Bodrov gorge death. Karmadon Gorge (North Ossetia). Glacier descent in the Karmadon Gorge

In September 2002, the whole world was alarmed by the news of the disappearance of seven participants in the Karmadon Gorge, which is located in North Ossetia. film crew led by Sergei Bodrov Jr. The cause of the disappearance was the sudden collapse of the Kolka glacier. As a result, several hundred people were reported missing. The actor’s body has not been found to this day, which has given rise to many speculations and assumptions about how Sergei Bodrov died.

Actor popularity

Sergei Sergeevich Bodrov Jr. is known to almost every Russian viewer. He gained his first fame thanks to his role as Ivan Zhilin in the film “ Prisoner of the Caucasus" She was followed by an equally significant one - the role of Danila Bagrov in the duology “Brother” and “Brother-2”. And it was thanks to his filming in these films that he became a popular favorite.

Before this, the actor periodically starred in several episodic roles, which did not leave a significant mark. In particular, Sergei Bodrov began his career back in 1986 with a small role in the television film “I Hate You,” where he played a simple boy at the equestrian club. This was followed by several roles in the films “SIR” and “White King, Red Queen”. After 1996, the actor gained real fame and began to appear in films more and more often. In 2001, the film “Sisters” was released on cinema screens, where Bodrov Jr. acted as director and screenwriter and, in addition, starred in cameo role. We can consider that this film became his real debut.

In the same year, 2001, he was the host of the first season of the then popular show “ Last Hero" Repeat your directorial success this talented person planned while filming the film “Svyaznoy”. Unfortunately, the tragic events of the autumn of 2002 did not allow these plans to come true. It was on the day when Sergei Bodrov Jr. died that the filming of the film was completely stopped.

Filming of the film “Svyaznoy”: interesting facts

Filming of the film “The Messenger” started in July 2002. The casting was carried out personally by Sergei Bodrov Jr. It was on his recommendations that the performers of the main roles were approved. An interesting fact is that actor Alexander Mezentsev got to the shooting thanks to a spoiled take during auditions for the film, and Khashbi Galazov ate the heart of a viper at the casting, since it was his character, according to the script, who was supposed to do this on the screen.

Filming in the Karmadon Gorge was planned to take place in August for two weeks, but due to the fact that Bodrov’s second child was born at that time, the entire process was postponed to the end of September.

The team that was involved in the production of the film arrived in Vladikavkaz on September 18. It was planned to start mountain shooting at 9 am on the 20th. But due to bad weather conditions, the process had to be postponed to one o'clock in the afternoon, which, unfortunately, led to tragic consequences.

Only a few frames were shot, after which by seven o'clock in the evening the group was forced to stop filming due to poor lighting.

When everyone was ready to go to the hotel, the Kolka ice massif collapsed from the top of Mount Kazbek. It filled the entire Karmadon Gorge in the exact place where Sergei Bodrov Jr. and his film crew died.

Unfortunately, out of the entire team, only two people managed to survive: Anna Dubrovskaya and Alexander Mezentsevev. By a happy coincidence, they did not go to the mountains with the group that time, thanks to which they survived. An interesting fact is that it was their characters who, according to the script, were supposed to survive at the end of the unmade film.

Death of an actor

No less mysterious remains the question of how Sergei Bodrov died, because the celebrity’s body has not yet been found. This does not make it possible to find out at least some reliable information.

According to official data, contact with the film crew was lost immediately after the glacier collapse. Together with them, more than 150 people disappeared - tourists who had placed their tents along the 12-kilometer path along which this terrible element passed.

According to some local residents, an hour and a half after the tragedy, filmmakers radioed that they were still alive. This information has not been officially confirmed and no evidence exists.

There is no exact information about how Sergei Bodrov actually died. The actor is still considered missing, and until his body is found, no one can say anything with certainty.

Search for the body

Active work to search for the missing was carried out for several months. Rescuers, local residents and relatives of those who died took part in the search operations. Of the more than 150 missing, none survived, and only 19 bodies were found. Officially, 127 people are listed as missing. The search operations were finally stopped back in 2004, although attempts to find Bodrov’s body by some enthusiasts continue to this day, all in order to find out at least something about how Sergei Bodrov died.

