On the International Day of the Ufologist, we talked on the air of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda about one of the legends of the mysterious continent
Antarctica has always been full of mysteries. Due to the complexity of the study, it is still a gigantic blank spot on the maps. Hence - the mass of legends. One of them is the favorite brainchild of conspiracy theorists - the post-war Antarctic expedition of the famous polar explorer Rear Admiral Richard Byrd. For some unknown reason, the squadron, well equipped with the latest technology, which even included an aircraft carrier, prematurely curtailed all research and literally ran with its tail between its legs. According to one version - with reference to Byrd's secret report - the Americans were attacked by unidentified disc-shaped flying objects, which surpassed all the latest US aircraft in speed and armament. Having suffered heavy losses in fighters, ships and personnel, the squadron was forced to retreat. At the same time, the term UFO was fixed. And desperate to defeat the aliens using standard methods, the US Army decided to use nuclear weapons … What could actually happen there, we talked on the air of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda with the historian Yaroslav Listov.
WE COME TO YOU WITH PEACE
- So, Yaroslav, what is fashionable to say about the most indestructible legend that Antarctica is a secret UFO base. Because UFOs are sometimes seen there.
- They see. More precisely, they think they see. In fact, the legend was born in two parts. First part. Over Antarctica, the sky is completely different than we are used to seeing, it has a large number of other light objects, we call them the northern lights, but in fact, here, for example, the effect of two suns can occur, when two luminaries appear in the sky simultaneously due to reflection fogs, etc. There are a lot of other lighting effects that are not immediately explained, they can be interpreted in different ways. All this is mistaken for UFOs.
The second factor is that Antarctica is a continent that is not very explorable. And here comes the peculiarity of American culture. The fact is that in 1946-1947, the Americans began to explore Antarctica, and approached it with exactly the same approach as the Germans, that is, with a view to creating a military base. In general, the isolation of the United States and the peculiarity of the education of the United States leads to the fact that there are people at the highest levels who easily believe in UFOs, who believe in some kind of secrets. After the war, the Americans in all seriousness hoped to find a secret German base there, so they undertook military research of that very New Swabia. But with all this, the level of development of American technologies did not prepare them at all for the study of Antarctica. They did not foresee the climatic features,feature of the wind rose, etc. And when the expedition was calculated on paper, and it faced real weather conditions, what happened? In December of the 46th, the Americans lose their plane, they die because of the hurricane over Antarctica. Then massive frostbite begins. They understand that they will not be able to withstand this weather, and in February, ahead of schedule, 6 months before the expected end, the expedition ends. But I don't really want to tell about this that they were not ready, that all the power of the United States was powerless against real nature. Therefore, it is easier to let latent myths that they encountered something mysterious and more powerful there. But to say that we were pushed, for example, with the defeated Germans, is ridiculous. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …and she faced real weather conditions, what happened? In December of the 46th, the Americans lose their plane, they die because of the hurricane over Antarctica. Then massive frostbite begins. They understand that they will not be able to withstand this weather, and in February, ahead of schedule, 6 months before the expected end, the expedition ends. But I don't really want to tell about this that they were not ready, that all the power of the United States was powerless against real nature. Therefore, it is easier to let latent myths that they encountered something mysterious and more powerful there. But to say that we were pushed, for example, with the defeated Germans, is ridiculous. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …and she faced real weather conditions, what happened? In December of the 46th, the Americans lose their plane, they die because of the hurricane over Antarctica. Then massive frostbite begins. They understand that they will not be able to withstand this weather, and in February, ahead of schedule, 6 months before the expected end, the expedition ends. But I don't really want to tell about this that they were not ready, that all the power of the United States was powerless against real nature. Therefore, it is easier to let latent myths that they encountered something mysterious and more powerful there. But to say that we were pushed, for example, with the defeated Germans, is ridiculous. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …that they will not stand this weather, and in February ahead of schedule, 6 months before the expected end, the expedition is curtailed. But I don't really want to tell about this that they were not ready, that all the power of the United States was powerless against real nature. Therefore, it is easier to let latent myths that they encountered something mysterious and more powerful there. But to say that we were pushed, for example, with the defeated Germans, is ridiculous. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …that they will not stand this weather, and in February ahead of schedule, 6 months before the expected end, the expedition is curtailed. But I don't really want to tell about this that they were not ready, that all the power of the United States was powerless against real nature. Therefore, it is easier to let latent myths that they encountered something mysterious and more powerful there. But to say that we were pushed, for example, with the defeated Germans, is ridiculous. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …with the Germans defeated - it's funny. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …with the Germans defeated - it's funny. Tell what happened to the Soviet Union …
- This is a recognition of the superiority of the Soviet Union.
