But while its magnificent. 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 city of Odessa was expanding rapidly at that time, and the stone mined here was used in the construction of buildings. 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. Most of the catacombs are the result of persistent stone mining that started in the 19th century. The girl lost in the Odessa Catacombs So there is a story that does the internet rounds about Masha, a Ukrainian girl who at New Year in 2005 went into the catacombs under Odessa with friends to drink and party and got lost. [3] Many of the tunnels have been filled up with earth, concrete or sand by construction companies, and are no longer accessible. The group supposedly went to the police, but they were still reluctant to go in to retrieve the body because it was literally miles from the entrance. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Complicated, is what. The teens are said to have stayed down there all night. His descriptions of his journeys into the dark were tantalizing tales of adventure. 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. 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. On Wikipedia, catacombs are described as man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. If it was too warm to freeze, and she was exerting herself trying to survive, dehydration would have become severe in perhaps only two days before the symptoms became debilitating. While might catch glimpses of Travel Channel is kicking off Halloween season on October 4th with a very special live event that brings together more of the networks top paranormal stars than you can For most of us, ignoring the strange people on the subway is second nature, but if you ever find yourself in the tunnels below New York City and you Tweets by @WeirdHQ It was cold, near freezing, and foggy on New Years Eve 2005. Many of the tunnels have been filled, either with earth or concrete, however the majority remain open and unmapped. 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. 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. [1] The body is real though, it belonged to a man 40 to 60 years, who was killed in the catacombs. Lata then told Pearl that the person behind Katakomby.odessa.ua who, just to underline the point, stated unequivocally that they thought the photo of Mashas remains was a fake is one of the most experienced Odessa catacombs explorers and my best friend. When asked why such a close friend would say he was lying, Lata told Pearl that his friends organization probably prefers to stay out of this business, just as I do., (Worth noting: As of this writing, the FAQ post about Masha is no longer present on Katacomby.odessa.ua; indeed, every mention of the girl, usually rendered as , or Mashenka, seems to have been scrubbed from the site. 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. According to Pugovkin, someone else had vanished in 2004: Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a newspaper magnate named Armand Stendzenieks. In 1961, a "Search" ("Poisk") club formed in an effort to explore and document the catacombs. [citation needed], There have been various reports of people walking into the catacombs, getting lost and then eventually dying of dehydration. Oddly, Lata told us the person responsible for the official Catacombs websiteand the one calling him a liaris "one of the most experienced Odessa catacombs explorers and my best friend." The story usually goes something like this: On Dec. 31, 2004 or possibly on Jan. 1, 2005; its never been clear which a group of teenagers descended into the Odessa catacombs to ring in the new year with a raucous, underground party. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . The whole story of Masha might actually just be an urban legend. Odessas catacomb system dates back at least to the 19th century roughly the 1830s, per the BBC, when the current incarnation of the city was established (although some sources posit that theyre even older, going back perhaps to the 17th century). The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Time for a public service announcement: while secret, underground parties that happen in places like the off-limits areas of theParis Catacombslook like a blast, theyre illegal for a reason. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Two years passed, and no one retrieved the body, Lata claims. 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. A man named KostyaPugovkinclaims he was one of the people that carried the body out, but it was never originally thought to be someone named Masha. [citation needed], The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odesa. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. 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. 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. Over the years, urban explorers have traveled to Odessa to explore the catacombs, despite only a small portion of them being open to the public. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. If she was lucky, she died quickly from the cold. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. But the photograph is not without context, of course; theres a story thats passed around alongside it. Or here. One of the reasons the catacombs of Odessa stand out is because they are by far the world's longest 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 altogether, and has begun to turn indistinguishable from the cavern's yellow limestone floor. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. Clearly, this was a bad idea. So it's a photo of a body that willit seemsnever be positively identified, and it immortalizes the last moment of someone's life. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. She had not only gotten separated, but also lost, and subsequently never made it out of the catacombs. But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds. Odessas catacombs quickly became the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. He quarreled with the teen, then led her into the catacombs where they could continue their argument. Perhaps the most popular of catacombs is beneath the city of Paris, France. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. 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. ", He told us he then dragged the body to the police medical examiner's office, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. In the 19th century, most houses in Odesa were built of limestone that was mined nearby. A body was recovered, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. His recollection is different from Lata's. [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. They go on multi-day underground treks, known as expeditions, to document and map the system. 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. With the onset of a global pandemic causing the shutdown of fan conventions all over the world, it was only a matter of time before the cancellations hit the Theres something strange moving through Kentucky like a virus, twisting through the Mammoth Cave system and hovering in the skies above the Appalachian Mountains. Beneath the city of Odessa, and also its outskirts, lie a labyrinth-like network of tunnels, known as the Odessa Catacombs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Enjoy.". Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. If the area near School 56 had no groundwateror clandestine wine or mushroomsthere would have been nothing for her to eat or drink. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. And theres this, too: The story has never been independently confirmed. [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. She made the decision to venture down into the mine for privacy sake. Eventually, a journalist wrote about the body, and within 24 hours, the police came and had it removed. In 2011, a male murder victim was found by chance in the catacombs after he had been dead for three to six months. The complete length of these catacombs is more than half of the width of the North American continent. There was no light in the catacombs besides whatever she might have had on her, and it is believed she wandered in pitch blackness. In the morning, they braved the morning cold to get back to hearth and home. 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? 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. Everyone was having a good time, drinking and having fun. "The diggers determined it was a Satanist who got lost.". The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. They are, after all, nearly 2,5000 kilometers in length, once all is said and done the longest set of catacombs in the world. The Odessa Catacombs underwent further construction through the vagrants' illegal widening and creation of even more tunnel systems. [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). They didnt go inside, heeding the warnings their parents had given them. . Proudly powered by WordPress These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Initially, police believed that he had simply gotten lost and died, as Mashahad supposedly done. 