It was assumed that the film crew could have taken refuge in a tunnel located at the site of the tragedy, but when it was cleared, no traces of human presence were found.

The gorge where Sergei Bodrov died

The Karmadon Gorge is located in North Ossetia and before the events of the autumn of 2002 it was very popular among tourists because of its unusual beauty. After the tragedy, this place became known to almost every resident of our country and is a place of pilgrimage for those who lost relatives or friends there.

Above the gorge is the Kazbek volcano. It is considered inactive for a long time, although the echo of past greatness results in the periodic release of volcanic gases, but nothing more. According to experts, it was precisely this passive activity of this volcano that caused the unexpected collapse of the Kolka glacier.

Memory of the actor

While many are thinking about how Sergei Bodrov died, where his body is and what actually happened on the evening of September 20 in the Karmadon Gorge, in the world Russian art The memory of the actor is actively honored.

Several books have been written about the life and work of Bodrov Jr., many television programs have been filmed and documentaries. But most of all, the musicians he loved paid tribute to the actor. They dedicated a number of songs to him, which they perform from time to time at their concerts, accompanied by stills from Sergei’s films or simply projecting his photograph. Among these performers, the most famous are music bands"Agatha Christie", "Bi-2", "Semantic hallucinations"; singer V. Butusov and singer I. Saltykova.

The remains of one of the victims (possibly Sergei Bodrov) of the ice collapse in September 2002 were found in the Genaldon Gorge (North Ossetia). This was reported by a representative of the press service of the republican department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

According to him, the remains were discovered by employees of the Cascade Mountain Club enterprise, who were laying a pipeline along the bank of the Genaldon River. Oleg Rzhanov, the head of the enterprise, said that in flows river water Fragments of a Moskvich brand body were washed out of the mudflow, inside of which there were scraps of decayed clothing, as well as human remains.

The news excited the whole of North Ossetia. Officially, the search for those killed during the collapse of the Kolka glacier was stopped more than a year ago. Relatives of the missing carried out excavations themselves for a long time, but last spring they too came to terms with the loss of their loved ones. All work was stopped at the site of the tunnel, where Sergei Bodrov’s film crew could presumably have taken refuge. And then - just 100 meters north of this very tunnel - they found the body of a man.

On Saturday, employees of the Institute of Geology Russian Academy Sciences, while walking around the glacier, saw rags sticking out of the mess of mud, stones and ice. They approached out of curiosity, and there were the remains of a man. There were shoes lying a little to the side.

This is not a body, but only bones. Well, what do you want - two years have passed, say geologists Anatoly Gurbanov and Stanislav Bubnov. - Only experts can say who it is. But we immediately thought - is this really Brother?..

For now, we can only say that the remains belong to a man aged 30-35 years. “Everything else will become clear after the examination,” said Georgy Thapsaev, head of the forensic department of the Prigorodny district of North Ossetia. - We will be able to give the first expert opinion only in 10 days.

Experts say that the body was preserved surprisingly well, although the speed of the glacier reached 250 km/h. In such a meat grinder only small parts could be preserved. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the body was most likely brought to the surface by the waters of the glacier, which began to melt especially actively this summer.

Was the body of Sergei Bodrov found?

Almost two years later, Karmadon returns his captives. They were looking for them on purpose, but they were found by chance. Scientists from the Academy of Sciences noticed human remains in men's clothing. They came to study dangerous natural processes, but were faced with their consequences.

For the first time, a victim of a glacier was discovered in the very heart of the ice mass, where its thickness is more than 100 meters. No one has ever tried to search there.

Vladimir Ivanov, head of the information department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of North Ossetia: “Several local residents who had previously assisted volunteer searchers on the glacier in the winter of 2003 were present during the work of the operatives and rescuers. And they, in general, were discouraged by the very location of the remains. It was through this place that the road to the ice blockage passed, which led to the adit, which was pierced to the northern portal of the Karmadon tunnel.”

It was assumed that the group of Sergei Bodrov Jr. could have escaped in the tunnel. This is about 150 meters down the glacier. But experts already said then that people could have ended up anywhere in the gorge.

So far, the melting ice has freed only one victim. Operatives and rescuers took the remains, but did not start any new searches. Now, based on the trousers, jacket and boots, they will try to figure out who they finally dug up: local resident or a member of the film crew. It is already known for sure that, judging by his age, this is not Bodrov himself.