Promotional video:
- Yes. And most importantly, this is a direct path to diplomatic conflict. Because this is 46-47 years, the beginning of a new stage of the Cold War. But to tell the myth about UFOs, about some aliens who are so developed that we cannot resist them, this is generally inherent in American culture. There, many questions are explained by UFO questions. This is also the result, on the one hand, of a nation without history. Because I don't really want to tell the real truth that America happened as such a miscarriage of Europe in new territories, this is something like a demonstration of its secondary nature. Talking about the Indians who were destroyed and their culture is also not good, because you have to tell what happened to the Indians, give them rights, etc. Therefore, I really want to shift the focus of society's attention to some other problems of the young nation. These are some secrets, some aliens, etc. After all, it was in the United States that ufology became, as they now call it, a science. In old Europe, in the Soviet Union, in Russia, this was always considered something far from scientific things, because it was easily refuted by scientific data. And in the USA, where a large number of people with a low level of education or no education at all … Look, until the 60s, about 50% of US residents did not know how to write at all. That is, they put crosses where they had to sign, and a full-fledged large-scale education began only as a consequence of the Cold War, when they found out after our flight into space that they were very far behind. And it was the consequence of the successes of the Soviet Union that gave birth to universal education in the United States, before that they did not even consider it necessary to do this.in Russia it has always been considered something far from scientific things, because it was easily refuted by scientific data. And in the USA, where a large number of people with a low level of education or no education at all … Look, until the 60s, about 50% of US residents did not know how to write at all. That is, they put crosses where they had to sign, and a full-fledged large-scale education began only as a consequence of the Cold War, when they found out after our flight into space that they were very far behind. And it was the consequence of the successes of the Soviet Union that gave birth to universal education in the United States, before that they did not even consider it necessary to do this.in Russia it has always been considered something far from scientific things, because it was easily refuted by scientific data. And in the USA, where a large number of people with a low level of education or no education at all … Look, until the 60s, about 50% of US residents did not know how to write at all. That is, they put crosses where they had to sign, and a full-fledged large-scale education began only as a consequence of the Cold War, when they found out after our flight into space that they were very far behind. And it was the consequence of the successes of the Soviet Union that gave birth to universal education in the United States, before that they did not even consider it necessary to do this. Until the 60s, about 50% of US residents did not know how to write at all. That is, they put crosses where they had to sign, and a full-fledged large-scale education began only as a consequence of the Cold War, when they found out after our flight into space that they were very far behind. And it was the consequence of the successes of the Soviet Union that gave birth to universal education in the United States, before that they did not even consider it necessary to do this. Until the 60s, about 50% of US residents did not know how to write at all. That is, they put crosses where they had to sign, and a full-fledged large-scale education began only as a consequence of the Cold War, when they found out after our flight into space that they were very far behind. And it was the consequence of the successes of the Soviet Union that gave birth to universal education in the United States, before that they did not even consider it necessary to do this.
The same goes for Antarctica. The next expedition in 1947, led by Byrd, also failed. But it failed in a slightly different way. Not in terms of weather conditions, but in terms of the fact that they made a decision that using Antarctica as a military base is absolutely unreasonable.
- Too expensive?
- Firstly, it is too expensive, and secondly, in 1947 it is already a full-scale Cold War, the Americans realized that they control Western Europe, and accordingly, they began to place their military bases there. Which base is better - for example, in the Federal Republic of Germany or in Antarctica? Of course, it is better to place it in Germany. It is possible to place "Pershing" in Turkey, etc. Therefore, all programs were closed. Another program started working. This is to use Antarctica as a huge testing ground.
- But what about the confessions of Byrd himself - a combat admiral, a serious polar explorer, a man who flew over both the North and South Poles? There are documents left in which the admiral reported that strange aircraft attacked him. There was also a squadron - an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, several ships with equipment. In theory, a huge number of people, couldn't they all lie?
“The thing is, that’s the catch, that everything we know about the attack comes from this report attributed to Admiral Byrd.
- Is there no evidence that this is his report?
- Yes, it hasn't been proven yet. As Americans like to post, with black markers, etc. Most of the things are written there so that people supposedly guessed what was seized there. But the report itself does not stand up to criticism. Here it is described in detail how one of the cruisers, "Murdoch", flared up from the attack of flying saucers and drowned. But such a cruiser was not at all on the register of United States warships. That is, either such a powerful secret operation, where the deaths of almost 4 thousand people were hidden, as it is written there, the loss of 5 cruisers … How realistic is this, and how possible? Moreover, in all the expeditions of the United States (this is not the Soviet Union with its level of secrecy) you had the right to send mail. Everyone had an envelope that he sealed, and it was not checked or opened by anyone. The expedition was simply stamped and sent to the United States. In addition, there were several journalists on the expedition. Would they be silent with such a sensation in their hands?
