In January 1914, an article by the author M. Menshikov was published in the popular Russian newspaper Novoye Vremya, which was supposed to cause a stir in the scientific community, if not a scandal
The outbreak of the First World War, apparently, distracted the attention of the public from the amazing news about the results of the expedition undertaken by a Moscow merchant, whose name was kept secret.
The publication says that the merchant, interested in the problem of Atlantis, turned to the Main Hydrographic Office, where he was presented with the necessary maps. After that, he purchased a steamer in England and, with the help of two scientists invited to the expedition, adapted the ship for oceanographic work. Instead of the usual apparatus for the study of the seabed, special "giant paws" were built for this purpose.
Soon after, the expedition hit the road. After arriving in the water area of the search, a few days later, the "paws" suddenly pulled out, along with silt and algae, a certain "architectural stone" of a strange style, reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian.
It was decided to continue the search in this place. They carried out underwater explosions, after which they again launched "gripping paws" into the ocean depths. A large number of marble fragments, ancient utensils, parts of obelisks with hieroglyphs, and several well-preserved statues were brought on board. Finally, they managed to raise the hermetically sealed bronze tomb, which was barely removed from the shells and opened.
One can imagine the state of the expedition participants: in a bronze coffin lay, like a living, perfectly preserved resident of Atlantis. It has been suggested that he is in a state of suspended animation. Next to the Atlantean were items of his personal hygiene - soap, a mirror and others, manuscripts, a whole heap of papyri, perfectly preserved, and resembling the letter of the Egyptians of the era of the god Thoth.
After this sensational find, the "Moscow merchant" contacted about the manuscripts with the Parisian scholars, who managed to translate the letters - rather quickly, since the texts resembled those of Egypt.
The Novoye Vremya newspaper published lengthy excerpts from the decrypted text. Below are some excerpts from these publications:
“I, Goormes, priest and descendant of priests, send greetings to a conscientious person who will read these lines someday. I voluntarily buried myself in order to be resurrected in happier ages. There are many of us buried in this way, and we all will someday come to life and tell the great drama of Atlantis. But if our bodies give way to decay sooner than this thin paper, then people should know that Atlantis did not die unexpectedly. These lines were written back in those years when no one among the people, except for us, the priests, knew about the impending catastrophe.
As before, as many millennia ago, trade is in full swing at the bazaars, the roar of donkeys and camels is heard, the songs and cries of peddlers are heard; the sacred trumpets still sound, gathering the few believers in the temples; the calls of street beauties and public lectures of scientists in the squares are still heard. No one knows or even suspects that our entire continent is close to finally sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Only we, the priests, who convey this secret, know.
The mystery of inevitable death was discovered by our wise hierophants seven thousand years ago during the reign of Tonbari. But when the privy council made sure that the continent was steadily sinking and the death of countless peoples was inevitable, it was decided to destroy all the skillful tools that proved this truth, and to hide the death sentence from death.
The sages decided that if the people were announced about the impending sinking of Atlantis, then either panic would arise, during which the people would strangle themselves, or a country so civilized would be devastated by a voluntary flight to neighboring continents, and great slaughter would take place, for neighboring peoples would defend their land with weapons in hand.
Instead of death threatening in the distant future, there would certainly be death in the present. Let it be, the priests decided, that the world of the earth-born is inviolable! May their happiness be cloudless until the great moment comes …"
Further, it tells about the teachings of the philosopher and public figure of Atlantis - Leakim the Wise, who was executed 983 years before the compilation of the papyrus, and the proclamations of his disciple and follower Fragotep. This is a story about an attempt to carry out a religious and social reform, which was supposed to unite a society that had come to decline and split. Leakim the Wise and Fragotep called to awaken the sleeping God in a person, to develop a feeling of brotherly love and unity. The reform did not take root, since the priests of Atlantis considered the new teaching too ascetic, and most importantly, did not solve the question of the questions: how to prevent the continent from sinking into the ocean?
Confusion grew among the priests, options for salvation were offered - resettlement to the western (most likely American) mainland and evacuation to the eastern mainland (obviously, to Africa); building floating cities against which even global floods would be powerless; the construction of numerous high towers that would serve as piles for an artificial continent. The priests believed that their only consolation was that someday descendants would find temples, libraries, tombs at the bottom of the ocean and learn about the existence of a highly developed Atlantic civilization …
A.
Kazakov “Interesting newspaper. Incredible No. 7 2009