Georgy Thapsaev, head of the forensic medical examination department of the Prigorodny district of North Ossetia: “We can say that the bone remains, judging by anatomical structure, are the remains of a male corpse, judging by the teeth and their degree of wear, about 30–40 years old.”

This is the 19th of 123 victims of the glacier. The Ministry of Emergency Situations fears that the find will again bring people who have lost relatives to Karmadon. But now the relatives again have at least a ghostly hope of finding the bodies of their loved ones.

Let us recall that on September 20, 2002, Sergei Bodrov went with the film crew to shoot a couple of episodes for the new film “Svyaznoy”. This was his first big project, where he was the director, scriptwriter and performer. leading role. But the actor never managed to fulfill his dream. As a result of an ice collapse, the entire film crew died, which after many attempts was never found. The ice avalanche, more than 100 meters high, moved at a speed of 150-170 km/h and, according to experts, no one could survive.

As a result of the glacier's collapse, the village of Upper Karmadon was completely destroyed, where more than 100 people died. Nothing remained of it, not even the foundations of houses. There is no need to talk about body fragments...

According to the guide, nearby there were three three-story buildings of the Karmadon sanatorium, where people from all over the country came for treatment. Built back in Soviet times, the health resort was famous for its unique healing waters. Now there are only thickets of bushes, grass and a gentle slope of the hill: Kolka has changed the entire topography.

Now in the Karmadon Gorge nothing reminds of that tragedy. A new forest has already grown on the slopes of the hills and cliffs. The rubble of huge boulders was cleared. A new road and power line were laid.

One of the most picturesque tourist routes passes here, and on the route, which winds like a serpentine, rising into the mountains, you can meet buses with travelers. They always make a stop near the place of death of the group of Sergei Bodrov Jr.: the guides tell what happened here. In the gorge there are two monuments to those killed as a result of the glacier collapse. You can almost always see fresh carnations on them, despite the fact that the monuments are located a little away from the highways.

However, according to geologists, the story of the Kolka glacier is not over. It has been established that it disappears regularly with a frequency of once every 40-70 years. During this time, people, alas, manage to forget about what happened earlier and again settle in the lowlands of the picturesque Karmadon Gorge...

14 years ago, on September 20, 2002, a tragedy occurred in the mountains of North Ossetia: the Kolka glacier descended in the Karmadon Gorge, killing more than a hundred people, including Sergei Bodrov Jr. with his film crew. The bodies of the victims were never found; all 26 members of the film crew are still missing. The mysterious circumstances of the tragedy force scientists today to put forward new versions of the reasons for what happened.

Film crew of the film *Svyaznoy*. North Ossetia, Karmadon Gorge, 2002

In the fall of 2002, Sergei Bodrov worked on the film “The Messenger,” in which he acted as a director, screenwriter and actor. On September 18, the film crew arrived in Vladikavkaz. Filming was planned for September 20 in the Karmadon Gorge - only one scene of the film was filmed there. Due to transport delays, the start of filming was moved from 9:00 to 13:00, which cost the lives of all participants. The work had to be completed around 19:00 due to poor light. The group collected equipment and prepared to return to the city.

Sergei Bodrov on the set of his last movie*Messenger*. North Ossetia, Karmadon Gorge, 2002 doseng.org

At 20:15 local time, a giant mass of ice fell from the spur of Mount Kazbek. In 20 minutes, the Karmadon Gorge was covered with a 300-meter layer of stones, mud and ice. No one managed to escape - the mudflows moved at a speed of at least 200 km per hour, covering entire villages, recreation centers and tourist camps over a distance of 12 km. More than 150 people were trapped under the rubble, 127 of them are still considered missing.

The road was blocked, and rescuers were able to reach the gorge only after several hours. All the residents of the surrounding villages also came to help. As a result of the 3-month rescue operation, only 19 bodies were found. Over the next two years, volunteers continued the search. Right on the glacier they set up a camp called “Nadezhda”, searching every day. According to their version, the film crew could get to the car tunnel and take shelter from the avalanche there. However, no traces of people were found in the tunnel. The search was stopped in 2004.