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. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. [citation needed], During World War II the catacombs served as a hiding place for Soviet partisans, in particular the squad of Vladimir Molodtsov. 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. Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. During WWII, although the Soviets had been forced out of the city, they left behind dozens of. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Eager to escape, she ran through the tunnels, not knowing she was heading the wrong direction. Tharma Ratnam - Fine Arts 8kfollowers More information odessa-catacomb-10 Odessa Catacombs The Catacombs Odessa Ukraine Paris Images Lich Stone Wall Underground Abandoned System The vast majority of the tunnels grew as a result of stone mining: Theyre essentially quarries from which limestone and coquina were extracted for use as building materials that is, the catacombs exist largely as a side effect of the construction of Odessa as a whole. 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 over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. They have rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs. The catacombs are on three levels, and reach a depth of 200ft (60 meters) below sea level. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Scan this QR code to download the app now. When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. 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. Lata maintained to Pearl that his story was true. Since its creation, it has expanded understanding of the catacombs, and provided information to expand mapping of the tunnels. However, its been reproduced endlessly across the internet in the years since its 2009 debut, so its easily found. The girls remains were removed from the tunnel in which they had been found and given a proper burial. And its proof that it could happen to any one of us, if were not careful. Hiding in the catacombs for as much as 13 months, literally below the noses and feet of the Nazis above, the rebels waited for a chance to strike or relay information. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odesa. The point, I think, is what it tells us about ourselves or, more precisely, what our preoccupation with it tells us about ourselves. 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". For those curious, originally the Catacombs were a series of many mines, mostly Limestone mines (note the cut blocks on the minecart), that eventually grew to connect and intersect as they haphazardly spread out in search of new resources to mine. Your email address will not be published. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. It wasnt until six months later that Masha was found. [6] Other caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark Is Now Available From Chronicle Books! [4] In his work The Waves of The Black Sea, Valentin Kataev described the battle between Soviet partisans against Axis forces, underneath Odesa and its nearby suburb Usatove. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We may not even have any way to confirm the story. The labyrinths are also unique by being largely unexplored and un-commercialized. "During the time she was inside, her 'friends' didn't try to take her body out," Lata wrote, guessing that they were "frightened.". 168 reviews. Try not to get lost. To be fair, secondary definitions often describe catacombs as things that resemble catacombs underground passageways or networks of tunnels, for example even if theyre not true catacombs; the fact remains, though, that when we typically think of catacombs, we think of tombs, which the Odessa catacombs arent. Drunk and needing to urinate, she left the group, seeking a place to relieve herself. With his heart set on a possible reward, Pugovkin says he crawled into the depths and eventually stumbled upon what he called "bone soup." [1] The Catacombs are on three levels and reach a depth of 60 metres (200 ft) below sea level. 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 spent three days wandering in the freezing cold and pitch black before she died of dehydration. After a nearly a century of mining operations beneath the city, and a stint as a WWII hiding place, the government officially sealed all entrances to the tunnels in 1980. In 2011, a body was found in the catacombs that had been dead for several months. Her remains were allegedly discovered in April of 2005 by a group of people who had gone down into the catacombs to explore; they took several photos and went to the police with their findings, but the police declined to investigate, or even to remove the girls remains from the tunnels. After a while, the group was quite intoxicated, Masha included. Or maybe they were looking for bodies. Because heres the thing: Theres little to no evidence that Masha ever existed. masha odessa catacombs picturemarc d'amelio house address. After the Soviets were forced out of the city, dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups remained, hiding below the city. The total . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". She was taken out only in the end of 2007 nd buried. But Masha had not gone home. And dont forget to check outDangerous Games To Play In The Dark,available now from Chronicle Books! As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. It was brought to a police medical examiner's office, and everyone found that, shockingly, the DNA didn't match the missing boy. 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. Its graphic, so I wont include it here; also, the image is currently broken on Latas original UER post. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. It would be a strange, unfunnny practical joke. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. Investigating the mysterious death of a young woman who wandered into an underground tunnel and never came outbut lives on as an internet rumor. One of them recalled hearing her say she had to use the bathroom, and assumed, since she wasnt there, that she had gone home. 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. [Photos via (1, 2, 3), /Wikimedia Commons, available under CC BY 2.5 and CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons licenses; chiefhardy/Pixabay], Filed Under: Places, Tales Tagged With: Catacombs, legend tripping, Masha, Odessa, Odessa catacombs, the internet, Ukraine, Unresolved, unresolved mysteries, urban legends, Your email address will not be published. Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages, Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Mokele-Mbembe, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Stories from the Collection of Ryan and Regina Cohn, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Satanists, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Gourds Gone Wild: Growing and Crafting Gourds With Gourdlandia, Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher, Secrets of Tarot Reading: History & Practice With T. Susan Chang, Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake. But in their foggy states, they absentmindedlyor maliciouslyleft Masha in the catacombs. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? The catacombs are not easy to navigate, especially when you're drunk like Masha might have been that night. On the other hand, you could always play it safe and take an official, guided tour of the Paris Catacombs, Capuchin Catacombs, or the Seattle Underground 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. You are using an out of date browser. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. In 2015, writer Mike Pearl attempted to get to the bottom of Mashas story once and for all. Some say this was even done maliciously. She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. They werent constructed intentionally or according to any sort of plan, so they come across as slapdash and labyrinthine easy to stumble into, and equally easy to become lost within. His identity remains unknown, but its thought that he may have disappeared roughly six years ago. Its proof that Masha suffered a terrible fate. Over the years, urban explorers have traveled to Odessa to explore the catacombs, despite only a small portion of them being open to the public. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia.
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