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Russian Expedition - 1916-1917 A.D.
> There is an enormous amount of material to digest
> about the alleged Russian Expedition. In order to study this in an
> organized manner, we will first look at the statements of those who
> claimed to be directly involved in the alleged expedition in
chronological
> order, then of those who claim to have second-hand knowledge of it.
> White Russian Colonel Alexander Adolf Koor stated in
> 1946 that the White Russian Caucasus Army Commander responsible for
the
> region between 1914 and 1917 was General E.W. Maslowsky. If anyone
> should have first hand knowledge if there was actually a Russian
aviator
> sighting and subsequent archaeological expedition, it should be
Maslowsky.
> In an effort to verify Koor’s statement during the 1960’s, Alva
Appel of
> the Archaeological Research Foundation tracked down General E.W.
> Maslowsky to a French retirement home. In a letter to an Appel
research
> assistant, former General Maslowsky stated the following.
The actual
> two-page letter is also shown.
>
> I acknowledge receiving your letter of January 6th,
> 1969 and hasten to answer you. Although so many years have elapsed,
I
> remember that the Russian Airforce, during reconnaissance flights
> around the years 1915-1916, had noticed above the rocky heights of
> Mt. Ararat unusual shapes which could have been considered as the
> remains of a very old construction.
> Around 1916, an archaeological expedition climbed
> Ararat under the direction of Mr. Pastounow and found debris of
rocks
> which resembled the petrified remains of wood.
> I must admit that at my age (93) the state of my
> health has become rather
> precarious and my memory is quite weak. However, I
> remain at your disposition for any further help I may be able to
> give you.
>
> Mr. E.W. Maslowsky
>
> Many ark researchers have alleged that there was an
> actual Russian Expedition initiated by a Russian aviator who
> discovered Noah’s Ark flying around Mount Ararat in 1916 and was
followed up
by an archaeological expedition. Now through the letter of
> General E.W. Maslowsky, the chief-in-command of the area gives
> first hand knowledge that there actually was a reconnaissance
flight
> which noticed an unusually shaped formation above the rocky heights
> of Mt. Ararat and that a Russian archaeological expedition was
launched in
> 1916, led by Mr. Pastounow. General Maslowsky states nothing about
> Noah’s Ark or of the details in regard to the petrified wood
remains.
> Perhaps this is not surprising since others claim that as soon as
Czar
> Nicholas II found out about the Russian Airforce’s observations,
he
> directed that all further information be directed straight to him
rather than
> through the normal channels. Plus, Maslowsky did have W.W. I on his
> hands so he was probably preoccupied with more urgent matters.
> In 1999, B.J. Corbin received an email from British
> Columbian Joseph Way who claimed his grandfather (Joe Kulik) came
from
> Russia and was the water boy on the Russian Expedition to Mount
Ararat
> in 1915-1918 and saw “Noah’s Boat.” B.J. passed the
information to Rex
> Geissler who worked with Joseph Way to get phone interviews with
Joe
> Kulik and a videotape of Kulik’s statements. Joseph Way’s
sister
> (granddaughter of Kulik) made a videotape of Joe Kulik which
is quoted below.
The Russian water
boy Kulik claimed that he and the Russian Army saw "Noah's
> Boat" on the border of Russia and Turkey around 1915-1918. The
videotape
> dialogue, from a 1997 interview with his granddaughter, appears to
be
> consistent with what Joe Kulik told Rex Geissler in a 1999 phone
interview.
> In a phone interview to the care facility where he
> now lives in British Columbia, Joe Kulik stated that he was born on
March
> 15, 1902 and was then ninety-seven years old. He said that at the
> beginning of World War I, his family fled Austria and moved to
Russia in
> the Ukraine region. Kulik stated that as a fifteen-year-old in
1917, the
> Russian Army Patrol expedition hired him to feed the horses and the
> troops while the Russian troops searched for a boat on a mountain.
The
> Russian expedition took him to the Russian border with Turkey where
they
went up a great
mountain. Joe told Geissler that they left the horses behind
> at one point and went toward the top of the mountain where they saw
a
> huge, long boat with a hole in the side of it. Kulik stated that
the boat
> had moss growing on the top of it. Joe said that nobody took a
picture
> because no one had film at that time. He said that it was like a
huge
> building or three times the size of a small house in width.
> Kulik stated that he still had gold coins with the
> Czar on them. When the Bolshevik revolution started in Russia the
following
> year, his family hid on their farm in the Ukraine. In 1921, his
family
> fled the Communists in Russia to Poland where he was forced into
the Polish
> Army between 1924 and 1929. In 1929, he migrated to Canada and
> Manitoba, then went to British Columbia in 1939 where he retired in
1967.
> Kulik speaks Austrian, Russian, Polish and English. He has a thick
English
> accent, his English is broken and he had difficulty understanding
some
> of the questions during Geissler’s phone interview.
> Joe's wife is still alive though they are both in
> poor health and she is in a Nursing Home/Hospital. Joe has terminal
Lung
> Cancer with so much pain (allergic to morphine so can only take
Tylenol)
> that he now has difficulty concentrating on anything, let alone a
> conversation. His grandson, Joseph Way, does not want to upset his
> grandfather at this point in his life and has asked that
researchers not
> pursue further interviews, etc.
> Kulik’s granddaughter has videotape from a 1997 of
> him briefly discussing this part of his life. Geissler encouraged
the
> grandson to get the video from the granddaughter, make a copy, and
send it to
> Geissler which he did.
> Joe's granddaughter believes that from past
> discussions, Joe may have been seventeen years old when he saw the
boat on the
> mountain and that he may have been born in 1900 rather than 1902,
which
> might currently make him one hundred years old in year 2000 rather
than
> ninety-eight. It is fascinating to find a living person who
> actually claims to have been a part of the much-maligned Russian
expedition.
> It is also fascinating that Kulik claimed that the ark had moss
> growing on it just like George Hagopian claimed just ten to
thirteen
> years earlier in the century. Note also the Kulik mentioned the
hole in
> the side of the boat which reminds one of the Arutunoff Russian
> photograph sketch as well as the other Russian accounts. Following
is the Joe
> Kulik videotape testimony.
>
> Yes, I see Noah's boat, was like a building, he
> built it, just about round from rock. That boat stayed on the
border of
> Russia and Turkey.
> Border checks was a half-kilometer from Turkey and
> Russia borders. At that time [1915-1918] I was 18 years old.
Russian
> Army came and asked me to come because they wanted my horses,
Russian Army
> go out, they take my horses, put them with a wagon and food. I go
too. I
> thought it would be two, three days to go back to Russian home but
went
> about 100 miles.
> My country changes six times. I was born in Austria.
> Austria start war with Russia, Russia pushed Austria way back, then
> Russian Czar died and Germany push Russia back. Russia coming and
back,
> coming and back [gesturing like tug of war between countries and
> borders]. Was with Russian army and horses three years. We were on
> Turkey border meet with Russia. But people killed Russian Czar, and
army
> went home. Bolshevik took over, Lenin and Trotsky. Lenin like
> Czar, Trotsky with the people. Every border had to have army checks
every 5
> miles.
> [About boat] Five, six men go along one side, they come back,
another men
> go. I not go inside that building, just see it, no snow because
summer
> time, hot, soft winter, no winter. Moss all over boat, covered [with
> moss] like a rock on mountain, like a park, could grow trees on it.
> Russian and Turkey border peaceful so people going
> from Turkey to Russia, coming from Russia to Turkey. When Czar died,
army
> left everything, went home, I go home.
>
> It is interesting to note that Russian horseman Joe
> Kulik and George Hagopian (Alleged Sightings around 1902-1908)
agree
> on a number of points. Hagopian also described the Russia/Turkey
> border as having a separation where one would go through the Turkey
> border gate, then walk a little ways, and then go through the
Russia border
> gate. Hagopian also agreed with Kulik in saying that Noah's boat
is on a
> mountain on the border of Russia and Turkey. Hagopian also
stated
> that Noah's Ark had moss growing on it just like Kulik. Again,
Hagopian
> talked about there being soft or no winters before the sighting.
