VK publishes some fragments from the book of Vladimir Gneushev and Andrey Poputko “The mystery of Maruh glacier”.
Muradin Kochkarov, the shepherd from kolkhoz “Banner of communism” of Zelenchuksky district of Karachai-Cherkess was gazing a flock in the mountains of Western Caucasus near Halega pass. In the morning on September 21, 1962 he found he was several sheep short and thought that looking for fresh grass they have strayed from the flock and went up flank of hill. Having entrusted the flock to his workmate Muradin went light across hardly visible path to a small mountain lake. But there were no sheep there. Shepherd went up still higher and soon came to the mountain range. After looking around Muradin noticed among the rocks some battle cells. In one of them he found human bones. Numerous cartridge cases – our and German – shown that there was a long, hard battle.
Muradin went further across the mountain range going towards the top Kara-Kaj and saw a great number of such cells, patrons, grenades, mines and other traces of war. He stopped above the Maruh glacier. It was heard here, how it thaws: the ice crackled, the firn snow noisily sank. Countless streamlets flew down from the side madder and on the edge of it flew together into a single rough stream which fell to the main glacier and shortly after disappeared under it. The weather unlikely for this season was sunny and fair so the whole valley was seen below – from gloomy rocks of Kara-Kaj to the appearing blow in the light haze of Maruh pass. Muradin shifted his gaze to the madder and noticed some strange dark spots on it. They couldn’t have been stones. Muradin walked down to madder and what he saw made him urgently, without dropping in camp go home to the settlement Hasaut-Grechesky. There he told everything to the Head of Soviet of the settlement and he in his turn immediately phoned the district police station. Duty of the station sublieutenant Lifarev received the phoned telegram and when district executive committee decided to sent a group to the glacier, he volunteered to lead it. Everything what shepherd had told was confirmed and then at the instance of Karachai-Cherkess regional committee of CPSU the Stavropol krai executive committee created a commission of military specialists, doctors-experts and public representatives and sent it to Maruh glacier. To commission, which was led by deputy head of krai executive committee was given a platoon of sappers under the leadership of mayor Maksimov and a group of alpinists which was lead by experienced instructor of alpinist camps of Dombajsky district Hadgy Magomedov.
Early in the morning on September, 27 we left stanitsa Zelenchukckaja through Kardonikskaja, Hasaut-Grechesky and Krasny Karachaj to the foot of mountain range. After the settlement Krasny Karachaj the road became so bad that even all-terrain “GAZ cars” only hardly managed to overcome it. And about thirty kilometers later, having with roaring rolled over the mountain river, they finally stopped. Further we went on foot across the narrow and hardly visible path which was every moment getting lost among rocky screes, clefts and narrow passageways above the steeps. We hoped to reach lake about Muradin had told till dark but we weren’t in time so we should to spend the night on the vast glade where only few days ago was grazing Kochkarov’s flock.
Only by twelve o’clock the next day we came to the crest of nameless mountain range which was completely sown by debris of reddish granite rocks and because of this firstly called by us as mountain range of Red Rocks.
Just having walked across this crest several metres we get to severe snow squall. It gushed out from somewhere from behind of the top Kara-Kaj from the snow-white peaks of Main Caucasian crest that seemed to be quite near. The wind was strong and menacing, in blew with roaring, beat by sleet which was felt even through quilted jackets and weatherproof jackets. Many of us who were in the mountains for the first times were ill at ease. Somebody from the alpinists cried: “To the cover, quick!”. Having thrown away our first finds such as cartridge cases and grenade shirts we thrown ourselves under the huge rock which overhung as canopy above the just left rising path and we bunched up there.
The squall was roaring for ten or fifteen minutes. At this time everything was absolutely black and gloomily around us and we had time to think that we will hardly return to the places of battles. Fortunately the wind started to weaken. We all got out of our covers, shaking ourselves and surprisedly laughting, looking at the mountain range which was lighting again as if nothing had happened.
-Man alive – said somebody, untangling waterproof cape-tent on himself – One can imagine the condition of our soldiers that year.
But so far we could imagine nothing… soon after were found well-preserved weapon emplacement sown by cartridge cases. In one place we saw in all likelihood the field hospital: several soldiers, most probably dead from wounds, remains of bandage. On the top point of the mountain range, at a height of about three and a half thousands of metres we found recently made gabion and a note in it which was left by passing here tourists. They wrote that they were shocked by what they have seen and offered to call this nameless mountain range A Defensive mountain range. This name was more exact than our and we agreed with it.
To be continued.
