List of sources used in this video (most of them are only available in Russian, but you can use Google Translate): 1.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%95%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 2. old.risk.ru/rus/mount/museum/pustovalov/index.html 3. www.stolby.ru/Mat/Petrenko/0553.asp 4. www.alpklubspb.ru/ass/a155.htm 5. www.alpklubspb.ru/persona/abalakov-e.htm 6. pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie1534530589/ 7. pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie1534530351/ 8. www.stolby.ru/People/Abalakov_EM.asp 9. www.mountain.ru/world_mounts/pamirs/2002/Kommunizm/ 10. www.stolby.ru/Mat/1Virezka/2004/20040527.asp 11. www.mos.ru/news/item/12720073/ 12. www.mk.ru/social/2016/10/20/sledy-borby-i-yada-smert-alpinista-abalakova-spisali-na-specsluzhby.html 13. rg.ru/2017/02/17/evgenij-abalakov-prevoshodnyj-alpinist-hudozhnik-i-skulptor.html 14. www.eurosport.ru/climbing/story_sto7966152.shtml 15. my.krskstate.ru/docs/sportsmen/abalakov-evgeniy-mikhaylovich/ 16. www.alpklubspb.ru/ass/a204.htm 17. 4sport.ua/articles?id=21553 18. svpressa.ru/post/article/252098/ 19. www.climbing.ru/forum/all/topic_4985/ 20. www.trud.ru/article/27-08-2002/45398_rassledovaniju_ne_podlezhit.html
Google Translate? LOL, thank you 😂!They’d be more accurately translated if I used the original text and a Russian dictionary. Seriously - that was great 👍.
Dude your videos are of high quality. The content, the video editting, the narration, everything is sooooo good. I listened your videos last night on loop coz there are only 3 videos as of the moment. Just continue making videos and for sure people will eventually discover them and love them just as I have. 👍👍👍
Everybody with an idea of history knows how paranoid and brutal Josef Stalin was. The idea Evgeny Abalakov was disposed of by the state and found dead in suspicious circumstances the morning after his announcement of a Himalayan expedition isn't hard to believe. At all. This is especially believable if Evgeny's climbs and travels involved state-sponsored research for strategic purposes, as is suggested in the back story. RIP, he seems to have been one helluva guy. Edit. Great video mate, this is really good work.
Stalin mostly didn't care for "big announcements", looking at the background ... I think Abalakov was gay, and at the time Beriya (as the pedophile that he was) was trying to redirect the attention of the MGB towards gay people. Having your top climber outed as gay, when all the other imperialist nations (USA, UK, France,) were basically state homophobic and the post-1927 decided that "homosexuality is a bourgeois capitalist perversion" and criminalizing it, was probably a big deal, so Abalakov was eliminated and since USSR never had its Stonewall, due to how the RSFSR remained parochial though the Stalinist policy of "cultural citizenship" and "On nationality", while other republics progressed towards the acceptance of homosexuality, meant that even the closeted gay Andropov decide that "it was too early " and "let the sleeping dogs lie". Doubly ironic in the actual Russia. Triply ironic considering the fact that homophobia is a Western import/Kiev Rus' import in Russia and that ethno-culturally native Russians have always accepted LGBTQ. But most problems there arise because they don't know who they are, and as above try to call to the (foreign) cossacks, to the (foreign) nobility, to the (foreign ) Kiev Rus', to the (foreign) Central Asia and so on. They will have peace and prosperity when they finally stop denying themselves.
and to be clear here - Stalin wasn't a "good man" in any sense of the word - he was a half-educated Russian empire imperialist, from an ethnic minority which due to its Christian faith was privileged in the Russian empire, who kept this mindset while trying to become a new Tsar without a dynasty and perhaps with some left-leaning idealism that drizzled off Lenin and onto him. He was surrounded by people educated enough and positive-thinking enough to correct for his errors and his stupidity, at least, most of the time, he was not, however intelligent enough to create a large enough PR-department to transform one's countries manmade catastrophies (The Dust Bowl, the Yamanashi&Yamagata famines of 1936, The Northern China famines of 1931-1934) into an "unavoidable collateral which has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with just the weather or the climate, or some exceptional things, anyway there's never starvation in capitalism; you never saw anything there are no bodies, and if there are dead, that's just because they should have worked harder and pulled themselves up by the bootstraphs and created jobs and so on" into a PR disaster (the "fully artificial" Volga famine and Holodomor). How do I know - well, good that you asked, as I also descend from Ukrainian cossacks who were the people targeted in Holodomor, and let me tell you - they were victims, but they were - objectively - not good people and while maybe they didn't deserve to having gotten executed, they absolutely deserved having gotten dekulakized, as the property they "had" wasn't theirs in the first place to command or to have - a lot of mass whitewashing of criminals happened in the wake of the end of USSR.
4:55 Dykh-Tau is a very impressive 5000er in the Russian Caucasus... and the neighbour of the somewhat easier Koshtan-Tau which I very nearly summited a few years ago. First time over 5000 meters and proud to have turned around about 100m below the top. I just wasn´t fit enough, and we had already been pushing it too far with the remaining daylight. We got back at the high camp at sunset. It was a hard and beautiful trip.
I honestly think is more simple than we’re making it out to be. Evgeny was of Cossack descent, and the Soviet Union had deported and killed thousands of cossacks from 1919 to 1933. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Evgeny was killed simply because the Soviet government didn’t want the first man to conquer Everest to be of cossack descent. This is even more likely because Stalin was still alive at the time, and this seems like something he would do.
Though if it was Stalin's will, it would likely have not survived as a secret past Stalin's death. Especially with Khrushchev, Andropov etc all keen to tear down Stalin's personality cult and discredit Stalinism. Way worse acts of NKVD etc were revealed, yet this one remained something that neither man ever revealed and never came out of the Soviet archives. I'm inclined to believe that this one might actually have been as it appeared.