> Kulik's year of birth was right near 1990 so was near 100 in year
2000. You
> can see more detail on the attached email.
> Al Jenny was doing research in Moscow on the Russian
> Expedition in 1992-1993 and received the following information
> from a reader in 1994.
>
> I’ve just read article “Noah’s Ark found by Russians” from
your magazine
> N1, 1994 and I want to tell you that my grandfather Karabaza Yegor
> Yerofeyevitch (born in 1888, Cossack, military rank - Vakhmister,
St.
> George Cross winner) was on Coucasus in 1914-1917 during World War
I and
> personally participated in Russian expedition to Ararat in search
of Noah’s Ark.
> What do I know abou this from his stories? I know that he and other
> soldiers climbed on Ararat Mt. And they saw Noah’s Ark; that the
wood
> which the Ark was made of was dark due to age; that there was a
crack
> flowing from under the Ark and the water in crack was like
“life”
> water--it improved the activity. He also told about airplane, which
was
> flying around and that it was carrier to climb the Mt. than to come
back.
> I have his picture. Maybe, grandmother Vanga will look at it and
see
> what’s happened during the expedition. I hope that my letter will
be intresting for you.
> My name is Zalesskii Nikolai Valentinovich. Beside me, my paralyzed
> mother I’m looking after, also knows about my grandfather’s
stories.
>
> Sincerely Yours,
>
> Zalesskii N.V.
> 352782 Krasnodarcki kzai,
> Maikopskii zayon,
> St. Kurdzhipskaya,
> Jhkolnaya, 2
>
> Except for the myth or misunderstanding about “life” water,
this might be
> a valid account which sounds similar to others of the alleged
Russian
> Expedition eyewitnesses. In following up on the research of Alvin
> Holderbecker and alleged photograph eyewitness Eva Miller Ebeling,
Ebeling’s
daughter Annie VanEaton told Rex Geissler that there was another
> Russian family who claimed to have seen Noah’s Ark and to have
had
> photos of Noah’s Ark. Geissler found Ruby Paull, the daughter of
Erna
> Weist, who both live in British Columbia. Erna Weist grew up
150-200 miles
north of
Mount Ararat in a German community named Morgentau, Russia
between the Black
Sea and the Caspian Sea. Erna claims that her school and
two entire
Russian families heard that the Russians had discovered Noah’s Ark
in 1916. Excited
by the news, Weist states that a couple men in her two families
> went in a friend’s plane to Ararat and took photographs of
Noah’s Ark
> and then the entire mountain to find possible climbing paths up to
the
> boat, which was sticking out of a glacier. Erna dictated her
> fascinating life story to her daughter Ruby Paull who published it
in a book
> titled Erna’s Medley. In the year 2000 when Geissler The
following section
> is quoted from Erna Weist’s book about her life story.
>
> The summer of 1916 was extremely hot, which adding
> to the difficulties of trying to keep the farms going without
enough
> workers. Erna [Weist was her German last name before Canada forced
it to be
> changed to Wiest] was now eight and in grade three at school.
> Just before school let out for the summer she came home
tremendously excited…
> “Thery’re saying at school that Noah’s Ark has been seen on
Mount
> Ararat.” “Don’t be silly Erna. It hasn’t been seen for
years.
> Why would it all of a sudden appear now?” Elizabeth knew the ark
was up there.
They were
taught all about it at school and considered themselves very special to
be
> liing as close as they were to that wonderful mountain of the Bible.
> “But it’s true, Lisa, it’s true. They say because it is so
hot the snow
> and ice have melted enough to be able to see it. Can we go see the
ark
> Lisa? Can we?” “Even if it’s true, Erna, there’s no way we
could go
> see it. It would be too dangerous, and who would take care of
things
> here? We can’t climb that mountain!” “But we woudn’t have
to, we could just see
it from a
distance.” “Just forget it Erna.” Erna walked away with
downcast eyes.
She so
desperately wanted to see the ark. Maybe if she prayed real hard, God
would allow her
to see it. The next day Henry came by to help on the farm. He
> verified Erna’s information. Yes, everyone was talking about it.
> Erna jumped up and down with joy. Elizabeth found her heart beating
fast.
> What if they should be able to see it? A few days, as if in answer
to Erna’s prayers,
an extra ordinary
weather phenomenon occurred that made the mountains appear
> closer than they really were. Early that morning Erna stepped
outside
> and was struck with awe. There appeared on Mount Ararat a tiny
black dot
> about three quarter of the way up. Se knew it was Noah’s Ark.
Erna, in
> later years, recalled the dot as being near the center, on a high
peak.
> Since they lived north of Mount Ararat, this would put the ark on
the north
> side of the mountain.
Research verified that
the ark was seen by Russians in the army during this time.
[Ruby Paull told
Geissler this “research” was from a book but that it was not
one of Violet Cummings
books.] Erna thanked God for answering her prayers, then
ran to Elizabeth.
“Lisa, Lisa, come quickly! The ark! You can see the
> ark!” “Erna, your (sic) being silly again,” replied
> Elizabeth. “Can’t you see how busy I am?” “No, no! Really
Lisa, it’s true, please
come look!”
> Elizabeth decided to humor her. But then she too saw the inspiring
sight.
> She could hardly believe her eyes! Grabbing the children they ran
all the
> way to the home farm to inform the rest of the family. They had a
> telescope through which the ark could be viewed with greater
clarity. The
> dark dot became more like a brown square.” In reverent solemnity
the family
gathered together
in the house for prayers. The oldest son, Jacob, and his family and
> had also been called in. John was the first to speak. [Erna
Weist’s
> mother died giving birth to Erna. Her father died in town when he
was robbed
> after selling their prize cattle.] “You know, I think we should
go up there.” He
looked at
the women. “Think you gals could hold out here for a week while we
> take a closer look?” The women looked wearily at each other. They
were
> already short handed and summer work was falling behind, but could
such
> an opportunity be passed by? Alwina said, “Sure, we’ll manage.
You go ahead.”
> Erna was jumping around the table like a jack rabbit. “Erna, save
our energy for work.
Your (sic)
going to get lots of it.” “You know,” said Jacob, “what we need
is to hire a
> plane and zoom down for some close-up pictures.” John agreed.
“Excellent idea, but
where do we
get a plane now? There’s a war on you know.” Henry had friends who
had
a plane. They
would be interested in such a venture. So it was that a plane, plus two
more men, was
obtained.
With all the military
action taking place, the plane was not
> noticed, or so they thought, as it flew around the mountain taking
> pictures of the area that the men thought accessible for climbing,
plus
> close-up pictures of the ark, sticking out an ice glacier.
> With the pictures developed, the family again gathered together
with the
> families of the two men. The pictures were passed around and viewed
with
> fascination. The men decided to climb the mountain and examine
> the ark. They bought the necessary equipment for the climb and
within a
> few days everything was organized for the expedition. Their one
regret
> was that Otto, Bill, and Emil could not be with them. [They were
fighting
> in W.W. I.] How they would have loved this undertaking.
> Then disaster struck. A group of Bolsheviks on horseback approached
the
> house. The Bosheviks were against the war and refused to take part
in it.
> More and more people flocked to their side as the war caused
greater and
> greater hardships to everyone. John and Henry walked out to meet
them.
> “Can we help you?” John asked. “Yeah,” the leader of the
group answered. “You
can hand
over that climbing equipment you purchased.” “Why, is there
something
wrong with
it?” “No, nothing wrong with it, just with the purpose you were
going
to use it
for.” “What do you mean? We’re using it for mountain climbing.
That’s
what
it’s made for.” “Sure, for climbing that Mount Ararat with, well
> that’s restricted territory. You can’t go there.” “Since
when?”
> “Since we said so.” At his words the rest of the men circled
John and
> Henry. A chill ran down John’s spine, but he wasn’t going to
give up all their
> expensive equipment without a fight. Henry said nothing. Memories
of the
> war struck fear in him. “What authority do you have to say
so?”
