When we think of catacombs, we think of underground tunnels and chambers, locations where bodies were stored in lieu of a cemetery. Perhaps the most popular of catacombs is beneath the city of Paris, France. There you will find the skeletal remains of more than 6 million people. What you may not know, is that the largest catacomb system in the world is the Odessa Catacombs in Ukraine. There you will find the legend of Masha.
On Wikipedia, catacombs are described as man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. But catacombs can be more than religious passageways or burial grounds.
In the case of the Odessa Catacombs, they are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels under the city of Odessa. 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. The catacombs also contain natural caves and span over 1,500 miles.
The catacombs once served as the preferred hideout for rebels, criminals, and during World War II, air-raid shelters. They became a hiding place for Soviet partisans. After the Soviets were forced out of the city, dozens of soviet-organized Ukrainian rebel groups remained, hiding below the city.
These men and women remained hidden, living in the catacombs. They cooked, played games, and listened to the radio… With the Nazi’s above ground, they looked for any opportunity relay intelligence, or strike their enemy. They were even known to blow up German facilities.
The Soviets suffered malnutrition, and even malaria. Above ground, the Fasciest Germans and Romanians would identify random catacomb exits and seal them off, hoping to trap them inside. They would throw in poison gas canisters, hoping to smoke them out and finish them off. No doubt, many bodies remain hidden in the mines.
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. During the Cold War, they served as bomb shelters.
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. Their goal was to explore the catacombs and document the history of the partisan movement. In doing so, they were able to provide valuable information for the mapping of the tunnels.
The catacombs are on three levels, and reach a depth of 200ft (60 meters) below sea level.
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. Many of the tunnels have been filled, either with earth or concrete, however the majority remain open and unmapped. With over 1,000 known entrances, exploration is exceptionally dangerous.
There is, however, a portion of the catacombs that is open to the public within the “Museum of Partisan Glory” in Nerubayskoye, north of Odessa.
As is the nature of people, and urban explorers, tunnels and caves outside of the trusted zone serve as an exhilarating adventure. The people of Odessa and surrounding areas know better than to explore the catacombs. But that has not stopped outsiders, or even local, daring, teenagers who are curious about, or even set on finding, the legendary treasures they contain.
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. One story stands out among the rest, and that is the story of Masha.
The Odessa Catacombs and Masha
The Stone Mines, part of the Odessa Catacombs, were closed and sealed off in 1917. Despite this, they were once used by the Soviets who took Nazi soldiers down to be executed. They were a popular location for murderers to hide bodies, and on at least three occasions, were a location where area kids had ventured inside, never to be seen again.
Parents in the area warned their children to stay away. Even if they managed to find an entrance that was accessible, they were not to venture inside. Of course – parents saying not to do something usually encourages kids to do that very thing.
It was cold, near freezing, and foggy on New Year’s Eve 2005. Masha and a group of friends thought it would be fun to go out, party, and celebrate at the Stone Mines. Though Masha wasn’t particularly interested in going to the mine, she went anyway, wanting to be with her friends more.
Everyone at Odessa’s School Number 56 had talked about there being a working entrance to the mine, just outside of school property. When the group arrived, they found it easy enough, with two large metal doors. One of them decided to give it a try, they turned the handle and the door swung open. Inside, they saw a flight of stairs leading down into the catacombs.
They didn’t go inside, heeding the warnings their parents had given them. They began to drink, and occasionally worked up the courage to go inside the mine, taking a few steps in before turning around and running back out.
After a while, the group was quite intoxicated, Masha included. Drunk and needing to urinate, she left the group, seeking a place to relieve herself. She made the decision to venture down into the mine for privacy sake.
Some time later, when the group was ready to call it a night and head home, they noticed Masha was missing. One of them recalled hearing her say she had to use the bathroom, and assumed, since she wasn’t there, that she had gone home.
Believing this to be the best explanation for her absence, the group agreed and they left. But Masha had not gone home.
Down in the mine, for unknown reasons, Masha didn’t turn around and leave once she had finished. She ventured farther down the tunnels and quickly got turned around. Eager to escape, she ran through the tunnels, not knowing she was heading the wrong direction. Masha had no food, no drink, and no phone service. Worse, she didn’t know where she was, or how to get out.
Masha had traveled several miles into the catacombs.
The next day, Masha’s friends went to her house to see how she was doing. That’s when they learned that she had never returned home – her parents had assumed she was with them. The group had to come clean. They admitted that they had gone to the Stone Mines, and maybe, just maybe Masha had gone inside.
Her parents called the authorities who went to the site and began to search. Unfortunately, this area was unmapped, and quite dangerous. After a short time, they called off the search, saying that Masha would have to find her own way out, it wasn’t safe for them to look for her any longer.
Inside the mine, the catacombs turned, forked, and led Masha further from the entrance. After three days in total darkness without food or water, Masha collapsed and died from dehydration.
It wasn’t until six months later that Masha was found. A group of urban explorers were pushing deeper into the mines, into one of the most unexplored areas, when they came across the body of a woman. She appeared to be on her hands and knees, in a crawling position. Masha had died, still trying to escape.
Today, there are dozens of semi-professional catacomb explorer groups that venture into the Odessa catacombs. They go on “expeditions” into the mines that can last several days, and document and map the area. These groups have even rescued a number of children who have wandered into the catacombs and gotten lost.
Explorers are rewarded with finds such as weapons caches, and at least once every five years, the discovery of a body. In September 1995, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Odessa, the longest underground journey in the catacombs was recorded. The trek lasted 27-hours, and covered about 25 miles (40 kilometers). Shortly after this, the mapping of a large unexplored area known as “K-29” began.
For those interested in exploring the catacombs, with less risk, you can hire a professional to take you down. Just beware, even professionals can get lost.
As fun as it is to explore catacombs, some people prefer to stay above ground and explore. But some places just aren’t meant to be explored. Places such as Aokigahara Forest.
