RIAP bulletin - Vol 09 No 3-4 - June-December 2003

Magazine Overview

The RIAP BULLETIN, Volume 9, Number 3-4, published from June to December 2003, is a quarterly publication by the Research Institute on Anomalous Phenomena (RIAP). RIAP is an independent scientific research body established in 1992, based in Kharkov, Ukraine, and aims to study non-traditional energy sources, anomalous atmospheric phenomena, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Articles and Content

Domes of Wrath This article, authored by Vladimir V. Rubtsov, details a mysterious event that occurred in Kuban, Russia, during the Great Patriotic War (WWII). The author recounts a conversation with ufologist Anatoliy Klimenko, who shared an account of an enigmatic incident from the winter of 1942-1943.

Klimenko, then a 15-year-old boy living in a collective farm near Chelbas, witnessed a strange event on the night of January 29-30, 1943. While German troops were retreating, a Soviet infantry battalion, moving swiftly to correct its orientation, was ambushed. Approximately 300 German submachine-gunners and 60 more soldiers in a ravine lay in wait. The Soviet column entered the trap, and a brutal massacre ensued, with the Soviet soldiers falling before they could effectively fight back.

The enigma deepens with the subsequent destruction of another German regiment stationed nearby, also in an unexplained manner. The total German losses were around 1350 men. The Soviet soldiers were found only on the road and in the saddle. The author poses two key questions: who destroyed the German regiment after the Soviet battalion was annihilated, and with what weapon? Artillery or aircraft bombardment is ruled out due to the lack of sound, and a tank attack is deemed impossible due to the terrain.

The most baffling aspect is that no large shell or bomb craters were found. While the Soviet soldiers had bullet wounds, the German soldiers' wounds were consistent with sudden ammunition detonation. Crucially, the battlefield was devoid of live cartridges or hand grenades; all munitions appeared to have exploded simultaneously. Many German corpses showed no visible injuries but had faces contorted in extreme horror. This detail particularly bewildered experienced soldiers.

Anatoliy Klimenko later suggested that all the German soldiers, both those involved in the ambush and those observing, perished simultaneously. This suggests a sudden, coordinated attack.

Fiery Hemispheres and a "Secret Weapon"

The article then shifts to Anatoliy Klimenko's own observations of mysterious aerial phenomena. During the tense wartime atmosphere, teenagers like Klimenko acted as observers. On a late evening in January 1943, near Tikhoretsk, Klimenko witnessed a low red glow that rapidly transformed into a huge, fiery bubble or spheroid. This object had sharp, geometric contours and a smooth, red light, growing to an enormous size, far exceeding that of the solar disk. It remained stationary for several minutes before splintering and fading.

Later, a second, smaller spheroid appeared a few kilometers away and also disappeared. Klimenko described a feeling of horrible disaster approaching, intensified by the complete lack of sound, which would be expected from normal explosions. He initially speculated that these might be related to German secret weapon tests, possibly involving chemical shells, which could explain the lack of injuries and the widespread death.

However, the connection between the spheroids and the mysterious combat event was not made until later. Anatoliy realized that the two sites of destruction corresponded to the locations of the two spheroids. The author notes the paradox that the "oceans of fire" left no traces of burning on the battlefield.

A UFO of 1942 and Other Observations

Anatoliy Klimenko also recounted an observation from mid-August 1942. While walking home at night near the hamlet where the Klimenkos lived, he encountered a German car. Hiding, he then felt a sense of danger and saw a shower of sparks, like a burning airplane motor, descending towards him. It appeared as a half-smouldering, half-burning bundle of rags, flying and descending along the ground. It was not a falling plane, as it made no sound and behaved unusually. The object flew level with him, about 50-100 meters away, and then ascended smoothly, flying at a constant altitude and following the terrain before disappearing over the horizon.

In August 1947, Nikolay Kernozhitskiy, a resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, reported a similar phenomenon: a huge red fiery hemisphere appeared over the Amgun river. This event was witnessed by many residents of the village of Malyshevsk. The object shone with an even, sinister-red light, with slight fluctuations, and lasted for about five to six minutes. Kernozhitskiy's depiction was later compared to Klimenko's drawings and found to be very similar.