> “The authority of this.” The men aimed their guns at John and
Henry. They
> had no choice but to turn over their equipment. Still the
Bolsheviks were
> not satisfied. “We want the photos too, plus negatives,”
demanded
> the leader. “What photos?” “Don’t act ignorant man. The
ones you took of the
> mountain. All of them!” With sinking hearts they gave up the
pictures and
> negatives. Then the Bolsheviks helped themselves to a few chickens
and
> left. The family felt devastated. Erna couldn’t stop crying.
“We need to report them
Lisa,
okay Lisa? We need to make them give us back our
things.”
> Elizabeth agreed, but in her heart she knew they couldn’t. They
were
> fighting against Germany. Who would listen to the complaints of
Germans
> in this country? No one. She was sure of that! In fact, they would
> probably get in worse trouble by putting in a complaint.
> This event marked the beginning of all their troubles. They came
under
> constant surveillance. Years later Erna insisted that she knows the
ark is
> still exactly were she saw it, in spite of what anyone else might
> believe or say, and that when God wants the world to see it, it
will be there
> for all to see, preserved and intact…
On November 7, 1917,
Bolsheviks, led by Lenin,
> seized the government. Erna was nine. Civil war would last until
1920.
> Russia became a communist state. The beginning of the revolution
ended
> Russia’s participation in World War I. Germany forced Russia to
sign a
> humiliating treaty which gave much territory to the central powers.
About
> this time the United States entered the war. Cadets, trained by
Bill,
> were sent to fight. Suddenly, Emil arrived home. Everyone was
overjoyed.
> When Emil heard what had happened concerning Mount Ararat, he was
not
> overjoyed. From then on he nurtured an increasing hatred toward
communism
> that he would nurture throughout his life…
> The village classroom was quiet. Then a horrible scream filled the
room.
> All work stopped. Erna and the other students looked out the window
and
> saw a man running toward the school. Behind him galloped several
> Bolshevik soldiers. They were laughing and shouting, guns drawn,
arms
> waving… A shot rang out. A bullet crashed through a window
> sending glass flying in every direction. Some students screamed.
Others ducked
under the desks
and benches… Shaking, some of them crying, they did as told [by
> the teacher]. Erna put her arm around a sobbing girl. “Don’t
cry. It will
> be okay.” Together they crouched under one desk, hanging onto
each
> other. Then the door burst open and the man ran in. His
> eyes were wild and his face deathly pale. He gasped for breath.
Behind him
> came two soldiers yelling obscenities and pointing their guns at
the
> man. Cornered, the man’s eyes swept the room. He hadn’t
realized until
> then that he had entered a school. Seeing the sobbing children he
> quickly put his hands in the air, faced his pursuers, and
surrendered.
> The teacher resolutely straightened her shoulders and said, “You
can
> leave him here. We’ll take care of him.” The man flashed her a
grateful look.
The soldiers
laughed. “We’ll leave him here all right, madam. We’ll leave
> him as a number one lesson to your class to never cross us! We rule!”
> So saying they grabbed the man and shoved him to the
> front of the room, ignoring the teacher’s pleas.
> “To your seats, all of you!” shouted the leader to
> the teacher and children. The terrified students obeyed and
sat on their
> benches, heads hanging, shoulders sagging, trying to be as
inconspicuous as
> possible. “Sit up straight!” shouted the leader. The children
obeyed. Some
of them stuffed
their hands in their mouths to keep from crying.
> The man was standing at the front of the room, arms
> in the air. Two soldiers raised their rifles. “Please, please,
not in front of the children,”
> begged the man. I’ll do anything you say, take me any place else,
but not in
> front of the children.” The soldiers paid no head. “This
village,” said the leader, needs
to be taught
a lesson. They need to learn to listen and obey, to conform to
> regulations. What better place to start than with the young ones?”
He turned to face the
class. “This is a lesson for you. You do what you’re told.
> You keep your mouths shut, and your actions directed to the law, or
you
> see what happens to you.” The teacher wondered, “What law?”
But she said
> nothing. “Fire!” shouted the leader. Two guns cracked
simultaneously. Blood
splattered the
wall, the floor, the teacher’s desk. The man slumped to the floor.
> His face struck the desk as he fell. Children, no longer able to
contain
> themselves began to scream. Erna’s friend, fainted. Erna
couldn’t move.
> She sat staring at the sight in horror. The sight became forever
etched
> in her mind. The teacher and several students became sick.
> Gagging and heaving, they tried desperately not to throw up. The
teacher knew
> she had to control herself for the sake of her class. Ignoring the
> screams and barking orders, the head soldier marched out, followed
by
> the others. Two of them wrapped a classroom rug around the man took
him with
> them.
With a quivering voice
she tried to calm the class. As soon
> as the horsemen left she took them out of the room and placed them
in a
> group, on the ground, outside. When they regained control of
themselves,
> they were sent home, the stronger ones helping the weaker. The
teacher
> was left to face the bloody classroom, and wonder if she might have
done
> something to prevent this tragedy. Elizabeth was surprised to see
Erna home from
school so early.
“Home already?” Then she noticed that Erna’s [face] was
> sickly pale. “What’s wrong. Are you sick?” Erna threw herself
into Elizabeth’s arms
and cried with
great gasping sobs. “Oh Lisa! Oh Lisa!” “What is it? What’s wrong Erna?”
> “They shot a man. They shot him, Lisa. He’s dead.” “Who
shot who, Erna? What are you
talking
about?” “The soldiers, in the school, shot a man.” Elizabeth
listened to the horrible
story. She
could not believe that anyone could be so cruel as to deliberately
subject
> a group of children to such a criminal act. Her heart cried within
Erna as she held her
> tight. How she wished Otto were there to help her now. To feel his
> protecting arms around her. She wondered what terrible things he
was
> going through as a prisoner of war in Germany.
Emil could no
longer endure the acts of the Bolsheviks. He decided to fight them from
the inside. To
that end he worked undercover in a office where he pretended to be a
Communist.
There he sabotaged whatever Communist intentions he could by altering
orders and other
paper work that would advance their cause. With his education,
> and political skills, he found this easy to do, though dangerous.
His efforts saved
many lives.
>
> Erna Weist’s story biography reminds one of the
> Russian expedition reports and photographs being stolen by the
> Bolsheviks. As Koor states later, the Bolsheviks had good reason to
hide or
> destroy anything that would raise the national or spiritual morale
of the
> Russian people. The only concern is when other information floats
into a
> story like this. The statement that research showed the Russian
> Expedition was around this time indicates that Erna Weist or Ruby
Paull was
> influenced by at least one ark research book which could have
tainted the
> story slightly. However, Ruby Paull maintains that the details of
> the entire story came straight from mother’s mouth. Erna Weist
resides in
> a Nursing Care Facility in British Columbia. Eva Miller Ebeling’s
family including
nephew
Alvin Holderbecker and her sons and daughters stated that Ebeling saw
> photographs of Noah’s Ark shown her by her father Henry Miller
who was the
> doctor on the Russian Expedition. Holderbecker stated the following
to
> Eryl Cummings and Ebeling’s children talked later to Rex Geissler
> after Holderbecker had died.
>
> My Aunt Eva [Eva Miller Ebeling [1897-1977] was a Russian woman
whose
> husband was Uncle John. She was still scared to the day she began
talking
> about this that the Soviets would come after her. [Eva escaped from
> Russia with her half-sister Katherine Miller Quindt (1895-1970,
whose two
> daughters married Reynolds and lived in Wisconsin)] Eva worked in
the
> Czar's palace as a housemaid during World War I when she was about
> nineteen or twenty years old. [This Holderbecker statement does not
match
> Ebeling’s children’s statements made to Geissler.] Her father
was a
> medical officer in the White Russian Army and a highly respected
friend
> of the Czar and his family. He was the chief medical officer on the
> expedition that found Noah’s Ark. [Eva’s daughter Annie
VanEaton stated
> in a July 3, 2000 letter to Rex Geissler that, “Eva could see
Mount
> Ararat from where she lived…Eva’s father and a 100 men group
went on a
> second expedition to find Noah’s Ark. They did reach the
point where they
> could see the Ark plainly and photos were taken. After the death of
her
> father from Typhoid Fever, the photos were given to the step-mother
and
> later were taken by the Bolsheviks.”] When he came back from the
> expedition, he showed my Aunt Eva the photographs and reports. [In
a May
> 23, 1993 letter to Bill Crouse, Alvin stated that his Aunt Eva knew
the
> constuction, size and other observations from the reports.]