Sergei Bodrov on the set of his latest film *Svyaznoy*. North Ossetia, Karmadon Gorge, 2002

There are many mystical coincidences in this story. According to S. Bodrov’s script, only two of the main characters remained alive by the end of the film “The Messenger” - surprisingly, the performers of these roles actually returned home unharmed. According to the script, Bodrov’s hero was supposed to die. Filming in Karmadon was originally scheduled for August, but this month Bodrov’s second child was born, which is why everything was postponed to September. In Vladikavkaz, Bodrov lived in the same hotel with another film crew: in a nearby gorge, director Ya. Lapshin was filming a film about the collapse of a glacier that destroyed local settlements. The plot of the picture became prophetic.

Karmadon Gorge after the tragedy

Kolka is a so-called pulsating glacier that falls down about once every hundred years. It was known for sure that he had to go down, but it was not possible to foresee the time of the catastrophe. Although seismic stations recorded unusual activity a few days before the disaster - presumably hanging glaciers from neighboring peaks were falling onto Kolka. But this data was not processed and taken into account.

Memorial plaque at the site of the tragedy

Today, scientists say that the glacier collapse could not have been triggered by ice growths falling from above. Photos were published indicating that in early September there were no hanging glaciers above Kolka. L. Desinov is sure: the nature of the glacier release is gas-chemical. The collapse was caused by fluid gas flows coming out of the mouth of the Kazbek volcano. Warm jets of gas pushed the glacier out of its bed like a cork from a bottle of champagne.

Sergey Bodrov

Sergei Bodrov Jr. in the film *Brother*, 1997

Scientists are also confident that the collapse of the glacier was not only not accidental, but could also indicate more dangerous and large-scale processes occurring in the layers of the lithosphere. There is a version that the reason for the sharp revival of Kolka was several faults in the ground that converged at one point. Magma approached the bottom of the glacier, and 200 tons of ice were forced out of its bed. This could be a warning signal of future earthquakes due to faults.

Karmadon Gorge after the tragedy

The mysterious circumstances of the tragedy forced many people to put forward incredible versions of what happened. Among the mountaineers there were witnesses who claimed that an hour and a half after the glacier disappeared, members of the group got in touch, and also that they allegedly saw Bodrov alive years after the tragedy.

The exact circumstances of the death of Sergei Bodrov are still not known. But one thing is certain: sooner or later the glacier may collapse again, and people are unable to prevent this catastrophe.

Sergei Bodrov Jr. in the film *Brother-2*, 2000

The bodies of the victims were never found; all 26 members of the film crew are still missing. The mysterious circumstances of the tragedy force scientists today to put forward new versions of the reasons for what happened.

Due to transport delays, the start of filming was moved from 9:00 to 13:00, which cost the lives of all participants. The work had to be completed around 19:00 due to poor light. The group collected equipment and prepared to return to the city.

According to their version, the film crew could get to the car tunnel and take shelter from the avalanche there. However, no traces of people were found in the tunnel. The search was stopped in 2004.

Filming in Karmadon was originally scheduled for August, but this month Bodrov’s second child was born, which is why everything was postponed to September. In Vladikavkaz, Bodrov lived in the same hotel with another film crew: in a nearby gorge, director Ya. Lapshin was filming a film about the collapse of a glacier that destroyed local settlements. The plot of the picture became prophetic.

The exact circumstances of the death of Sergei Bodrov are still not known. But one thing is certain: sooner or later the glacier may collapse again, and people are unable to prevent this catastrophe.

The North Caucasus is famous for its beautiful natural landscapes, majestic mountains, turquoise rivers, clean air. One of these places was the Karmadon Gorge in North Ossetia.

Dangerous Mountains

Nature often poses a deadly threat. The North Ossetian gorges have always been famous for their beauty; they have been and remain favorite vacation spots for both the local population and visiting tourists. There are numerous recreation centers and mountaineering centers here, and almost ideal conditions have been created for lovers of active rest. In addition, they are often used for location filming of films. The diversity and pristine nature allows you to capture excellent plans and perspectives, which is so important for a film. This is exactly what the Karmadon Gorge was like. Even 12 years ago it attracted people with its main attraction - the Kolka glacier. Located at the very top of the gorge, on clear days it allowed one to see a rainbow glow over the entire surrounding area. It was this gorge that the famous Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr.