During Stalin's time they would not have gone through all the trouble. He would have been picked up during the night and never been heard of again. And about the question why they would shower together even if they didn't stay there: it seems you don't know about communal living situations during that time
The owners of the apartment are about to go to bed at midnight, when the two mountaineers show up unannounced. They show up with a cask of wine, that they barely drink from because they are trying to stay fit....then they decide to shower together even though they are not staying overnight? LOL No way this is what actually happened. I have no idea what really happened, but it's obvious that the official account is B.S. When the state doesn't start an investigation for two months, and puts out this kind of B.S. story......not to mention the guys missing torso at the funeral, come on man.....the state was involved in these men's murders. Why is still a mystery, but this was a political murder obviously. The cover up proves that much.
They're definitely mysterious deaths, but how incompetent do you think the Soviets are to put out such a stupid cover story? That also doesn't make sense, imo.
@@johnr797 Like today, authoritarian states/dictatorships don't need believable stories. Anyone questioning the official line will just be thrown in prison or die of unnatural natural causes.
I really enjoyed that story; you’re a very good narrator and the topic is interesting. I’m sick of videos TikTok style, which have really nothing to say. You had old, poor quality material but you made it fascinating. Thanks!
I like how you jump into the facts and tell the story! Like a true criminal investigation. I cant watch shows that have 5 minutes of depressing slow music before the narrator drawls out the story-as if they have a mouthful of molasses! keep up the good work Archie!😁
Mountaineering is no joke! The militaries of the world all have keen interest in mountains. I had an incident two decades ago while mountaineering in the Republic of Korea. I was hiking up an unnamed mountain, searching for rumored archeological ruins of the Shilla nation (just for fun) when around the last stretch before the summit, a fully-armored soldier appeared out-of-nowhere and pointed his K2 (Korean machine gun) at my face. At the time, my Korean speaking was rudimentary, so I was dependent on body language. I could literally see down into the barrel of the gun and could see the tip of the bullet ready to fire into my face. He shouted at me pointing the K2 inches away from my face. All I could do was cry carefully with tears streaming down my face to not shoot me and plead for my life. [I am Canadian of Korean ethnicity.] He accused me of being a spy from the north. I could see in his eyes that he was ready at any moment to discharge his entire magazine into my head. All I could do was defecate into my pants. He noticed the smell, cursed at me, and laughed while lowering his K2. I was saved by my weak bowels! After this incident, I made it a point to not hike mountains by myself in foreign lands.
I was in Korea in the early 70's. I went hiking with another American and we rounded a corner and there out of nowhere were a group of Korean soldiers. No one pulled a gun, but they did emphatically tell us we were in an exercise area and to go back. Nothing was marked on our way, we told them. When they realized we spoke and understood Korean they were surprised and one asked if we had any American cigarettes but neither of us smoked. They told is a good trail to take to see nice views. I am sure if we were Korean our reception would have been more like yours.
Not to take anything away from Abalakov or from Tenzing and Hillary, but all evidence points to George Mallory being the first to reach the peak of Everest in 1924 b4 unfortunately falling to his death going back down. This was, after Mallorys body was found in 1999, and while his altimeter had been broken in his fall (in which he sadly had not been killed instantly, but had to wait for death by exposure with an open leg fracture), the picture of his wife was missing from his wallet, and he had said ahead of time, that he would leave that picture at the peak. More importantly was the place, his body was found. According to those, who know Everest, the only route to get from, where he was last seen ascending above the hardest part of the ascend, to where he had fallen, was going over the peak. So all evidence was, that he had left his climbing partner behind, when Irvine was unable to go on, and pushed on to the peak (Mallory had already said, this would be his last expedition, so it was now or never) and then taken the other route down in the darkness as a shortcut, hoping for a quicker descend. Sir Edmund Hillary was actually asked about this, after Mallorys body was found. Answering the usual tactless (and dumb) questions from journalists, he said, no, he did not feel, that took anything away from him, coz in his opinion in order to successfully climb a mountain u didnt just have to reach the top, u also had to get back down alive. Which is a fair point. But I do feel it unfair, that George Mallory has largely been forgotten, as by all accounts he was a climber in a class of his own, far above all other climbers of his time, who pioneered the way to Everest and 99.9% certain was first to reach the top. However, I also dont believe it to be a zero sum game. All 3 men were outstanding climbers, and each deserve the highest recognition.
My opinion is they did not make it to the top. The clothing was highly inefficient. The oxygen bottles were faulty. Today climbers have the best equipment and clothing and still tons of them freeze to death.
I believe also that George mallory was the first to climb Mt Everest. I remember watching the video when Mallorys body was first found. The men were almost in tears that they found his body. There have been others that climbed Mt Everest with no oxygen. One of them being a woman. So I could clearly believe that Mallory made it first. Although I still don’t understand why people climb the mountain still after all the deaths there. You need to have respect for the mountain, mother earth & mother nature for sure.
@@butterfliesarefreetofly6964 Kinda odd to emphasize that a woman summited without O2... It's like you're shocked that a woman could do that or something. Also, do keep in mind that all those summits without oxygen were done with *modern* equipment. Mallory and Irvine were barely equipped to handle the harsh environment. With all those factors against their favour, I'm on the side of thinking that they didn't summit. Even the wife photo part can be doubted, as its possible that whoever found his body first took the photo. There's just too many factors to ever truly confirm either possibility. At this point, it's an old story and you get to choose that part of the ending. The conclusion is still the same. Why do people climb these mountains? Well in the wise words of Hillary, "Because it's there.". In my eyes, it's a call that sneaks past all our logic to dig into our human nature. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to. I'll probably never climb Everest, but just imagining the view from the top... It tempts me to try anyways.
Commenting here to help with the algorithm. Great content, looking forward to more of these cool USSR/Russian stories. Edit: Almost forgot, while we're doing mountain mysteries, if there are interesting Russian sources on Almasty (Almas maybe?) I'm sure we'd love to hear them.