> Then, the Bolsheviks took over and confiscated all of the
photographs and
> reports and killed as many of the men from the expedition as they
could
> find. My aunt Eva was the only one from her family who escaped.
> [Holderbecker must not have known about Ebeling’s
> half-sister Katherine Quindt.] The Czar sent her to Germany as
Kaiser
> Wilhelm and the Czar were cousins. [Eva and Katherine slept in
graveyards
> during the day and walked during the night. They rode in a cattle
car on the
> famed Dr. Zhivago refugee train. Eva lost her half-sister Katherine
> after the Zhivago refugee train.] My Aunt, having seen the pictures
many times,
told me the
ark was three decks high, and on top of the roof there was a
> catwalk that was about knee-high with openings underneath to
provide
> ventilation or light. The Communist take over took place at this
same
> time, and according to her, all their photos, measurements, etc.
were
> confiscated, and all those who had been on the expedition “that
the Communists
> could get their hand on” were killed, and those who escaped, were
afraid
> for their lives to talk about it, including my Aunt, she being the
only
> one of her family that escaped alive. It was only by
accident that we learned
of her connection with
the Ark, when she was caught by surprise, and blerted it out,
> at the late date of November 1974. She died in 1977.
> Another item that Aunt Eva mentioned, her father said that the
raised
> part that looks like a walk way above the roof of the Ark extending
the
> length of it, was about knee high, which the bible said was to be 1
> cubit.
>
> The wealthy Armenian from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Armais Arutunoff,
> stated to Dave GuMaer in 1970 that in his youth he lived in Erivan
(now
> Yerevan, Armenia) at the time the men from the Czar’s expedition
returned
> from their investigation of the ark. Arutunoff vividly
recalled hearing
> the men’s excited story in the streets of Erivan, of how they had
climbed
> the mountain twenty-five miles away, had entered the great ship,
and verified the
aviator’s
report. The sketch of a photo given to Arutunoff in Don Shockey’s book
The Painful
Mountain showed three Russians standing in an open doorway of the
ark. Following
is what Arutunoff said to GuMaer in Shockey’s book:
>
> Shortly before the overthrow of the government, the Czar had
commissioned
> some one hundred White Russian soldiers to undertake an
investigative
> trip to Mount Ararat in search of the fabled Ark of Noah that was
> described in Genesis. This group of soldiers made their trek up the
> Russian side of Mount Ararat and after much difficulty reached a
point on
> the mountain where the Ark was said to be buried under ice and
snow. This
> was exactly what they found: a petrified barge extending from
beneath an
> ice peak. The Ark of Noah was real and was located on Mount Ararat.
> Mr. Arutunoff said that some years later he met a Russian soldier,
one of
> the survivors of this expedition, who informed him in great detail
of
> what they had seen, the measurements of the boat, the photographs
which
> had been taken, along with many other facts and details concerning
the
> expedition. This soldier described the surveyors, photographers,
artists
> and scientists who were on the mountain specifically to find the
Ark and
> to prove that it existed on Mount Ararat.
From what Dave
GuMaer could remember from Arutunoff’s description,
the dimensions of
the Ark were some 450 feet long, by fifty feet high, by
some 100 to 150
feet wide. It was in the shape of a barge.
The Ark had a
narrow catwalk running along the top
length of the
barge. The soldiers had walked inside the structure
> and had observed animal stalls of all different sizes made of wood.
All
> the wood was petrified. They also found edible wheat and honey.
The
> soldiers chipped away pieces of the petrified wood for later
analysis to
> determine what type of trees were used in its construction.
> It was at this point when Mr. Arutunoff reached into a drawer in
his desk
> and very casually removed two photographs which he laid in front of
Dave
> GuMaer. Here were the photographs of Noah’s Ark taken by the
Russian
> photographer on Mount Ararat. Dave remembers them as being grainy
and
> enlarged but clearly showing the barge Arutunoff had just
described. The
> pictures were of a large, barge-type craft protruding from the ice.
The
> barge was on a shelf overhanging a frozen lake below. About
three-fourths
> of the structure was still encased in an ice pack. The Ark was
tilted at
> an angle. In the doorway of the Ark stood three Russian soldiers
linked
> arm in arm. The doorway appeared to be about twenty-five feet
high and
> some twenty-five or thirty feet wide. Off to one side of the
Ark was some
> type of wooden altar.
Arutunoff
then continued his story of the
> expedition. These Russian soldiers were on direct orders from the
Czar to
> measure, photograph and survey everything they found. After this
was
> completed, their samples taken and their sketches carefully
catalogued, the
> soldiers proceeded to leave the sit on Mount Ararat and return with
all
> this important data and immediately report to the Czar. By the time
they
> returned, the Russian revolution was in full operation. The Russian
army
> was running rampant throughout the country. All but two of the
soldiers
> involved in the Ark expedition were captured and arrested by the
> Bolsheviks and then executed…Of the two that escaped, one was the
> surveyor and the other soldier was the photographer.
The surveyor
> apparently stayed somewhere in Europe while the photographer made
his way to the
> United States. He would be safer here in America.
It was some years
later that Mr. Arutunoff made the acquaintance of this
Russian photographer
and was given copies of the Ark pictures. These were the
very same
photographs Dave GuMaer was shown. Where are the photographs
now? After the
death of Mr. Artunoff, most of his personal papers have been
stored by family
members. His immediate family have no recollection of their father
ever showing them
the two photographs. Why? Was Mr. Arutunoff worried about
> some possible future problems these photographs might cause his
family?
> Why would Mr. Arutunoff show Dave GuMaer, a total stranger, these
> important photographs? The reader can draw his own conclusions
> and suppositions.
> In July of 1976, Gunner A. Smars, Jr., a young Swedish explorer and
> medical student, met and befriended a young Turk in Aralik. The
Turk
> introduced him to his grandfather who told Smars “about the
Russian
> expedition that came by Aralik in 1918 on its way up Aghri
Dagh.” The old
> Turk undoubtedly had the year wrong as the Bolshevik Revolution
took
> place in 1917, but the Russians did hold Ararat until about April
1918.
> General Maslovsky verified that the Russian expedition under the
command
> of Mr. Pastounow took place in 1916. The young Turk also introduced
Smars
> to two old men who told him they participated in a large military
> training maneuver in 1939 to the summit of Ararat and that they had
found
> a piece of timber as they climbed the mountain.
Bill Crouse in the
Ararat Report stated the following about the story by Yavuz
Konca, guide of
several explorers including Bob Stuplich, Dr. Charles Willis,
and John McIntosh. That
the story may have been based on a Real Russian
discovery was given a
boost when I first visited Ararat in 1984. Our guide,
Yavuz Konca, reported
that an elderly Kurdish tribal chief living north of Lake Van,
> remembered just such a Russian discovery in the summer of 1917.
[The
> chief was recommended to Yavuz only because the local Muslims had
> observed him in regular prayer at the mosque and Dr. Willis notes
that he
> did not want his name known which seems to preclude geriatric
vanity.
> However, Willis says his was is Selim Aga (Aga meaning Chief).] At
the
> time, he was a young man of 18 years of age and was employed in old
> Bayazit by the Russians who were building a railroad around the
western
> pass of Ararat. He recalled an unusual event that summer in which
> returning Russian soldiers came into the village throwing their
hats in
> the air and shooting their rifles. When he inquired as to the
> celebration, he was informed that they had discovered Noah’s Ark
on Mt.
> Ararat. I have my doubts that this elderly Kurdish man ever read
any ark
> books much less Gurley's tale. Gunnar Smars tells of hearing a
similar
> story from Kurdish natives living in the village of Aralik on the
Soviet
> Armenia border…
>
> James Frazier knew two men who Benjamin Franklin
> Allen stated were involved in the Russian Expedition. His
> father-in-law was John Schilleroff (German) and friend was John
Georgensen
> (Dane). He and Allen said they talked separately about the same
> expedition. James Frazier said that Schilleroff must have been part
of the 100-man
> expedition who had “attacked” the mountain from another side.
