Let's try to figure out why on the night of February 2, 1959, a group of tourists was killed at the Dyatlov Pass. To begin with, a few verbatim quotes from the criminal case: Taken from here:
So, on March 20, Prosecutor Tempalov interrogated a certain Gorbushin Artemiy Vladimirovich, born in 1919, Russian. During interrogation, Gorbushin testified: “At the beginning of March 1959, I was on duty at the police station, and at that time there was a conversation that tourists had died. I was sitting in the duty room, or rather, one Mansi came up, I don't know his last name, but they said that it was Kurikov, but I don't know what his name was. Kurikov was asked how the tourists could have died. Kurikov said that five Ostyaks live near the holy mountain, where this mountain is located. They are like savages, they are not friends with either the Mansi or the Russian people. They never come to Ivdel. And these Ostyaks could kill tourists because they wanted to climb the holy mountain or because they thought that tourists could kill their deer and elk, which they feed on. Kurikov expressed only his assumptions,but how it turned out in fact he Kurikov does not know. But earlier Kurikov had seen these Ostyak savages, but a long time ago, several years ago. Where the holy mountain is, Kurikov does not know. But I also assert that Kurikov expressed his assumption. He said this because we were talking that we found dead tourists and asked Mansi Kurikov how this could have happened. During this conversation, there was a police officer Pyzhov. I can't add anything else. Then, on March 23, Tempalov interrogates Grigory Nikolaevich Kurikov himself, 57 years old, nationality - Mansi. And he said during interrogation: “I understand Russian well. I sign only in Mansi. I personally do not think that anyone from the Mansi attacked Russian tourists, as this has never happened. I would still know from the Mansi who attacked the tourists and I am interested in this. But there is no reason to attack the Mansi tourists. Prayer Mountain I know for sure is located in the upper reaches of the river. See and no one lives there either in summer or in winter. No one protects the Prayer Mountain. Russian people are allowed to go there. About the fact that five Mansi live near the prayer mountain or other people are not Mansi, whom the Mansi are afraid of, I personally did not say this anywhere, including in the police. We do not have such Mansi people not to go to Ivdel. There are no outsiders, the Mansi did not know in our area. We would know about outsiders, because the Mansi hunt and would meet someone. There are no such Mansi to treat Russians badly in our region. Why and how the tourists died, I do not know at all how this could have happened. "No one protects the Prayer Mountain. Russian people are allowed to go there. About the fact that five Mansi live near the mountain of prayer or other people are not Mansi, whom the Mansi are afraid of, I personally did not say this anywhere, including in the police. We do not have such Mansi people not to go to Ivdel. There are no outsiders, the Mansi did not know in our area. We would know about a stranger, because the Mansi hunt and would meet someone. There are no such Mansi to treat the Russians badly in our region. Why and how the tourists died, I do not know at all how this could have happened. "No one protects the Prayer Mountain. Russian people are allowed to go there. About the fact that five Mansi live near the mountain of prayer or other people are not Mansi, whom the Mansi are afraid of, I personally did not say this anywhere, including in the police. We do not have such Mansi people not to go to Ivdel. There are no outsiders, the Mansi did not know in our area. We would know about outsiders, because the Mansi hunt and would meet someone. There are no such Mansi to treat Russians badly in our region. Why and how the tourists died, I do not know at all how this could have happened. "There are no outsiders, the Mansi did not know in our area. We would know about a stranger, because the Mansi hunt and would meet someone. There are no such Mansi to treat Russians badly in our region. Why and how the tourists died, I do not know at all how this could have happened. "There are no outsiders, the Mansi did not know in our area. We would know about outsiders, because the Mansi hunt and would meet someone. There are no such Mansi to treat the Russians badly in our region. Why and how the tourists died, I do not know at all how this could have happened."
The most interesting thing is that Kournikov is blatantly lying. Having told the truth once, he was mortally afraid of her. I think that Mansi was afraid of the very "shamans" who lived next to the sacred mountain. Why? Because he knew the law of the taiga well. Where, the taiga is the chief and the bear is the prosecutor. Denunciation of this family would have cost him dear. Therefore, he retracted his own words, and the prosecutor did not insist. As now, the main task of the law enforcement agencies is not to solve crimes. The main thing for them is not to aggravate the already complicated case with unnecessary suspects. In fact, the prosecutor's office then in 1959 gave the case a "reverse". At the same time, he did it so obviously and absurdly that dozens of versions of this tragedy still exist in the world. Although, I think that the case could have been investigated even then. Now, in order, with the evidence.
