One of their group, a teenage girl named Masha, got separated from the rest. aeries parent portal madera. The Odessa catacombs are a very complicated system of natural tunnels, mines, bunkers, and caves that are predominantly a result of mining - with the earliest excavations beginning in the 19th century. The Odesa Catacombs are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels located under the city of Odesa and its outskirts in Ukraine, that are mostly the result of stone mining, particularly coquina. In hopes to counter the threat of the partisans, Romanian Axis troops attempted to seal several tunnel exits, as well as tossing poison gas into the tunnels. Kostya Pugovkin, who identified himself as a veteran of Ukraine's Antiterrorist Operation based in Odessa, claims to be the one who personally hefted the body in that photograph out of the depths. Hundreds of partisans, or rebels, took to hiding in the catacombs. The whole story of Masha might actually just be an urban legend. The Museum of Partisan Glory is located in a part of the catacombs north of Odessa, and it is the only underground museum in Ukraine. Maybe this photo will shock you. Fine Art? Inside the mine, the catacombs turned, forked, and led Masha further from the entrance. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. Some proof for the long existence of this myth are the countless graffiti ships that can be spotted in the tunnels. It was brought to a police medical examiner's office, and everyone found that, shockingly, the DNA didn't match the missing boy. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. A large portion of these tunnels due to the sheer extent and the number of corridors remains completely unexplored. Masha went out with a large group of friends to celebrate and probably get drunk. These lines give us a glimpse into the melancholic Slavic and Ukrainian soul of the past: No treasure, no happiness, you will find here, Though forehead knocks the wall behind the wall. Green Tour. The group ventured deep inside and soon enough they got lost. A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. But without knowing the mind boggling extent of these catacombs, their efforts proved largely fruitless. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. During WWII, although the Soviets had been forced out of the city, they left behind dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups hidden below the city in the expansive catacombs. . It's not clear what the journalist wrote, but Lata claims the government got moving and removed the body less than 24 hours later. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Try not to get lost. He claimed that his best friend had led the expedition, and that he had been there when the infamous photo was taken. According to Pugovkin, someone else had vanished in 2004: Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a newspaper magnate named Armand Stendzenieks. They were even known to blow up German facilities. A Tour of the Worlds Largest Labyrinth: The Odessa Catacombs. The complete length of the Odessa catacombs comes up to around astonishing 2500 km (1553.43 miles)! Pacific coastline of the continuous United States. Many of Ukraines cities have rich and lengthy histories behind them all filled with tales and secrets. Excavation of the Maltese Catacombs of St. Agatha Revealed Some of the Finest 12th and 15th century Frescos in Europe! She went deeper into the catacombs, walking alone in pitch black, with no food or water, and has never been heard since. These catacombs are the result of stone mining, particularly coquina (a soft limestone of broken shells), and consist of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains. (Had they walked in a straight line the journey would only have been 9.5 kilometers.) Stop by the blog every day this month for true tales of the unquiet dead. In the end, we cannot be entirely sure if the story of Masha'sill-fated party, nor her sad demise, is accurate, and that may never change. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. When I was a teenager I was a tour guide at a local cave and at the end of the day someone had to walk to the back of the cave (45 minutes one way!) By 2012, he had begun to sound less like the internet's ambassador to the catacombs. However, in the drunken revelry a member of the group, a girl named Masha, became. But he claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. To put things into perspective: the Roman tunnels are about 170 km (105.63 miles) long, and the Paris ones about 300 km (186.41 miles). Her body was found only after 2 years. Every story is true, and each one is a real place you can visit. [Online] Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mind-boggling-catacomb-maps, Thuras, D. Odessa Catacombs. We dare you. If the area near School 56 had no groundwateror clandestine wine or mushroomsthere would have been nothing for her to eat or drink. