The citizens of Odessa believe a variety of myths and rumors that circulate about the catacombs hidden treasures, skeletons, and even ghosts. Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as K-29 began. The citizens believe that he still haunts these labyrinthine tunnels. 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. Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. Odessa Catacombs - Odessa, Ukraine - Atlas Obscura A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? We'll make more! 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. On Wikipedia, catacombs are described as man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. The kids began to drink, and soon enough Mashabecame drunk. 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. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. [Online] Available at: http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2013/10/urban-exploration-odessa-catacombs_20.html, Thuras, D. 2010. Approximately 32 members were sent to the catacombs in 1941 to sabotage the Romanian allies of German Nazis who occupied Odessa during World War II, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. In another instance, a little more information was brought to light: in 2015, a man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for killing a girl in the catacombs. Ukraine. One of the reasons the catacombs of Odessa stand out is because they are by far the worlds longest catacombs. "Besides the original photographer," a post says, "there isn't one person, civilian or law enforcement, that can confirm the story. Disturbing Tales of the Mysterious Catacombs Beneath Odessa. It doesn't seem too unbelievable to me that a group of kids exploring where they're not supposed be might not report a long -dead body. 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. (Author provided). But some tourism still relates to them. masha odessa catacombs photolet us break bread together meaning peaky blinderslet us break bread together meaning peaky blinders Find Out. In 2009, a post was made on the urban exploration website UER which first brought forth Masha's story, and a photo of the purported body (warning: graphic) was posted in which three (possibly four) young urban explorers appear to have discovered her remains. These groups have even rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs and gotten lost. Instead, he brandished an axe, and hacked the girl to death before leaving her there. One popular myth is the story of the White Hunter a catacomb explorer of some notoriety who apparently never came out and most likely died while in the catacombs. Catacombs below Odessa, Ukraine. Murderer never found, the body ever identified. Masha story is an urban legend. 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. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. In the morning, they braved the morning cold to get back to hearth and home. So, is it really true? 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. But he claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. But at some point in the night Masha decided to explore the catacombs. She lies on her left side, legs curled like she's sleeping, while the upper half of her decomposing body has lost its form. The Odessa Catacombs: Lost in Eternal Darkness - Ancient Origins She didn't make it out alive, it's said. Worse, she didnt know where she was, or how to get out. Try not to get lost. As it turns out, many people still venture into the darkness seeking adventure. [citation needed], The city has a large population of over 1 million people, which some believe would benefit from the introduction of a subway system. Katakomby. 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. Maybe this photo will shock you. With over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. TheOdessa catacomb death legend has been supported by witnesses, as well as photos and even a few news articles, but there's not much as far as hard facts go. Although the tale has long been reported as fact, even in newspapers, there is still a great lack of evidence, and few people are stepping forward to corroborate the sparse claims that to exist. 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!) [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. This was enough to drive a group of explorers to the area in search of the supposed corpse, and it appeared they actually found it. The Odesa Catacombs are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels (subterranean cavities) located under the city of Odesa and its outskirts in Ukraine, that are mostly (over 90%) the result of stone mining, particularly coquina. Fake? 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. But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds. [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves. [7], A 2015 investigation by Vice writer Mike Pearl similarly found no evidence that Masha had existed. Two years passed, and no one retrieved the body, Lata claims. A nation whose foundations stand on centuries of struggle and fighting for independence. But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even . They're also a pretty good place to stage a murder. [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves.[1]. 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. But we do know that the confirmed tales of the catacombs, as well as its history, are still filled with gloom, death, and horror. Local here (finally, after years of reading, something got me to register). According to Pugovkin, someone else had vanished in 2004: Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a newspaper magnate named Armand Stendzenieks. Odessas catacombs quickly became the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. So it's a photo of a body that willit seemsnever be positively identified, and it immortalizes the last moment of someone's life. 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. Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. We don't know for sure what Masha was looking for when she went into the catacombs with her friends. Find Out, Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis. Lata wrote a widely circulated online post stating that he and other explorers had found the body of a local student named Masha, who on New Year's Eve in 2005 had wandered into the catacombs with her friends after drinking. "It was hard to get to the top of the shaftit was like nine floors, tiers with skinny ladders between them. It would be extremely dangerous to try and explore the catacombs on ones own. Strange and Creepy, Urban Legends and Folklore. They have rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs. Believing this to be the best explanation for her absence, the group agreed and they left. One of these stories inevitably brings us to Masha, a student who should have known better than to venture inside the tunnels. The approximate topography of the Odesa underground labyrinth is unknown as the catacombs have not been fully mapped. Drunk and needing to urinate, she left the group, seeking a place to relieve herself. 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. A 2009 forum post on the Urban Explorer's Resource (UER) site, by someone named Eugene Lata, put the tale into English, detailing everything from Masha's backstory to the grim discovery the group had made. A massive search effort was launched but they werent able to find her among the 2,500 kilometers of often unmapped tunnels. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. He then threw the axe into the sea. By that point the body was mostly a skeleton, so there were not many more details. No doubt, many bodies remain hidden in the mines. His descriptions of his journeys into the dark were tantalizing tales of adventure. They present thousands of crisscrossed tunnels, intersections, corridors, galleries, and caverns, all entwined and endlessly sprawling like some chaotic maze of ant tunnels. But even though the city fell, its citizens didnt give up the fight. Parents in the area warned their children to stay away. In World War II, Odessa was besieged in August of 1941 by the Axis forces. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. There's no way any one person could ever witness the true scale of the Odessa Catacombs; explore all 2,500km of tunnel. masha odessa catacombs photo. After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. 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. No way that picture was faked. The complete length of these catacombs is more than half of the width of the North American continent. Or maybe they were looking for bodies. The catacombs were once the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. 2019. As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. A partial map of the Odessa catacombs. Another urban legend, far more popular, is the story of the lost treasure. They go on multi-day underground treks, known as expeditions, to document and map the system. Masha went out with a large group of friends to celebrate and probably get drunk. Shiver. It's always good to hear from a local. No purchase necessary. Mauritius Square, Ukraine: What is this Giant Crab-like Earthworks? Do you have any more information about the body that was found? Top Image: Old Odessa Catacombs Source: onyx124 / Adobe Stock, Author Unknown. It was a foggy night with temperatures hovering around freezing. richard guichelaar update. 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. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. Built in the Soviet era, this cableway system still runs gondolas from Odessa down to Otrada Beach. 2017. Pinterest The next-largest network of catacombs is in Paris, and that's only one-fifth the length of Odessa's. 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. But the most important inhabitants of these labyrinths were the Soviet partisans. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. There's also evidence that they were used for the summary executions of Nazi soldiers. The longest single expedition to date was just 40km, completed over a 27-hour period in 1995. 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. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. 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. With his heart set on a possible reward, Pugovkin says he crawled into the depths and eventually stumbled upon what he called "bone soup." It took a full two years before the police were able to locate her body and retrieve it from the catacombs. 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. The catacombs also contain natural caves and span over 1,500 miles. Just beware, even professionals can get lost. There are even tales of Nazi executionsand cultists, not to mention a ghost story or two; however, the most famous of thecatacomb legends is probably that of agirl named Masha, who went into the maze of passagesand wasn't found until years later. The earliest of the graffiti dates to the 18th century. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. We dare you. About four months after New Years in April of 2005, word spread among cave explorers that there was a fresh body down there, Lata wrote in a his UER post in 2009. All rights reserved. In fact, these labyrinthine tunnels are so enormous, that they easily dwarf both the catacombs of Rome and those of Paris . [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. Hundreds of partisans, or rebels, took to hiding in the catacombs. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. She quickly became separated from her party, and unable to find her way back. On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Years night partying in the catacombs. Lets unravel the story of these vast catacombs that lie untouched beneath one of Ukraines largest towns. 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. 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. Especially when you consider the fact that the distance between Odessa and Paris is roughly 2138 km (1328.49 miles). Some objects are especially prized because the story about them is so precious. ", 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. Her body had been partially mummified by the cold cool air. In WWII, Soviet partisans hid in the Odessa Catacombs, which stretch A Tour of the Worlds Largest Labyrinth: The Odessa Catacombs. 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. 13th Floor. Masha story is an urban legend. It is dedicated to the partisan effort of the World War II and it is filled with relics of the period, almost all of which were found within the catacombs over the years. It was brought to a police medical examiner's office, and everyone found that, shockingly, the DNA didn't match the missing boy. 2023 Atlas Obscura. [Online] Available at: http://www.katakomby.odessa.ua, I am a published author of over ten historical fiction novels, and I specialize in Slavic linguistics. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake." Learn how your comment data is processed. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha. During New Year's Eve celebrations in 2005, she and her friends had one drink too . Masha had no food, no drink, and no phone service. Many of the tunnels have been filled, either with earth or concrete, however the majority remain open and unmapped. After the communists came to power, this man hid both himself and the golden Titanic in the catacombs below, never to be discovered. "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." The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat. In 1961, a "Search" ("Poisk") club formed in an effort to explore and document the catacombs. 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. Her story has that odd mix of too much detail and yet nothing verifiable that just screams urban legend. However, in the drunken revelry a member of the group, a girl named Masha, became separated and lost in the catacombs. [4] It is thought that most (9597%) of the catacombs are former coquina multilevel mines from which stone was extracted to construct the city above. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . The catacombs once served as the preferred hideout for rebels, criminals, and during World War II, air-raid shelters. After the Soviets were forced out of the city, dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups remained, hiding below the city. Excursions to Odesa catacombs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Odesa_catacombs&oldid=1142761690, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 06:27. Also, he wrote, "five explorers [got] lost or died during this year. Instead, it belonged to a girl who was never identified. [Online] Available at: https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, Author Unknown. 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.. Many regions (such as the notorious 'K-29' network) remain largely unexplored to this day. 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. 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. He had gotten lost, and there was a reward offered to anyone who could find the young man. After a while, the group was quite intoxicated, Masha included. The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. Everyone was having a good time, drinking and having fun. This goes to show that the Odessa catacombs can be very grim. We dare you. masha who died in the catacombs; employee experience software market size; June 21, 2022; by . Three Days of Hell - Lost Underground in the Odessa Catacombs Perhaps the most popular of catacombs is beneath the city of Paris, France. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. ( gorinov /Adobe Stock). In 2011, a male murder victim was found by chance in the catacombs after he had been dead for three to six months. I saw this video and did some research on it, ultimately deeming it to be a hoax. In the photo, Masha is unidentifiable beyond simply being a human. On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odesa. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. 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. Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa catacombs. But in their foggy states, they absentmindedlyor maliciouslyleft Masha in the catacombs. It took two years before the police were able to locate her body and retrieve it from the catacombs.
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