Professor Names Main Theory for Dyatlov Pass Tragedy

Doctor of Technical Sciences and Professor Pyotr Bartolomey named the main version of the cause of the Dyatlov group«s death. At that time, the scientist was a student and was friends with Igor Dyatlov. Moreover, he himself was preparing to go on that hike. Previously, Bartolomey had gone to Altai and the Subpolar Urals with Dyatlov.

But Pyotr Ivanovich missed the ascent that became tragic due to his pre-graduation internship. His holidays did not coincide with students from other institutes, and the department head did not let him go, as he was sent for an internship in the capital — to Mosenergo.

In the winter of 1959, a group of nine tourists led by Igor Dyatlov was on a ski trek in the Northern Urals. On the night of February 2, the group members died. The only survivor was Yuri Yudin. He fell ill and left the route several days before the tragedy. Only after a month of search operations did rescuers find a cut-up tent. Within a radius of one and a half kilometers, the frozen bodies of five students were discovered. Three more were found only in May. Most of the tourists were without shoes and half-dressed. According to the results of the official investigation, the incident was recognized as an accident caused by a natural force.

As soon as Bartolomey learned about the group«s disappearance, he returned to the Urals and participated in the search for his friends.

«I can»t recall what the first version was. But I am deeply convinced that the cause of the group«s death was man-made. I was on the search operations. There were no traces of other people»s presence. Only the tent and the tracks of the fleeing group members. The explanation for this is a man-made phenomenon. Since footprints were imprinted, there are tracks, it means there could have been some thermal impact. But this thermal impact is unlikely over the long distance they ran. Science says that most often this is related to nitric acid impact on the surface. Conventionally, when salt is sprinkled on snow — it becomes wet, impressions appear and freeze in the cold. This is the only correct scientific explanation of what happened. And I do not accept other versions,« the professor stated at a TASS press conference.

Earlier, the scientist explained that any rocket has nitric acid impact. And at that time, ballistic missile tests could also have been conducted. Confirmation of this version was found by researchers in the book «A Task of Special State Importance. From the History of the Creation of Nuclear-Missile Weapons and the Strategic Rocket Forces.» It specifies that on February 2, 1959, around 06:00, a rocket was launched from Kapustin Yar with an emergency flight termination.

Also in favor of this version, according to Bartolomey, is the fact that after the tragedy, Deputy Prosecutor of the RSFSR Leonid Urakov came from Moscow to Sverdlovsk. The scientist believes that if the cause had been an avalanche, the deputy prosecutor would hardly have been interested, and thus, the case was of state importance.

This version was previously criticized. Other scientists stated that nitric acid is expended in the rocket at launch. Moreover, its cloud should have burned through the tent fabric, and the Dyatlov group would have received serious burns.

In total, there were 75 versions of why the tragedy occurred. A new review 60 years after the incident, in 2019, was initiated by the prosecutor«s office. After the investigation, the department stated that the Dyatlov group died due to an avalanche. Experts disagreed with this.

Recently, at a conference dedicated to the deaths on the pass, three most probable causes were named. All news about the investigation into the mysterious death of the tourist group we collect in a special section.