With over 1,000 known entrances, exploration is exceptionally dangerous. The next-largest network of catacombs is in Paris, and that's only one-fifth the length of Odessa's. 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. They're not the safest places to be either. Initially, police believed that he had simply gotten lost and died, as Mashahad supposedly done. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Down in the mine, for unknown reasons, Masha didnt turn around and leave once she had finished. After a while, the group was quite intoxicated, Masha included. Offer subject to change without notice. In Odessa, when someones water line suddenly breaks, or a house settles oddly, or a family pet goes missing, it is not uncommon for Ukrainians to curse about those damn catacombs., They are not being delusional, for underneath their houses run some 2,500 kilometers of catacombs, carved into the limestone that the city is built upon. 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. As the result of contemporary mining, the catacombs continue to expand. 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. [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. No one is exactly sure how she died, but it could have been dehydration or hypothermia. 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. Authorities have also suggested that the photo is a prank, and that the corpse is a fake. But despite being passed around the internet as fact, there is little documentation to support the legend of Masha. 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. Her story has that odd mix of too much detail and yet nothing verifiable that just screams urban legend. Over the decades that follow, after the gradual abandonment of the mining operations, the Odessa catacombs would become somewhat obscure and forgotten. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. But in their foggy states, they absentmindedlyor maliciouslyleft Masha in the catacombs. But without knowing the mind boggling extent of these catacombs, their efforts proved largely fruitless. In 2011, a body was found in the catacombs that had been dead for several months. 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. . After the Soviets were forced out of the city, dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups remained, hiding below the city. His recollection is different from Lata's. The mystery person was of no value at all, Pugovkin says. 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. Many regions (such as the notorious 'K-29' network) remain largely unexplored to this day. 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). It was brought to a police medical examiner's office, and everyone found that, shockingly, the DNA didn't match the missing boy. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. 2019. In the decades after the war, the tunnels became a safe haven for smugglers and criminals and they made more tunnels. All rights reserved. In the end, she might have crawled. As modern urban explorers tend to do, individuals from the group who found the body decided to share their exploits online. Every story is true, and each one is a real place you can visit. The Odessa catacombs, even though slightly taboo and extremely eerie, are not illegal to visit . 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. During the Middle Ages, exorcisms were commonplace to rid individuals of supposed demonic possession. The biggest and most serious efforts were made by a club specifically created for the purpose Poisk ( ). In his last post, he wrote that the place was pretty much charted, and claimed that there's not much left to explore. There's also evidence that they were used for the summary executions of Nazi soldiers. 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". Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. Despite very extensive searches neither his body, nor any clues about his fate were found. But even with a light and a map of the catacombs, it would have been hard for someone ill-prepared to make it out, because the maps that exist are a maddening, brain-like scrawl. The tunnels would become a safe haven for a plethora of different characters, most of them shady . The very old skeleton of a partisan or smuggler. Always pursuing my passions for writing, history and literature, I strive to deliver a thrilling and captivating read that touches upon history's most Read More. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. But one such find could not remain a secret. 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.. 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. What you may not know, is that the largest catacomb system in the world is the Odessa Catacombs in Ukraine. A large portion of these tunnels due to the sheer extent and the number of corridors remains completely unexplored. There's no way any one person could ever witness the true scale of the Odessa Catacombs; explore all 2,500km of tunnel. He had gotten lost, and there was a reward offered to anyone who could find the young man. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The Lost World of Odessa Catacombs. Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. 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. In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. Odessa, just outside of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is home to one of the largest catacombs in the entire world. Those daring few that decide to explore the endless depths below Odessa are often surprised by a gruesome find. It would have been utterly black. Try not to get lost. A body was recovered, about five miles from the entrance Masha would have used. However, it's not te only creepy story - in 2012 group of students went below and one was lost. Masha had died, still trying to escape. ( onyx124 /Adobe Stock). On January 1st, 2005, some Odessa teens decided to spend New Year's night partying in the catacombs. It was wearing jeans and modern shoes, and did appear to be the result of a fairly recent death. It's not unlikely that she drunkenly forgot to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. 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. 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? Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as K-29 began. A glass that you drop but it doesnt break. They are so incredibly extensive that someone who dies within can simply never be found. The Bohemian Blog. The whole story of Masha might actually just be an urban legend. Post author: Post published: 22/06/2022 Post category: brenda payne hendersonville, tn Post comments: criminal fraternities 18th century criminal fraternities 18th century A massive search effort was launched but they werent able to find her among the 2,500 kilometers of often unmapped tunnels. But the most important inhabitants of these labyrinths were the Soviet partisans. 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. Another urban legend, far more popular, is the story of the lost treasure. 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 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. 2014. [citation needed], After the Russian Revolution of 1917, stone mining was banned within the central part of Odesa (inside the Porto-Franko zone, bounded by Old Port Franko and Panteleymonovskaya streets). [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. We'll make more! 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. Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa catacombs. More photos surfaced, including additional shots of the tunnels and even bones. The post featured a graphic photo of what appeared to be a decaying corpse in the catacombs, which Lata claimed was Masha's body. What followed for Masha was a three day trek from hell. 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. Belief in malevolent spirits inhabiting the human body has persisted across cultures for millennia. Instead, he brandished an axe, and hacked the girl to death before leaving her there. A vast country that prides itself on a history rich with heroes and artists. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. ", "That's why I really beg you not to try to walk underground in Odessa itself. By 2012, he had begun to sound less like the internet's ambassador to the catacombs. 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. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. [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. Irish Urban Explorations. Perhaps the most popular of catacombs is beneath the city of Paris, France. [Online] Available at: https://irishurbanexplorations.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/odessa-catacombs-day-1-odessa-ukraine/, Author Unknown. As of 2019, there are more than 1,000 known entrances to the tunnels. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? Masha always struck me as an urban legend. 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. They present thousands of crisscrossed tunnels, intersections, corridors, galleries, and caverns, all entwined and endlessly sprawling like some chaotic maze of ant tunnels. 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 is little to no record of a girl named Masha ever disappearing into the catacombs, and there are those that refute Lata'saccounts. On rare occasions these bodies are almost perfectly mummified, freeze dried by the cold, dry air of the tunnels.

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