The author discusses the hypothesis that these phenomena might be related to a captured German secret weapon tested in 1947 in the Soviet Far East. However, Anatoliy found this hypothesis unconvincing, reminding the author of his own observation of a "strange aircraft" in 1942.

Doubts and Considerations

The article concludes by acknowledging that UFOs of World War II are a complex subject. The author questions the connection between the red spheroids, the mysterious combat destruction, and unidentified flying objects, even if UFOs are considered extraterrestrial probes. The trustworthiness of Anatoliy's account of the combat is also questioned, suggesting it might be partly folklore. Anatoliy, a supporter of the ET hypothesis, believes these craft have been observing Earth for decades, but admits there is no concrete proof of UFO involvement in these specific incidents. He suggests that a "sensitive alien" might eventually tire of merely observing.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly during wartime, and mysterious events that defy conventional scientific or military explanations. The editorial stance, as represented by the RIAP's mission and the content selection, is one of open inquiry into anomalous phenomena, considering various theories and accepting evidence-based arguments. The publication seems to lean towards exploring the possibility of extraterrestrial involvement or advanced, unknown technologies when faced with inexplicable events, while also maintaining a critical approach by acknowledging doubts and the need for proof.

Title: RIAP Bulletin
Issue: Vol. 9, No. 3-4
Date: 2003
Publisher: RIAP (Kharkov, Ukraine)
Content Focus: This issue delves into controversial topics including ancient alien theories, UFO phenomena, and speculative astrophysics.

The Problem of Paleovisits: The Dropa of Baian-Kara-Ula

This section, authored by Chris Aubeck, investigates the mysterious legend of the Dropa of Baian-Kara-Ula, a story that has circulated in UFO literature since the 1960s. The tale originates from a 1962 article in the German magazine "Das vegetarische Universum," attributed to a journalist named Reinhardt Wegemann.

Mysterious Plates from Mountain Caves

The core of the legend involves the discovery of 716 record-shaped granite plates in the mountains between Tibet and China. These plates, allegedly carved with unknown appliances thousands of years ago, contain hieroglyphic writing. After two decades of deciphering, archaeologists, led by Professor Tsum Um-nui, concluded that the plates describe vehicles from the air arriving 12,000 years ago. The text reportedly states that the 'Dropa' came down from the clouds with air gliders and that the local Kham people hid until the Dropa demonstrated peaceful intentions.

Archaeologists have found small human remains in the caves, described as being only up to 1.30 meters tall, with no known ethnographic parallels. The article notes that Chinese researchers have only a vague conception of their appearance. The plates themselves are described as being strongly cobalt and metallic, exhibiting a surprising rhythm of oscillation when tested, suggesting they might have served as electrical conductors.

Cave drawings found depict celestial bodies and numerous dots approaching Earth. The legend is further complicated by the mention of small, thin yellow humans with large heads and spindly bodies, who were allegedly killed by the 'men with the fast horses' (Mongols).

The Roots of the Story

Reinhardt Wegemann's article critically examines the origins of the Dropa story. The author notes that many proponents of the legend are unaware of its source and author. Wegemann's own investigation into Reinhardt Wegemann and the DINA news agency proved fruitless, casting doubt on their existence. The article was republished in 1964 without new revelations, and a different archaeologist, Tschi Pu-tei, was mentioned.

The story gained global traction when it was published in Russian by the journal 'Neman' in 1966 and later discussed by Dr. Vyacheslav Zaitsev in the Soviet magazine 'Sputnik' in 1967. This led to the misconception that the story originated in Russian.

In 1967, the story appeared in the United States, linking the cave drawings to Betty Hill's star map. The name Reinhardt Wegemann was dropped. Over time, the spelling of 'Dropa' varied, and details were lost or invented. Gordon Creighton of 'Flying Saucer Review' investigated the incident in 1973 and found no record of an archaeological expedition to Baian-Kara-Ula in 1938, the year often associated with the discovery. He also noted that the mountains are usually called 'Bayan Khara Uula' and could not find any reference to the archaeologist Chi Pu Tei.

