 10 km to the summit.
Considering the absence of external injuries to the bodies or signs of a fight, the presence of all the valuables of the group, and also taking into account the conclusion of the medical examinations for the causes of the deaths of the hikers, it is concluded that the cause of their demise was overwhelming force, which the hikers were not able to overcome”.
Theories of what happened at the Dyatlov Pass in 1959
Mansi tribesmen
Early on, many Soviets suspected that the students’ deaths were the result of an ambush by the local Mansi tribesmen. A sudden attack would account for the way the hikers fled their tents, their disarray, and the damage done to the second group of bodies. But that explanation fizzled quickly; the Mansi people were largely peaceful, and the evidence in the Dyatlov Pass didn’t support violent human conflict. For one, the damage done to the students’ bodies exceeded the blunt force trauma one human could inflict on another. There was also no evidence of any footprints on the mountain beyond those made by the hikers themselves.
Avalanche
Investigators then conceived of a swift, violent avalanche. The sound of snow collapsing, an early warning of the deluge to come, would have frightened the hikers out of their tents in a state of undress and sent them sprinting for the tree line. An avalanche would also have been powerful enough to inflict the injuries that killed the second group of students. Despite the compelling avalanche theory, controversy raged. Would the experienced hikers have made camp in a spot vulnerable to an avalanche? Then, too, there was the fact that when investigators found the bodies, they noted no evidence that an avalanche had occurred any time recently in the region. There was no damage to the tree line, and searchers observed no debris. No avalanches had been recorded at that site before, nor have there been any since.
Hypothermia
Paradoxical Undressing has been proposed but does not account for leaving a warm tent; it usually rears its head in the stages of hypothermia.
Katabatic wind
A katabatic wind is a technical name for drainage wind, a wind that carries high-density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometimes also called fall winds. Katabatic winds can rush down elevated slopes at hurricane speeds, but most are not as intense as that, and many are 10 knots (18 km/h) or less. Katabatic winds are most commonly found blowing out from Antarctica and Greenland's large and elevated ice sheets. The buildup of high-density cold air over the ice sheets and the elevation of the ice sheets bring into play enormous gravitational energy. Where these winds are concentrated in restricted areas in the coastal valleys, the winds blow well over hurricane force, reaching around 300 km/h (190 mph). In Greenland, these winds are called piteraq and are most intense whenever a low-pressure area approaches the coast.
Fire
One of the photos shows what looks like a makeshift metal exhaust pipe out of one of the tents. They used a metal stove for heat and cooking. Bits of cooked food were found in the vacated tents. It is possible that the exhaust was leaking or disassembled while the coals were not fully extinguished. Imagine the panic of coal reigniting and exhausted into the tent while asleep. Waking up in a panic, cutting your way out. It could also explain the burns from frantically trying to move or do “something” with the hot stove, as well as the blood around the mouth from smoke inhalation. They got out, and with a destroyed tent, they calmly went to where they thought they could get shelter, the treeline. There, they attempted a makeshift camp and fire. Only issue…. Why did they not dress appropriately for this option?
Russian Yeti - the Menk
With humans effectively ruled out as the culprits, some postulated that they could be non-human assailants. People began to whisper that the hikers were killed by a Menk, a kind of Russian yeti, to account for the immense force and power necessary to cause the injuries to three of the students. This theory is popular among those who focus on the damage to Dubinina’s face. While most explain her missing tissue by positing a visit from tiny scavengers or perhaps decay resulting from her partial submersion in a watery under-snow stream, Menk proponents see a more sinister predator at work.
The Discovery Channel ran a documentary in 2014 called “The Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives,” which claimed that one of the final pictures found on the group’s camera looked like a Russian Yeti, which could have been stalking the hikers and leading to their deaths. Was it a guy in a coat or the Russian Menk?
