Her story has that odd mix of too much detail and yet nothing verifiable that just screams urban legend. Enjoy.". She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. [6] Other caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. 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. They tried to ignore the malnutrition and malaria which afflicted many of them. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. There's an image that you may been seen that's been going around for several years. But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. However, that hasn't stopped many people from making the same trip Masha apparently made. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. There are stories of industrious winemakers and mushroom growers who go down there regularly to leave their product to age or grow, confident no one will find it and interfere. The citizens of Odessa believe a variety of myths and rumors that circulate about the catacombs hidden treasures, skeletons, and even ghosts. But when cause of death was found, they identified him as someone who had been murdered. On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Year's night partying in the catacombs. Najwitszej Maryi Panny Krlowej Polski > Bez kategorii > masha who died in the catacombs 11 czerwca 2022 hillsville, va labor day flea market 2021 natural disasters after 2010 According to rumors, a wealthy aristocrat from Odessa that survived the sinking of the Titanic decided to commemorate this event by ordering the creation of a solid gold model of the ship. In doing so, they were able to provide valuable information for the mapping of the tunnels. In a post from 2010, he claimed that he used to take trips that lasted over a week, and that he'd fill his "catacombs bag" with food, camping equipment, diving gear, and mapmaking tools to prepare for long trips. Authorities have also suggested that the photo is a prank, and that the corpse is a fake. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. Her body was found only after 2 years. 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. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. 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. Of course parents saying not to do something usually encourages kids to do that very thing. So it's a photo of a body that willit seemsnever be positively identified, and it immortalizes the last moment of someone's life. -, Press J to jump to the feed. All of these items are housed in a section of the tunnels which were used by the partisans. 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? Her body had been partially mummified by the cold cool air. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. ", 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. 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. Everywhere, hidden in the niches and the stone nooks, lie scribbled and faded poems, warnings and pleas. 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. One of them decided to give it a try, they turned the handle and the door swung open. After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration. Maybe her path forked a few times, and she lost track of the pattern. [5], Only one small portion of the catacombs is open to the public, within the "Museum of Partisan Glory" in Nerubayskoye, north of Odesa. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. During WWII Ukrainian rebel groups hid within the labyrinthine catacombs and today there is an entire Ukrainian subculture of catacomb explorers with dozens of semiprofessional groups, often quite competitive, exploring the catacombs. It wasnt until six months later that Masha was found. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Various message boards shared the tale, and websites began to present the details as fact. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. In the morning, they braved the morning cold to get back to hearth and home. One of these stories inevitably brings us to Masha, a student who should have known better than to venture inside the tunnels. The biggest and most serious efforts were made by a club specifically created for the purpose Poisk ( ). Eventually the majority of the group managed to find their way back out but Masha never did. [Online] Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mind-boggling-catacomb-maps, Thuras, D. Odessa Catacombs. 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. ( gorinov /Adobe Stock). The people of Odessa and surrounding areas know better than to explore the catacombs. 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? Two years passed, and no one retrieved the body, Lata claims. 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. 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. 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. A photo showing Marsha's deceased body, mummified, found years after her gruesome death. The citizens believe that he still haunts these labyrinthine tunnels. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. It would be a strange, unfunnny practical joke. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. Thanks. | [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. It was brought to a police medical examiner's office, and everyone found that, shockingly, the DNA didn't match the missing boy. Hundreds of partisans, or rebels, took to hiding in the catacombs. masha who died in the catacombs. The legend goes a little something like this: In 2005, a group of teenagers headed out on New Year's Eve (or New Year's Day, depending on the source) to have a little party. 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. No doubt, many bodies remain hidden in the mines. They look like my hiking boots, and I'm a woman. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. Inside, they saw a flight of stairs leading down into the catacombs. Aside from the TV episode which aired the segment (which you can find on YouTube), I've been unable to locate the supposed full video, nor can I find any footage of the video which wasn't taken from that TV show. An entrance to the Odessa catacombs is located at 4632'33.8N 3038'06.0E. Initially, police believed that he had simply gotten lost and died, as Mashahad supposedly done. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. Eager to escape, she ran through the tunnels, not knowing she was heading the wrong direction. Kostya Pugovkin, who identified himself as a veteran of Ukraine's Antiterrorist Operation based in Odessa, claims to be the one who personally hefted the body in that photograph out of the depths. 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. 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. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. [Online] Available at: http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/04/11/183661/, Pronin, K. . He quarreled with the teen, then led her into the catacombs where they could continue their argument. The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. 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. Places such as Aokigahara Forest. The sheer size of the catacombs meant a refuge for all walks of life that sought to hide. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha. Even after the "Masha," episode, Lata continued to explore the catacombs. Was this, then, the origin of the stories of Masha? Drunk and needing to urinate, she left the group, seeking a place to relieve herself. 2023 Atlas Obscura. They have rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs. Everyone was having a good time, drinking and having fun. And some are full-fledged poems, written in the delicate Cyrillic cursive script, their authors lost to time. You'd think they'd have them boarded or locked up pretty tight to avoid homeless people getting lost down there. It's always good to hear from a local. But some like to say that the earliest form of the catacombs dates to centuries before that, to 1600s or possibly before and thats plausible. 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.. They're not the safest places to be either. Odessas Mindbending Catacomb Maps. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . Everyone wanted to see where poor Masha had met her end. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 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. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. Pugovkin told us the elder Stendzenieks was offering a reward to anyone who could find his son, and some people he called "diggers"manual laborershad tipped off the authorities about a body two to three miles from an entrance to the catacombs. They present thousands of crisscrossed tunnels, intersections, corridors, galleries, and caverns, all entwined and endlessly sprawling like some chaotic maze of ant tunnels. 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. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even dead under Odessa. There's no way any one person could ever witness the true scale of the Odessa Catacombs; explore all 2,500km of tunnel. Just beware, even professionals can get lost. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa catacombs. The ancient Greeks were no different. Many regions (such as the notorious 'K-29' network) remain largely unexplored to this day. They go on multi-day underground treks, known as expeditions, to document and map the system. However, a 2015 Vice Article alleges that Masha's story may be some kind of hoax, claiming that, according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. He then threw the axe into the sea. Masha story is an urban legend. Eugene included a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in one of the tunnels, which Eugene claimed was Masha's body. According to the investigation of the incident, the man was with a group of friends, and had been drinking with the young girl. A partial map of the Odessa catacombs. direct entry speech pathology programs near illinois. But one thing that this city of one million citizens hides, and a fact that many who visit it are totally unaware of, are the sprawling catacombs beneath its streets. But even though the city fell, its citizens didnt give up the fight. A massive search effort was launched but they werent able to find her among the 2,500 kilometers of often unmapped tunnels. Fake? Come for the severed heads, stay for the book bound in human skin. 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. She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. The catacombs were once the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. 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. When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. Inside the mine, the catacombs turned, forked, and led Masha further from the entrance. It does seem to be a urban legend but it's still creepy as hell! She couldn't have lasted more than a week. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . This was a mistake. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Mauritius Square, Ukraine: What is this Giant Crab-like Earthworks? Offer subject to change without notice. In fact, these labyrinthine tunnels are so enormous, that they easily dwarf both the catacombs of Rome and those of Paris . Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. This myth has led many treasure hunters to enter the darkness of the catacombs in search of wealth. Stretching to a length of 2500km, the Odessa Catacombs are prehaps the largest network of tunnels in the world. They were used as a source of cheap construction materials. 2017. 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[6], Since the beginning of the 21st century limestone mining has continued in the mines located in Dofinovka, Byldynka, and "Fomina balka" near Odesa. Some time later, when the group was ready to call it a night and head home, they noticed Masha was missing. In the decades after the war, the tunnels became a safe haven for smugglers and criminals and they made more tunnels. She didn't make it out alive, it's said. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Atlas Obscura. In the 19th century, most houses in Odesa were built of limestone that was mined nearby. In September 1995, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Odessa, the longest underground journey in the catacombs was recorded. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Masha went out with a large group of friends to celebrate and probably get drunk. masha odessa catacombs photolet us break bread together meaning peaky blinderslet us break bread together meaning peaky blinders With over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. Like most information about these catacombs, only Ukrainian cave explorers even claim to know the details. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. She went deeper into the catacombs, walking alone in pitch black, with no food or water, and has never been heard since. She went to do a little exploring with the others and quickly became separated from the group among the maze-like corridors. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? The 2005 New Years eve party was great. Were heading underground to find out whether the tunnels are truly empty. Perhaps they will never be. 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".