Attempts to trace Tsum Um-nui or his report have also failed. The book "Sungods in Exile" (1978), edited by David Agamon and attributed to Karyl Robin-Evans, described an expedition in 1947 and a tribe called 'Dzopa'. However, David Gamon later confessed that the book, including photographs of a fake disc, was his own invention and a "favourite hoax."

British Columbian Parallel to the Dropa Legend?

This section introduces a parallel case investigated by Ed Komarek and Rob Bailey. In 1975, an old family friend, Larry Requa, recounted an event from 1938. During a search for a missing trapper near the Alaskan/Canadian border, Constable Larry Requa discovered a cave containing five mummified alien skeletons. These beings were described as small (3.5-4 feet tall) with extended craniums, long fingers, large eye sockets, and small upper jaws. They wore metallic suits and one had a star-engraved medallion. The chamber had glassy walls, suggesting it was created by high heat. Requa believed the beings were stranded on Earth. Komarek's team worried about military intervention in their potential recovery operation.

Book Review: Dr. Paul LaViolette on the Possible Artificial Nature of Pulsars

This review by Gerry Zeitlin discusses Dr. Paul LaViolette's book, "The Talk of the Galaxy." LaViolette, an astrophysicist, proposes that pulsars, rather than being natural phenomena, might be artificial signals from an extraterrestrial civilization.

Introduction

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is often seen as separate from UFO research. LaViolette's claims, however, bridge these fields. He argues that pulsars are not natural objects, that SETI is effectively over, and that we are already receiving signals from a galactic society.

LaViolette's research stems from his work on "galactic superwaves" – cataclysms that emit cosmic and electromagnetic radiation. He suggests these superwaves triggered supernovas and caused temporary changes in stars and their planetary systems.

Background

Initially, the discoverers of pulsar signals, Jocelyn Bell and Anthony Hewish, considered an extraterrestrial origin but settled on the "neutron star lighthouse" model proposed by Thomas Gold. This model suggests pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars emitting beams of synchrotron radiation.

Pulsar Behaviors

LaViolette's research, building on Carl Sagan's earlier speculation, focuses on intricate behaviors observed in high-resolution recordings of individual pulses. These include time-averaged regularity, single-pulse variability, pulse drifting, polarization changes, micropulses, pulse modulation, pulse nulling, mode switching, and "glitching" (abrupt changes in pulse period). These complexities disappear when averaged over longer periods, leaving only extreme regularity.

Spatial Distributions

LaViolette challenges the prediction that pulsars should be concentrated near supernova remnants. He notes a clumping of pulsars near a point one radian north of the galactic center, with a sharp fall-off beyond that point. He finds this distribution, particularly at the one-radian mark, to be significant, suggesting it could be a deliberate signal or sign directed at Earth. He also points out that the two fastest pulsars are located at these one-radian positions.

Furthermore, LaViolette notes curious associations with constellations like Sagitta and Sagittarius, suggesting that ancient constellations might have been designed to preserve knowledge of pulsar signals.

The Technology of Pulsars

LaViolette proposes that extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) might be using nearly-collimated beams of synchrotron radiation, a technology similar to what is currently being developed on Earth. This would drastically reduce the effect of distance on detectability. He suggests that the civilization harnessing this technology is operating on a scale far exceeding ours, potentially a Kardashev Type II civilization capable of harnessing the total energy of a star.

Conclusion

LaViolette presents a well-grounded case for an ETI origin of pulsar signals, based on a meta-analysis of scientific data. The "enthusiast" community has shown interest, but the astronomical community has largely ignored the proposition. The author concludes that, in the absence of a convincing rebuttal, LaViolette's hypothesis remains a significant possibility deserving further examination.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The RIAP Bulletin, in this issue, appears to embrace speculative and fringe theories, particularly concerning ancient astronauts and extraterrestrial intelligence. The articles on the Dropa and pulsars suggest an editorial stance that is open to unconventional interpretations of archaeological findings and astrophysical data. The publication seems to prioritize exploring possibilities that challenge mainstream scientific consensus, even when the evidence is controversial or its origins are questionable, as highlighted by the investigation into the Dropa legend's dubious beginnings and the detailed exploration of LaViolette's controversial pulsar theory.