Kurikov lied. He knew perfectly well where the prayer mountain was. Now, hold onto the chair. On this mountain, Dyatlov's group set up a tent. It was there that people accepted their martyrdom. This is the Dyatlov pass itself. The center of the "mountain" is the stone on which the monument and memorial plaques are installed today. It was this mountain that the unsociable shamans looked after. Why did they kill the tourists? Certainly not out of fear. The mountain itself has no values and there is simply nothing to destroy there. But sacrifices were made on this mountain from ancient times. I don't think this is due to local customs. It's just that these people learned something that today we do not even know. There is a small mound there. Most likely it was made by the hands of some people who lived there hundreds (and maybe thousands) of years ago. If you look at the diagram of how the corpses were lying on the mountain, then a certain system becomes clear. From the tent down the slope. On both sides of a large tree (by the way, a very important object of the cult of the shamans of the north). All the bodies lay in a straight line. By the way, they didn't take anything from them. This was done due to the fact that, according to legends, the things of the deceased can take the soul of the one who stole them. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this. Who killed? Believe it or not, these people followed the group all the time. In one picture they were spotted. Five people skiing in the forest. Apparently they never approached the group. There are photographs of individuals in the forest. And also in the photo with Zolatarev. In the forest behind him, in the bushes, a man in a white camouflage robe and with ski poles in his hands is very cleverly hiding. Apparently such deep stalking was a necessary action in the ritual. All the bodies lay in a straight line. By the way, they didn't take anything from them. This was done due to the fact that, according to the legends, the things of the deceased can take the soul of the one who stole them. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this. Who killed? Believe it or not, these people followed the group all the time. In one picture they were spotted. Five people skiing in the forest. Apparently, they never approached the group. There are photographs of individuals in the forest. And also in the photo with Zolatarev. In the forest behind him, in the bushes, a man in a white camouflage robe and with ski poles in his hands is very cleverly hiding. Apparently such deep stalking was a necessary action in the ritual. All the bodies lay in a straight line. By the way, they didn't take anything from them. This was done due to the fact that, according to the legends, the things of the deceased can take the soul of the one who stole them. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this. Who killed? Believe it or not, these people followed the group all the time. In one picture they were spotted. Five people skiing in the forest. Apparently they never approached the group. There are photographs of individuals in the forest. And also in the photo with Zolatarev. In the forest behind him, in the bushes, a man in a white camouflage robe and with ski poles in his hands is very cleverly hiding. Apparently such deep stalking was a necessary action in the ritual. Who killed? Believe it or not, these people followed the group all the time. In one photo they were spotted. Five people skiing in the forest. Apparently, they never approached the group. There are photographs of individuals in the forest. And also in the photo with Zolatarev. In the forest behind him, in the bushes, a man in a white camouflage robe and with ski poles in his hands is very cleverly hiding. Apparently such deep stalking was a necessary action in the ritual. Who killed? Believe it or not, these people followed the group all the time. In one photo they were spotted. Five people skiing in the forest. Apparently they never approached the group. There are photographs of individuals in the forest. And also in the photo with Zolatarev. In the forest behind him, in the bushes, a man in a white camouflage robe and with ski poles in his hands is very cleverly hiding. Apparently such deep stalking was a necessary action in the ritual.
The one who killed the tourists was not a shaman in the usual sense of the word. These people were adherents of a cult equally alien to both the Mansi and people of other religions. They did not defend their shrines. Everything was much worse. They were preparing for ritual murder. Moreover, they needed exactly nine people. It is in this very place. Perhaps on this particular month and day. Ancient predictions coincided. It is possible that the restless souls of unfortunate people dwell on this pass. Forever lost on the border of the worlds, in the place where they were thrown by the ruthless hand of fanatics.
PS The author asks for forgiveness from the Mansi people. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, but I did it that way. The tourists died at the hands of sectarians, not shamans. Forgive me if you can!
Here is the sacred mountain! This is the very place.
A diagram of how the bodies of the dead were lying on the pass.
Promotional video:
The hunter behind the tourist's back.
The hunter hid behind the trees.
The man in the bushes.
Here are the five “ shamans ” follow the group.
Enlarged photograph.
Valentin Degterev. Internet journalist. Specialization in the genre of searching for various artifacts