This summer it will be 38 years since the mysterious death of two families in a remote Churapcha village. This is perhaps one of the most mysterious incidents throughout the history of Yakutia. On the fact of the death of 12 people, eight of whom were children, they opened a criminal case, put forward many versions: from military tests of secret gas to the tricks of aliens. But until now, the true causes of the tragedy are not known to anyone.
Inhabitants of the small Yakut village of Arylakh, two families of the Ayanitovs and Sivtsevs with their relative Tatyana Vinokurova, at the end of May 1977 left for a summer farm (sayylyk) in the Kemnye area. There were 16 of them in total: six were adults, the rest were children and adolescents from 6 to 18 years old.
13-year-old Alyosha Ayanitov was the first to feel unwell. On July 23, with stomach pains, he was taken by motorcycle to the hospital in the village of Kilenki, where the doctor established a preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicitis. He was operated on in the Churapchinsky district hospital.
During the operation, it turned out that appendicitis was not the cause of the disease. Even after the intervention of the surgeon, they could not establish an accurate diagnosis, the boy's health worsened, and three days after the onset of the disease he died of acute heart failure.
Meanwhile, the disease befell others. From July 30 to August 6, the rest of the family members of the Ayanitovs and Sivtsevs were hospitalized with the same symptoms. All the manipulations performed by doctors were useless. Even the consultations and practical advice of the doctors of the republican hospital did not help.
On the night of August 7, 11-year-old Vasya Sivtsev died. It was decided to send the rest by sun flight to Yakutsk. From 7 to 10 August 10 more people died in the intensive care unit of the city hospital. Four members of the Ayanitov family remained alive: father Semyon Yegorovich, 12-year-old Semyon, 17-year-old Roman, 21-year-old Nikolai. All four were urgently transported to Moscow, to the Sklifosovsky Institute. Fortunately, they were saved.
LIST OF THE DEAD:
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Sivtsev Vasily Nikolaevich, 48 years old;
Sivtseva Marfa Fedotovna, 46 years old;
Sivtseva Irina Vasilievna, 15 years old;
Sivtseva Praskovya Vasilievna, 14 years old;
Sivtsev Vasily Vasilievich, 11 years old;
Sivtseva Evdokia Vasilievna, 9 years old;
Ayanitova Daria Gavrilievna, 45 years old;
Ayanitova Marfa Semyonovna, 18 years old;
Ayanitov Yegor Semenovich, 13 years old;
Ayanitov Alexey Semenovich, 12 years old;
Ayanitov Ivan Semenovich, 6 years old;
Vinokurova Tatyana Semyonovna, 58 years old.
THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES DID NOT LEAD TO ANYTHING
A criminal case was opened into the deaths. A large investigative group worked in the area, many analyzes were carried out: samples of soil, water, air, food were taken, and samples were taken not only from food for people, but also from compound feed and so on. Note that the animals were not injured in this case. Everyone who could have been involved in the incident was questioned: neighbors, relatives, acquaintances. All versions were considered - from revenge by poisoning to exposure to an unknown poison gas or radiation. None of them have been confirmed.
Despite the fact that the results of all samples taken from the scene did not show the presence of poisons or any other poisonous substances, the main version of the investigation remained poisoning through food: “… Thus, the cause of death of people is reduced to poisoning with an unknown poison that got together with food through the gastrointestinal tract.
Also, work was carried out in medical clinics by forensic experts, infectious disease specialists, and toxicologists. All victims had the same symptoms: dry mouth, weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, headache, burning sensation in the throat, thirst, nausea, myocardiosis, hematosis, toxic nephritis, toxic encephalomitis.
Nevertheless, the conclusions presented by the commission are as follows: "The etiological factor of the disease could not be established." Simply - the cause has not been identified … Only toxicologists from the Poisoning Center and an infectious disease specialist expressed the opinion that the disease was caused by the action of a neurotropic poison.
Neurotropic poisons are the most dangerous and fast-acting of all types of poisons, since they act directly on the nervous system. Their list is very diverse and includes both the most ancient poisons known to mankind (aconitin, cicutoxin, konyin), and the most modern nerve-paralytic military agents (sarin, soman, herd, VX, V-gases). Of the inorganic neurotropic poisons, we can mention arsenic compounds, and of those, the degree of toxicity of which most people do not know, nicotine.