“On 2nd February 2, 1959, nine college students hiked up the icy slopes of the Ural Mountains in the heart of Russia but never made it out alive. Investigators have never been able to answer who or what caused the bizarre crime scene definitively. Fifty-five years later, American explorer Mike Libecki investigates the mystery, but what he uncovers is horrifying. THE RUSSIAN YETI follows Mike as he traces the clues and gathers compelling evidence that suggests the students' deaths could be the work of a creature thought only to exist in folklore. Based on diary accounts, forensic evidence, and files that have just recently been released, Mike pieces together the graphic stories in search of what happened that evening. Following a trail of evidence, Mike finds proof that the hikers were not alone - a photograph taken by one of them a day before they died suggests that they encountered a Yeti. But just how far will they go to find the answers?”
Image taken by Dyatlov group - likely to be one of the members but believed to be Yeti by some
Military Coverup
Small amounts of radiation were detected on the bodies, and this led to wild theories that some secret radioactive weapon had killed the students. Those who favor this idea stress the strange appearance of the bodies at their funerals; the corpses had a slightly orange, withered cast.
But had radiation been the cause of death, more than modest levels would have registered when the bodies were examined. The corpses’ orange hue isn’t surprising given the frigid conditions in which they lay; they were partially mummified in the cold.
Once the secret military weapon was proposed, it was too sexy a concept to let die. Some say the team was unfortunate enough to stumble into the USSR testing a concussive weapon or perhaps a parachute mine exercise.
This explanation is popular because it is partially supported by the testimony of another hiking group, one camping 30 miles (50 kilometers) roughly from the Dyatlov Pass team on the same night. This other group spoke of strange orange orbs floating in the sky around Kholat Syakhl — a sight proponents of this theory interpret as distant explosions.
The hypothesis is that the concussive sound drove the hikers from their tents in a panic. Half-clothed, the first group died of hypothermia while attempting to take shelter from the blasts by waiting near the tree line. The second group, having seen the first group freeze, determined to go back for their belongings but fell victim to hypothermia, too, while the third group got caught in a fresh blast further into the forest and died from their injuries.
Lev Ivanov, the chief investigator of the Dyatlov Pass incident, said, “I suspected at the time and am almost sure now that these bright flying spheres had a direct connection to the group’s death” when he was interviewed by a small Kazakh newspaper in 1990.
Censorship and secrecy in the USSR forced him to abandon this line of inquiry. In the end, the hikers’ deaths were officially attributed to “a compelling natural force”, and the case was closed.
However, in February 2019, Russian officials reopened the case for a new investigation. This time, however, officials said they would only consider three theories: an avalanche, a snow slab, or a hurricane. The pass in which the hikers lost their lives was named the Dyatlov Pass in honor of Igor Alekseyevich Dyatlov, the leader of the lost expedition.
A monument to the nine hikers was erected in the Mikhajlov Cemetery at Yekaterinburg.
Memorial Dyatlov Pass victims, Mikhajlov Cemetery, Yekaterinburg
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Further reading and viewing
1079: The overwhelming force of Dyatlov Pass by Igor Pavlov and Teodora Hadjiyska – 29 Jan. 2021
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident: (Historical Nonfiction Bestseller, True Story Book of Survival) by Donnie Eichar, Oct 1 2014.
The Dyatlov Pass Incident Movie, Director Rennie Harlin, 2013, Starring: Holly Goss , Matt Stokoe , Luke Albright and Ryan Hawley.
Death of Nine: The Dyatlov Pass Mystery Paperback – 9 Jan 2019 by Launton Anderson
“Locations Unknown” Episode 14 on the Dyatlov Pass incident. Listen to Episode 14, Dyatlov Pass.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dyatlov_Pass_incident
https://vocal.media/fyi/in-the-shadow-of-death-mountain-the-dyatlov-pass-incident
https://allthatsinteresting.com/dyatlov-pass-incident
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/04/europe/dyatlov-pass-incident-scli-intl/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/notes/342546830187113/