The
> relatives of Georgensen and Schilleroff attested that they were
“sober and
> reliable men.” Georgensen made the following statement.
> In a letter written April 4, 1940, Jim Frazier wrote:
>
> Yes, my Father-in-law, John Schilleroff, told me at different times
about
> the Ark of Noah. While in the Russian Army, they were ordered to
pack for
> a long tramp up into the Mountains of Ararat. A Russian aviator had
> sighted what looked to him like a huge wooden structure in a small
lake.
> About two thirds of the way up, probably a little farther, they
stopped
> on a high cliff, and in a small valley below them was a dense swamp
in
> which the object could be seen. It appeared like a huge ship or
barge
> with one end under water, and only one corner could be clearly seen
from
> where these men stood. Mr. John Georgensen, a dane, formerly my
neighbor
> here, now also deceased, told me the same story. He also served in
> the Russian Army in the Ararat Region. They had never met, though
their
> accounts fully agree. They belonged to different expeditions and
went at
> different times. They were both sober and reliable men and,
therefore, I
> believe their story.
>
> Colonel Alexander A. Koor stated the following in a letter from
Seattle,
> Washington, probably in response to questions about the origin of
the
> Rosseya article.
>
> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
March
1, 1946
>
> This is to certify that I, Alexander A. Koor, former Colonel and
chief in
> command of the 19th Petropaulovsky regiment, heard the following
> concerning the discovery of Noah’s Ark:
>
> (1) First Lt. Paul
Vasilievich Rujansky of the 156th Elisavetpolsky
> regiment, Caucausian Army. I knew all of Rujansky’s family for
years. I
> met them in the city of Kazan, Russia, where I attended the
Government
> Military Academy. 1st Lt. Rujansky was wounded in Evzerum, when his
> regiment took “Chaban ded” central fort, of the Evzerum
fortifications.
> He was relieved from active service and sent to work in the
Commandant’s
> Office in the City of Irkutsk, Siberia. After the Bolsheviks made
an
> uprising he moved to the city of Harbin, Manchuria, where I found
him in 1921.
>
> (2) Lt. Peter
Nicoaevich Lesin of 261st Ahilchinsky regiment, also of
> Caucausian Army. During Bolsheviks uprising he was arrested but
escaped
> from them and in December, 1918 he joined my 19th Petropaulovsky
regiment.
>
> (3) About July or
August 1921, I and Lt. Lesin met 1st. Lt. Rujansky
in
> Harbin. During one of our
conversations 1st. Lt. Rujansky told me about
> the Discovery of Noah’s Ark. He, (1st. Lt. Rujansky), didn’t
know about
> the details because he was wounded and was sent to Russia, but he
knew
> because his brother Boris Vailievich Rujansky, Sergeant of Military
> railroad battalion was a member of the investigating party which
was sent
> to Mt. Ararat to corroborate the discovery of Noah’s Ark.
>
> (4) Lt. Lesin
admitted he also had heard about the discovery of Noah’s
> Ark, not as rumour, but as news from the Senior Adjutant of his
division,
> who had told him that Noah’s Ark was found in the hollow of the
saddle of
> the two peaks of Mt. Ararat.
>
> This is all that I heard from these two officers, and I am sure
both told
> me the truth.
>
>
--
Colonel Alexander A. Koor
>
> In a letter to Eryl Cummings dated Jan. 21st, 1963, Alexander A.
Koor
> stated the following information about himself and General
Alexander Jacob Elshin.
>
> My full name is: Alexander A. Koorenkov; this was shortened to
Alexander
> A. Koor at the time I received my American Citizenship at the
District
> Court at Seattle, Washington. In 1915, the year I discovered the
Sumerian
> inscription describing the great Biblical flood on the Karadah Mt.
(close
> to Mt. Ararat), I held the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Imperial
Czarist Army.
> The photograph which I sent you shows me in the rank of 1st
Lieutenant,
> and was taken in 1915. General A.J. Elshin did not change or
shorten his
> family name. In 1915, he held the rank of General, and commanded
the 42nd
> Infantry Division of Imperial Army. The spelling of Gen. A.J.
Elshin’s family name is
> the same in English as it is in Russian.
>
> BIOGRAPHIES (by Col. Alexander A. Koor)
>
> #1-General (4-star) Alexander Jacob Elshin
Born August 13,
1865, in the city of Volojino, Russia. Died September 25,
> 1951, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. He is buried in the mausoleum
of the
> Memorial Monument, the Church of St. Nicholas, Washelly Cemetery,
> Seattle, Washington. He had three sons: George and Jacob both
residing in
> Seattle, Washington; and Alexander, who was killed by the
Bolsheviks in
1918.
> Education received: he graduated from the Naval Engineering Academy
in
> 1886. And in 1894 he graduated from the General Staff Academy.
> During the Russo-Japanese War he commanded a regiment and during
First
> World War he commanded the Brigade of the 40th Division, and
commanded
> the 42nd Division, and later XX Army Corps. As commander of the
42nd
> Infantry Division, he received the Gold Sword of Saint George for
bravery
> and victory over the Germans; he was poisoned by gas on the German
front
> in First World War. As a great humanitarian and scholar, General
A.J.
> Elshin received an Honorary membership in the American
International
> Academy, Washington, D.C. Also, he was an honorary member of the
Andras
> Research University as scholar in 1937, in Andras India.
>
> #2-Colonel Alexander A. Koor (now Major General,
> retired) (doctor honoris causn and citizen of U.S.A., and has
> been living in the United States since 1923)
> Born May 13, 1890, in the city of Kazan, Russia. He is married and
has
> one daughter, Lulu. Education: in a junior college in the city of
Perm,
> Russia, and at the University as a historian and etymologist of
ancient
> languages; specializing in ancient history of Russia and the
> Far East. Graduated also from the Government Military Academy in
the
> city of Kazan. Participated in the First Wold War on the German,
> Austro-Hugarian, Bulgarian, and Turkish fronts. He was wounded
three
> times and poisoned by gas. He also participated in the war against
the
> Communist-Bolsheviks. A scholar, author, and researcher, to him
belongs
> the discovery of the Sumerian inscription KARADAH found near
Greater
> Ararat. This is an ancient inscription concerning the Great Flood
of
> the Bible. The description of the is inscription may be found in
> the magazine, “The Bible Archaeological Digest,” vol. 1, #4,
> Oct-Nov-Dec, 1946, pps 46-49.
>
> Other relatives and friends of the alleged Russian discoverers
included
> Mrs. Gladys Evans who claimed that the Russian expedition was based
in
> reality. Although David Fasold accused Evans of possibly being from
a
> biased Creationist background, Evans said that her father
entertained
> three former Russian flyers that were part of the search team. They
had
> come from the eastern part of the United States in the mid 1930’s
to the
> early 1940’s, stopping in various churches along the way to
relate their
> story of the discovery of Noah’s Ark near the close of World War
I. The
> three men claimed they had been part of the expedition that reached
the
> ark and had actually been inside the ship and examined it. Pictures
had
> been taken, but “the Russian government had confiscated all the
film and
> destroyed it.” They left her father a typed brochure/document (a
copy of
> which was destroyed in cleaning) that stated the men's names,
> birthplaces, ages, and ranks in the Russian Air Force, name of the
> airfield where they were stationed, their commanding officer, and
name of
> their plane. Mrs. Evans continued below.
>
> They told how the ark was "half in and half out of a lake like
a log
> floating in water. It was an immense thing, and it had cages-some
with
> metal on them. It had a catwalk on top and the door was off. The
door was
> nearby and had apparently been struck by lightning because it was
partly
> burnt. The ark was just as good as the day it was built." The
wood
> reminded them of oleander. It was painted inside and out with some
kind of
> lacquer. When they first saw the ark from the air, they thought it
was a
> submarine, but couldn't figure out why someone would be building it
on a
> mountain. On the later reconnaissance expedition, these three
airmen
> actually got inside the ark where they took pictures and
measurements. The film
> was turned over to the Russian government.
>
> After the flyers were in San Bernardino, Evans said they next stop
was
> Fresno. Eryl and Violet Cummings, who always believed the basics of
the
> Russian Expedition account all the way back to 1940, wrote the
following
> questions.
