Hell myth surrounding Kola borehole debunked; project ended due to heat and Soviet collapse. Urban legend claimed a microphone lowered into the borehole recorded thousands of screaming human voices, interpreted as sounds from hell. The story spread through newspapers and television in the early 1990s and became one of history's most persistent scientific urban legends. Soviet researchers who worked on the project denied the microphone story, stating it was fabricated and spread via media and word of mouth.
You know that creepy "sounds of hell" story about the Kola Borehole? An urban legend claiming a microphone picked up screaming voices — debunked. The Soviet researchers themselves said it was pure fabrication spread via 1990s media and word of mouth. The real reason drilling stopped at ~12,300 m in 1989? Temperatures exceeding 180°C melted equipment, costs skyrocketed, and the USSR collapsed, killing funding. They welded a steel cap over it. The deepest human-made point on Earth! 🔥
Key Facts
- Urban legend claimed a microphone lowered into the borehole recorded thousands of screaming human voices, interpreted as sounds from hell.
- The story spread through newspapers and television in the early 1990s and became one of history's most persistent scientific urban legends.
- Soviet researchers who worked on the project denied the microphone story, stating it was fabricated and spread via media and word of mouth.
- The official reason for ending drilling was temperatures reaching nearly 180°C at depths over 12,000 m, repeated equipment failure, rising costs, and the collapse of the Soviet Union which eliminated funding.
- The borehole was sealed with a welded steel cap; the deepest artificial point on Earth remains at approximately 12,300 m (7.5 miles).
Source: Soviets Sealed the Deepest Hole on Earth After Terrifying Discovery by Universe Inside You