- That is, if really flying saucers attacked the American fleet near Antarctica, we would know for sure?
- Yes, and at least not from one source.
- What about the story that the Americans wanted to use an atomic bomb against aliens? Also not true?
- Not really. The fact is that the Americans are one of the first who began to test nuclear weapons in real conditions on their territory. Remember the situation when they drove 60 thousand soldiers, just saw how a living person would react to the fact that an explosion would occur nearby. The next stage is explosions in the ocean, when they blew up atolls. There were no restrictions for the Americans. They drilled mines, conducted underground tests. And therefore, one of such large polygons with an open position, etc., plus one similar to the Soviet Union, covered with snow, here you can show how this explosion will take place in Siberia. Why not try to simulate this explosion in Antarctica. But aliens have nothing to do with it.
- As a result, there was no explosion?
“At the first stage, they were stopped by the fact that too many states claimed the continent. And in the 50s, the Soviet Union began a large international campaign against nuclear tests, which ended first with a ban on nuclear tests on water, and in 1959 an agreement was signed on Antarctica, stating that it is a demilitarized zone, to which no military countries of the world can not set foot, it is only a base for scientific research work. This ended the idea of the Americans to conduct nuclear tests there. Although there are legends that a number of these explosions took place there, and this discovered some bacteria there. They are born a little out of another thing.
The fact is that full-scale scientific studies of Antarctica have really shown that life exists everywhere in our country, including life in Antarctica that is unusable from a human point of view. Rivers flow under the ice masses of Antarctica, and there is life in these rivers. It is clear that mammals do not live there, some secret people, dinosaurs. As a rule, these are crustaceans, these are amphibians that have adapted to life on this continent.
ARE THERE Fascists?
- If we return to the Americans' search for a secret German base. How real is the legend that they existed and moreover, there could even be Adolf Hitler hiding.
- In fact, Hitler, of course, has never been to Antarctica. And the origins of this myth lie in the fact that in the 30-40s there was a struggle for Antarctica, for creating new territories there. Then there was still no idea that this was an absolutely lifeless land, and it was believed that this was a good base for submarines, etc. In 1933, immediately after the Nazis came to power, the first German expedition to New Swabia (now called Queen Maud Land) was planned. And in 1939 they tried to establish a permanent base there. The fact is that Germany still has not de jure renounced its claims to New Swabia, despite the fact that Nazi Germany has been defeated. All this gives rise to a lot of myths about the secret bases of the Nazis.
The basis of these myths is the fact that German scientists, not having a great idea of Antarctica as such, proposed a whole host of projects, including that it is possible to dig sub-ice tunnels for submarines and create a base for their basing. This was especially important for the Germans, precisely because they were losing the war at sea to the Americans and the British, and they really missed the bases of the submarine fleet.
Later, already during the Second World War, it turned out that the creation of even a prototype of such a base is a huge amount of money that the Third Reich would not have pulled. And all these projects remained on paper. And later, when they began to seep into fiction, into the yellow media, they began to grow overgrown with legends, etc. The Americans began to actively develop them, for a very simple reason. The fact is that the Americans were not entirely victors in the Second World War. Because they began to participate in a real war with Nazi Germany only in the 44th year, after the landing, and did not conduct special hostilities. Because the Germans on their front preferred to surrender in order to concentrate their efforts on the Soviet front. And I want to rehabilitate myself.
And so with the help of the culture of comics, etc. the Americans began to rehabilitate themselves - that there is a base, Hitler is hiding there, there are super-secret German things, they were defeated there by the valiant American army, and the end of World War II was laid in 47, and not in 45, that is, not The Soviet Union, but America. This is also such an inferiority complex of Americans, which expressed in their culture, and from their culture migrated to Europe, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union began to wander to us. This is an absolutely artistic and media product that has nothing to do with reality. It was overgrown with an insane amount of quotes, photographs, schemes of the German base, etc.
- And in fact she was never there?
- Now at this place there is a German scientific station, it is open, that is, anyone can come there and have a look. There are no remains of the super-secret base there.
- That is, everything that the Germans achieved in the 30s was just that they flew there on an airplane and dropped iron swastikas?
- Yes. It was just a ritual consolidation of the territory. They built a small village there, in which it was almost impossible to live, that is, only in the summer. There was not even a serious base to conduct any long-term research, such as, for example, our Mirny station.
- That is, neither aliens nor fascists should be sought in Antarctica?
- You should look for everything in Antarctica! Despite the fact that new expeditions arrive there every year, on average, about 3% of the entire territory has been explored. And about the land, which is under the ice, we generally have an idea of less than 0.5%. So it's hard to imagine what discoveries are still waiting for us there …