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. But centuries ago, the land that is now the United States was a very different place As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Murderer never found, the body ever identified. [6], Since the beginning of the 21st century limestone mining has continued in the mines located in Dofinovka, Byldynka, and "Fomina balka" near Odesa. With over 1,000 known entrances, exploration is exceptionally dangerous. This led to a lot of attempt at secrecy by the officials. Relics of the past in the Odessa catacombs, Ukraine. ( gorinov /Adobe Stock). 2023 Atlas Obscura. Authorities have also suggested that the photo is a prank, and that the corpse is a fake. In 2011, a male murder victim was found by chance in the catacombs after he had been dead for three to six months. Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. Every culture has an explanation about how we got here. Unfortunately, this area was unmapped, and quite dangerous. As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. 2016. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Nov 7, 2017 Kate Bulo. Once the war was over, the catacombs became home to numerous smuggling and criminal groups, who widened and created new tunnel systems of their own. masha who died in the catacombs. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . The catacombs are not easy to navigate, especially when you're drunk like Masha might have been that night. As is the nature of people, and urban explorers, tunnels and caves outside of the trusted zone serve as an exhilarating adventure. His recollection is different from Lata's. Here they lived slept, cooked, organized raids, and fought. On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels. [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. Proudly powered by WordPress Strange and Creepy, Urban Legends and Folklore. Shortly after this the mapping of a huge unexplored area of the catacombs known as K-29 was begun. Offer subject to change without notice. The biggest and most serious efforts were made by a club specifically created for the purpose Poisk ( ). The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. [1] The Stone Mines, part of the Odessa Catacombs, were closed and sealed off in 1917. ( eliosdnepr /Adobe Stock). As it turns out, many people still venture into the darkness seeking adventure. Parts of the mines are still active, but the majority of the tunnels remain closed to the public. She was headed . Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. See. ", "That's why I really beg you not to try to walk underground in Odessa itself. Lets unravel the story of these vast catacombs that lie untouched beneath one of Ukraines largest towns. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The complete length of these catacombs is more than half of the width of the North American continent. I used to go caving for fun and turning off your lights for a minute when you're with friends is kind of neat but walking out of a cave alone with that absolute blackness behind you nope nope nope. In 1961, the Search (Poisk) club was created, headed by Constantine Pronin of the Paleontological Museum of OSU, and became the first official catacomb exploration unit, meant to explore the catacombs and help document the history of the partisan movement. Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as K-29 began. In the end, she might have crawled. Beneath the city of Odessa, and also its outskirts, lie a labyrinth-like network of tunnels, known as the Odessa Catacombs. Though Masha wasnt particularly interested in going to the mine, she went anyway, wanting to be with her friends more. ( CC BY SA 4.0 ). is Halloween. Pearl did interview another man, Kostya Pugovkin, who claimed to have dragged the corpse in the photograph up and to a police station in the hope of getting a reward; Pugovkin stated that he was told by others that the dead person was "a Satanist who got lost". Some are simple, but still informative: Fedor Troyanenko earned 10 rubles and 99 kopeks year 1907. Others are simple dates Written in 1842. There are some that are enigmatic and biblical, macabre and ominous: I die for your sins. ; Blood for blood; Death for death. or God will never save our souls.. Several attempts at thorough exploration were made over the years. Skeletons and mummified animal corpses , World War II weapon caches, archaic items and human corpses. It would be extremely dangerous to try and explore the catacombs on ones own. Try not to get lost. There you will find the legend of Masha. Najwitszej Maryi Panny Krlowej Polski > Bez kategorii > masha who died in the catacombs 11 czerwca 2022 hillsville, va labor day flea market 2021 natural disasters after 2010 Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. The Tiara of Saitaphernes is certainly one of these priceless objects and its story is long and surprising. However, that hasn't stopped many people from making the same trip Masha apparently made. Post author: Post published: 22/06/2022 Post category: brenda payne hendersonville, tn Post comments: criminal fraternities 18th century criminal fraternities 18th century The 2005 New Years eve party was great. masha odessa catacombs photokershaw oso sweet pocket clip replacementkershaw oso sweet pocket clip replacement Some time later, when the group was ready to call it a night and head home, they noticed Masha was missing. We don't know for sure what Masha was looking for when