[3] Many of the tunnels have been filled up with earth, concrete or sand by construction companies, and are no longer accessible. Stretching to a length of 2500km, the Odessa Catacombs are prehaps the largest network of tunnels in the world. "The diggers determined it was a Satanist who got lost.". 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. As the Vice article states, other bodies have been found within the catacombs, including one found during the search for a man who went missing in 2004. But one such find could not remain a secret. In 1961, the Search (Poisk) club was created, led by Constantine Pronin of the Paleontological Museum of OSU, and became the first official catacomb exploration unit. By some estimates, they span 1,550 miles, making the network a little longer than the whole Pacific coastline of the continuous United States. Mauritius Square, Ukraine: What is this Giant Crab-like Earthworks? With over 1,500 miles of subterranean tunnels, Odessa's catacombs even beat out the well-known Paris Catacombs in terms of length. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. But according to the official Odessa Catacombs website, the whole story of Masha is a lie. Amid yellow limestone walls and floors, young explorers found a body that was partially mummified by the cold dry air. It does seem to be a urban legend but it's still creepy as hell! Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. 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. Find Out. Maybe her path forked a few times, and she lost track of the pattern. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. Should someone get lost in the catacombs (as happens every couple of years), these groups put aside their differences and mount large search expeditions. 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. Instead, it belonged to a girl who was never identified. "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." Strange and Creepy, Urban Legends and Folklore. 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. Odessas catacombs quickly became the preferred hideout of rebels, criminals, and eccentrics. [4] In his work The Waves of The Black Sea, Valentin Kataev described the battle between Soviet partisans against Axis forces, underneath Odesa and its nearby suburb Usatove. [Online] Available at: https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, Author Unknown. 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. ( onyx124 /Adobe Stock). 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. 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. I was the only girl so usually I got out of it..but I did have to do it a few times and it was horrifyinglywhen you looked back it was total darkness! There are even tales of Nazi executionsand cultists, not to mention a ghost story or two; however, the most famous of thecatacomb legends is probably that of agirl named Masha, who went into the maze of passagesand wasn't found until years later. The Bohemian Blog. A vast country that prides itself on a history rich with heroes and artists. Masha always struck me as an urban legend. 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? 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. [1] In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. 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. An entrance into the catacombs. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. Though Masha wasnt particularly interested in going to the mine, she went anyway, wanting to be with her friends more. But we do know that the confirmed tales of the catacombs, as well as its history, are still filled with gloom, death, and horror. 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. In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. Featured in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. Green Tour. They tried to ignore the malnutrition and malaria which afflicted many of them. Some proof for the long existence of this myth are the countless graffiti ships that can be spotted in the tunnels. 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. With his heart set on a possible reward, Pugovkin says he crawled into the depths and eventually stumbled upon what he called "bone soup." 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. Version of this photo sourced directly from Eugene Lata. The Odessa Catacombs and the Legend of Masha, The Fiery Darvaza Gas Crater The Scare Chamber, The Torture and Murder of Kelly Anne Bates, Alexandra Wiwcharuk: The Girl in Saskatoon, Practicing Cannibalism | The Scare Chamber, Alexandra Wiwcharuk: The Girl in Saskatoon | The Scare Chamber, David Parker Ray and his Toy Box of Torture, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Once the war was over, the catacombs became home to numerous smuggling and criminal groups, who widened and created new tunnel systems of their own. Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as K-29 began. But he [Pugovkin] claims that when Armand Stendzenieks ordered a DNA test, it wasn't a match. 2019. 