>
> Did their cool reception and the indifference, even in the
Christian
> world, finally cool their ardor for what to them seemed to be a
thankless
> mission? It will be recalled that four men of the Russian Air Fleet
had
> escaped to America to begin a new life where they would have
freedom to
> server God as they believed. Were these three men part of that
group; was
> the ailing man in the northwest actually Vladimir Roskovitsky who,
> because of failing health, was not any longer able to travel with
his
> former fellow fliers in the Czar’s air fleet? At any rate, their
stories
> uncannily agree.
>
> In 1942, U.S. Navy Machinist Mate 1st Class Ray Lubeck became an
alleged
> eyewitness to a silent film of 50 Russian soldiers marching past
Noah’s
> Ark near the top of Mount Ararat. Lubeck was a Machinist Mate in
the U.S.
> Navy on Midway Island in 1942. Later, Lubeck was trained to be a
Deep Sea
> Diver for the Navy and dug submarine torpedoes from the mud
underneath
> harbors and bays. To keep up the morale of the Navy, Marines, and
Air
> Force stationed on the island, movies would occasionally be shown.
One
> film clip of between thirty seconds and a couple minutes showed
fifty
> Russian soldiers marching single file down a ridge and past
Noah’s Ark.
> Since the film was silent, black and white, and older quality,
there was
> an American commentator describing the scene in English. He stated
that
> the Russians were going on a campaign to fight the Turks although
Lubeck
> did not notice any guns since he was stunned to see Noah’s Ark in
one piece.
> During the 1980s, Lubeck attended a seminar on the search for
Noah’s Ark
> in his former hometown of Desert Hot Springs, California taught by
Elfred
> Lee. Ray drew the attached map on the spot and gave it to Lee after
the
> seminar. After the seminar, Lee moved to Mexico and lost track of
Lubeck
> but Rex Geissler tracked him down in West Virginia in 1999. After
doing a
> phone interview, Geissler then organized an interview between
researchers
> and Lubeck in southern California. Elfred Lee, Doris Bowers, Cliff
Moody,
> Doug Wolfe, and Rex Geissler interviewed Ray Lubeck. Lubeck stated
that
> he could not believe he was looking at Noah’s Ark and that the
image was
> burned into his mind to the point that every boat he saw since then
he
> compared to Noah’s Ark. Lubeck also said that as a machinist, he
was used
> to constantly looking at blueprints which helped him memorize the
> dimensions of drawings better than most people. Lee then moved to
Mexico
> and the map was forgotten until Lee and Geissler were pilfering
through
> Lee's Noah’s Ark paraphernalia. There were thirty or more people
who
> witnessed the film. Lubeck only knew one of them and he already
died.
> Lubeck stated that the location the film stated and showed was near
the
> top of Mount Ararat on the border of Turkey and Russia. He said it
> appeared to be within a few hundred feet or a thousand feet of the
summit
> of the mountain. This and the map he drew may indicate the saddle
area
> which is where other Russian accounts stated the ark was located by
the
> Russians and there was a group of fifty Russian soldiers on one
side of
> the mountain and one hundred on another side of the mountain.
> Lubeck stated that the dimensions of the ark appeared to be about
> seventy-five feet wide by fifty feet high by several hundred feet
long
> and that it was completely intact with no damage at that time. He
stated
> that they looked like World War I uniforms judging by the olive,
drab
> uniforms the Russian soldiers were wearing and the poor quality and
> silent quality of the film.
He said
there was a superstructure that ran
> all the way from the front to back and was about six to eight feet
high
> with a roof on top that was pointed at about a twenty-degree angle.
> Lubeck stated there was a keel perhaps eighteen to twenty-four
inches
> wide that appeared to run under the ship all of its length and up
to a
> point on the bow. The bow was rounded and pointed like a boat not
like a
> barge. There was also a solid wood railing around the edge of
Noah’s Ark
> that extended up about three feet which blocked his view. Note that
> William Todd mentioned a similar railing, "The upper part had
additions
> that looked like a railing or a roof that was in extreme
disrepair."
> There is also a lip but not a high railing on the Hagopian/Lee ark
> sketch. Lubeck said that there was a hill on one side and a
drop-off on
> another side. He stated that the ark was on a precipice and about
> seventy-five feet from the drop off in a little valley.
> Note that Lubeck stated that the film showed no snow although there
was a
> run off area apparently from snow or rain similar to the Ed
Davis/Elfred
> Lee sketch. Also note that on the backside of the saddle, there is
no
> snow in an area almost up to the Eastern Summit at 16,800 feet. The
> theory goes that with low snowfall and warm weather, the area of no
snow
> perhaps extended over the northern side of the saddle down the
mountain
> some distance. Note Lubeck's impression of North in the upper
right
> corner of the map. Lubeck went to Washington to begin looking for
the
> Russian film in July 1999.
>
> In 1970, Walter Lang spoke to 2,000 people in Calgary, Canada about
the
> search for Noah’s Ark. After the talk, the son of a farmer named
Jacob
> Radtke came forward to tell Lang that his dad claimed to have seen
Noah’s
> Ark. Lang made arrangements to visit Jacob Radtke, who lived ninety
miles
> south of Edmonton in Evltaskiwin (sp), Alberta. The Russsian
Army sent
eighteen-year-old German
Russian soldier Jacob Radtke to help conquer Turkey
in 1916. He
stated that he saw Noah’s Ark twice. Radtke
claimed to see it
when they we going by train to bomb the castle on
the South side of
the mountain when they
> returned back. He said it looked to him like a big red barn. Mr.
Radtke
> claimed that the soldiers went through the pass on a make-shif type
> of train. Both times, this man said, they saw Noah's ark
> clearly as a big boat. At this point and where I am now names do
nto come to
> me but if names are seriously necessary I might be ale to come u p
with
> them after considerable searching. Possibly it might be helpful
> enought just to know that I had this experience. This information
came to
> me in 1970, about 30 years ago. Walter Lang. Walter Lang wrote the
> following statement about the Jacob Radtke vist on May 15, 1970.
Mr.and
> Mrs.Jacob Radtke taken in Wetaskawin, Alberta on May 15, 1970.
>
> Jacob Radtke claimed to have seen Noah’s Ark on Mt. Ararat when
he 18
> years old in 1916 with the Russian Army was stationed there. Radtke
said
> it looked like a big, red barn or boat sitting on the side of the
> mountain with snow or ice around it. Radtke said that the
make-shift
> train there were on went through the pass between big and little
Ararat.
>
> This section approaches an extremely controversial area, the lives
of
> Anastasia and Alexia Romanov, where people have strong convictions
on
> both sides of the fence. Eryl & Violet Cummings and Elfred Lee
met with a
> man who claimed to be Alexia Romanov, the Czaravitch. Dr. William
Maples
> who conducted the autopsies of the Czar’s bones in Russia noted
that
> there were eleven present at the assassination and only nine bodies
found
> so two bodies were missing and that they look like Anastasia and
Alexia.
>
> Even so, it seems evident that the bones of the two youngest
children,
> Anastasia and Alexei, are not among the remains. At the time of the
shootings
the czar was 50,
the czarina 46. Olga was 22 years, 6 months old; Tatiana had
just turne 21;
Maria’s 19th birthday had just come five weeks before,
and Anastasia was
17 years, 1 month old. Alexei was just two weeks short
of his 14th birthday.
None of the skeletons could possibly have belonged
> to a 14-year-old boy. The three young female skeletons are fully
formed,
> and none seem to be that of a 17-year-old girl.
>
> Violet M. Cummings’ stated the following in her last published
work (a
> short booklet in 1986) titled Full Circle: From the Twin Peaks of
Karada
> to Noah’s Ark.
