One of their group, a teenage girl named Masha, got separated from the rest. The Fascist Germans and Romanians meanwhile chose random catacomb exits and sealed them, hoping to trap the men below the city forever, and occasionally tossed poison gas canisters into the catacombs hoping to smoke the soviet rebels out. All rights reserved. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha. The catacombs are on three levels, and reach a depth of 200ft (60 meters) below sea level. The Odessa Catacombs and the Legend of Masha | The Scare Chamber But despite being passed around the internet as fact, there is little documentation to support the legend of Masha. Always pursuing my passions for writing, history and literature, I strive to deliver a thrilling and captivating read that touches upon history's most Read More. 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. On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels. 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). The rest of the process wasn't exactly CSI: Odessa. Relics of the past in the Odessa catacombs, Ukraine. They go on expeditions into the mines that can last several days, and document and map the area. 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. The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. Instead, he claims they were looking for the body of Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a local newspaper magnate. Imagine a glass you can bend and then watch it return to its original form. While going into the catacombs is not illegal, there is only one small portion of the catacombs that is officially open to the public, which can be seen at the Museum of Partisan Glory in Nerubayskoye, north of Odessa. You'd think they'd have them boarded or locked up pretty tight to avoid homeless people getting lost down there. A nation whose foundations stand on centuries of struggle and fighting for independence. The body is real though, it belonged to a man 40 to 60 years, who was killed in the catacombs. 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 eerie burnt-out remains of a prominent building where 30 protestors lost their lives. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. (Had they walked in a straight line the journey would only have been 9.5 kilometers.) Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. 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.. It was cold, near freezing, and foggy on New Years Eve 2005. Creepy stories about the Odessa catacombs range fromdead bodies found in catacombs, topeople who have gotten lost in catacombs and were never seen again. They're the backdrop for the tragic tale of Masha, an innocent partygoer who ventured down into the depths with some friends, took a wrong turn or two, and got lost forever. Also, he wrote, "five explorers [got] lost or died during this year. The Stone Mines, part of the Odessa Catacombs, were closed and sealed off in 1917. Parts of the mines are still active, but the majority of the tunnels remain closed to the public. masha who died in the catacombs - cabeloshidralindos.com As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. No doubt, many bodies remain hidden in the mines. Two years passed, and no one retrieved the body, Lata claims. But without knowing the mind boggling extent of these catacombs, their efforts proved largely fruitless. 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. One interesting aspect of the tunnels is the fact that they are subject to a variety of highly imaginative urban legends. One of these stories inevitably brings us to Masha, a student who should have known better than to venture inside the tunnels. 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. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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He had gotten lost, and there was a reward offered to anyone who could find the young man. 2016. 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. masha who died in the catacombs - mail.torontoverve.org 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. What started as an ancient Greek colony, in time turned into a metropolis a crucial seaport and an economic hub. It wasnt until six months later that Masha was found. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. In 2011, a body was found in the catacombs that had been dead for several months. Every story is true, and each one is a real place you can visit. [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). The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. ( onyx124 /Adobe Stock). 2023 Atlas Obscura. I know you said he was never identified, but was there an investigation you can share with us? 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. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. 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. Fake? 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. [Online] Available at: http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/04/11/183661/, Pronin, K. . 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". They didnt go inside, heeding the warnings their parents had given them. [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. masha odessa catacombs photo Perhaps they will never be. View all photos. Her body had been partially mummified by the cold cool air. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? In September 1995, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Odessa, the record for the longest underground journey in the catacombs was broken by a 27-hour continuos journey of over 40 kilometers. 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. Nor were her friends able to locate her. But the most important inhabitants of these labyrinths were the Soviet partisans. 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But we do know that the confirmed tales of the catacombs, as well as its history, are still filled with gloom, death, and horror. Thats when they learned that she had never returned home her parents had assumed she was with them. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. masha odessa catacombs photokershaw oso sweet pocket clip replacementkershaw oso sweet pocket clip replacement They were even known to blow up German facilities. This goes to show that the Odessa catacombs can be very grim. His descriptions of his journeys into the dark were tantalizing tales of adventure. 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. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake." Offer subject to change without notice. The group ventured deep inside and soon enough they got lost. 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. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. More photos surfaced, including additional shots of the tunnels and even bones. 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. Another urban legend, far more popular, is the story of the lost treasure. The Enduring Legend of the Girl Who Died in Odessa's Catacombs - Vice The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? They go on multi-day underground treks, known as expeditions, to document and map the system. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. I was the only girl so usually I got out of it..but I did have to do it a few times and it was horrifyinglywhen you looked back it was total darkness! The only Ukrainians who have any official business down there are workers in active mines who still dig for limestone. Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. Just beware, even professionals can get lost. Eager to escape, she ran through the tunnels, not knowing she was heading the wrong direction. 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. We don't know for sure what Masha was looking for when she went into the catacombs with her friends. Local here (finally, after years of reading, something got me to register). [citation needed], The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odesa. 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. Either way, the main portion of these catacombs was begun in earnest in the 19th century and onwards, with stone being quarried to be used in the building of the houses of the city above. As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. During the Middle Ages, exorcisms were commonplace to rid individuals of supposed demonic possession. masha odessa catacombs photo - theactiongrouphr.com Just one look at the maps will show you exactly why the Odessa catacombs were never fully explored the sheer size prevents it. But some places just arent meant to be explored. odessa catacombs dead body masha - gb-academy.net "The diggers determined it was a Satanist who got lost.". Old Odessa catacombs . And the size is further reflected in the fact that the entirety of the catacombs has never been explored. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. masha who died in the catacombs; employee experience software market size; June 21, 2022; by . Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa 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. Ukraine. Odessa Catacombs - Odessa, Ukraine - Atlas Obscura 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. Such tours are not officially sanctioned[4] because the catacombs have not been fully mapped and the tunnels themselves are unsafe. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Irish Urban Explorations. 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. Come for the severed heads, stay for the book bound in human skin. 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. By that point the body was mostly a skeleton, so there were not many more details. Unfortunately, this area was unmapped, and quite dangerous. Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. [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. [Online] Available at: https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, Author Unknown. All of these items are housed in a section of the tunnels which were used by the partisans. [5], Only one small portion of the catacombs is open to the public, within the "Museum of Partisan Glory" in Nerubayskoye, north of Odesa. richard guichelaar update. 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. Find Out. Fine Art? Especially when you consider the fact that the distance between Odessa and Paris is roughly 2138 km (1328.49 miles). But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds. 13th Floor. dinnington high school alumni. 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. Odessa Catacombs: Day 1 Odessa, Ukraine. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. He recalls that a piece of writing by a friend he says is a "famous journalist" was delivered to government officials. The officials really dont care who goes down there, nor would they be able to monitor the catacombs since they are mind-bendingly enormous. As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). In 1961, a "Search" ("Poisk") club formed in an effort to explore and document the catacombs. 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. No purchase necessary. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. 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. By some estimates, they span 1,550 miles, making the network a little longer than the whole Pacific coastline of the continuous United States. They were used as a source of cheap construction materials. They are so incredibly extensive that someone who dies within can simply never be found. Odesa catacombs - Wikiwand But some tourism still relates to them. list of hair dyes that contain metallic salts; eglin afb housing floor plans. Our story begins sometime early in 2005, when a party (possibly for New Years) was allegedly held within the catacombs by a group of young adults. Beneath the city of Odessa, and also its outskirts, lie a labyrinth-like network of tunnels, known as the Odessa Catacombs. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. In fact, these labyrinthine tunnels are so enormous, that they easily dwarf both the catacombs of Rome and those of Paris . [citation needed], During World War II the catacombs served as a hiding place for Soviet partisans, in particular the squad of Vladimir Molodtsov. Unfortunately, what they often find inside is far more grim than that. 2017. Beneath its streets, under the slowly unraveling everyday lives of its citizens, lies a sprawling network of tunnels and catacombs, an enigmatic web of dark corridors that built up a reputation of macabre proportions. There you will find the legend of Masha. She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. [citation needed], There have been various reports of people walking into the catacombs, getting lost and then eventually dying of dehydration. [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves.[1]. She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. The Lost World of Odessa Catacombs. The body is real though, it belonged to a man 40 to 60 years, who was killed in the catacombs. He quarreled with the teen, then led her into the catacombs where they could continue their argument. 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. Her body was found only after 2 years. 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. Catacombs below Odessa, Ukraine. A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. masha who died in the catacombs - parafiaklecina.pl A body was recovered, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. He claimed that his best friend had led the expedition, and that he had been there when the infamous photo was taken. She went deeper into the catacombs, walking alone in pitch black, with no food or water, and has never been heard since. All photos by Wikimedia Commons user . We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. 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? Is it easy to get access to the catacombs? It`s a dead body of the 19-years old girl, who has lost the right way in the maze. Places such as Aokigahara Forest. We dare you. They're also a pretty good place to stage a murder. 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. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. Sad mother monument, made in stone in the Odessa catacombs . [Online] Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/odessa-catacombs, Unknown. Numerous reports exist of partially mummified human remains and skeletons that have been found inside the catacombs. 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. The Bohemian Blog. Everyone wanted to see where poor Masha had met her end. Stretching to a length of 2500km, the Odessa Catacombs are prehaps the largest network of tunnels in the world. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of 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. Girl Lost in Odessa Catacombs - YouTube On Wikipedia, catacombs are described as man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Then he added that a young boy had just been lost in an accident, and his body was still missing. Odessas Mindbending Catacomb Maps. Inside the mine, the catacombs turned, forked, and led Masha further from the entrance. 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!) There is a rumor that the catacombs contain the stacked corpses of murdered Jews from World War II. The kids began to drink, and soon enough Mashabecame drunk. Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. (Author provided). The Catacombs are on three levels and reach a depth of 60 metres (200ft) below sea level. [6] Other caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. 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. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Down in the mine, for unknown reasons, Masha didnt turn around and leave once she had finished. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . 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. Masha always struck me as an urban legend. The 2005 New Years eve party was great. 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. A photo showing Marsha's deceased body, mummified, found years after her gruesome death. A Tour of the Worlds Largest Labyrinth: The Odessa Catacombs. "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." Murderer never found, the body ever identified. direct entry speech pathology programs near illinois. Masha story is an urban legend. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . The citizens believe that he still haunts these labyrinthine tunnels. A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. Built in the Soviet era, this cableway system still runs gondolas from Odessa down to Otrada Beach. 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. 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. These groups have even rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs and gotten lost. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. In the photo, Masha is unidentifiable beyond simply being a human. 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. Such bomb shelters supposed to be refuge for civilians in case of nuclear strike or gas attack. 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. The teens are said to have stayed down there all night. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The people of Odessa and surrounding areas know better than to explore the catacombs. I mean it's Vice. ( Valentin Balan /Adobe Stock). The earliest of the graffiti dates to the 18th century. Three Days of Hell - Lost Underground in the Odessa Catacombs As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels.