Kulik's 1927 expedition: first scientist to reach the Tunguska blast site. Leonid Kulik was the first scientific person to reach the site of devastation Kulik's first expedition attempt failed and he returned to the village; the successful expedition was in 1927 The local Tungus people were deathly afraid of the area and believed it was cursed, staying away for nearly 20 years
Leonid Kulik was the first scientist to reach the devastation zone, finally arriving in 1927 after an earlier failed attempt. The local Tungus people feared the area was cursed, avoiding it for nearly 20 years. Tragically, the guide who led Kulik to the site was reportedly killed afterward. Reaching it meant battling taiga swamps or enduring -40°F winters.
Key Facts
- Leonid Kulik was the first scientific person to reach the site of devastation
- Kulik's first expedition attempt failed and he returned to the village; the successful expedition was in 1927
- The local Tungus people were deathly afraid of the area and believed it was cursed, staying away for nearly 20 years
- The local guide who took Kulik to the site was reportedly killed afterward for doing so
- Kulik first surveyed the site from the Khaldey ridge in winter 1927
- Access required navigating Taiga swamps, marshes, and bogs, or enduring winter temperatures of 40-50 degrees below zero
Source: A 15 Megaton Explosion Over Siberia and Humanity Forgot! by The Randall Carlson