When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. 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 19th century, most houses in Odesa were built of limestone that was mined nearby. This led to a lot of attempt at secrecy by the officials. It would be extremely dangerous to try and explore the catacombs on ones own. The tunnels would become a safe haven for a plethora of different characters, most of them shady . But some tourism still relates to them. Try not to get 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. Many of the partisan groups lived in the catacombs for the entirety of the rest of the war, and on occasion the partisan groups even managed to blow up German facilities. Thats when they learned that she had never returned home her parents had assumed she was with them. Atlas Obscura. 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. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. In the decades after the war, the tunnels became a safe haven for smugglers and criminals and they made more tunnels. 2016. But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds. Imagine a glass you can bend and then watch it return to its original form. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Stop by the blog every day this month for true tales of the unquiet dead. It`s a dead body of the 19-years old girl, who has lost the right way in the maze. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odesa. . Some proof for the long existence of this myth are the countless graffiti ships that can be spotted in the tunnels. One of them recalled hearing her say she had to use the bathroom, and assumed, since she wasnt there, that she had gone home. 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. The rumors said it was deep underground, but from what they had seen, the body appeared to be fresh. - BACKSTORY - The story goes like thisMasha or Mashenka, depending on t. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? The Catacombs are on three levels and reach a depth of 60 metres (200ft) below sea level. With over 1,000 known entrances, exploration is exceptionally dangerous. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. 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. 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. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Believing this to be the best explanation for her absence, the group agreed and they left. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. But at some point in the night Masha decided to explore the catacombs. Her story has that odd mix of too much detail and yet nothing verifiable that just screams urban legend. If she was lucky, she died quickly from the cold . There's no way any one person could ever witness the true scale of the Odessa Catacombs; explore all 2,500km of tunnel. The teens are said to have stayed down there all night. But despite being passed around the internet as fact, there is little documentation to support the legend of Masha. But he claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. Instead, he brandished an axe, and hacked the girl to death before leaving her there. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. Stop by the blog every day this month for true tales of the unquiet dead. 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. 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. 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. See. 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. Then he added that a young boy had just been lost in an accident, and his body was still missing. These men and women would play chess, checkers, cook, and listen to Soviet Radio, generally trying to make a normal life below the surface of the city. Also, he wrote, "five explorers [got] lost or died during this year. 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. This was only aimed at the portions beneath the town center though, and the rest of the catacombs continued to develop some time after. The catacombs also contain natural caves and span over 1,500 miles. 2014. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This goes to show that the Odessa catacombs can be very grim. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. 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 mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. Her body was found only after 2 years. Masha story is an urban legend. There you will find the skeletal remains of more than 6 million people. Actually, the walls of the Odessa catacombs are inscribed with thousands of writings, ranging from names to slogans to caricatures and even poems. Masha and a group of friends thought it would be fun to go out, party, and celebrate at the Stone Mines. 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. Think of the Triangle. Girl Lost in Odessa Catacombs 694,277 views Jun 2, 2016 15K Dislike Share ScareTheater 963K subscribers Previous Video: http://bit.ly/1ZhkLEh In 2005, the body of a girl named Masha was found. However, in the drunken revelry a member of the group, a girl named Masha, became separated and lost 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. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. It is in these catacombs that we get the legend of Masha, who ventured inside and got lost. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . 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? https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, https://thinkofthetriangle.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/adventures-in-ukraine-odessa-catacombs/, http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/04/11/183661/, http://odesskiy.com/chisto-fakti-iz-zhizni-i-istorii/istorija-vozniknovenija-odesskih-katakomb.html, http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2013/10/urban-exploration-odessa-catacombs_20.html, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mind-boggling-catacomb-maps, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/odessa-catacombs, https://greentourua.com/the-lost-world-of-odessa-catacombs/, The Tiara of Saitaphernes: Wow Antique? Fine Art? Many of Ukraines cities have rich and lengthy histories behind them all filled with tales and secrets. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. Today we find ourselves wandering the largest catacomb system in the world. 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? 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. Even after the "Masha," episode, Lata continued to explore the catacombs. They go on expeditions into the mines that can last several days, and document and map the area. 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. The kids began to drink, and soon enough Mashabecame drunk. 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. Rifles, machine guns, equipment and personal items all were discovered lost or abandoned in virtually pristine condition. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. "During the time she was inside, her 'friends' didn't try to take her body out," Lata wrote, guessing that they were "frightened.". Here they lived slept, cooked, organized raids, and fought. 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. Doesn't matter to me; the thought of being lost down there in the dark is maddening. After the war, the tunnels remained active with smugglers and criminal groups who went so far as to widen or even create their own tunnels. He had gotten lost, and there was a reward offered to anyone who could find the young man. Clearly, this was a bad idea. 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. After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration. [2] According to urban legend, these mines were abandoned and later used and widened by local smugglers who created a labyrinth of tunnels and hid treasure beneath Odesa. Inside, they saw a flight of stairs leading down into the catacombs. 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.. 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. 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. In doing so, they were able to provide valuable information for the mapping of the tunnels. 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. 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. And as one treads these tunnels which were never graced by the light of day, one can easily see that the horrors from the pages of novels such as Metro 2033, or from some iconic Lovecraftian horror, are firmly and terrifyingly rooted in reality. Featured in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. When the group arrived, they found it easy enough, with two large metal doors. Odessas catacombs quickly became the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. He quarreled with the teen, then led her into the catacombs where they could continue their argument. [citation needed], The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odesa. 2019. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. 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. An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas. But one such find could not remain a secret. [Online] Available at: https://thinkofthetriangle.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/adventures-in-ukraine-odessa-catacombs/, McKendry, I. D. 2017. Though Masha wasnt particularly interested in going to the mine, she went anyway, wanting to be with her friends more. Someone died. (Author provided). As it turns out, many people still venture into the darkness seeking adventure. vegan options at biltmore estate. Over the decades that follow, after the gradual abandonment of the mining operations, the Odessa catacombs would become somewhat obscure and forgotten. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The Stone Mines, part of the Odessa Catacombs, were closed and sealed off in 1917. However, that hasn't stopped many people from making the same trip Masha apparently made. Numerous reports exist of partially mummified human remains and skeletons that have been found inside the catacombs. As the result of contemporary mining, the catacombs continue to expand. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. ( Volodymyr Khodaryev /Adobe Stock). No purchase necessary. There also would have been nowhere to stay warm, since that area is also not deep enough for it to have been much warmer than the chilly surface weather that night. Just beware, even professionals can get lost. (Had they walked in a straight line the journey would only have been 9.5 kilometers.) Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. Fake? [citation needed] Perhaps the most famous story dates back to claims made in 2009 by Ukrainian catacombs explorer Eugene Lata. But one Ukrainian town stands out Odessa. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even dead under Odessa. Masha always struck me as an urban legend. His descriptions of his journeys into the dark were tantalizing tales of adventure. The rest of the process wasn't exactly CSI: Odessa. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. masha who died in the catacombs. 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). By 2012, he had begun to sound less like the internet's ambassador to the catacombs. It was wearing jeans and modern shoes, and did appear to be the result of a fairly recent death. She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. She went to do a little exploring with the others and quickly became separated from the group among the maze-like corridors. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Sad mother monument, made in stone in the Odessa catacombs . The catacombs were once the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. richard guichelaar update. During New Year's Eve celebrations in 2005, she and her friends had one drink too . Maybe this photo will shock you. She didn't make it out alive, it's said. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha. 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. [6] Other caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. All rights reserved. Some say this was even done maliciously. Odessas Mindbending Catacomb Maps. 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 way that picture was faked. With tunnels that run up to 2,500 kilometers, the Odessa Catacombs are considered the world's largest urban labyrinth, significantly larger than the one in Paris, among others. 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. [citation needed], In 1961 the "Search" (Poisk) club was created in order to explore the history of partisan movement among the catacombs. The biggest and most serious efforts were made by a club specifically created for the purpose Poisk ( ). There's an image that you may been seen that's been going around for several years. I saw this video and did some research on it, ultimately deeming it to be a hoax. Detachment of Molodtsov near Odessa 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. 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? [5], Only one small portion of the catacombs is open to the public, within the "Museum of Partisan Glory" in Nerubayskoye, north of Odesa. In the photo, Masha is unidentifiable beyond simply being a human. Green Tour. Bedroom of a Partisan living in the tunnels. Everyone at Odessas School Number 56 had talked about there being a working entrance to the mine, just outside of school property. The Lost World of Odessa Catacombs. Adventures in Ukraine: Odessa Catacombs. ", "That's why I really beg you not to try to walk underground in Odessa itself. Some sources claim that roughly five amateurs that descend into the tunnels never come out again and this really gives us an incentive to truly grasp the size of these tunnels. 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. 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.