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. I remember seeing that on tv as a teenager and it still freaks me out today to even think about it. Someone died. By 2012, he had begun to sound less like the internet's ambassador to the catacombs. She lies on her left side, legs curled like she's sleeping, while the upper half of her decomposing body has lost its form. We believe it is just a practical joke and the corpse is fake. Ukraine. There you will find the legend of Masha. They're the backdrop for the tragic tale of Masha, an innocent partygoer who ventured down into the depths with some friends, took a wrong turn or two, and got lost forever. What followed for Masha was a three day trek from hell. Sad mother monument, made in stone in the Odessa catacombs . Some sections regularly flood with groundwater, others have ceilings precariously propped up with ad-hoc support beams, or they've had their ventilation systems completely dismantled. After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration. Proudly powered by WordPress The Dark Underworld of the Paris Catacombs. Even with all that, humans are resilient, and can survive several days without food and water. Odessa catacombs, Ukraine <Reply # 19 on 6/16/2009 12:10 PM > Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. In 2011, a body was found in the catacombs that had been dead for several months. Unfortunately, this area was unmapped, and quite dangerous. Shiver. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But Masha had not gone home. Assuming Masha brought a battery-powered flashlight or lantern down into the depths, it would have died after a few hours, making it harder to continue the search for warmth and water. [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. The photo proves that Hell is a real place, and it's about nine stories beneath Odessa. Just one look at the maps will show you exactly why the Odessa catacombs were never fully explored the sheer size prevents it. direct entry speech pathology programs near illinois. The body is real though, it belonged to a man 40 to 60 years, who was killed in the catacombs. masha odessa catacombs photo. Try not to get lost. [Online] Available at: http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/04/11/183661/, Pronin, K. . 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. 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. 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. Fine Art? Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. It`s a dead body of the 19-years old girl, who has lost the right way in the maze. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Creepy stories about the Odessa catacombs range fromdead bodies found in catacombs, topeople who have gotten lost in catacombs and were never seen again. ( eliosdnepr /Adobe Stock). "The diggers determined it was a Satanist who got lost.". She had no food and no water, and the catacombs were freezing cold and dry. 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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. 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. 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.. Part of the catacomb network, Odessa, Ukraine . 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. 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. 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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. Was this, then, the origin of the stories of Masha? He then threw the axe into the sea. Her body was found only after 2 years. | They admitted that they had gone to the Stone Mines, and maybe, just maybe Masha had gone inside. It can be really dangerous," he wrote, adding "here are some new pictures of our catacombs. Some say this was even done maliciously. 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 vegan options at biltmore estate. It wasnt until six months later that Masha was found. Rebuilt remains of a temple to Roman god Mithras. Most of the diggers I talked to believed that he actually faked the whole thing and started a new life somewhere, but still look out for anything related to him below. Irish Urban Explorations. He claimed that his best friend had led the expedition, and that he had been there when the infamous photo was taken. Today we find ourselves wandering the largest catacomb system in the world. aeries parent portal madera. Everyone at Odessas School Number 56 had talked about there being a working entrance to the mine, just outside of school property. You'd think they'd have them boarded or locked up pretty tight to avoid homeless people getting lost down there. It would be a strange, unfunnny practical joke. 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. 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. Masha had traveled several miles into the catacombs. In 1961, the Search (Poisk) club was created, headed by Constantine Pronin of the Paleontological Museum of OSU, and became the first official catacomb exploration unit, meant to explore the catacombs and help document the history of the partisan movement. [Online] Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/odessa-catacombs, Unknown. Such bomb shelters supposed to be refuge for civilians in case of nuclear strike or gas attack. ", 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. 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. One of their group, a teenage girl named Masha, got separated from the rest. [7], A 2015 investigation by Vice writer Mike Pearl similarly found no evidence that Masha had existed. As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. Every culture has an explanation about how we got here. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find. 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. Stop by the blog every day this month for true tales of the unquiet dead. As I said earlier, a lot of people lost and even dead under Odessa. We don't know for sure what Masha was looking for when she went into the catacombs with her friends. Many of Ukraines cities have rich and lengthy histories behind them all filled with tales and secrets. This myth has led many treasure hunters to enter the darkness of the catacombs in search of wealth. When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. 