Instead, he claims they were looking for the body of Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a local newspaper magnate. They look like my hiking boots, and I'm a woman. 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. 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. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. Atlas Obscura. Maybe this photo will shock you. The catacombs also contain natural caves and span over 1,500 miles. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. By some estimates, they span 1,550 miles, making the network a little longer than the whole Pacific coastline of the continuous United States. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. Mind boggling isnt it? Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? 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. Many regions (such as the notorious 'K-29' network) remain largely unexplored to this day. I tend to never believe Vice.. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. Masha had traveled several miles into the catacombs. 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. 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. Places such as Aokigahara Forest. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. 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. But one Ukrainian town stands out Odessa. Amid yellow limestone walls and floors, young explorers found a body that was partially mummified by the cold dry air. Perhaps they will never be. Above ground, the Fasciest Germans and Romanians would identify random catacomb exits and seal them off, hoping to trap them inside. It is in these catacombs that we get the legend of Masha, who ventured inside and got lost. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake." She didn't make it out alive, it's said. Ukraine. Old Odessa catacombs . "It was hard to get to the top of the shaftit was like nine floors, tiers with skinny ladders between them. For those interested in exploring the catacombs, with less risk, you can hire a professional to take you down. 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? 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. ( gorinov /Adobe Stock). However, in the drunken revelry a member of the group, a girl named Masha, became separated and lost in the catacombs. A photo showing Marsha's deceased body, mummified, found years after her gruesome death. They were even known to blow up German facilities. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. 2023 Atlas Obscura. ", 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. The remaining catacombs (3-5%) are either natural cavities or were excavated for other purposes such as sewerage. "The diggers determined it was a Satanist who got lost.". Masha had died, still trying to escape. Here they lived slept, cooked, organized raids, and fought. 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. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. This was a mistake. Despite this, they were once used by the Soviets who took Nazi soldiers down to be executed. The only Ukrainians who have any official business down there are workers in active mines who still dig for limestone. In 2005, after a couple of drinks, a group of enthusiastic Odessa teens decided to continue their party down in the catacombs. Find Out. 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 little to no record of a girl named Masha ever disappearing into the catacombs, and there are those that refute Lata'saccounts. Lata says he was there when that photo was taken, but he can't retrace the photo to its origin. During WWII, although the Soviets had been forced out of the city, they left behind dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups hidden below the city in the expansive catacombs. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. [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. No way that picture was faked. [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Every story is true, and each one is a real place you can visit. One of them recalled hearing her say she had to use the bathroom, and assumed, since she wasnt there, that she had gone home. Odessa Catacombs: Day 1 Odessa, Ukraine. But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. [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. All rights reserved. One interesting aspect of the tunnels is the fact that they are subject to a variety of highly imaginative urban legends. Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. It`s a dead body of the 19-years old girl, who has lost the right way in the maze. A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. She went to do a little exploring with the others and quickly became separated from the group among the maze-like corridors. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. I'm reminded of the infamous video of the guy supposedly wandering lost through the Paris catacombs - although I think I heard somewhere that was ultimately a hoax as well. 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. The dramatic story of the origins of humanity in Greek mythology involves love, pain, and a hefty dose of What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? [citation needed], 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. In September 1995, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Odessa, the longest underground journey in the catacombs was recorded. Before long, the other teens gave up looking for her and left, figuring she'd already gotten out, or would get out on her own soon. 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. They're not the safest places to be either. 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. Unfortunately, what they often find inside is far more grim than that. But most importantly, the Odessa catacombs are an incredible testament, an entire in-situ museum of incredible proportions filled with various relics of the past. It can be really dangerous," he wrote, adding "here are some new pictures of our catacombs. It wasnt until six months later that Masha was found. The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. I saw this video and did some research on it, ultimately deeming it to be a hoax. We dare you. But he [Pugovkin] claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. 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 story quickly became a famous Internet legend. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? 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. Fake? 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. They go on multi-day underground treks, known as expeditions, to document and map the system. 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. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. A nation whose foundations stand on centuries of struggle and fighting for independence. 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. 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. The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat. The complete length of these catacombs is more than half of the width of the North American continent. 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. 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. Of course parents saying not to do something usually encourages kids to do that very thing. 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? Atlas Obscura. In 1961, a "Search" ("Poisk") club formed in an effort to explore and document the catacombs. [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). Some proof for the long existence of this myth are the countless graffiti ships that can be spotted in the tunnels. A partial map of the Odessa catacombs. Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. There's an image that you may been seen that's been going around for several years. Disturbing Tales of the Mysterious Catacombs Beneath Odessa. The group snapped a photo, in which three young boys pose with the body as if they have just identified it. The image, it's said, is of a girl who went missing in the catacombs of Odessa, Ukraine a girl, it's said, named Masha or Mashenka, who went down into the twisting tunnels beneath the city in which she lived for a party, but got lost while she was down there. 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. Detachment of Molodtsov near Odessa Catacombs. These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find.
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