It should not come as a surprise to learn that the
vast wildernesses, thick forests, and massive mountain ranges of Russia
are home to Bigfoot-type beasts. They are known to the local folk as Almasty.
For some researchers, the creatures are unknown apes. For others, they
are nothing less than still-surviving pockets of Neanderthals. Both
scenarios are amazing, in terms of their potential implications. But,
whatever the true identity of the Almasty, there’s very little doubt
that it exists. The sheer number of witness reports makes that very
clear. The Almasty is a creature that has a long history attached to it,
something which also adds to the likelihood of it being a genuine
animal of very ancient proportions. What is very possibly the earliest
report on record of the hairy, giant, Almasty came from one Hans
Schiltenberger. In the 1400s, Schiltenberger was taken prisoner by Turkish forces and was, as David Hatcher-Childress notes, placed “in the retinue of a Mongol prince named Egidi.”
It transpires that upon his return to Europe in 1427, Schiltenberger
began writing a book about his experiences with the Turks. It was a book
that surfaced in 1430 and which is made highly notable by its reference
to strange and savage creatures that Schiltenberger was told of, and
which were said to live high in the Tien Shan Mountains of Mongolia,
which border upon Russia. Schiltenberger’s translated words state: “The
inhabitants say that beyond the mountains is the beginning of a
wasteland which lies at the edge of the earth. No one can survive there
because the desert is populated by so many snakes and tigers. In the
mountains themselves live wild people, who have nothing in common with
other human beings. A pelt covers the entire body of these creatures.
Only the hands and face are free of hair. They run around in the hills
like animals and eat foliage and grass and whatever else they can find.
The lord of the territory made Egidi a present of a couple of forest
people, a man and a woman. They had been caught in the wilderness,
together with three untamed horses the size of asses and all sorts of
other animals which are not found in German lands and which I cannot put
a name to.”
Evidently, the creatures still exist: in August 2005, a Ukranian newspaper, Situation, described a then recent encounter
with no less than an entire group of Almasty on the Demedzhi Plateau,
in the Crimea. The newspaper reported that: “Ivan S., 21, and his group
of 12 tourists were spending their second day camped on the plateau. The
kids went to sleep early, while the adults stayed up a while. ‘The
night was very bright with a full moon,’ reported Crimean ufologist
Anton A. Anfalov.” Anfalov continued: “Ivan’s assistant, Sasha and
several of the men left the campsite to use the bathroom and when they
returned, they looked terrified and trembled with fear. It was then
everyone heard a frightful growl near the camp.” Suddenly, the group was
confronted by a pack of huge, approximately eight feet tall, “naked,
hairy men.”
According to Sasha: “There were three creatures. And they were about
six meters away from us. The hair humanoids were 2 to 2.5 meters in
height. Their true height was hard to estimate because they were all
crouched down and balancing themselves on their fists, like large apes.
All three were growling at us. Their faces were very hairy, almost
without wrinkles, and their eyes were not shiny at all. Their heads were
set or positioned very low, as if they had no necks. On their backs
they had something like humps on their spine. The creatures were very
aggressive. Everyone was scared and the beasts’ growls awoke the
children who became hysterical.”
Situation had more to say: “The standoff lasted for about 45
minutes. Finally the creatures turned and bounded away with strange
ape-like bouncing leaps. The campers spent a sleepless night around
their fire. In the morning Ivan and the others searched the ground
around their camp, but due to a dense layer of fallen leaves the
creatures didn’t leave any distinct prints.”
Moving on to 2009, in April of that year the Russian newspaper, Pravda, revealed – in an article titled Russian scientists use Google maps to find yeti
– that there had been more than twenty sightings of Almasty by hunters
in the forests of Kemerovo. Not only that, there were reports of
strange, large footprints having been discovered in the depths of nearby
caves: “Scientists found two identical yeti footprints. One of them was
left on the rock and it dates back 5,000 years ago, and the other
footprint which was left not long ago was found at the bottom of the
cave.”
Pravda spoke with one of the unnamed scientists, who said:
“They are absolutely identical. Five thousand years ago yetis settled
down in this cave and now their descendants are still living here. The
conditions in the cave are suitable for yeti. The cave defends them from
rains, snow and wind. There is also a lake in the middle of the cave
where yetis can find clean water.” The newspaper added: “Unfortunately,
the scientists did not manage to see yetis that time. They say their
snowmobiles were too noisy and yetis had to hide somewhere in the
forests. However, the scientists say they managed to reach their main
goal – they got the proof that yetis are living there. A new expedition
to the site will be arranged this summer.” But that was not all, as Pravda
made very clear: “Members of the Kosmopoisk association have returned
from an expedition to Russia’s Kirov Region where they searched for a
Bigfoot that allegedly lived in that region. Kosmopoisk leader Vadim
Chernobrov says the expedition has discovered a den occupied by a
mysterious giant and an underground passage dug obviously not by a
human.”
Ivan Konovalov was a forest warden who, for thirty years, worked in the Kirov Region. He told of his 1985
encounter with an Almasty: “It was snowing on the day when I was
walking along the fir wood and suddenly heard snap of twigs. I turned
around and saw an awesome creature covered with dark hair that was much
taller than me. It smelt strongly. The beast leant against a pine tree
and started bending it down to the ground. The tree was rather thick,
but it cracked under the creature’s burden. Then the creature started
breaking the tree against the knee. Its hands were as thick and long as
its legs. Quite of a sudden, the creature felt something and turned its
‘face’ to me. I saw two black eyes and the impression at the bottom of
the eyes deeply impressed me. I still remember the look of the eyes.
Then the creature flung the tree and quickly left. But I stood
thunderstruck and could not move a finger.”
Hopefully, one day we will resolve the mystery of the Almasty.
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