she went into the catacombs with her friends. I'm not sure I believe the photo is fake. After the war, the tunnels remained active with smugglers and criminal groups who went so far as to widen or even create their own tunnels. After a short time, they called off the search, saying that Masha would have to find her own way out, it wasnt safe for them to look for her any longer. Whether that person is an innocent partygoer, a Satanist, or a Ukrainian drunk who took a few steps too many into the darkness, it sends imaginations soaring because it conjures the exact kind of nightmarish, lonely death everyone fears the most. masha odessa catacombs photolet us break bread together meaning peaky blinderslet us break bread together meaning peaky blinders No doubt, many bodies remain hidden in the mines. Fine Art? . What's worse is that it's believed she walked away from the entrance, farther underground, so that the temperatures dropped even lower. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake." In Odessa, when someones water line suddenly breaks, or a house settles oddly, or a family pet goes missing, it is not uncommon for Ukrainians to curse about those damn catacombs., They are not being delusional, for underneath their houses run some 2,500 kilometers of catacombs, carved into the limestone that the city is built upon. And some are full-fledged poems, written in the delicate Cyrillic cursive script, their authors lost to time. On a more historical basis, it is also believed that the catacombs were used to murder and store Jewish people during World War II. Atlas Obscura. One of them decided to give it a try, they turned the handle and the door swung open. As the result of contemporary mining, the catacombs continue to expand. Masha and a group of friends thought it would be fun to go out, party, and celebrate at the Stone Mines. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha. In the morning, they braved the morning cold to get back to hearth and home. Or maybe they were looking for bodies. Someone died. "It was hard to get to the top of the shaftit was like nine floors, tiers with skinny ladders between them. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. But some tourism still relates to them. It's not known if they were former students of Odessa's School Number 56, but according to references to the story in Russian news, that's where they found the entrance to the mines. The most famous photoone that Lata told VICE in an email that he was involved in takingshows three blank-faced boys who look like they're in their early teens, posing like they've just stumbled upon the body in a narrow, curved section of the cavern. When the group arrived, they found it easy enough, with two large metal doors. But that has not stopped outsiders, or even local, daring, teenagers who are curious about, or even set on finding, the legendary treasures they contain. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. They were used as a source of cheap construction materials. After 73 days of vicious fighting, the town fell and was annexed to become a part of newly formed Transnistria Governorate under Romanian administration. Lata says he was there when that photo was taken, but he can't retrace the photo to its origin. During WWII Ukrainian rebel groups hid within the labyrinthine catacombs and today there is an entire Ukrainian subculture of catacomb explorers with dozens of semiprofessional groups, often quite competitive, exploring the catacombs. The Odessa catacombs are a very complicated system of natural tunnels, mines, bunkers, and caves that are predominantly a result of mining with the earliest excavations beginning in the 19th century. But Masha had not gone home. There's also evidence that they were used for the summary executions of Nazi soldiers. The dramatic story of the origins of humanity in Greek mythology involves love, pain, and a hefty dose of What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? [citation needed], In 1961 the "Search" (Poisk) club was created in order to explore the history of partisan movement among the catacombs. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Masha story is an urban legend. . Many of the partisan groups lived in the catacombs for the entirety of the rest of the war, and on occasion the partisan groups even managed to blow up German facilities. Did Masha really exist and meet her fate in the catacombs, or is the whole story just someone's idea of a morbid practical joke? Thanks. Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. The group of friends, he wrote, had all stayed there overnight, then left the next morning, but abandoned Masha, either accidentally or on purpose, and she was unable to find her way out. [citation needed], The group of friends, he wrote, had all stayed there overnight, then left the next morning, but abandoned Masha, either accidentally or on purpose, and she was unable to find her way out. [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. A group of urban explorers were pushing deeper into the mines, into one of the most unexplored areas, when they came across the body of a woman. Especially when you consider the fact that the distance between Odessa and Paris is roughly 2138 km (1328.49 miles). There is a rumor that the catacombs contain the stacked corpses of murdered Jews from World War II. It took a full two years before the police were able to locate her body and retrieve it from the catacombs. Many of the tunnels have been filled, either with earth or concrete, however the majority remain open and unmapped. An entrance to the Odessa catacombs is located at 4632'33.8N 3038'06.0E. After a while, the group was quite intoxicated, Masha included. Shiver. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Stories say that an ancient Roman glassmaker had the technology to create a flexible glass, vitrium flexile, but a certain emperor decided the invention should not be. Since the organization is in charge of fielding inquiries about the Catacombs it "probably prefers to stay out of this business, just as I do," Lata theorized. "Besides the original photographer," a post says, "there isn't one person, civilian or law enforcement, that can confirm the story. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Years night partying in the catacombs. [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves. It was wearing jeans and modern shoes, and did appear to be the result of a fairly recent death. (To get a sense of how much tunnel system that really is, it is only 2138 kilometers from Odessa to Paris.). ( Artem Merzlenko /Adobe Stock). But one such find could not remain a secret. Her parents called the authorities who went to the site and began to search. [citation needed], After the Russian Revolution of 1917, stone mining was banned within the central part of Odesa (inside the Porto-Franko zone, bounded by Old Port Franko and Panteleymonovskaya streets). [citation needed], The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odesa. But we do know that the confirmed tales of the catacombs, as well as its history, are still filled with gloom, death, and horror. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. He recalls that a piece of writing by a friend he says is a "famous journalist" was delivered to government officials. Drunk and needing to urinate, she left the group, seeking a place to relieve herself. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown, Indigenous Desserts of Turtle Island With Mariah Gladstone, University of Massachusetts Entomology Collection, The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island, The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earths History, How Communities Are Uncovering Untold Black Histories, The Medieval Thieves Who Used Cats, Apes, and Turtles as Accomplices. These catacombs are the result of stone mining, particularly coquina (a soft limestone of broken shells), and consist of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains. Although the tunnels are mostly limestone mines used to build the city, they have a storied history which includes Nazi executions during WWII and legends of a small replica of the Titanic made of solid gold among other things. Instead, he claims they were looking for the body of Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a local newspaper magnate. Her body had been partially mummified by the cold cool air. Old Odessa catacombs . The people of Odessa and surrounding areas know better than to explore the catacombs. However, professionals can be hired at the cost of 250 hryvnia per person, depending on the time spent underground, the complexity and length of the route, the number of tourists, and options for delivery to the site entrance to the underground area. And the size is further reflected in the fact that the entirety of the catacombs has never been explored. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. On January 1st 2005, a young Ukranian teenage girl named Masha put on her make-up, packed up some champagne, and headed out for her New Years Eve nights party. On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Year's night partying in the catacombs. There are still hundreds of kilometers of tunnels that no one has been able to see all of we can only speculate about what kind of gruesome secrets still dwell deep within. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). They tried to ignore the malnutrition and malaria which afflicted many of them. Even though they never managed to explore the tunnels fully, the maps that these urban explorers managed to create are simply on the verge of being impossible. But despite being passed around the internet as fact, there is little documentation to support the legend of Masha. Pinterest According to rumors, a wealthy aristocrat from Odessa that survived the sinking of the Titanic decided to commemorate this event by ordering the creation of a solid gold model of the ship. Some sections regularly flood with groundwater, others have ceilings precariously propped up with ad-hoc support beams, or they've had their ventilation systems completely dismantled. On Wikipedia, catacombs are described as man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. But even though the city fell, its citizens didnt give up the fight. Were heading underground to find out whether the tunnels are truly empty. Megalithic Sites Are More than Just Stone, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, The Znojmo Catacombs: A Maze of Tunnels Where No Enemies Escaped Alive. Detachment of Molodtsov near Odessa Catacombs. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find. -, Press J to jump to the feed. The Bohemian Blog. All rights reserved. [Online] Available at: https://greentourua.com/the-lost-world-of-odessa-catacombs/, Various. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. But even with a light and a map of the catacombs, it would have been hard for someone ill-prepared to make it out, because the maps that exist are a maddening, brain-like scrawl. [citation needed], During World War II the catacombs served as a hiding place for Soviet partisans, in particular the squad of Vladimir Molodtsov. What started as an ancient Greek colony, in time turned into a metropolis a crucial seaport and an economic hub. They go on expeditions into the mines that can last several days, and document and map the area. Go to the left, go to the right, Youll only meet the darkness of the night, Another poem tells of the loneliness inside the tunnels: Sing not, oh nightingale, against my cell, and dont interrupt my prayer, oh, nightingale.. Maybe her path forked a few times, and she lost track of the pattern. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. Nor were her friends able to locate her. Masha always struck me as an urban legend. With tunnels that run up to 2,500 kilometers, the Odessa Catacombs are considered the world's largest urban labyrinth, significantly larger than the one in Paris, among others. The group snapped a photo, in which three young boys pose with the body as if they have just identified it. Inside, they saw a flight of stairs leading down into the catacombs. Masha had died, still trying to escape. A body was recovered, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. Disturbing Tales of the Mysterious Catacombs Beneath Odessa. Numerous reports exist of partially mummified human remains and skeletons that have been found inside the catacombs. It is one of the world's largest urban labyrinths, running up to 2,500 kilometres (1,600mi). In September 1995, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Odessa, the longest underground journey in the catacombs was recorded. It's not unlikely that she drunkenly forgot to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Some sources claim that roughly five amateurs that descend into the tunnels never come out again and this really gives us an incentive to truly grasp the size of these tunnels. Offer subject to change without notice. The closest thing in real life to the deadly labyrinth of King Minosor, if you prefer, the one from the movie Labyrinthis a network of tunnels under the city of Odessa, Ukraine. These men and women would play chess, checkers, cook, and listen to Soviet Radio, generally trying to make a normal life below the surface of the city. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. An Unbreakable Story: The Lost Roman Invention of Flexible Glass, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, What is Shambhala? Rifles, machine guns, equipment and personal items all were discovered lost or abandoned in virtually pristine condition. They could have been looking for treasures that night, considering there are rumors that somewhere below School 56 there's a solid gold replica of the Titanic a few inches long. During the Cold War, they served as bomb shelters. What followed for Masha was a three day trek from hell. Even after the "Masha," episode, Lata continued to explore the catacombs. Girl Lost in Odessa Catacombs 694,277 views Jun 2, 2016 15K Dislike Share ScareTheater 963K subscribers Previous Video: http://bit.ly/1ZhkLEh In 2005, the body of a girl named Masha was found. Such bomb shelters supposed to be refuge for civilians in case of nuclear strike or gas attack. The mining operations would soon spiral almost out of control, causing some issues for the town itself, until they would be temporarily banned after 1917. Creepy stories about the Odessa catacombs range fromdead bodies found in catacombs, topeople who have gotten lost in catacombs and were never seen again. After the incident, Lata said that the group had continued to explore the catacombs, and that they would sometimes go down there for days at a time. A partial map of the Odessa catacombs. Was this, then, the origin of the stories of Masha? As the Vice article states, other bodies have been found within the catacombs, including one found during the search for a man who went missing in 2004. During New Year's Eve celebrations in 2005, she and her friends had one drink too . The Odessa Catacombs and the Legend of Masha, The Fiery Darvaza Gas Crater The Scare Chamber, The Torture and Murder of Kelly Anne Bates, Alexandra Wiwcharuk: The Girl in Saskatoon, Practicing Cannibalism | The Scare Chamber, Alexandra Wiwcharuk: The Girl in Saskatoon | The Scare Chamber, David Parker Ray and his Toy Box of Torture, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [7], A 2015 investigation by Vice writer Mike Pearl similarly found no evidence that Masha had existed. ( Valentin Balan /Adobe Stock).
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