I just left a joke on another Archie video, saying if it was the USA, they'd build the world's longest fence around the entire mountain with warning signs every 10 yards, then eventually some kids would climb the fence and end up on a Ballen video. I didn't think anyone would get my joke, now I have reason to hope 😅
@@poutinedream5066 🙋🏻♀️ I would have! On another note, I saw your comment with all the questions and because I could easily comment similarly we probably have a few things in common! People give me crap for long texts and stuff to the point that I actually consider those not at all useful comments in moments just like this one where I meant to just write two quick things. 😫 Anyway, secondly, this story is super interesting - tons of questions. All I can think is, “do not Google, do not Google…” 🧐
Okay, I rarely write comments under videos, but that was super interesting, perfectly researched and assembled video... Awesome job ! The effort you put in your videos is really incredible. You have a new subscriber in me and I will recommend your channel to some of my friends. :)
Archie, your video content is amazing! I am always swept into each video by your narration, the sound and tempo of your voice, and the excitement in the details that you gently weave into each story. Thank you very much for all of these!!! 💖
so are you in russia or a nearby country? I'd love to see videos about mysterious unsolved cases in former soviet countries, I feel like most youtubers don't discuss them, but mostly focus on the US, UK, other English-speaking countries, and sometimes Western Europe.
A big issue was Soviet secrecy, not much news about anything hit the West... unless it was propaganda! Then post Soviet era what files exist have to found had to be located and translated into English. Also, bear in mind that that these cases are old. Kids in the West aren't interested in their history, anything that's filmed black and white loses their interest... it's not just Soviet history they're not interested in... it's everything, even the Moon landing has little interest.
Thank you for the video, I am hoping to see many more and hoping to see support for your efforts grow. Analysis of these stories with the benefit of hindsight but the erosion of time and the obfuscation of the Iron Curtain cannot be an easy task so thank you again and very well done.
Love the topics. The howl Russia theme. Keep up the good work. Little is known about the Soviet Unions crimes. Maybe something for the future? Keep it up brother ✌🏻
Thank you for a third awesome video! Your comment on his clothes and equipment predating any of the 'miracle' materials we use today is so true. Before I went on my first backcountry trip, I received a small blue-book manual on what to expect, what to bring, etc. On the clothing list it was recommended to bring a rainsuit and wool pants and shirt because "wool keeps you warm even when wet." Which is very true.... However, I weighed my pack before loading in group supplies, and it was 49 pounds.
@@bojankotur4613 I would climb a mountain with a sheep on a leash before I carried a 50 pound coat 🤣- but then of course, that's why I'm addicted to mountain climbing videos. I so cannot relate.
I'm a fan of everything written or saying about Everest, so I found your channel by accident, I just subscribed , and I'm already hooked it. Your research, narrative , and quality is amazing. Keep uploading! 👍
I used to have a water boiler where the flame would regularly go out after a few minutes of showering. Trust me, when the flame goes out, you IMMEDIATELY know. The water INSTANTLY turns cold. Unless these two men were in the habit of taking cold showers, in which case, only the pilot light in the water boiler would have been blown out, and it would take a very long time for enough gas to accumulate in the room to kill two grown men. You would definitely smell something long before then. It just seems very unlikely.
Such great content, I am glad that I found this channel! I love the Russian and Eastern mystery content. Not many channels cover this. Looking forward to new videos!
If he was killed because of state interests, superiors likely indicated to any investigators that this will be the official story and the matter needs to be forgotton. Higher authorities may have just taken any investigative materials and they ended up in a fireplace. The investigators knew that any other paperwork needed to just disappear. I wouldn't think orders to "liquidate" someone were written. Some team was told verbally to eliminate the problem and it was done. Maybe he didn't know anything, but there was a fear he might defect to the west on his trip in the Himalayas. Such a famous person would be an embarressment. It is easier to tell Stalin that the KGB thought he was going to defect, than take the possibility he would defect and then the KGB officers in charge of him would be executed.
I just subscribed to you a few hours ago after watching your other video, must be my lucky day that I subscribe the same day you upload a new video. Like always the authorities behavior after the death of the person is an indication of whether or not they were involved in his death, and in this case their behavior is suspicious. They only started investigations after two months and did not conduct any forensic examination, what is most telling is what the head of the KGB said to the widow. The facts and pictures may be scarce but there is definitely evidence of foul play.
Not sure what to think. A lot of people died during the Stalin, Lenin, and Soviet times. It's sad that someone of this man's caliber should be murdered instead of revered. RIP.
Excellent and fascinating, these lesser known but truly great climbers of that era! 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏😊👍👍 A very sad ending for Evgeny 😔 Poisoning is an especially evil method of murder.
I'm delighted to have discovered your channel. You have a great flair for narrative, and all the videos of yours that I have seen so far are very well designed and produced.Great editing!
Maybe the English had it but the Soviets didn't? I've heard that a lot of serious Russian climbers still don't like to use it, so maybe it's a cultural thing? I'm not sure.
There are so many people who climbed Everest without the supplemental oxygen, not only Russians. And that’s exactly the way it should be, if you are not able to climb on your own without the Sherpas then stay home. The Everest became a tourist attraction for people with money, they just don’t know how to get rid of their money.
@@champtech8755 While I believe that mountaineering industry should require documented competency from clients before they're permitted to go on 8000m climbs, cutting out climbing sherpas from expeditions would be catastrophic for their local economies. People need to be more responsible for themselves because it's likely that the company will send sherpas and guides to rescue them when there's trouble. Best way to avoid trouble is to ensure that people have the knowlege, skill, and experience to operate that high. Just because you do a trekking peak like Pumori or Island Peak, or a lower elevation Himalayan peak like Cholatse or Ama Dablam, does not mean that you're ready for the Big E.
Archie: This is a story about DEATH 💀 Me: Welp, I'm sure he knew that ultimately he was gonna die in those mountains Archie: DEATH far from the mountains
Great video. But please do not spread the idea that nowadays, just because the equipment is better, anyone is able to conquer Everest. It's just not true and it takes away from the great athleticism of the people who have done it.
I had a gas leak at my old house. It was so bad I could see the air and feel it on my face. I couldn't make it to the stove first attempt as I was getting dizzy and seeing spots. I managed to get a window open and retreat down stairs. Returning later I opened more windows and turned off the stove. Point being, the gas was thick enough to see and feel and nearly make me pass out, but I didn't. Not sure how a gas leak could kill 2 people unnoticed like that.
unless smell and stuff is added to the gas you won`t see or smell anything, at that time many people were getting gassed in areas where they didn`t add stuff.
i am enjoying the content, btw what kind of microphone you're using? i do not have the best microphone and i like how you sound, though you may want to use a pop filter.
The British were the first to ever step foot on Mount Everest. Mallory and Irvine didn't have any sort of modern equipment. Yes they had crappy oxygen but Edward Norton held the record for highest altitude on Mount Everest without the use of oxygen. This happened in 1920s.
@@am5790 The Sherpa only went so high. But it was the British who first stepped on the mountain. Mallory and Norton cut steps and cut the route for the porters
@@Bella.216 the brittish was learned how strong propaganda was from the nazis and probobly had someone to poison them , the story that the man refused the military can be a lie so they dont need to say how much they depended on him
Yea... so why ARE these 2 men showing together?? Is that common for the place and time? I feel sad for his son, having to wonder what happened to his daddy, trying to find out, doing his best to honor him.
Considering the gas heater in the bathroom looked pretty decrepit and beyond vintage, I think it’s entirely possible they did suffer hypoxia because of the gas. Victorian people died in the bath all the time the same way. Cyanosis is a typically feature of low oxygen and hypoxia would definitely cause them to appear blue tinged. Cyanide, however, makes the body contort violently during spasms, you foam at the mouth, and turn a reddish color, NOT blue! It’s also likely they shared a shower because the heater and shower were so rinky dink and probably couldn’t provide much hot water. Doubt they’d care about seeing each other naked for ten minutes to take a shower, since climbers definitely get stuck in close quarters frequently and have to relieve ourselves or clean ourselves up practically in front of our partner. I think yes, they could die from the effects of the gas without the other people in the apartment being effected. If the other guy hadn’t noticed they had been in there a little long and checked, the other occupants of the apartment may have suffered hypoxia, too.
Very few things on our planet today happen by accident or coincidence (some would even say that none do), what is left for incidents like this in the Soviet Union back then?
Love your content but especially have enjoyed the Russian content. I live in AK so ive always been fascinated with the country. No not because of Putin and Ukraine. I enjoy learning more about how they do things and how their climbing is enteresting
I thought I was lucky growing up with the Cliftey Falls State Park for my front yard and playgrounds and hiking and such but Holy SHIT they had a hell of a playground! Well much dangerous playground but I had lots of fun with what we had too!
You mentioned you would like your audience to make suggestions. People here in the US know hardly anything about the folks who lived thru the Soviet years.
You have a new subscriber! As a Swede I feel it's much easier to relate to Russian history and hardships than Americans. They just ain't like us Nordic beasts ;) Naaahh, just kidding. But you have great content and an amazing voice, so I look forward to more videos! Keep it up! Peace
i think it might have been as simple as warning to vitaly who had already been accused of anti soviet behaviour and open propaganda! vitaly was a noted chemical engineer and inventor so the authorities probably wanted to have him back under their control, "see what we did to your brother? who else do you want to loose?"
List of sources used in this video (most of them are only available in Russian, but you can use Google Translate):
1.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%95%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87
2. old.risk.ru/rus/mount/museum/pustovalov/index.html
3. www.stolby.ru/Mat/Petrenko/0553.asp
4. www.alpklubspb.ru/ass/a155.htm
5. www.alpklubspb.ru/persona/abalakov-e.htm
6. pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie1534530589/
7. pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie1534530351/
8. www.stolby.ru/People/Abalakov_EM.asp
9. www.mountain.ru/world_mounts/pamirs/2002/Kommunizm/
10. www.stolby.ru/Mat/1Virezka/2004/20040527.asp
11. www.mos.ru/news/item/12720073/
12. www.mk.ru/social/2016/10/20/sledy-borby-i-yada-smert-alpinista-abalakova-spisali-na-specsluzhby.html
13. rg.ru/2017/02/17/evgenij-abalakov-prevoshodnyj-alpinist-hudozhnik-i-skulptor.html
14. www.eurosport.ru/climbing/story_sto7966152.shtml
15. my.krskstate.ru/docs/sportsmen/abalakov-evgeniy-mikhaylovich/
16. www.alpklubspb.ru/ass/a204.htm
17. 4sport.ua/articles?id=21553
18. svpressa.ru/post/article/252098/
19. www.climbing.ru/forum/all/topic_4985/
20. www.trud.ru/article/27-08-2002/45398_rassledovaniju_ne_podlezhit.html
Wow! You worked hard. Fascinating story.
What na amazing video. Thank you fór your hard work!
Google Translate? LOL, thank you 😂!They’d be more accurately translated if I used the original text and a Russian dictionary. Seriously - that was great 👍.
Just found this channel watched all three videos my only complaint is that there's only three videos keep them coming
Ditto
Exactly
Just found them today! Ditto!
Yes PLEASE, keep them coming... great content. Thank you.
Fascinating videos. Thank you. Not conclusive but this story seems to have parallels to Yuri Gagarin's demise.
Dude your videos are of high quality. The content, the video editting, the narration, everything is sooooo good. I listened your videos last night on loop coz there are only 3 videos as of the moment. Just continue making videos and for sure people will eventually discover them and love them just as I have. 👍👍👍
Looks like there’s 18 now🥳😎
Everybody with an idea of history knows how paranoid and brutal Josef Stalin was. The idea Evgeny Abalakov was disposed of by the state and found dead in suspicious circumstances the morning after his announcement of a Himalayan expedition isn't hard to believe. At all. This is especially believable if Evgeny's climbs and travels involved state-sponsored research for strategic purposes, as is suggested in the back story. RIP, he seems to have been one helluva guy.
Edit. Great video mate, this is really good work.
The Stalin era was Russias darkest time he purged millions
agree 100%
Stalin mostly didn't care for "big announcements", looking at the background ... I think Abalakov was gay, and at the time Beriya (as the pedophile that he was) was trying to redirect the attention of the MGB towards gay people.
