Sergey EFIMOV, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, astronomer, ufologist from Almaty, is almost the only specialist in the country who, in practice, investigates reports of the appearance of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the sky over Kazakhstan.
Sergei Nikolayevich told Caravan about what Kazakhstanis most often mistake for flying saucers and under what conditions an embassy for newcomers in our steppes can appear.
Sergey Nikolaevich, you once said that you have more than 1000 reports of UFOs - are there any stories that you trust unconditionally?
- The UFO problem is a very specific area, where everything is “on the brink”, and the role of psychology is very important. Therefore, you cannot unconditionally trust anyone here, not even your own eyes. In short: eyewitnesses usually do not deceive anyone and see something strange for themselves, but, unfortunately, this is not evidence of the arrival of aliens.
Tell us about the last case that you investigated?
- At the end of November 2013, a very bright object appeared in the east every evening - the planet Jupiter. Since on these evenings Venus was visible at the western horizon, some took another bright "star" for a UFO. And before that the video "UFO over Almaty" appeared on the Internet. Then they wrote that it was an advertisement for a Kazakhstani New Year comedy.
When will your book "UFO over Kazakhstan" be published?
- I've been writing it for ten years, the book is 80 percent ready, but when I finish, I don't know. Every year there are new thoughts, new data. The book was compiled on the basis of my experience, it contains advice: where to start an investigation, how to check all this, what types of objects people take for UFOs, where to go, some of the most famous cases over Kazakhstan are described. Only final answers about UFOs will not be there, no one has them.
Promotional video:
Kazakhstani representatives of the so-called Raelian movement propose to build an embassy for aliens in the mountains of the Zailiyskiy Alatau. How do you feel about such statements?
- The Raelites promise the arrival of aliens if the earthlings build an embassy for them. They argue that the alleged aliens through the Raelites require extraterritoriality and neutral airspace for diplomatic missions. This can be both true and false. Therefore, it is necessary to provide for both options and conclude a clear agreement with them. Kazakhstan allocates a plot of land, the Raelites are building an embassy there at their own expense.
But the right to extraterritoriality and the opening of airspace are given for a strictly agreed period of time, for example, a specific hour and only for a specific purpose - the arrival of aliens. If they fly in and present scientific evidence that they are who they claim to be, the eligibility is extended and contact is in full swing.
If they do not arrive, then the structure is returned to the jurisdiction of Kazakhstan. And if you build, then not in Almaty, but away from large cities, in the steppe, so that it is easier to open airspace, so that there are less costs for the country, then this agreement can become truly mutually beneficial. The republic would receive an influx of tourists (who wouldn't want to look at aliens?), The Raelites would realize their dream, and world science would test their hypothesis for strength.
Do you think that if all the conditions are met, "they" will arrive?
- Theoretically, this is not excluded, because the arrival of aliens does not contradict scientific knowledge and laws. Testing different assumptions is the bread of science, the main thing is that beautiful hypotheses do not replace science itself.
You cooperate with the Association "Ecology of the Unknown", what kind of partnership is this?
- This is a rather old organization - it has existed since the early 90s, I cooperate as an expert in the field of astronomy and various aspects of UFO studies. It discusses both recent messages and photos, as well as old sensational cases. The Association occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between "hotheads" who take everyone for granted, and tough skeptics who believe that this cannot be, and tries to bring a scientific approach to everything anomalous.
What position do you yourself occupy, also intermediate?
- Yes, their approach is close to me. When I am asked why you are such a skeptic, I answer that "I am not a skeptic, but rather an agnostic." In the sense that I try to approach any UFO "from scratch", without making any assumptions in advance, and only then draw conclusions from the facts. It is interesting for me to investigate from a scientific point of view, whatever this "miracle" turns out to be. The investigation process itself is interesting, it is very exciting, it is an interesting hobby. I am also attracted to UFOlogy by the fact that it raises philosophical questions, makes me think about the place of man in the Universe, about what will happen to mankind in a hundred years, when we ourselves can fly somewhere …
In one of your interviews you said that extraterrestrial intelligence is not interested in humanity, therefore it does not seek contacts with us - while most feature films and documentaries convince us otherwise
- Humanity in the twentieth century realized how big the cosmos and how small our Earth is. People got scared in empty space, and they invented aliens in it - the same as us, understandable to us. Modern ufology is in many ways not a scientific, but a cultural phenomenon. Reflection in space of humanity, ourselves.
Do you agree with the opinion that "they" appear where there is a threat directly to the planet or to our species - these are nuclear reactors, military ranges and so on?
- At military training grounds they look more attentively at the sky, so there are many messages from there. But in general, this is a dangerous hope that good uncles are looking after us and will save us if we plug the wrong plug into the outlet. And if they do not have time? And if they are not nearby? Humanity needs to learn to solve its own environmental and other problems.
Attempts to find at least some clubs of amateurs and UFO researchers were unsuccessful, it looks like you are the only expert in this area. Is Kazakhstan a country of skeptics?
- Kazakhstan is a landfill country. Here the military has long worked in heaven all sorts of miracles, the people are accustomed to this and react more sensibly than anywhere in the Russian outback. Actually, most of the UFOs of the early 1990s over Kazakhstan were also space and military launches. Only if earlier people silently thought about Baikonur and the military, now they began to ask openly.
They say that Koktobe is a place of increased activity of aliens, where are UFOs most often seen?
- It is rather a place of increased attention of people, beautiful and noticeable. And messages come from all over Kazakhstan.
Don't you think that the truth about the visits of space aliens may be inconvenient for some people, the government, or, in fact, there are no secrets?
- If there is someone before us - suppose! - has managed to fly through the abyss of space, then he far surpasses us in development. If such aliens want to make contact with us, no government will stop them. Therefore, I think that the governments do not hide the aliens.
By the way, the great debunker Julian Assange a few years ago threatened to talk about classified materials on UFOs, what secret data can we talk about?
- It is unlikely that Assange has a serious surprise for ufologists. Most likely, the usual messages like "an unidentified object was seen at the American embassy in Uruguay."
Today theories about the existing underground and underwater UFO bases are extremely popular, can it be that extraterrestrial civilizations are much closer than we think?
- Much may be, but there is no evidence of this either.
UFO reports in Kazakhstan most often come from the following areas:
- Almaty
- East Kazakhstan
- North Kazakhstan
- Pavlodar
- Kostanay
- Akmola
- Zhambyl
- Karaganda
- Mangystau