Chetvertoye Izmereniye - 1997 No 02

Magazine Overview

This issue of "ЧЕТВЕРТОЕ ИЗМЕРЕНИЕ И НЛО" (Fourth Dimension & UFO), published in 1997 as issue No. 2, is a supplement to the newspaper "Заводская правда" (Factory Truth) from the Yaroslavl Tire Plant. The cover prominently features a headline about an orange ball sighted in the Orlovskaya Oblast and includes a photograph of the alleged object. The magazine is priced as 'free' (свободная).

Article: Orange Ball Visits Orlovskaya Oblast!

The issue begins with a personal account from Tatyana Dmitrievna Cheren of Magnitogorsk, who photographed an orange ball approximately half a meter in diameter during her vacation in the Orlovskaya Oblast in July 1996. She describes the object moving erratically over Lipovaya Gora and notes that upon returning to the site later, the tree branches were unnaturally positioned, parallel to the ground, as if something had been hanging from them all night. She seeks an explanation for this phenomenon and offers the photograph for expert analysis.

The editorial staff acknowledges the uniqueness of the photograph but states that due to the black-and-white format of the newspaper, many color details cannot be conveyed. They also note that it is difficult to definitively determine the nature of the phenomenon from the image alone. However, based on witness descriptions, they suggest it might have been a large ball lightning, which can appear in summer without thunderstorms. Other interpretations include the materialization of a biofield, termed a 'bioplasmoid' or 'phantom' by ufologists, or a probe-like UFO enveloped in plasma. The article concludes by labeling the event an 'anomalous phenomenon' and invites readers to share similar experiences or information.

Article: Roswell

This section discusses the events surrounding the alleged UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico, on July 2, 1947. The US Army's explanation of a weather balloon is contrasted with hundreds of witnesses who claim that a craft from another world was recovered and subsequently hidden by authorities. The article mentions the film "Roswell," based on the documentary book "The Roswell UFO Crash" by Kevin R. Randle and Donald C. Schmitt. It highlights the film's setting in 1977, focusing on veterans of the 509th Bombardment Group. The piece suggests that the Roswell event is not science fiction but a story of secrecy and a conspiracy of silence. It references claims that former US Secretary of Defense James Forrestal was pushed to his death by CIA agents for wanting to reveal the truth, and his diary was confiscated. Producer Paul Davids recounts seeing a disc with a dome maneuver over his house in Pasadena in 1987, which drew him to the Roswell mystery. The article notes that many UFO sightings occurred in the summer of 1947, the famous 'year of the flying saucers.'

It also touches upon the depiction of a captive dwarf survivor of the crash in a laboratory, noting that the special effects creation was not entirely consistent with witness descriptions. The article mentions the first semi-official contact between the US government and extraterrestrials on April 24, 1964, at Holloman Air Force Base, and suggests Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was also based on real events. The authors propose that aliens might be influencing human evolution, expressing regret that evidence is hidden in secret US and Russian laboratories. The article quotes a character from the film, described as a 'shadow ufologist,' stating that Roswell was just 'the tip of the iceberg.' It notes that many witnesses are intimidated and hide, and that Jesse Marcel, a participant in the events, died without achieving recognition. The article criticizes academic V.G. Azhazha for publicly dismissing the North Caucasus UFO crash, which was later confirmed to have been shot down by a fighter jet in 1991. A Gallup poll is cited, indicating that 20 million Americans claim to have seen UFOs, with 80% believing in aliens and their craft.

Article: Unusual Phenomenon Over Kemerovo

On December 21, 1996, a severe thunderstorm occurred over Kemerovo, Russia, accompanied by thunderous explosions and the emission of white-pink plasma. Witnesses reported seeing cylindrical, cone-shaped, and spherical objects moving erratically, with some objects appearing to be connected by cords to buildings. Giant light pillars descended from toroidal objects in the sky, and a steel sphere hovered over the city, seemingly controlling the other objects. The author, A.L. Petrov, suggests the existence of radio polygons and notes the unusual timing and effects of this event.

Article: Monsters of Lost Lakes

This extensive article explores reports of large, unknown creatures inhabiting lakes around the world, drawing parallels to the Loch Ness Monster.