>
> However, instead of the reported executions, it is now known that a
> bizarre and exciting rescue had taken pace, and very recently the
> sometimes questioned Czar’s expedition has been verified by his
son, the
> then Tsarovich Alexis. When contacted on the phone by Elfred Lee,
who had
> learned of his present whereabouts in the Southeastern United
> States.Alexis Romanoff as he is now known readily recalled the
excitement
> in the royal household when word reached the palace of the aerial
> discovery. At the time, Alexis was a lad 11 or 12 years of age. He
was
> now 81, ailing and very frail, but when contacted by the author and
her
> husband late in the fall of 1985, ther were warmly invited to
vistit them
> at any time. So Thanksgiving Day found at any time. So Thanksgiving
Day
> found them in a non-palatial, but charming desert home, in
Scottsdale,
> Arizona; meeting a very ill, but lucid Prince Alexis Romanoff and
his
> delightful American wife.
The former heir
apparent was sitting in a
> reclining chair in his den, clad in slippers and robe, and with
oxygen to
> help him breathe. He was unable to converse at length, but his warm
> spontaneous chuckle, and brief sentences, spoken with considerable
> difficulty, were satisfactory and clear. On his walls were an oil
> painting of his great grandmother, Queen Victoria, and many photos
of his
> prized Arabian horses, once his pride and joy. Alexis Romanoff died
on
> the 3rd of May, 1986. We understand that his personal book of
meoirs is
> to be published after his death. What a wealth of history it may
reveal!
>
> Around 1939, one of the most controversial sagas in the history of
the
> Russian Expedition began. An issue of the New Eden magazine
reported that
> Russian pilot "Vladimir Roskovitsky" saw the ark while
flying a plane
> around Ararat in 1916 A.D. The Czar sent a detachment of men who
found
> and photographed the ark in 1917. The story spread like wildfire
and was
> reprinted numerous times in Christian publications. The author
of the article,
Floyd Millard
Gurley, told Bill Crouse 47 years later in a 1986 letter that the
story was
fictitious.
However, other
researchers claimed that while Gurley
> embellished the article’s details with literary license, it
appeared to be
> based on actual reports that a Russian aviator had seen a boat-like
> structure on Ararat that same year. For instance, Gurley's
neighbor, a retired
> lawyer and Army officer named Captain Benjamin Franklin Allen who
was a
> neighbor of Gurley’s in Glendale, California, claimed that he had
heard from
> other sources about the story of an alleged Russian discovery.
Allen’s
> sources included a relative and a friend who told this same basic
story
> about two men who served in the Czar’s Army during World War I.
Allen
> said these two men had participated in expeditions to Mt. Ararat
where
> the Ark had been sighted by an aviator “in a remote, obscure
canyon
> of the peak.” Allen chastised Gurley for creating a “highly
> fictionalized enlargement” based on the few “basic facts”
that Allen gave Gurley a
> couple years earlier. Eryl Cummings also alleged that Gurley
admitted to
> him in 1976 that Gurley received the basic story from a Russian
> immigrant widow living in one of his apartments. Also, Cummings
claimed a
> British subject preserved in hand-copied form an account
(plagiarized almost
> word-for-word to Gurley's account) from a religious publication
> called The King’s Herald dated 1920. For the sake of
completeness, we will
> quote the entire hotly debated Russian Expedition article
reproduced from
> an original copy of Floyd Millard Gurley’s New Eden Magazine.
>
> By-line: The following story by Mr. Roskovitsky, a converted
Russian,
> speaks for itself. He is now engaged in selling Bibles, etc. and is
an
> American citizen, having severed all ties with Godless Bolshevism
from
> which he so narrowly escaped with his life after discovering the
Ark. He
> gives this discovery credit for opening is eyes to the truth of the
Bible
> and we pass it along trusting that you too will find it of interest
and value.
>
> It was in the days just before the Russian revolution that this
story
> really began. A group of us Russian aviators were stationed at a
> temporary outpost about twenty-five miles northwest of Mount
Ararat. The
> day was dry and terribly hot as August days so often are in this
> semi-desert land. Even the lizards were flattened out under the
shady
> side of rocks and twigs, their mouths open and tongues lashing out
as if
> each panting breath would be their last. Only occasionally would a
tiny
> wisp of air rattle the parched vegetation and stir up a choking
cloudlet
> of dust.
> Farther up on the side of the mountain we could see a thunder
shower,
> while still farther up we could see the white snow cap of Mount
Ararat,
> which has snow all the year around because of its great height. How
we
> longed for some of the snow! Then the miracle happened. The captain
walked in and
> announced that plane number seven had its new supercharger
installed and
> was ready for high altitude tests, and ordered my buddy and I to
make
> the test. At last we could escape the heat! Needless to say, we
lost no time getting on our
> parachutes, strapping on our oxygen cans and doing all the other
half dozen
> little things that have to be done before “going up.” Then a
climb into the cockpits,
safety belts
fastened, a mechanic gives the prop a flip and yells “contact,” and
in less
> time than it takes to tell it we were up in the air. No use wasting
time
> warming up the engine when the sun already had it nearly red hot.
> We circled the field several times until we hit the
fourteen-thousand-foot mark
and then stopped
climbing for a few minutes to get used to the altitude.
> I looked over to the right at that beautiful snow-capped peak, now
just a
> little above us, and for some reason that I can’t explain, turned
and
> headed the plane straight toward it. My buddy looked around
and looked at
me with
question marks in his eyes, but there was too much noise for him to ask
> questions. After all, twenty-five miles doesn’t mean much
at a hundred miles an hour.
> As I looked down at the great stone battlements surrounding the
lower par
> t of the mountain I remembered having heard that it had never been
> climbed since the year seven hundred before Christ, when some
pilgrims
> were supposed to have gone up there to scrape tar off an old ship
wreck
> to make good luck emblems to wear around their necks to prevent
their
> crops being destroyed by excessive rainfall. The legend said that
they
> left in haste after a bolt of lightning struck near them and had
never
> returned. Sill ancients. Who ever heard of looking for a ship wreck
on a
> mountain top?
> A couple of circles around the snow-capped dome and then a long,
swift
> glide down the south side and then we suddenly came upon a perfect
little
> gem of a lake, blue as an emerald, but still frozen over on the
shady
> side. We circled around and returned for another look at it.
> Suddenly my companion whirled around and yelled something and
excitedly
> pointed down at the overflow end of the lake. I looked and nearly
> fainted!
> A submarine! No, it wasn’t, for it had stubby masts, but the top
was
> round over with only a flag catwalk about five feet across down the
> length of it. What a strange craft, built as though the designer
had
> expected the waves to roll over the top most of the time and had
> engineered it to wallow in the sea like a log, with those stubby
masts
> carrying only enough sail to keep it facing the waves. (Years later
in
> the Great Lakes I saw the famous “whaleback” ore carriers with
the same
> kind of rounded deck.
> We flew down as close as safety permitted and took several circles
around
> it. We were surprised when we got close to it at the immense size
of the
> thing, for it was as long as a city block and would compare very
> favorably in size to the modern battleships of today. It was
grounded on
> the shore of the lake with about one-fourth of the rear still
running out
> into the water, and its extreme rear was three-fourths under water.
It
> had been partly dismantled on one side near the front, and on the
other
> side there was a great door nearly twenty feet square, but with the
door
> gone. This seemed quite out of proportion, as even today ships
seldom
> have doors even half that large.
> After seeing all we could from the air, we broke all speed records
back
> down to the airport. When we related our find, the laughter was
loud and
> long. Some accused us of getting drunk on too much oxygen, and
there were
> many other remarks too numerous to relate.
> The captain, however, was serious. He asked several questions and
ended
> by saying, “Take me up there, I want a look at it.” We mad the
trip without incident and
returned to the
airport. “What do you make of it?” I asked as we climbed out
> of the plane. “Astounding,” he replied. “Do you know
what ship
> that is?” “Of course not, sir.” “Ever hear of Noah’s
Ark?”
> “Yes, sir. But I don’t know what the legend of Noah’s Ark has
to do with
> us finding this strange thing fourteen thousand feet up on a
mountain
> top.”
> “This strange craft,” explained the captain, “is Noah’s
Ark. It has been
> sitting up there for nearly five thousand years. Being frozen up
for nine
> or ten months of the year it couldn’t rot, and has been in cold
storage,
> as it were, all this time. You have made the most amazing discover
of the
> age.”
