masha odessa catacombs photo
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. After the Soviets were forced out of the city, dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups remained, hiding below the city. During the Middle Ages, exorcisms were commonplace to rid individuals of supposed demonic possession. In the 19th century, most houses in Odesa were built of limestone that was mined nearby. The citizens believe that he still haunts these labyrinthine tunnels. [Online] Available at: http://odesskiy.com/chisto-fakti-iz-zhizni-i-istorii/istorija-vozniknovenija-odesskih-katakomb.html, Richter, D. 2013. More photos surfaced, including additional shots of the tunnels and even bones. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. The group ventured deep inside and soon enough they got lost. The rumors said it was deep underground, but from what they had seen, the body appeared to be fresh. 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. One interesting aspect of the tunnels is the fact that they are subject to a variety of highly imaginative urban legends. With over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Thanks. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Lists of true accounts of real people who survived unfathomable situations and depictions of fights for survival in film, TV, video games, and other media. Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. 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? "During the time she was inside, her 'friends' didn't try to take her body out," Lata wrote, guessing that they were "frightened.". As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. They decided to do this inthe Odessa catacombs, where they could have some privacy, drink, and have fun with a little added creep factor. Masha went out with a large group of friends to celebrate and probably get drunk. But we do know that the confirmed tales of the catacombs, as well as its history, are still filled with gloom, death, and horror. With his heart set on a possible reward, Pugovkin says he crawled into the depths and eventually stumbled upon what he called "bone soup." Maybe her path forked a few times, and she lost track of the pattern. Was this, then, the origin of the stories of Masha? A little less than six months after the incident is said to have occurred, news began to spread among local cave explorers near Odessa that someone had spotted a body. He quarreled with the teen, then led her into the catacombs where they could continue their argument. [citation needed], There have been various reports of people walking into the catacombs, getting lost and then eventually dying of dehydration. According to the investigation of the incident, the man was with a group of friends, and had been drinking with the young girl. 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. Partisan weapon caches such as rifles and grenades are occasionally still found within the tunnels, and about once every five years a body is found. Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa catacombs. Investigating the mysterious death of a young woman who wandered into an underground tunnel and never came outbut lives on as an internet rumor. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. Unfortunately, what they often find inside is far more grim than that. The Odessa catacombs, even though slightly taboo and extremely eerie, are not illegal to visit . Her parents called the authorities who went to the site and began to search. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. While you may have never heard of the Odessa catacombs, they are filled with legends and dark tales that you'll never forget. The longest single expedition to date was just 40km, completed over a 27-hour period in 1995. is Halloween. [4]Limestone was cut using saws, and mining became so intensive that by the second half of the 19th century, the extensive network of catacombs created many inconveniences to the city. [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . Maybe this photo will shock you. It would have been utterly black. One of the teens was a girl named Masha, and she was simply going with the rest of her crew to have a good time. Such bomb shelters supposed to be refuge for civilians in case of nuclear strike or gas attack. Here they lived slept, cooked, organized raids, and fought. Skeletons and mummified animal corpses , World War II weapon caches, archaic items and human corpses. They were even known to blow up German facilities. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. One of them decided to give it a try, they turned the handle and the door swung open. The whole story of Masha might actually just be an urban legend. It's not clear what the journalist wrote, but Lata claims the government got moving and removed the body less than 24 hours later. The unsettling story of Masha, the lost girl of the Odessa Catacombs Masha was a student visiting Odessa that went drinking on New Years Eve in 2005. She went to do a little exploring with the others and quickly became separated from the group among the maze-like corridors. But some like to say that the earliest form of the catacombs dates to centuries before that, to 1600s or possibly before and thats plausible. Over the decades that follow, after the gradual abandonment of the mining operations, the Odessa catacombs would become somewhat obscure and forgotten. It's always good to hear from a local. She was headed . And what awaits is a journey that comes so eerily close to something from the pages of Metro 2033 or the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. She lies on her left side, legs curled like she's sleeping, while the upper half of her decomposing body has lost its form altogether, and has begun to turn indistinguishable from the cavern's yellow limestone floor. Come for the severed heads, stay for the book bound in human skin. Nor were her friends able to locate her. Two years passed, and no one retrieved the body, Lata claims. The catacombs are on three levels, and reach a depth of 200ft (60 meters) below sea level. Her friends never were able to find her, and the police saw neither hide nor hair of her, as they didn't want to venture into the mysterious catacombs. The Catacombs are on three levels and reach a depth of 60 metres (200ft) below sea level. They present thousands of crisscrossed tunnels, intersections, corridors, galleries, and caverns, all entwined and endlessly sprawling like some chaotic maze of ant tunnels. However, when the body was removed, it was in terrible condition, with no good identifying factors. The complete length of the Odessa catacombs comes up to around astonishing 2500 km (1553.43 miles)! There is little to no record of a girl named Masha ever disappearing into the catacombs, and there are those that refute Lata'saccounts. In 2005, after a couple of drinks, a group of enthusiastic Odessa teens decided to continue their party down in 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. In fact, these labyrinthine tunnels are so enormous, that they easily dwarf both the catacombs of Rome and those of Paris . The legend goes a little something like this: In 2005, a group of teenagers headed out on New Year's Eve (or New Year's Day, depending on the source) to have a little party. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. We don't know for sure what Masha was looking for when she went into the catacombs with her friends. Offer subject to change without notice. An entrance to the Odessa catacombs is located at 4632'33.8N 3038'06.0E. The Odessa Catacombs underwent further construction through the vagrants' illegal widening and creation of even more tunnel systems. Over the years there have been numerous reports of people venturing into the catacombs, getting lost, and eventually dying of dehydration never to be seen again. They were used as a source of cheap construction materials. ", Personally, I find this story absolutely terrifying; the thought of stumbling around lost in 2,500KM of tunnels with no lights and eventually dying alone is a kind of terror I hope to never experience. (Had they walked in a straight line the journey would only have been 9.5 kilometers.) What are you a professional corpsologist? [Online] Available at: https://thinkofthetriangle.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/adventures-in-ukraine-odessa-catacombs/, McKendry, I. D. 2017. What's worse is that it's believed she walked away from the entrance, farther underground, so that the temperatures dropped even lower. 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. Down in the mine, for unknown reasons, Masha didnt turn around and leave once she had finished. 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. 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. Everyone was having a good time, drinking and having fun. [Online] Available at: http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/04/11/183661/, Pronin, K. . A partial map of the Odessa catacombs. 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. 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. View all photos. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Of course parents saying not to do something usually encourages kids to do that very thing. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odesa. ( Volodymyr Khodaryev /Adobe Stock). They cooked, played games, and listened to the radio With the Nazis above ground, they looked for any opportunity relay intelligence, or strike their enemy. The body is real though, it belonged to a man 40 to 60 years, who was killed in the catacombs. Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. Another urban legend, far more popular, is the story of the lost treasure. "There were four of us on the day when these pics were taken," he wrote, "and I really don't know where I can find these guys nowadays." On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels. This was only aimed at the portions beneath the town center though, and the rest of the catacombs continued to develop some time after. aeries parent portal madera. Besides Masha and the missing boy, there have been other stories of people who have died in the catacombs, and not just from getting lost. She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. Instead, he claims they were looking for the body of Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a local newspaper magnate. 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. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. On a more historical basis, it is also believed that the catacombs were used to murder and store Jewish people during World War II. Unfortunately, this area was unmapped, and quite dangerous. [2] According to urban legend, these mines were abandoned and later used and widened by local smugglers who created a labyrinth of tunnels and hid treasure beneath Odesa. Stretching to a length of 2500km, the Odessa Catacombs are prehaps the largest network of tunnels in the world. ( CC BY SA 4.0 ). Most of the diggers I talked to believed that he actually faked the whole thing and started a new life somewhere, but still look out for anything related to him below. This myth has led many treasure hunters to enter the darkness of the catacombs in search of wealth. When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The date of the earliest catacombs in Odessa is difficult to determine (as they were all widened at a later date), but they likely date back to the 1600s, if not farther. Masha always struck me as an urban legend. They began to drink, and occasionally worked up the courage to go inside the mine, taking a few steps in before turning around and running back out. [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Above ground, the Fasciest Germans and Romanians would identify random catacomb exits and seal them off, hoping to trap them inside. [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. As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. Enjoy.". Actually, the walls of the Odessa catacombs are inscribed with thousands of writings, ranging from names to slogans to caricatures and even poems. [6] Other caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. He then threw the axe into the sea. 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. The sheer size of the catacombs meant a refuge for all walks of life that sought to hide. Still left for anyone to roam freely, these tunnels are used just as several decades before by anyone who needs or wants to descend into its depths. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? Underrated Cinematic Survival Competitions, Great Movies About Missions Doomed from the Start, Survival Myths to Unlearn Before It's Too Late, Must-See Newer Survival Movies and TV Series, Great Movies About Kids Trying to Stay Alive, People Believe A Girl Died In The Endless Odessa Catacombs, But The Mystery Goes Much Deeper, the group had continued to explore the catacombs, a man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for killing a girl in the catacombs. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. But at some point in the night Masha decided to explore the catacombs. Atlas Obscura. The citizens of Odessa believe a variety of myths and rumors that circulate about the catacombs hidden treasures, skeletons, and even ghosts. Belief in malevolent spirits inhabiting the human body has persisted across cultures for millennia. In the end, she might have crawled. The 2005 New Years eve party was great. There was no light in the catacombs besides whatever she might have had on her, and it is believed she wandered in pitch blackness. There is, however, a portion of the catacombs that is open to the public within the Museum of Partisan Glory in Nerubayskoye, north of Odessa. By some estimates, they span 1,550 miles, making the network a little longer than the whole Pacific coastline of the continuous United States. But one thing that this city of one million citizens hides, and a fact that many who visit it are totally unaware of, are the sprawling catacombs beneath its streets. The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. He had gotten lost, and there was a reward offered to anyone who could find the young man. The catacombs were once the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. So, is it really true? masha odessa catacombs photolet us break bread together meaning peaky blinderslet us break bread together meaning peaky blinders Masha story is an urban legend. Relics of the past in the Odessa catacombs, Ukraine. Based on what was later found, it is believed that Masha stumbled around in the catacombs for at least three days, starving, thirsty, alone, and in the dark. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. 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!) Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. But one Ukrainian town stands out Odessa. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. But some tourism still relates to them. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. His descriptions of his journeys into the dark were tantalizing tales of adventure. richard guichelaar update. The trek lasted 27-hours, and covered about 25 miles (40 kilometers). Fake? list of hair dyes that contain metallic salts; eglin afb housing floor plans. He recalls that a piece of writing by a friend he says is a "famous journalist" was delivered to government officials. Assuming Masha brought a battery-powered flashlight or lantern down into the depths, it would have died after a few hours, making it harder to continue the search for warmth and water. Atlas Obscura. 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. And the size is further reflected in the fact that the entirety of the catacombs has never been explored. I tend to never believe Vice.. I know you said he was never identified, but was there an investigation you can share with us? Since its creation, it has expanded understanding of the catacombs, and provided information to expand mapping of the tunnels. Instead, it belonged to a girl who was never identified. There are reasons why the Odessa catacombs are so shrouded in enigma and macabre reputation -many of those who ventured deep below have never come out. The remaining catacombs (3-5%) are either natural cavities or were excavated for other purposes such as sewerage. As it turns out, many people still venture into the darkness seeking adventure. Shortly after this the mapping of a huge unexplored area of the catacombs known as K-29 was begun. The Lost World of Odessa Catacombs. Someone died. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. You'd think they'd have them boarded or locked up pretty tight to avoid homeless people getting lost down there. Katakomby. Drinking and debauchery went on that night, and for reasons unknown a young woman named Masha got separated from her friends and disappeared into the abyss. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. 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. Many regions (such as the notorious 'K-29' network) remain largely unexplored to this day. [1] They look like my hiking boots, and I'm a woman. These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. Disturbing Tales of the Mysterious Catacombs Beneath Odessa. [citation needed], In 1961 the "Search" (Poisk) club was created in order to explore the history of partisan movement among the catacombs. Masha story is an urban legend. When the group arrived, they found it easy enough, with two large metal doors. [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves.[1]. The catacombs also contain natural caves and span over 1,500 miles. All rights reserved. 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. It was cold, near freezing, and foggy on New Years Eve 2005. According to the 2009 forum post on Urban Explorer's Resource (UER) by a catacombs explorer named Eugene Lata, who brought Masha's story to the English-speaking world, the tale begins late on New Year's Day (or possibly New Year's Eve) in 2005. Beneath the city of Odessa in the Ukraine lies a 2,500KM (approx 1,550mi) labyrinthine maze of tunnels, a little longer than the entire Pacific coastline of the continuous United States (map of the catacombs). Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World, Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, Adventist Adventurer Claimed to Have Found Ark of the Covenant Beneath Crucifixion Site, Iron Age Comb Made from Human Skull Discovered Near Cambridge, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. Instead, he brandished an axe, and hacked the girl to death before leaving her there. It was meant as a sort of warning for others to stay away, but it also lured urban explorers to the site with growing regularity. Creepy stories about the Odessa catacombs range fromdead bodies found in catacombs, topeople who have gotten lost in catacombs and were never seen again. If she was lucky, she died quickly from the cold. They were a popular location for murderers to hide bodies, and on at least three occasions, were a location where area kids had ventured inside, never to be seen again. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Detachment of Molodtsov near Odessa Catacombs. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. . A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. Adventures in Ukraine: Odessa Catacombs. For those interested in exploring the catacombs, with less risk, you can hire a professional to take you down. 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. 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. [Online] Available at: http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2013/10/urban-exploration-odessa-catacombs_20.html, Thuras, D. 2010. 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. In a post from 2010, he claimed that he used to take trips that lasted over a week, and that he'd fill his "catacombs bag" with food, camping equipment, diving gear, and mapmaking tools to prepare for long trips. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? Stop by the blog every day this month for true tales of the unquiet dead. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even dead under Odessa. I hope it's fake - but, unless that picture was fake, someone died the nightmarish way attributed to Masha. It does seem to be a urban legend but it's still creepy as hell! Makeshift rooms, quarters, tables, and all manner of carvings and writings are all preserved and the entire museum serves as a strikingly unaltered glimpse into the urban warfare of the second world war. The officials really dont care who goes down there, nor would they be able to monitor the catacombs since they are mind-bendingly enormous. What followed for Masha was a three day trek from hell. He claimed that his best friend had led the expedition, and that he had been there when the infamous photo was taken. 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. But some places just arent meant to be explored. In 2011, a male murder victim was found by chance in the catacombs after he had been dead for three to six months. . His recollection is different from Lata's. Imagine a glass you can bend and then watch it return to its original form. 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.