• Lake Tian-chi, China: In 1994, a creature with a head on a long neck was sighted twice, moving at 4 km/h.
• Salfjord, Norway: In 1993, a creature resembling a 15-meter-long eel with a hump and a moose-like head was reported.
• Lake Labynkyr, Yakutia, Russia: In the 1950s, geologists observed a large animal, described in local legends as a fearsome predator. Expedition members V. Tverdokhlebov and B. Bashkatov also reported seeing a dark gray, oval-shaped creature with luminous eyes and a fin-like appendage.
• Lake Khair, Yakutia, Russia: Geologist G. Rukosuev and biologist N. Gladkikh reported seeing a large, blue-gray animal with a long neck and dorsal fin emerge from the water.
• Pre-war sightings: Pilots observed two large, unidentifiable animals in Lake Labynkyr.
• Post-war sightings: A teacher and passengers saw a giant creature maneuvering in a lake between Khair and Kular.

The article notes that many of Yakutia's 500,000 lakes remain unexplored. It also mentions reports from the Yamalo-Nenets region of freshwater lizards.

Historical accounts are cited, including a 16th-century Pskov chronicle mentioning the invasion of lake lizards. The article discusses the 'korkodel' or 'lizard-beast' in folklore of Novgorod, Pskov, Belarus, and Polesie, to which animal sacrifices were made. Academic B.A. Rybakov is quoted on the persistent image of the lizard in ancient Russian culture.

Reports from Belarusian Polesie suggest these creatures still exist. A forester encountered a 3-meter-tall creature on its hind legs near a spring, eating grass.

In Central Africa, a 'giant lizard' weighing over 4 tons, with a snake-like head and footprints up to 1.5 meters wide, is reported to roam swamps over a vast area including Sudan, Zaire, Zambia, Uganda, Angola, and Cameroon. Captain von Stein described a creature in Cameroon in 1913 as brown-gray, elephant-sized, with a long neck, a single horn, and a crocodile-like tail, known to capsize boats.

Comparisons are drawn to the plesiosaur. An incident in the Congo in 1919 involved a dinosaur-like creature attacking an engineer and killing expedition members. In 1932, zoologist Ivan Sanderson found giant footprints in Cameroon, and later observed a massive creature, larger than a hippopotamus, entering the Cross River. A case is mentioned of a lake lizard being trapped, killed, and eaten by Pygmy tribesmen, who subsequently died.

The article also discusses reports of a predatory lizard, larger and more dangerous than crocodiles or hippos, which attacks large animals like elephants. Hunter J. Jordan described such a creature in Zaire. Similar predatory creatures are said to inhabit Lake Bangweulu in Zambia. In Lakes Victoria and Nyasa, long-necked lizards with horse-like bodies and tails up to 40 feet long have been observed, capable of capsizing boats.

Reports of lake lizards are widespread, with Swedish newspapers confirming their existence in six deep lakes. In Iceland, they are called 'skrimsl,' and in Ireland, similar large animals have been recorded in four lakes since 1945. Lake Labynkyr reportedly hosted four such creatures at once. The article concludes that aquatic reptiles' adaptability suggests legends of dinosaurs might be more reality than myth.

Article: Teleportation (Cases from Ufological Practice)

This section explores the phenomenon of teleportation, defined as the instantaneous movement of people or objects across distances.

• 1960, USA: A 16-year-old girl, Sonnet Taggart, experienced a momentary lapse of consciousness while climbing stairs and found herself inside her house, with the door still locked.
• May 1968, Argentina: Gerardo Vidal and his wife were driving when enveloped in an orange fog. They lost consciousness and awoke 4000 miles away in Mexico, with only 20 minutes having passed. Their car showed signs of being exposed to intense heat.
• February 1992, Kostroma, Russia: Yakov Mikhailovich K. reported that his bedroom was suddenly filled with several young men and women who behaved as if he weren't there. His wife saw nothing. The next morning, the 'guests' were gone, and the door was still locked.
• Spring 1992, Kostroma, Russia: Yakov Mikhailovich K. witnessed a bright, white-blue glowing pillar of light, about 1.5 meters tall, moving across his garden and disappearing without leaving tracks.
• February 1991, Galich, Russia: Nikolay Petrovich D. and his guest, Sergey Ivanovich K., were drinking and chatting when Sergey Ivanovich suddenly vanished from the apartment, which was locked from the inside. He reappeared later, dressed in borrowed clothes and barefoot, claiming to have been transported about a kilometer away.
• Late August 1991, Kostroma Oblast, Russia: Valentin G., a young programmer, was mushroom picking in a familiar forest when he stumbled upon a large clearing with unusual machines and several people in gray-black overalls. He approached them but was seemingly ignored. The clearing was then enveloped in a red fog, and Valentin lost consciousness. He awoke on a road about 60 kilometers away, having apparently been teleported.

The article concludes that the mechanism of teleportation is unclear, possibly involving spontaneous or directed distortions of space-time. It suggests that 'bludnye mesta' (wandering places) or 'anomalous zones' might be locations where teleportation occurs.

Article: The Phenomenon of 'Wandering'

This article discusses the phenomenon of getting lost in forests, attributing it to both psychological factors (like uneven leg length causing people to walk in circles) and potentially paranormal or anomalous reasons.

• Forest near Mosalsk and Boryatino: A group got lost due to a 'wandering place' attributed to the spirit of a man who hanged himself from nearby birch trees.
• Ulyanovsk Oblast, Sengiley: A persistent fog in a specific road section causes people to return to their starting point.
• Ogarovo village, Ferzikovsky district: A section of road near oak trees is known as a 'bludnyy mest' where people can suddenly find themselves miles away.
• 'Chertovo Gorodishche' near Kozelsk: This area is known for causing disorientation, with people losing each other and their watches lagging significantly.

The author speculates that these 'bludnyy mesta' might be 'anomalous zones' where teleportation occurs due to distortions in space-time, possibly related to the existence of a fifth dimension. The article mentions experiments by Chinese physicists that indirectly support this theory. It also cites cases where researchers experienced teleportation, such as T.V. Faminskaya, who was reportedly moved 1.5-3.5 km in an anomalous zone. Another case involved a group member disappearing and reappearing a day later, with her own perception being that only moments had passed.

The article appeals to readers to share information about 'unclean places' and related events, hoping to find patterns in the distribution of anomalous zones.

Article: Strange Disappearance!

On May 3, 1982, V.V. Zeltin was in the Poshekhonsky district of Yaroslavl Oblast when he and two companions saw a cone-shaped structure on the opposite bank of the Keshtoma River. While approaching it, Zeltin felt dizzy and nauseous and retreated. His companions, however, continued towards the object and then vanished along with the cone. Later, they reappeared, unable to explain what had happened. Zeltin kept the incident secret for fear of not being believed.

Advertisements and Notices

• Closed Joint-Stock Company "Business-Press" is seeking subscription agents, requiring a home phone, willingness to work irregular hours, and higher education. They also publish the weekly "Poputny Veter" (Tailwind).
• Yaroslavl Regional Weekly for Business People "Poputny Veter" is looking for advertising agents aged 18-40 with higher or secondary education and a home phone. The job involves client acquisition and collecting advertisements. Payment is 15% of the order sum.
• Closed Joint-Stock Company "Business-Press" is also recruiting a correspondent, requiring candidates aged 22-30 with higher education (preferably economic or humanitarian), willingness to work irregular hours, and good literary skills. A creative competition and a one-to-two-month internship at the "Corvet" Information Agency are part of the process.
• Video films on ufology and magic are advertised, including titles like "Three Hours of Wonder," "Ufological Video Album," and "Guests from Eternity." Each 3-hour VHS tape costs 50,000 rubles.
• The Yaroslavl Ufological Center is seeking active participants and provides a contact number for information about new meeting locations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores UFO sightings, alleged extraterrestrial encounters, and other anomalous phenomena. It presents witness accounts, photographs, and speculative theories, often framing these events as mysteries that challenge conventional understanding. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into the unexplained, encouraging reader participation and sharing of experiences. There is a clear interest in historical accounts of strange occurrences and a willingness to consider unconventional explanations, including those involving advanced technology, paranormal activity, and even interdimensional travel. The publication seems to aim at informing and engaging a readership interested in the fringes of science and the unexplained.