They decided to do this inthe Odessa catacombs, where they could have some privacy, drink, and have fun with a little added creep factor. Amid yellow limestone walls and floors, young explorers found a body that was partially mummified by the cold dry air. She couldn't have lasted more than a week. Perhaps the most popular of catacombs is beneath the city of Paris, France. Places such as Aokigahara Forest. [Online] Available at: https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, Author Unknown. Maybe this photo will shock you. And people do definitely die in catacombs and really any underground structure, usually homeless people seekingng shelter. 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. [6], Since the beginning of the 21st century limestone mining has continued in the mines located in Dofinovka, Byldynka, and "Fomina balka" near Odesa. Top Image: Old Odessa Catacombs Source: onyx124 / Adobe Stock, Author Unknown. [citation needed], The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odesa. The official Odesa Catacombs website, however, calls the story a hoax. ( Valentin Balan /Adobe Stock). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. - BACKSTORY - The story goes like thisMasha or Mashenka, depending on t. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. It would be a strange, unfunnny practical joke. 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The labyrinths are also unique by being largely unexplored and un-commercialized. No purchase necessary. It is in these catacombs that we get the legend of Masha, who ventured inside and got lost. But the most important inhabitants of these labyrinths were the Soviet partisans. masha odessa catacombs photo. . The story quickly became a famous Internet legend. The Odessa Catacombs and the Legend of Masha | The Scare Chamber vrbo trip board comments; sysco teamsters contract; dr john gemma net worth. ( Artem Merzlenko /Adobe Stock). 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. 2014. We dare you. 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. On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels. "I wrapped it in a bedsheet, and dragged it back," he told VICE through a translator. Three Days of Hell - Lost Underground in the Odessa Catacombs Some time later, when the group was ready to call it a night and head home, they noticed Masha was missing. During New Year's Eve celebrations in 2005, she and her friends had one drink too . She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. Unfortunately for Masha, this was not the case. [Online] Available at: http://odesskiy.com/chisto-fakti-iz-zhizni-i-istorii/istorija-vozniknovenija-odesskih-katakomb.html, Richter, D. 2013. But he [Pugovkin] claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. 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. 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. The next-largest network of catacombs is in Paris, and that's only one-fifth the length of Odessa's. The citizens believe that he still haunts these labyrinthine tunnels. 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." But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. 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. I know you said he was never identified, but was there an investigation you can share with us? Masha story is an urban legend. Even with all that, humans are resilient, and can survive several days without food and water. A group of urban explorers were pushing deeper into the mines, into one of the most unexplored areas, when they came across the body of a woman. In WWII, Soviet partisans hid in the Odessa Catacombs, which stretch [1] The system of Odesa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves. One interesting aspect of the tunnels is the fact that they are subject to a variety of highly imaginative urban legends. Parents in the area warned their children to stay away. 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. This myth has led many treasure hunters to enter the darkness of the catacombs in search of wealth. Parts of the mines are still active, but the majority of the tunnels remain closed to the public. Hundreds of partisans, or rebels, took to hiding in the catacombs. Imagine a glass you can bend and then watch it return to its original form. direct entry speech pathology programs near illinois. Many of Ukraines cities have rich and lengthy histories behind them all filled with tales and secrets. One of them decided to give it a try, they turned the handle and the door swung open. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Local here (finally, after years of reading, something got me to register). However, the catacombs began to truly grow into their astonishing, labyrinthine form in the early 1800s, when the limestone quarried from them was used to build much of the city. The citizens of Odessa believe a variety of myths and rumors that circulate about the catacombs hidden treasures, skeletons, and even ghosts. Murderer never found, the body ever identified. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. They're not the safest places to be either. Jules Suzdaltsev contributed reporting to this piece. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Featured in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. 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. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. The officials really dont care who goes down there, nor would they be able to monitor the catacombs since they are mind-bendingly enormous. 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. It's not clear what the journalist wrote, but Lata claims the government got moving and removed the body less than 24 hours later. It does seem to be a urban legend but it's still creepy as hell! 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. Someone died. What are you a professional corpsologist? A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "Besides the original photographer," a post says, "there isn't one person, civilian or law enforcement, that can confirm the story. 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 sticking point of this famous story is that no one is sure if it really happened. "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." 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. 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. Strange and Creepy, Urban Legends and Folklore. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Today there is an entire Ukrainian subculture of catacomb explorers with dozens of semiprofessional groups, often quite competitive, exploring the catacombs. Their goal was to explore the catacombs and document the history of the partisan movement. It would have been utterly black. Masha And The Catacombs Of Odessa : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit ( onyx124 /Adobe Stock). I'm not sure I believe the photo is fake. Excavation of the Maltese Catacombs of St. Agatha Revealed Some of the Finest 12th and 15th century Frescos in Europe! "It was hard to get to the top of the shaftit was like nine floors, tiers with skinny ladders between them. Atlas Obscura. The very old skeleton of a partisan or smuggler. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about The Tiara of Saitaphernes: Wow Antique? The sheer size of the catacombs meant a refuge for all walks of life that sought to hide. 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. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? The eerie burnt-out remains of a prominent building where 30 protestors lost their lives. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odesa. 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? After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration. She quickly became separated from her party, and unable to find her way back. Old Odessa catacombs . I used to go caving for fun and turning off your lights for a minute when you're with friends is kind of neat but walking out of a cave alone with that absolute blackness behind you nope nope nope. Some say this was even done maliciously. We'll make more! The Dark Underworld of the Paris Catacombs. The group snapped a photo, in which three young boys pose with the body as if they have just identified it. After the communists came to power, this man hid both himself and the golden Titanic in the catacombs below, never to be discovered. 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. 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). Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. [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. A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. 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? These catacombs are the result of stone mining, particularly coquina (a soft limestone of broken shells), and consist of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even . 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. Even if it's just a myth, there's no denying that the other tales of the catacombs are creepy enough to keep anyone out Or so one would think. There's also evidence that they were used for the summary executions of Nazi soldiers. 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. Is it easy to get access to the catacombs? Offer subject to change without notice. There's an image that you may been seen that's been going around for several years. The rumors said it was deep underground, but from what they had seen, the body appeared to be fresh. 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. While most of the time the bodies found are from long ago, stumbling across old bones of soldiers and smugglers from more recent accidents has been known to happen. masha who died in the catacombs. Even after the "Masha," episode, Lata continued to explore the catacombs. The Bohemian Blog. The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat. Post author: Post published: 22/06/2022 Post category: brenda payne hendersonville, tn Post comments: criminal fraternities 18th century criminal fraternities 18th century Her story has that odd mix of too much detail and yet nothing verifiable that just screams urban legend. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. 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. [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. She was headed . [citation needed], There have been various reports of people walking into the catacombs, getting lost and then eventually dying of dehydration. 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. Based on where she was found it is believed Masha spent at least three days wandering in the freezing cold and pitch black before dying of dehydration. 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. Believing this to be the best explanation for her absence, the group agreed and they left.