13th Floor. The next-largest network of catacombs is in Paris, and that's only one-fifth the length of Odessa's. They didnt go inside, heeding the warnings their parents had given them. The Odessa Catacombs underwent further construction through the vagrants' illegal widening and creation of even more tunnel systems. The Tiara of Saitaphernes is certainly one of these priceless objects and its story is long and surprising. I hope it's fake - but, unless that picture was fake, someone died the nightmarish way attributed to Masha. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. They're also a pretty good place to stage a murder. Thats when they learned that she had never returned home her parents had assumed she was with them. Beneath the city of Odessa, and also its outskirts, lie a labyrinth-like network of tunnels, known as the Odessa Catacombs. The group had to come clean. 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. What started as an ancient Greek colony, in time turned into a metropolis a crucial seaport and an economic hub. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. A photo showing Marsha's deceased body, mummified, found years after her gruesome death. This goes to show that the Odessa catacombs can be very grim. The Odesa Catacombs are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels (subterranean cavities) located under the city of Odesa and its outskirts in Ukraine, that are mostly (over 90%) the result of stone mining, particularly coquina. After the communists came to power, this man hid both himself and the golden Titanic in the catacombs below, never to be discovered. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There's also evidence that they were used for the summary executions of Nazi soldiers. Instead, he brandished an axe, and hacked the girl to death before leaving her there. Although the tale has long been reported as fact, even in newspapers, there is still a great lack of evidence, and few people are stepping forward to corroborate the sparse claims that to exist. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. 2017. 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. But in their foggy states, they absentmindedlyor maliciouslyleft Masha in the catacombs. 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. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. Then he added that a young boy had just been lost in an accident, and his body was still missing. Especially when you consider the fact that the distance between Odessa and Paris is roughly 2138 km (1328.49 miles). But at some point in the night Masha decided to explore the catacombs. Come for the severed heads, stay for the book bound in human skin. I'm not sure I believe the photo is fake. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. Believing this to be the best explanation for her absence, the group agreed and they left. Actually, the walls of the Odessa catacombs are inscribed with thousands of writings, ranging from names to slogans to caricatures and even poems. Partisan weapon caches such as rifles and grenades are occasionally still found within the tunnels, and about once every five years a body is found. All rights reserved. Rifles, machine guns, equipment and personal items all were discovered lost or abandoned in virtually pristine condition. The trek lasted 27-hours, and covered about 25 miles (40 kilometers). Despite this, they were once used by the Soviets who took Nazi soldiers down to be executed. Since its creation, it has expanded understanding of the catacombs, and provided information to expand mapping of the tunnels. Murderer never found, the body ever identified. In World War II, Odessa was besieged in August of 1941 by the Axis forces. However, when the body was removed, it was in terrible condition, with no good identifying factors. They decided to do this inthe Odessa catacombs, where they could have some privacy, drink, and have fun with a little added creep factor. 2016. 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. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. 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. There was no light in the catacombs besides whatever she might have had on her, and it is believed she wandered in pitch blackness. Despite very extensive searches neither his body, nor any clues about his fate were found. 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. She was headed into the Odessa catacombs, the 2,500 kilometers of dark rocky tunnels which run underneath the city. The whole story of Masha might actually just be an urban legend. 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. 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. 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). Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. View all photos. ( Volodymyr Khodaryev /Adobe Stock). The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat. It's not clear what the journalist wrote, but Lata claims the government got moving and removed the body less than 24 hours later. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Of course parents saying not to do something usually encourages kids to do that very thing. As is the nature of people, and urban explorers, tunnels and caves outside of the trusted zone serve as an exhilarating adventure. If she was lucky, she died quickly from the cold. In the morning, they braved the morning cold to get back to hearth and home. 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. The Odessa catacombs, even though slightly taboo and extremely eerie, are not illegal to visit . Padlocks cover this rickety footbridge with love. The official Odesa Catacombs website, however, calls the story a hoax. [Online] Available at: http://odesskiy.com/chisto-fakti-iz-zhizni-i-istorii/istorija-vozniknovenija-odesskih-katakomb.html, Richter, D. 2013. They're not the safest places to be either. 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".