Everything that is reliably known about the death of actor Sergei Bodrov fits into a few words. He went missing in 2002 in the Karmadon Gorge in the Caucasus (North Ossetia). It happened approximately in the morning of September 20.
“Missing” in this case means that neither Sergei's remains nor any other material evidence of his death were found. This gives very ghostly hope to his family and food for a colossal amount of rumors - to outsiders.
Melted glacier
According to the official version, Bodrov Jr. presumably died due to the descended glacier. In the area of the Karmadon Gorge there are 2 glaciers: Maili and Kolka. The latter became the reason for the death of the film crew of Sergei Bodrov (they shot the film "Messenger"). The avalanche that descended from the glacier is a colossus of enormous destructive power. The glacier that killed the Moscow filmmakers that day weighed about 200 million tons. The ice mass was moving at a speed of 160-180 km / h. Surviving anyone in her path is simply unrealistic.
Due to the avalanche, the village of Upper Karmadon was completely wiped off the face of the earth. About 100 people died (these are only those whose remains were found or at least something is known about them). The bodies of people from the cinematic group, including Bodrov himself, have not been found. After the descent of such avalanches, the remains are often discovered after a hundred years. In all likelihood, confirmation of Sergei's death may come very soon.
Why did this happen
Promotional video:
In connection with the fact of the death of the film crew, the press often raises the topic of why a multi-ton ice block then began to move. According to some observers, the Kolka glacier melted in late summer and therefore melted on September 20. Professional geologists argue that this is impossible. The glacier, which has been forming for many thousands, or even millions of years, cannot just melt and suddenly start moving.
Another version seems more likely. The day before, tectonic plates moved in that mountainous area deep underground. As a result, on September 20, a powerful gas chemical release occurred. Only this could move the glacier. According to the testimony of tourists from the group of Dmitry Solodky and Olga Nepodoba, who were in the Caucasus Mountains on the eve of the tragedy, long before it, a threatening rumble was heard emanating from the ground. This sound could indicate movements occurring in the rock mass.
If these menacing omens had been taken into account then, Sergei would probably be alive now. As an excuse for people who did not pay attention to such a serious moment, we can say that tectonic shifts are extremely rare. Even in mountainous regions, this can happen once every 100, or even 1000 years. Not everyone is “lucky” to observe such a “breath of the Earth”.
Deep memory of him was preserved only in folk traditions. No wonder in the Caucasus since ancient times it was customary to settle higher in the mountains, and not at their foothills. The ancestors have preserved the memory of the tragedies that happened centuries ago in the foothill areas.
Possibly alive
More optimistic citizens put forward an alternative version: Bodrov Jr. could have escaped. Confirmation of the likelihood of this, among other things, is the testimony of some eyewitnesses who survived the descent of the glacier. One witness later told reporters how the glacier bypassed her five-story building.
Highlanders know many stories about how people who miraculously survived an avalanche settled in high-mountain villages. As a result of the trauma, some lose their memory, others may be seriously crippled. If someone discovers such a crash victim, she can be rescued. Sergei Bodrov had a small, but still a chance to survive.