Having your top climber outed as gay, when all the other imperialist nations (USA, UK, France,) were basically state homophobic and the post-1927 decided that "homosexuality is a bourgeois capitalist perversion" and criminalizing it, was probably a big deal, so Abalakov was eliminated and since USSR never had its Stonewall, due to how the RSFSR remained parochial though the Stalinist policy of "cultural citizenship" and "On nationality", while other republics progressed towards the acceptance of homosexuality, meant that even the closeted gay Andropov decide that "it was too early " and "let the sleeping dogs lie".
Doubly ironic in the actual Russia.
Triply ironic considering the fact that homophobia is a Western import/Kiev Rus' import in Russia and that ethno-culturally native Russians have always accepted LGBTQ.
But most problems there arise because they don't know who they are, and as above try to call to the (foreign) cossacks, to the (foreign) nobility, to the (foreign ) Kiev Rus', to the (foreign) Central Asia and so on.
They will have peace and prosperity when they finally stop denying themselves.
and to be clear here - Stalin wasn't a "good man" in any sense of the word - he was a half-educated Russian empire imperialist, from an ethnic minority which due to its Christian faith was privileged in the Russian empire, who kept this mindset while trying to become a new Tsar without a dynasty and perhaps with some left-leaning idealism that drizzled off Lenin and onto him.
He was surrounded by people educated enough and positive-thinking enough to correct for his errors and his stupidity, at least, most of the time, he was not, however intelligent enough to create a large enough PR-department to transform one's countries manmade catastrophies (The Dust Bowl, the Yamanashi&Yamagata famines of 1936, The Northern China famines of 1931-1934) into an "unavoidable collateral which has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with just the weather or the climate, or some exceptional things, anyway there's never starvation in capitalism; you never saw anything there are no bodies, and if there are dead, that's just because they should have worked harder and pulled themselves up by the bootstraphs and created jobs and so on" into a PR disaster (the "fully artificial" Volga famine and Holodomor).
How do I know - well, good that you asked, as I also descend from Ukrainian cossacks who were the people targeted in Holodomor, and let me tell you - they were victims, but they were - objectively - not good people and while maybe they didn't deserve to having gotten executed, they absolutely deserved having gotten dekulakized, as the property they "had" wasn't theirs in the first place to command or to have - a lot of mass whitewashing of criminals happened in the wake of the end of USSR.
4:55 Dykh-Tau is a very impressive 5000er in the Russian Caucasus... and the neighbour of the somewhat easier Koshtan-Tau which I very nearly summited a few years ago. First time over 5000 meters and proud to have turned around about 100m below the top. I just wasn´t fit enough, and we had already been pushing it too far with the remaining daylight. We got back at the high camp at sunset. It was a hard and beautiful trip.
Good for you for turning around and being proud of yourself for your accomplishment!
I honestly think is more simple than we’re making it out to be. Evgeny was of Cossack descent, and the Soviet Union had deported and killed thousands of cossacks from 1919 to 1933. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Evgeny was killed simply because the Soviet government didn’t want the first man to conquer Everest to be of cossack descent. This is even more likely because Stalin was still alive at the time, and this seems like something he would do.
Though if it was Stalin's will, it would likely have not survived as a secret past Stalin's death. Especially with Khrushchev, Andropov etc all keen to tear down Stalin's personality cult and discredit Stalinism. Way worse acts of NKVD etc were revealed, yet this one remained something that neither man ever revealed and never came out of the Soviet archives.
I'm inclined to believe that this one might actually have been as it appeared.
That’s not making it more simple or following Occam’s razor, that’s just as complex as the other murder and assassination theories
This theory/explanation sounds extremely likely if not even one of the more rational theories and explanations
@@Tsumami__ Is it though? Stalin had done similar things before.
During Stalin's time they would not have gone through all the trouble. He would have been picked up during the night and never been heard of again. And about the question why they would shower together even if they didn't stay there: it seems you don't know about communal living situations during that time
The owners of the apartment are about to go to bed at midnight, when the two mountaineers show up unannounced. They show up with a cask of wine, that they barely drink from because they are trying to stay fit....then they decide to shower together even though they are not staying overnight? LOL No way this is what actually happened. I have no idea what really happened, but it's obvious that the official account is B.S. When the state doesn't start an investigation for two months, and puts out this kind of B.S. story......not to mention the guys missing torso at the funeral, come on man.....the state was involved in these men's murders. Why is still a mystery, but this was a political murder obviously. The cover up proves that much.
They're definitely mysterious deaths, but how incompetent do you think the Soviets are to put out such a stupid cover story? That also doesn't make sense, imo.
@@johnr797 Like today, authoritarian states/dictatorships don't need believable stories. Anyone questioning the official line will just be thrown in prison or die of unnatural natural causes.
@@johnr797 It’s “Doesn’t Make Sense” Inception. 🤣 My head hurts…
@@johnr797 "...how incompetent do you think the Soviets are..." - **broadly gestures at this year's events**
@@JohnSmith-eg6bl ah, yes the soviet union still exists. I forgot about that.
I really enjoyed that story; you’re a very good narrator and the topic is interesting. I’m sick of videos TikTok style, which have really nothing to say. You had old, poor quality material but you made it fascinating. Thanks!
I like how you jump into the facts and tell the story! Like a true criminal investigation. I cant watch shows that have 5 minutes of depressing slow music before the narrator drawls out the story-as if they have a mouthful of molasses! keep up the good work Archie!😁
Mountaineering is no joke! The militaries of the world all have keen interest in mountains.
I had an incident two decades ago while mountaineering in the Republic of Korea.
I was hiking up an unnamed mountain, searching for rumored archeological ruins of the Shilla nation (just for fun) when around the last stretch before the summit, a fully-armored soldier appeared out-of-nowhere and pointed his K2 (Korean machine gun) at my face. At the time, my Korean speaking was rudimentary, so I was dependent on body language. I could literally see down into the barrel of the gun and could see the tip of the bullet ready to fire into my face. He shouted at me pointing the K2 inches away from my face. All I could do was cry carefully with tears streaming down my face to not shoot me and plead for my life. [I am Canadian of Korean ethnicity.] He accused me of being a spy from the north. I could see in his eyes that he was ready at any moment to discharge his entire magazine into my head. All I could do was defecate into my pants. He noticed the smell, cursed at me, and laughed while lowering his K2. I was saved by my weak bowels!
