Mysteries of the Virgin Komi Forests: Dyatlov Pass and the Manpupuner Rock Formations
The Virgin Komi Forests represents one of Russia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and sits in the Northern Ural Mountains. According to UNESCO, the Virgin Komi Forests stretch across 3.28 million hectares of land and includes tundra, mountain tundra, and “one of the most extensive areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in Europe.” This stretch of forest covers an incredibly wide area that has a variety of characteristics and natural wonders that cannot all be covered in the general description of the area. With this vast stretch of land, there are many places and spaces for mysteries and legends to bloom. Two of these mysterious places include Dyatlov Pass and the Manpupuner rock formations found in one of the areas encompassed by the Virgin Komi Forests.
Most people enjoy a good mystery. Police procedural television shows and movies make up a great portion of the entertainment market and mystery novels are popular. In his article, “The Appeal of the Mystery,” Alan Goldman describes what it is about mystery novels that appeals to readers. Goldman notes that a good mystery novel provides interaction and stimulation for the reader because they have to think throughout the story to try and solve the mystery. Mysteries make people think and use their imagination. Mysteries found in real life also make people think and use their imagination to try and solve them. In his article involving mystery and Dyatlov Pass, Dmitry Kurakin notes that due to increased access to media platforms and the wide scope of these platforms, an interest in mysteries has flourished. Access to more information has led amateur sleuths to try and find new mysteries to solve. World Heritage sites such as the Virgin Komi Forests provide environments where wonder and mystery often meet. Mysteries draw people in because people are naturally curious and spark a critical thinking process. Using a mystery or a legend to draw people to a World Heritage site may seem odd, but it does add a level of intrigue for a visitor and provides a new means of interaction with the site. Although the Dyatlov Pass incident represents a tragic mystery that should not be used as a tourist attraction, the Manpupuner rock formations and various other parts of the Forests may provide a way to intrigue visitors.
Our journey into these mysterious happenings begins with an exploration of the Virgin Komi Forests. One of Russia’s eleven natural World Heritage sites, the Virgin Komi Forests represent a significant area of study in the taiga region. This stretch of forests includes, according to UNESCO, aspens, conifers, peat bogs, rivers, and various other natural wonders that have “been monitored and studied for over 50 years” that have “provided valuable evidence of the natural processes affecting biodiversity in the taiga.” The Virgin Komi Forests include the Yugyd Va (Clear Water) National Park, the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve, and Yaksha Forest District. Both of our mysterious locations can be found in the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve.
The Dyatlov Pass incident is a mystery that has haunted individuals for 61 years. According to Mary Ilyushina and Lianne Kolirin, Russia recently decided to re-open an investigation into what exactly happened to the nine experienced skiers. Much conjecture has occurred over the years about what exactly happened. According to Lucy Ash, Lyudmila Dubinina, Yuri Krivonischenko, Rustem Slobodin, Aleksander Kolevatov, Semyon Zolotaryov, Yuri Doroshenko, Zinaida Kolmogorova, Igor Dyatlov, Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle, and Yura Yudin were students at the Urals Polytechnic Institute who decided to go out on a cross-country skiing trip in 1959. Nine out of these ten individuals never came back. Searchers found the nine student’s bodies at their campsite. Many suspected foul play based since the bodies and campsite were in disarray. Theories range from an avalanche, murder, government conspiracy, and even an encounter with a yeti. Dmitry Kurakin discusses the idea that the Dyatlov Pass tragedy has remained a popular mystery because the facts “contradict common sense.” The facts of the case appear so peculiar from the norm that people immediately become intrigued by it.
The next Virgin Komi Forest mysterious site lies with the Manpupuner rock formations. According to the Tourism Office of the Komi Republic, the Manpupuner rock formations are one of the seven wonders of Russia and are a sacred place to the Mansi tribe. The Manpupuner rock formations are large stone formations that have legends behind their creation. The Tourism Office of the Komi Republic mentions one legend where the seven stones represent giant brothers who were stopped once good spirits turned them to stone. These stones are not surrounded by other formations and there are no close settlements to them. Geologists have identified that ancient mountains once stood in this location and wind and time slowly degraded the rock until these residual formations were all that remained, according to the Tourism Office. Even though there is a scientific explanation, the mystery and wonder of the site is not lost.
Mysteries have a way of working their way underneath people’s skin. Kurakin mentions that mysteries rely on tension and uncertainty and these two components create fascination. Fascination is a key factor in trying to entice people to care about and visit World Heritage sites. UNESCO has run into an issue within the Virgin Komi Forests where, according to Lynn Meskell, “state-sponsored gold mining” has arisen. The boundaries have been changed to exclude areas that harbor gold mines up in the northern part of the site. UNESCO did not approve of these changes due to the detrimental effects it could have on the site. Perhaps focusing on multiple hidden interest spots, such as the mysterious Dyatlov Pass and Manpupuner rock formations, could increase tourism revenue to the point where gold mining in that particular area of the Virgin Komi Forests would no longer need to occur.
The Virgin Komi Forests encompass a vast stretch of natural wonders that can captivate any visitor. This vast stretch of land provides a wide variety of locations that can each have their own mysterious stories. The Dyatlov Pass incident represents a mystery that has plagued professional and amateur sleuths for the past 61 years. The Manpupuner rock formations represent an area that has been scientifically explained, but still exudes mystery and wonder. Using a mystery, such as the Manpupuner rock formations, to draw in a few more visitors may encourage them to view more of the Virgin Komi Forests. This interest could possibly have greater implications in protecting the Forests by bringing in more revenue for the areas that it covers. More interest usually leads to more protection and adding a little mystery and intrigue to a World Heritage site may help with its protection in the long run.
Sources:
www.jstor.org/stable/23883662.
Kurakin, Dmitry. “The Cultural Mechanics of Mystery: Structures of Emotional Attraction in Competing Interpretations of the Dyatlov Pass Tragedy.” American Journal of Cultural Sociology 7, no. 1 (2019): 101–127.
http://www.folklore.ee/~aado/rahvad/mansingl.htm
Meskell, Lynn. “UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention at 40: Challenging the Economic and Political Order of International Heritage Conservation.” Current Anthropology 54, no. 4 (2013): 483–94.
