Were heading underground to find out whether the tunnels are truly empty. 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. 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. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. Is it easy to get access to the catacombs? Besides Masha and the missing boy, there have been other stories of people who have died in the catacombs, and not just from getting lost. 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. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. 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. The sticking point of this famous story is that no one is sure if it really happened. 2019. 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. They have rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs. 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. Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, From Ancient Mystery School to Culture Capital: Eleusis Secret Past is Recognized, Restormel Castle, What the English Call A Romantic Scene, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Demonic Possession and the Ancient Practice of Exorcism on the Rise, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. They are so incredibly extensive that someone who dies within can simply never be found. 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. Lata says he was there when that photo was taken, but he can't retrace the photo to its origin. 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. This was enough to drive a group of explorers to the area in search of the supposed corpse, and it appeared they actually found it. The Tiara of Saitaphernes is certainly one of these priceless objects and its story is long and surprising. Fine Art? But some like to say that the earliest form of the catacombs dates to centuries before that, to 1600's or possibly before - and that's plausible. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Parents in the area warned their children to stay away. Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as K-29 began. 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. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. 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. The sheer size of the catacombs meant a refuge for all walks of life that sought to hide. Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. 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. But Masha had not gone home. As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. But the most important inhabitants of these labyrinths were the Soviet partisans. But some tourism still relates to them. Rifles, machine guns, equipment and personal items all were discovered lost or abandoned in virtually pristine condition. "Besides the original photographer," a post says, "there isn't one person, civilian or law enforcement, that can confirm the story. Then he added that a young boy had just been lost in an accident, and his body was still missing. However, in the drunken revelry a member of the group, a girl named Masha, became. "Besides the original photographer," a post says, "there isn't one person, civilian or law enforcement, that can confirm the story. Sad mother monument, made in stone in the Odessa catacombs . A Tour of the Worlds Largest Labyrinth: The Odessa Catacombs. However, that hasn't stopped many people from making the same trip Masha apparently made. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown, Indigenous Desserts of Turtle Island With Mariah Gladstone, University of Massachusetts Entomology Collection, The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island, The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earths History, How Communities Are Uncovering Untold Black Histories, The Medieval Thieves Who Used Cats, Apes, and Turtles as Accomplices, 10 of the World's Most Disorienting Places, http://odessitclub.org/en/archives/dallin/chapter_6.html#Catacombs. Inside the mine, the catacombs turned, forked, and led Masha further from the entrance. 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. Her body was found only after 2 years. 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. The kids began to drink, and soon enough Mashabecame drunk. These lines give us a glimpse into the melancholic Slavic and Ukrainian soul of the past: No treasure, no happiness, you will find here, Though forehead knocks the wall behind the wall. Creepy stories about the Odessa catacombs range fromdead bodies found in catacombs, topeople who have gotten lost in catacombs and were never seen again. Since the organization is in charge of fielding inquiries about the Catacombs it "probably prefers to stay out of this business, just as I do," Lata theorized. Beneath the city of Odessa in the Ukraine lies a 2,500KM (approx 1,550mi) labyrinthine maze of tunnels, a little longer than the entire Pacific coastline of the continuous United States (map of the catacombs). Hundreds of partisans, or rebels, took to hiding in the catacombs. 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. Even though they never managed to explore the tunnels fully, the maps that these urban explorers managed to create are simply on the verge of being impossible. During the Middle Ages, exorcisms were commonplace to rid individuals of supposed demonic possession. But in their foggy states, they absentmindedlyor maliciouslyleft Masha in the catacombs. [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. 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. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. [Online] Available at: http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2013/10/urban-exploration-odessa-catacombs_20.html, Thuras, D. 2010. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. There was no light in the catacombs besides whatever she might have had on her, and it is believed she wandered in pitch blackness. 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.. In the decades after the war, the tunnels became a safe haven for smugglers and criminals and they made more tunnels. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. There's an image that you may been seen that's been going around for several years. masha odessa catacombs photolet us break bread together meaning peaky blinderslet us break bread together meaning peaky blinders Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown, Indigenous Desserts of Turtle Island With Mariah Gladstone, University of Massachusetts Entomology Collection, The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island, The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earths History, How Communities Are Uncovering Untold Black Histories, The Medieval Thieves Who Used Cats, Apes, and Turtles as Accomplices. If she was lucky, she died quickly from the cold. The group ventured deep inside and soon enough they got lost. View all photos. 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. 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. Fake? Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. However, one thing agreed upon is that there was a fresh body found in the catacombs, and that it was removed at some point around 2004 or 2005. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. A body was recovered, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. Version of this photo sourced directly from Eugene Lata. Masha had no food, no drink, and no phone service. 