After this incident, I made it a point to not hike mountains by myself in foreign lands.
Woow that's crazy. Glad you got away 🙌🏾
@@mrsevelync6900 Thank you. It was an experience in my youth that I will never forget.
I was in Korea in the early 70's. I went hiking with another American and we rounded a corner and there out of nowhere were a group of Korean soldiers. No one pulled a gun, but they did emphatically tell us we were in an exercise area and to go back. Nothing was marked on our way, we told them. When they realized we spoke and understood Korean they were surprised and one asked if we had any American cigarettes but neither of us smoked. They told is a good trail to take to see nice views. I am sure if we were Korean our reception would have been more like yours.
@@angelachouinard4581 I'm happy you had a good experience.
This sounds 100% made up
I’m obsessed with these climbers
I think we should cherish them above all of our Rock Stars
These people are my heroes
Not to take anything away from Abalakov or from Tenzing and Hillary, but all evidence points to George Mallory being the first to reach the peak of Everest in 1924 b4 unfortunately falling to his death going back down.
This was, after Mallorys body was found in 1999, and while his altimeter had been broken in his fall (in which he sadly had not been killed instantly, but had to wait for death by exposure with an open leg fracture), the picture of his wife was missing from his wallet, and he had said ahead of time, that he would leave that picture at the peak. More importantly was the place, his body was found. According to those, who know Everest, the only route to get from, where he was last seen ascending above the hardest part of the ascend, to where he had fallen, was going over the peak. So all evidence was, that he had left his climbing partner behind, when Irvine was unable to go on, and pushed on to the peak (Mallory had already said, this would be his last expedition, so it was now or never) and then taken the other route down in the darkness as a shortcut, hoping for a quicker descend.
Sir Edmund Hillary was actually asked about this, after Mallorys body was found. Answering the usual tactless (and dumb) questions from journalists, he said, no, he did not feel, that took anything away from him, coz in his opinion in order to successfully climb a mountain u didnt just have to reach the top, u also had to get back down alive. Which is a fair point.
But I do feel it unfair, that George Mallory has largely been forgotten, as by all accounts he was a climber in a class of his own, far above all other climbers of his time, who pioneered the way to Everest and 99.9% certain was first to reach the top.
However, I also dont believe it to be a zero sum game. All 3 men were outstanding climbers, and each deserve the highest recognition.
My opinion is they did not make it to the top. The clothing was highly inefficient. The oxygen bottles were faulty. Today climbers have the best equipment and clothing and still tons of them freeze to death.
I believe also that George mallory was the first to climb Mt Everest. I remember watching the video when Mallorys body was first found. The men were almost in tears that they found his body. There have been others that climbed Mt Everest with no oxygen. One of them being a woman. So I could clearly believe that Mallory made it first. Although I still don’t understand why people climb the mountain still after all the deaths there. You need to have respect for the mountain, mother earth & mother nature for sure.
@@butterfliesarefreetofly6964 Kinda odd to emphasize that a woman summited without O2... It's like you're shocked that a woman could do that or something.
Also, do keep in mind that all those summits without oxygen were done with *modern* equipment. Mallory and Irvine were barely equipped to handle the harsh environment. With all those factors against their favour, I'm on the side of thinking that they didn't summit. Even the wife photo part can be doubted, as its possible that whoever found his body first took the photo. There's just too many factors to ever truly confirm either possibility. At this point, it's an old story and you get to choose that part of the ending. The conclusion is still the same.
Why do people climb these mountains? Well in the wise words of Hillary, "Because it's there.". In my eyes, it's a call that sneaks past all our logic to dig into our human nature. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to. I'll probably never climb Everest, but just imagining the view from the top... It tempts me to try anyways.
So happy to see another excellent upload from you. The care you put into these video's really shows!
Commenting here to help with the algorithm. Great content, looking forward to more of these cool USSR/Russian stories.
Edit: Almost forgot, while we're doing mountain mysteries, if there are interesting Russian sources on Almasty (Almas maybe?) I'm sure we'd love to hear them.
The Legend Returns
You are doing great work!!! Thank you! As a Mr Ballen fan, I’m super excited to find another good storyteller! Will spread the word!
I just left a joke on another Archie video, saying if it was the USA, they'd build the world's longest fence around the entire mountain with warning signs every 10 yards, then eventually some kids would climb the fence and end up on a Ballen video. I didn't think anyone would get my joke, now I have reason to hope 😅
@@poutinedream5066 the reason we have all that crap? LAWYERS & LAWSUITS
@@poutinedream5066 🙋🏻♀️ I would have!
On another note, I saw your comment with all the questions and because I could easily comment similarly we probably have a few things in common! People give me crap for long texts and stuff to the point that I actually consider those not at all useful comments in moments just like this one where I meant to just write two quick things. 😫
Anyway, secondly, this story is super interesting - tons of questions. All I can think is, “do not Google, do not Google…” 🧐
Okay, I rarely write comments under videos, but that was super interesting, perfectly researched and assembled video... Awesome job ! The effort you put in your videos is really incredible. You have a new subscriber in me and I will recommend your channel to some of my friends. :)
It's ok to comment now and then it's a responsible community!!!🙏😷
Amazing video once again! I'm happy to have found this gem of a channel!
Archie, your video content is amazing! I am always swept into each video by your narration, the sound and tempo of your voice, and the excitement in the details that you gently weave into each story. Thank you very much for all of these!!! 💖
so are you in russia or a nearby country?
I'd love to see videos about mysterious unsolved cases in former soviet countries, I feel like most youtubers don't discuss them, but mostly focus on the US, UK, other English-speaking countries, and sometimes Western Europe.
I'm sure most of those would be in Russian or another eastern european dialect.
@@mikeoxmall3847 Russian is a language, not a dialect
@@mikeoxmall3847 brooo haha never thought my language would suddenly become a dialect lmaoooo
I agree with your assertion!!! America and UK, aren't the only countries on earth, I pretty sure!!!🙏🤔
A big issue was Soviet secrecy, not much news about anything hit the West... unless it was propaganda!
Then post Soviet era what files exist have to found had to be located and translated into English.