On the eve of the tragedy

Old-timers were always afraid of this glacial mass hanging over the entire gorge, but glaciologists (people who monitor glaciers) gave rather optimistic forecasts. In addition, residents of the village of Upper Karmadon did not recall any alarming phenomena during its long history. Nothing foreshadowed the drama that unfolded here on a sunny, warm day on September 20, 2002. The tragedy in Karmadonskoye was a complete surprise for all its participants: for residents, Sergei Bodrov’s film crew, and emergency services. People calmly went about their business, and Bodrov’s team finished filming, which was supposed to start in the morning, but the prevailing circumstances led to the fact that they were postponed to the second half of the day. It gets dark early in the mountains, and therefore by seven o’clock in the evening people began to gather, and in the meantime, events occurred in the upper reaches of the gorge that radically changed the entire subsequent course of events.

Tragedy in the Karmadon Gorge on September 20, 2002

Around eight in the evening a large mass of overhanging ice fell to the surface. The impact was enormous; some experts even compared its energy to the detonation of a small atomic charge. It caused destruction of the upper part of the glacier body; numerous cracks caused the collapse of the Kolka fragment. Rushing down, this mass began to drag the rock-mud mudflow into its orbit, and was the first to be hit by the elements locality Upper Karmadon, it was all simply swept away. Geographically, any gorge has a rather narrow passage, this is what prevented the dispersal destructive force ice-mud mass. The stream rushed at a speed of over two hundred kilometers, and highest height the shaft was about 250 meters. The entire area covered the Karmadon Gorge for more than twelve kilometers, turning the once flourishing region into a lifeless desert.

The dramatic fate of Sergei Bodrov's group

Sergei Bodrov's film crew was loading onto transport, but did not have time to leave the gorge. Everything happened almost at lightning speed. According to eyewitnesses, the entire glacier collapse took no more than 20 minutes, which made the task of escape even more difficult. In the first hours after the tragedy, many people were overcome by fear and despondency. Such were the devastating consequences of the event that changed the Karmadon Gorge. North Ossetia, without exception, responded to this misfortune. Immediately after the glacier melted in Vladikavkaz, an operational headquarters was formed to search for people and provide assistance to the victims. Significant forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other emergency structures were brought to the scene of the incident. According to preliminary data, 19 people were killed. The rescue work that began revealed the full scale of the tragedy, everything was ground almost to dust, thousands of cubic meters of mudflow mass flooded the entire flat part of the gorge, and there was no chance of survival here.

Consequences of glacial collapse

On September 21, at 14:00, according to the operational headquarters, more than 130 people were listed as dead or missing, including Sergei Bodrov’s film group. However, people still had little hope that famous actor and his team could take refuge in a car tunnel, which was located at the bottom of the gorge, and there were even supposedly witnesses who noticed a column of cars heading towards this shelter. All residents of Upper Karmadon were included in the list of missing persons, because not a single body could be found. Active rescue efforts made it possible to get closer to the entrance to the tunnel, but it was blocked by a multi-meter block of ice and mud. It became clear that it would not be possible to get inside quickly. This means that the chances of finding survivors were quickly disappearing. However, volunteers and anyone who wanted to help speed up the process joined the operation. The collapse of the glacier in the Karmadon Gorge caused an unprecedented unity of all residents of the small Caucasian republic. But all efforts were in vain; during the first month of rescue work, no one was found.

Death of hope

The relatives and friends of Sergei Bodrov and his companions insisted on continuing the search, but the approaching cold weather no longer made this possible. Many understood that, most likely, they were no longer alive. But on famous expression“Hope dies last” continued to believe, against their better judgment, in the possibility of saving the group. However, the more time passed, the more elusive all hopes became. In the end, even the most ardent enthusiasts stopped searching. It was decided to begin a new search at the beginning of spring to find the remains of all the filmmakers. Many remember television footage from the scene of the tragedy in the spring of 2003, how they counted the meters to the entrance to the tunnel, what operations they came up with to speed up the process, 19 attempts to drill through the body of the tunnel were unsuccessful, and only the twentieth attempt made it possible to get inside. All those present were in for a huge disappointment: no traces of people were found inside. However, the study of the tunnel continued for almost another year, but did not produce positive results. By decision of the commission, all searches were stopped in May 2004. All missing persons began to be listed as dead in the Karmadon Gorge.