> When the captain sent his report to the Russian government it
aroused
> considerable interest, and the Czar sent two special companies of
> soldiers to climb the mountain. One group of fifty men attacked one
side
> and the other group of one hundred men attacked the mountain from
the
> other side.
> Two weeks of hard work were required to chop out a trail along the
cliffs
> of the lower part of the mountain, and it was nearly a month before
the
> Ark was reached.
> Complete measurements were taken and plans drawn of it as well as
many
> photographs, all of which were sent to the Czar of Russia.
> The Ark was found to contain hundreds of small rooms and some rooms
very
> large with high ceilings. The large rooms usually had a fence of
great
> timbers across them, some of which were two feet thick, as though
> designated to hold beasts ten times as large as elephants. Other
rooms
> were lined with tiers of cages somewhat like one sees today at a
poultry
> how, only instead of chicken wire they had rows of tiny wrought
iron bars
> across the fronts.
> Everything was heavily painted with a wax-like paint resembling
shellac,
> and the workmanship of the craft showed all the signs of a high
type of
> civilization. The wood used throughout was oleander, which belongs
> to the cypress family, and never rots, which, of course, coupled
> with the facts of it being painted and it being frozen most of the
time,
> accounted for its perfect preservation. The expedition found on the
peak of the
mountain above
the ship, the burned remains of the timbers that were missing out
> of the one side of the ship. It seems that these timbers had been
> hauled up to the top of the peak and used to build a tiny one-room
shrine,
> inside of which was a rough stone hearth like the altars the
Hebrews used
> for sacrifices, and it had either caught fire from the altar or
been
> struck by lightning as the timbers were considerably burned and
charred
> over and the roof was completely burned off.
> A few days after this expedition sent its report to the Czar, the
> government was overthrown and Godless Bolshevism took over, so that
the
> records were never made public and probably were destroyed in the
zeal of
> the Bolsheviks to discredit all religion and belief in the truth of
the Bible.
> We White Russians of the air fleet escaped through Armenia, and
four of
> us came to America, where we could be free to live according to the
“Good
> Old Book,” which we had seen for ourselves to be absolutely true,
even to
> as fantastic a thing as a world flood.
>
> Soon after the New Eden article, Captain Allen (Gurley’s
neighbor,
> retired Army officer and creation geologist) stated that the
publication
> was a “most exaggerated account” with Gurley’s imagination
running wild
> on only the “basic facts” Allen had given Gurley. According to
Allen,
> these “basic facts” that Allen had given Gurley years earlier
included:
>
> the few details originating from two soldiers in the Czarist
Russian Army
> during the First World War, deceased many years ago. The story of
these
> soldiers came to me from their relatives of how a Russian aviator
had
> sighted a suspicious looking structure in one of Ararat’s obscure
> canyons. Infantrymen were sent on foot to investigate and their
officers
> and they decided it must be Noah’s Ark, with one end sunk in a
small swamp.
>
> Gurley apologized to Allen in a “To Whom It May
Concern” letter dated
August 1, 1940.
>
> All of the basic material used in that article came from the
researches
> of Mr. Benjamin Franklin Allen, and the article was written up in
story
> form with the intent of making it more interesting to read.
> Apologies are hereby offered to Mr. Allen for having used some of
his
> material which he feels was not sufficiently corroborated and which
he
> states he does not wish to release for publication at this date.
>
> Six years after Gurley’s article had literally gone around the
world,
> having been reprinted in numerous publications without the
realization
> that it might be exaggerated or completely false, a similar but
much more
> indepth article appeared in the complete Russian Expedition by
Colonel
> Alexander Adolf Koor in two October 1945 editions of the White
Russian
> publication Rosseya or Rossia. The Rosseya story parallels the
> Roskovitsky account. Gurley had never heard of this account since
it was
> published in Russian in the White Russian publication, Rosseya.
Cummings
> learned of the story from a Mrs. Larabee-Platt, a former missionary
at
> the Presbyterian College in Persia. Cummings paid $40.00 to have
the
> 4,000-word article translated into English. It contained the
details of
> one of the Czar’s two-phased ground expeditions to which
Roskovitsky,
> Schilleroff, and Georgensen had alluded. The author was White
Russian
> Army Colonel Alexander A. Koor who was stationed in the Ararat
region in
> November of 1915 during World War I.
|
>Name Role&Claim
> Generai E. W. Maslowsky
Generai ofCaucasusArmy
> Stated There Was a Russian Airforce Pilot Who
Spotted Ruins and Sent
> Russian Expedition In Charge ofMr. Pastounow
> Mr. Pastounow Russian Expedition Archaeologist
Henry Miller
Russian Expedition Doctor Who Lived Between thè
Black Sea
> and Caspian Sea and Showed Photos of Noah's Ark
to His Children Èva
> Miller, Katherine Miller and His Second Wife (?
Miller Whose First Name
> We Do Not Know) Karabaza Yegor Yerofeyevitch Russian Expedition
> Soldier - Bom in 1888, Cossack, Military Rank
was Vakhmister, St. George
> Cross Winner, Grandfather of
> Boris Vailievich Rujansky
Russian Expedition Member
> and Sergeant of Military raiiroad battalion
> John Schilleroff Russian Expedition Member
> John Georgensen Russian Expedition Member
> Joe Kulik
Russian Expedition Horseman & Waterboy
> Jacob Radtke
Sent in Russian Army on Raiiroad to
> Destroy Turkish Castle Next to Ararat and
Claimed to See Noah's Ark
> Èva Miller Ebeling Henry Miller's Daughter Who Saw
> Russian Expedition Photographs
> Katherine Miller Quindt
Henry Miller's Step-Daughter
> Who Saw Russian Expedition Photographs
> Jacob Weist
Fiew Piane Around Ararat, Saw Noah's Ark
> and Took Photos of Noah's Ark Which They Viewed
> John Weist
Fiew Piane Around Ararat, Saw Noah's Ark
> and Took Photos of Noah's Ark Which They Viewed
> Henry Weist
Heard at School That Russians Found
> Noah's Ark and Fiew Piane Around Ararat and Took
Photos of Noah's Ark Which
> They Viewed
Elizabeth Weist
Heard at School That Russians Found
Noah's Ark and Family Fiew Piane Around Ararat and
Took Photos of > Noah's Ark Which They
Viewed
. ^
~> Aiwina Weist Family Fiew Piane Around Ararat and
- 1 ^ ^
> Took Photos of Noah's Ark Which They Viewed
> Ema Weist
Heard at School That Russians Found
> Noah's Ark and Family Fiew Piane Around Ararat
and Took Photos of Noah's Ark
> Which They Viewed
> Alexia Romanov SonofCzarNicholasIIWhoClaimed
> He Escaped & Saw Photos of Noah's Ark
> Anastasia Romanov (Anna
Anderson?) Daughter of Czar
> Nicholas II Who Claimed She Escaped & Saw
Photos of Noah's Ark
> Armais Arutunoff Russian Expedition Photographer
> Cave Arutunoff Photographs of Noah's Ark
> Dave GuMaer
Witnessed Russian Expedition
> Photographer Photographs of Noah's Ark Given to
Arutunoff
>RayLubeck
Russian Expedition Film of Noah's Ark and
> Fifty Russian Soldiers
.
> Kurdish Chief Selim Aga
Russian Expedition Witness
> When Russians Retumed to Bayazit from Ararat
Claiming to Have Found Noah's
>Ark
Lt. Peter Nicoaevich Lesin
261stAhilchinsky
> regiment of Caucausian Army who heard from
Adjutant that Noah's Ark was
> Discovered in Saddleof Ararat
> First Lt. Paul Vasilievich Rujansky
156th
> Elisavetpoisky regiment, Caucausian Army and
brother ofBoris Vailievich
> Rujansky who was on Russian Expedition
> Generai A.J. Eishin Claimed to have Heard About
> Russian Expedition Colonel Alexander Adolph Koorenkov (Koor)
Claimed to
> know Generai A.J. Eishin, Lt. Peter Nicoaevich
Lesin, and First Lt.
> Paul Vasilievich Rujansky
> Gabriella Shyshia Russian Immigrant Who Told Basic
|
> Story of Russian
Expedition to Floyd M. Gurley
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Page
|