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. Some say this was even done maliciously. 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. There you will find the legend of Masha. . Find Out. Shortly after this the mapping of a huge unexplored area of the catacombs known as K-29 was begun. Belief in malevolent spirits inhabiting the human body has persisted across cultures for millennia. 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. Detachment of Molodtsov near Odessa Catacombs. 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. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. The rest of the process wasn't exactly CSI: Odessa. We dare you. Odessas catacombs quickly became the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Several attempts at thorough exploration were made over the years. They decided to do this inthe Odessa catacombs, where they could have some privacy, drink, and have fun with a little added creep factor. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. By 2012, he had begun to sound less like the internet's ambassador to the catacombs. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? 2017. [1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. Masha went out with a large group of friends to celebrate and probably get drunk. She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. Padlocks cover this rickety footbridge with love. Old Odessa catacombs . Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. They look like my hiking boots, and I'm a woman. A wrong turn can mean death in these tunnels and every step might reveal some unseen horror. Post author: Post published: 22/06/2022 Post category: brenda payne hendersonville, tn Post comments: criminal fraternities 18th century criminal fraternities 18th century Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? 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. With over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. Maybe her path forked a few times, and she lost track of the pattern. If she'd wandered into isolation, maybe to find a secluded spot to relieve herself, it's easy to imagine she was beyond screaming distance. All rights reserved. Irish Urban Explorations. It would be a strange, unfunnny practical joke. Mind boggling isnt it? 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. ( gorinov /Adobe Stock). Many of Ukraines cities have rich and lengthy histories behind them all filled with tales and secrets. A photo showing Marsha's deceased body, mummified, found years after her gruesome death. After 73 days of vicious fighting, the town fell and was annexed to become a part of newly formed Transnistria Governorate under Romanian administration. ( Artem Merzlenko /Adobe Stock). 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. It would be extremely dangerous to try and explore the catacombs on ones own. The complete length of the Odessa catacombs comes up to around astonishing 2500 km (1553.43 miles)! Apr 11, 2022 - The Odessa Catacombs are the largest catacomb system in the world. Built in the Soviet era, this cableway system still runs gondolas from Odessa down to Otrada Beach. Katakomby. She quickly became separated from her party, and unable to find her way back. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. 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. They're also a pretty good place to stage a murder. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 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. The ancient Greeks were no different. Try not to get lost. 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. We dare you. 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. But he claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. Masha story is an urban legend. The complete length of these catacombs is more than half of the width of the North American continent. Catacombs below Odessa, Ukraine. While you may have never heard of the Odessa catacombs, they are filled with legends and dark tales that you'll never forget. Everyone wanted to see where poor Masha had met her end. Just beware, even professionals can get lost. [1] He recalls that a piece of writing by a friend he says is a "famous journalist" was delivered to government officials. Eventually, a journalist wrote about the body, and within 24 hours, the police came and had it removed. When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. The catacombs once served as the preferred hideout for rebels, criminals, and during World War II, air-raid shelters. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. In 2005, a group of urban explorers discovered the body of a dead woman named Masha who had disappeared . According to Pugovkin, someone else had vanished in 2004: Janis Stendzenieks, the son of a newspaper magnate named Armand Stendzenieks. Investigating the mysterious death of a young woman who wandered into an underground tunnel and never came outbut lives on as an internet rumor. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . Eager to escape, she ran through the tunnels, not knowing she was heading the wrong direction. 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. He claimed that his best friend had led the expedition, and that he had been there when the infamous photo was taken. [Online] Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mind-boggling-catacomb-maps, Thuras, D. Odessa Catacombs. The tunnels would become a safe haven for a plethora of different characters, most of them shady . masha odessa catacombs photo. The Lost World of Odessa Catacombs. On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Year's night partying in the catacombs. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find. No purchase necessary. By that point the body was mostly a skeleton, so there were not many more details. Down in the mine, for unknown reasons, Masha didnt turn around and leave once she had finished. With over 1,000 known entrances, exploration is exceptionally dangerous. 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 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. "During the time she was inside, her 'friends' didn't try to take her body out," Lata wrote, guessing that they were "frightened.". ", 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. What are you a professional corpsologist? Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. 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. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. Learn how your comment data is processed. Above ground, the Fasciest Germans and Romanians would identify random catacomb exits and seal them off, hoping to trap them inside. However, when the body was removed, it was in terrible condition, with no good identifying factors. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. 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. Green Tour. More photos surfaced, including additional shots of the tunnels and even bones. Do you have any more information about the body that was found? 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.

Aiken Police Department, Cooking With Aisha Husband, Is Iglobal University Blacklisted, 4 Quart Storage Container With Lid, Articles M