SEMEN AYANITOV: "NOBODY WILL TELL THE TRUTH"
Arylakh village
One of the survivors of that terrible tragedy, Semyon Ayanitov, now lives in Arylakh. He vaguely remembers the events of those years, because then he was only 12 years old. He is the only surviving witness to date.
- First, Alexei fell ill, he was taken to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. A couple of days later he died in Churapcha. Since this all started. All were taken first to Churapcha, then to Yakutsk. One by one they died. The Sivtsevs all died. After Yakutsk we were taken to Moscow.
My father did not tell me anything about what happened, and I heard about the version with fog, but in summer there is always fog in the mornings, so I don’t think that is the reason. I also heard that insect repellent chemicals were sprayed from helicopters on arable land. But then we did not have arable land. In general, many versions were circulating then, which one was correct - I don't know.
The investigation was carried out thoroughly, in addition to doctors, investigators worked. They even came to the hospital in Moscow. Then there were four of us: father, me, brothers Roman and Nikolai. Roman died 10 years ago of heart disease, Nikolai crashed on a motorcycle. The father is also dead. I do not associate the death of Roman and his father with what happened then. I myself am not complaining about my health. I read the criminal case later, in Churapcha. Everything that is written is true.
According to Semyon Semenovich, if anyone knows the truth about what happened, he is unlikely to divulge it. If anyone was to blame, no one will ever be punished. He is married, has two children, works as a fireman in the housing and communal services system. The eldest son served, returned home, works. The youngest is a student in Yakutsk.
INTERVIEW WITH DIODOROV
Honored lawyer of the republic, private detective Leonid Diodorov, in an interview with the correspondent of the newspaper "Yakutsk Vecherny" told about this story. It was he who was the first to make public the data on the mass death of people, in addition, he tried to resume criminal proceedings in order to find out the truth. Not so long ago, Diodorov wrote a book in which he also spoke about a mysterious incident in the Churapchinsky ulus.
Leonid Prokopyevich, tell us how you learned about this case?
- I myself am from Churapcha and I am very interested in everything that happens there. At that time, I was working as an investigator in the Tattinsky district, and the news that a disaster had happened reached me. Then a special order was sent to us - to interrogate a resident of the Tattinsky district, who at that time passed this place and, possibly, entered the sayylyk. It was then that I learned about what had happened. True, at that time I thought that the investigation would figure everything out, it turned out that I was wrong.
Have you studied the criminal case?
- Yes. About a year later, I was transferred to work as an investigator in the Churapchinsky district, where I could get acquainted with the case. I read it cover to cover. The definition that was there, "poisoning with an unknown poison that got through the gastrointestinal tract," I still remember. Tellingly, those who lived in the same room died, eating, as they say, from a common boiler. And their neighbors, who lived 50-70 meters from the house of the Sivtsev-Ayanitovs, did not suffer. Those family members who left for haymaking also survived. At that time it was just the hay harvesting season, they worked on the land almost all the time and rarely came to Kömnjö for food. Nothing touched them.
By the way, did you find that person, a resident of the Tattinsky ulus, about whom they said that he passed by?
- Found him, interrogated. He lived not far from Arylakh, either in the village of Tuora-Kuel, or in Debdirge, I don't remember exactly. On that day, he passed the summer man.
Was he among the suspects? Perhaps the death of people is connected with him?
- No. This person did not fall under suspicion, that is, he was absolutely not involved in the case. He went into the house, asked for a drink of water and left. Then they interrogated everyone who had at least some relation to the dead, who at least somehow could be involved. But there was nothing suspicious in their testimony. They attached great importance to this business. First, the case was opened by an investigator of the Churapchinsky District Prosecutor's Office, then he was transferred to the Republican Prosecutor's Office. Experts came from Yakutsk and from Moscow - forensic experts, toxicologists, chemists. We can say that we have collected all the color of science.
Who fell under suspicion?
- And everyone and nobody. Here's a paradox.
Leonid Prokopyevich, do you remember what testimony the survivors gave? Did they tell you what they ate and drank?