Also, bear in mind that that these cases are old. Kids in the West aren't interested in their history, anything that's filmed black and white loses their interest... it's not just Soviet history they're not interested in... it's everything, even the Moon landing has little interest.
Just found this channel and I’m already hooked! Great research and presentation, subscribing for sure.
Your channel has quickly become one of my favorites. Thank you for creating such interesting content.
Thank you for the video, I am hoping to see many more and hoping to see support for your efforts grow. Analysis of these stories with the benefit of hindsight but the erosion of time and the obfuscation of the Iron Curtain cannot be an easy task so thank you again and very well done.
I couldn't believe when he said the wife made her suspicions known to the head of the kgb! Apparently she had got tired of living.
Well said!
@@poutinedream5066 oh dang.
Thank you for the careful storytelling!!
Love the topics. The howl Russia theme. Keep up the good work. Little is known about the Soviet Unions crimes. Maybe something for the future?
Keep it up brother ✌🏻
Well researched, very interesting.
Beautifully done Ty
Thank you for a third awesome video! Your comment on his clothes and equipment predating any of the 'miracle' materials we use today is so true. Before I went on my first backcountry trip, I received a small blue-book manual on what to expect, what to bring, etc. On the clothing list it was recommended to bring a rainsuit and wool pants and shirt because "wool keeps you warm even when wet." Which is very true.... However, I weighed my pack before loading in group supplies, and it was 49 pounds.
49 pounds? wtf were you hauling?
@@bojankotur4613 I would climb a mountain with a sheep on a leash before I carried a 50 pound coat 🤣- but then of course, that's why I'm addicted to mountain climbing videos. I so cannot relate.
I'm a fan of everything written or saying about Everest, so I found your channel by accident, I just subscribed , and I'm already hooked it.
Your research, narrative , and quality is amazing. Keep uploading! 👍
I watced the korovina group video and i subbed. I love your voice, please keep up the work!
Покойся с миром, друг, мы знаем, что Тебя предали смерти. Покойся с Ангелами. Карма отдала Тебе справедливость.
I used to have a water boiler where the flame would regularly go out after a few minutes of showering. Trust me, when the flame goes out, you IMMEDIATELY know. The water INSTANTLY turns cold. Unless these two men were in the habit of taking cold showers, in which case, only the pilot light in the water boiler would have been blown out, and it would take a very long time for enough gas to accumulate in the room to kill two grown men. You would definitely smell something long before then. It just seems very unlikely.
Such great content, I am glad that I found this channel! I love the Russian and Eastern mystery content. Not many channels cover this. Looking forward to new videos!
If he was killed because of state interests, superiors likely indicated to any investigators that this will be the official story and the matter needs to be forgotton. Higher authorities may have just taken any investigative materials and they ended up in a fireplace. The investigators knew that any other paperwork needed to just disappear. I wouldn't think orders to "liquidate" someone were written. Some team was told verbally to eliminate the problem and it was done. Maybe he didn't know anything, but there was a fear he might defect to the west on his trip in the Himalayas. Such a famous person would be an embarressment. It is easier to tell Stalin that the KGB thought he was going to defect, than take the possibility he would defect and then the KGB officers in charge of him would be executed.
Loving the history connected with these accounts. Keep up the good work😢!
I'm sorry to say l had never heard of this great man ,but l do now ! Thanks a lot for this vid . Friend of Doug Scot.
I just subscribed to you a few hours ago after watching your other video, must be my lucky day that I subscribe the same day you upload a new video.
Like always the authorities behavior after the death of the person is an indication of whether or not they were involved in his death, and in this case their behavior is suspicious. They only started investigations after two months and did not conduct any forensic examination, what is most telling is what the head of the KGB said to the widow. The facts and pictures may be scarce but there is definitely evidence of foul play.
This is an absolutely awesome video. Sub'd
Not sure what to think. A lot of people died during the Stalin, Lenin, and Soviet times. It's sad that someone of this man's caliber should be murdered instead of revered. RIP.
Fantastic video.. Congrats!
I love your channel and I can't wait until the algorithm picks you up and your channel rockets in popularity! Thanks for all your work.
Excellent and fascinating, these lesser known but truly great climbers of that era! 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏😊👍👍 A very sad ending for Evgeny 😔 Poisoning is an especially evil method of murder.
I'm delighted to have discovered your channel. You have a great flair for narrative, and all the videos of yours that I have seen so far are very well designed and produced.Great editing!
Just found your channel and I’m hooked!! TFS!!
this is such a sad story , RIP mountain climber ! ✝️
Love this channel!
Sure glad i happen upon this...Love it..keep it up😊😊
his sketches were stunning
Thanks a lot man for your videos!!!!!!
𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 . Video and voice over well freaking done
Well done. Great videos.
This is a great video, I subscribed!
There was portable oxygen back then - the British used it in their 1921, 1922, and 1924 Everest expeditions
Maybe the English had it but the Soviets didn't? I've heard that a lot of serious Russian climbers still don't like to use it, so maybe it's a cultural thing? I'm not sure.
@@neuralmute In Russia, climber must be tough, like bear 🐻❄️
@@sirandrelefaedelinoge That sounds suspiciously like my favourite Russian ballet instructor... ;D
"Bear can dance too, but YOU must also have grace!"
There are so many people who climbed Everest without the supplemental oxygen, not only Russians. And that’s exactly the way it should be, if you are not able to climb on your own without the Sherpas then stay home. The Everest became a tourist attraction for people with money, they just don’t know how to get rid of their money.
@@champtech8755 While I believe that mountaineering industry should require documented competency from clients before they're permitted to go on 8000m climbs, cutting out climbing sherpas from expeditions would be catastrophic for their local economies. People need to be more responsible for themselves because it's likely that the company will send sherpas and guides to rescue them when there's trouble. Best way to avoid trouble is to ensure that people have the knowlege, skill, and experience to operate that high. Just because you do a trekking peak like Pumori or Island Peak, or a lower elevation Himalayan peak like Cholatse or Ama Dablam, does not mean that you're ready for the Big E.
Look at that massive chest hair. Tragic loss of chad levels. Truely cruel world we live in.