- A small disclaimer: not only the survivors were questioned, but also those who had not yet died by that time. So enough material was collected. Of course, after such a period, I do not remember exactly their testimony. But - nothing suspicious. It was the usual daily food.
How quickly was the case transferred to the category of particularly important?
- Fast enough. The fact is that they did not pay much attention to the first death of Alyosha Ayanitov. After the second death, the doctors were a little alarmed, but they also did not do anything cardinal. But when the death of the third person came, then they were already seriously worried and began to act. A criminal case was initiated, the rest were transported to Yakutsk, and then to Moscow.
Doesn't it seem strange to you that only those who ended up in the Sklifosovsky Institute survived?
- Indeed, those who came to Moscow survived. I believe that the doctors have found an antidote, and perhaps they know the poison.
Why then didn't this information be made public?
- Most likely, the poison was especially secret.
I wonder how he was able to get to Arylakh?
- At that time everything was classified. Perhaps something could have fallen from orbit … Spacecraft flew … with the remains of heptyl. There is evidence that heptyl poisoning causes similar symptoms. This is a defeat of all internal organs: the esophagus, liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines.
Did the military work on the spot?
- As far as I know, the military prosecutor's office did not deal with this case. Most likely, the KGB worked. And, interestingly, no one made a fuss. But this is an out of hand case - the mass death of people. Should have sounded the alarm in the Union, published articles in the central press … And here everything is sewn-up. And the employees of our prosecutor's office were doing this as usual.
Leonid Prokopyevich, do you have any guesses: how people could have been poisoned?
- I already cited one fantastic one in my article: that somewhere on a secret base a poison was developed, and an ampoule containing this poison was sewn into a duck. This duck flew to us, was killed and eaten. Everyone who ate died.
There must be a lot of poison in order to poison 12 people
“Not necessarily, perhaps it was just a very strong poison. There are toxic substances, when taken, three grams are enough to kill a huge number of people. In general, I think that any version in the absence of truth will look plausible. Even heptyl poisoning, as you wrote in the last article. At one time in Pokrovsk there was a fur farm "Holbos". So, on this farm, about three thousand animals died overnight. From what - and remained unknown. The examination showed an excess of fluorine and barium in the blood of animals and suggested that, most likely, the animals died from poisoning with the so-called "wolf poison". But no one could say for sure.
During the investigation, weren't local psychics or shamans involved? It is known that many of them cooperate with law enforcement agencies
- I am a practitioner and absolutely do not believe in mysticism. But at the same time, I admit that there are people with special abilities in the field of telepathy who can transmit and receive information at a distance.
Has the criminal case been closed to date?
- No, he was suspended.
Does that mean you can resume at any time? As far as I know, you tried to do this …
- The fact is that in criminal law there is such a concept as a statute of limitations. Even if the culprit is found, he will not be held accountable. Of course, there is an opportunity to get a court decision and even find someone guilty, but after years, the criminal prosecution will be terminated. In the 90s, when I was already working in the republican prosecutor's office, I remembered him and demanded him from Churapcha. It came to me unchanged, that is, there was no progress on it, not a single additional document was added to the case. I decided that it was necessary to work on it. It is not simple, until now there was no fame. Then I wrote to Moscow, even made a decision on the appointment of an additional toxicological examination, taking into account the fact that times have changed, the veil of secrecy has weakened, there is more knowledge in the field of toxicology. I sent this decree to Moscow, to the main bureau of forensic medical examination. From there came the answer that they are ready to help, but they need pathological material. This meant that an exhumation had to be done. Perhaps then they would have given a direct conclusion with what kind of poison people were poisoned.
Exhumation, as I understand it, no one has carried out?
- Many times, when I had already resigned, I asked the current investigators to reopen the case, appoint an expert examination, and issue a resolution on the exhumation of bodies. Relatives and residents of the area are not against it, as far as I know. On the contrary, they are all interested in solving the case. But, except for them and you and me, no one needs this: the investigators are not up to this, they have their own affairs to do, the leadership of the republic - too.
What do you think, Yegor Borisov, the head of the republic, a native of Churapcha, is aware of the events of 1977?
- I think yes. But most likely they did not contact him. If they did, I think he would agree. I have repeated and will repeat many times - the unknown is always fraught with a threat.
Based on materials from vecherniy.com and sakhapress.ru