I noticed the chest hair aswell. LOL
I noticed the back/shoulder hair 😱 gives a new meaning to Russian bears
The background theme in your videos are the perfect match for the video!!!
Thank you very much.
Excellent videos please do more
Archie: This is a story about DEATH 💀
Me: Welp, I'm sure he knew that ultimately he was gonna die in those mountains
Archie: DEATH far from the mountains
Dun Dun DUUUUUUNN!
And the lesson here is that in the Soviet Union you were best off being a nobody If you stood out in any way, unfortunate things might happen to you
He must have been running his mouth about where the uranium deposits were. Not a good idea.
Great vids my dude
Abalakov's widow: "I do not believe . . ." Yuri Andropov (head of KGB): "But we do." End of discussion. (Excellent video, BTW)
Dont stop more please
I'm in western US but I am really liking these Russian and Soviet mysteries!
Great video. But please do not spread the idea that nowadays, just because the equipment is better, anyone is able to conquer Everest.
It's just not true and it takes away from the great athleticism of the people who have done it.
Did you not see the photo he provided? Just a bunch of people walking holding onto a line.
I had a gas leak at my old house. It was so bad I could see the air and feel it on my face. I couldn't make it to the stove first attempt as I was getting dizzy and seeing spots. I managed to get a window open and retreat down stairs. Returning later I opened more windows and turned off the stove.
Point being, the gas was thick enough to see and feel and nearly make me pass out, but I didn't.
Not sure how a gas leak could kill 2 people unnoticed like that.
unless smell and stuff is added to the gas you won`t see or smell anything, at that time many people were getting gassed in areas where they didn`t add stuff.
i am enjoying the content, btw what kind of microphone you're using? i do not have the best microphone and i like how you sound, though you may want to use a pop filter.
The British were the first to ever step foot on Mount Everest. Mallory and Irvine didn't have any sort of modern equipment. Yes they had crappy oxygen but Edward Norton held the record for highest altitude on Mount Everest without the use of oxygen. This happened in 1920s.
but no so called Sherpas did? smh
@@am5790 The Sherpa only went so high. But it was the British who first stepped on the mountain. Mallory and Norton cut steps and cut the route for the porters
@@Bella.216 ah my apologize but thank you.
@@Bella.216 the brittish was learned how strong propaganda was from the nazis and probobly had someone to poison them , the story that the man refused the military can be a lie so they dont need to say how much they depended on him
26:10 sounds like you did that voiceover yourself :D.. even tho, good videos, keep coming
Yea... so why ARE these 2 men showing together?? Is that common for the place and time? I feel sad for his son, having to wonder what happened to his daddy, trying to find out, doing his best to honor him.
Being myself Russian, I wonder how did you get such a good pronunciation of names and words? Do you speak Russian language ?
New subscriber and I'm bingeing all ur stuff
great channel
Considering the gas heater in the bathroom looked pretty decrepit and beyond vintage, I think it’s entirely possible they did suffer hypoxia because of the gas. Victorian people died in the bath all the time the same way. Cyanosis is a typically feature of low oxygen and hypoxia would definitely cause them to appear blue tinged. Cyanide, however, makes the body contort violently during spasms, you foam at the mouth, and turn a reddish color, NOT blue!
It’s also likely they shared a shower because the heater and shower were so rinky dink and probably couldn’t provide much hot water. Doubt they’d care about seeing each other naked for ten minutes to take a shower, since climbers definitely get stuck in close quarters frequently and have to relieve ourselves or clean ourselves up practically in front of our partner. I think yes, they could die from the effects of the gas without the other people in the apartment being effected. If the other guy hadn’t noticed they had been in there a little long and checked, the other occupants of the apartment may have suffered hypoxia, too.
Conspiracy theories are fun for some, but the answer is usually not that over the top.
I have noticed your comments on multiple posts, I agree with you on everything I read its nice to see its not only morons on RUclips.
why are they taking a shower together? IF gas poisoning why did the rest of the visitors in house not getsickened?
Haha I didn’t pick up on that!
New subscriber here... great content!!!
Спасибо.
Your videos are just like watching a good documentary.
Great videos!! New Sub
Learning about Russia has been fascinating and I watch alot of true crime content so the combination is wonderful.
If you could do a video about Valeriy chackalov that would be awesome.
OMG awesome content please upload everything you have to English 👍
Very few things on our planet today happen by accident or coincidence (some would even say that none do), what is left for incidents like this in the Soviet Union back then?
Why would they shower TOGETHER? One of them broke bro code. This ain't Greece. It's Russia. You don't look!!!! lol.
Love your content but especially have enjoyed the Russian content. I live in AK so ive always been fascinated with the country. No not because of Putin and Ukraine. I enjoy learning more about how they do things and how their climbing is enteresting
Hey Archie. Did u narrate a prayer guide for Muslims some years back? Your voice is awesome. Reminds me that
This is very sad.
there are symptoms hear that seem similar to the korovina incident
I thought I was lucky growing up with the Cliftey Falls State Park for my front yard and playgrounds and hiking and such but Holy SHIT they had a hell of a playground! Well much dangerous playground but I had lots of fun with what we had too!
You mentioned you would like your audience to make suggestions. People here in the US know hardly anything about the folks who lived thru the Soviet years.
You have a new subscriber! As a Swede I feel it's much easier to relate to Russian history and hardships than Americans. They just ain't like us Nordic beasts ;) Naaahh, just kidding. But you have great content and an amazing voice, so I look forward to more videos! Keep it up! Peace
i'm expecting new video😎soon
I wonder if the wine compounded the effects of the gas?
"- But Stalin... Had little need for heroes."
This was the precursor to the space race?
yup
I'm sure they would have noticed the smell of gas , and to be in the bathroom together also very strange
The Russian version of the Eiger sanction
i think it might have been as simple as warning to vitaly who had already been accused of anti soviet behaviour and open propaganda! vitaly was a noted chemical engineer and inventor so the authorities probably wanted to have him back under their control, "see what we did to your brother? who else do you want to loose?"
what like snowblind or.....?
1:55 dude was truly a hairy "Russian Bear."