New versions of where the boy could have disappeared in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The search for the boy lost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha has not yet brought any results, and is becoming increasingly surrounded by new rumors - how we looked for Maxim at night
First-hand: impressions of the CenterSpas coordinator about the search operation in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Updated)
- 26.09.2017 14:20
There is a lot of talk about the boy lost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The search for Maxim Markhaluk from Novy Dvor, Svisloch district, continues for the twelfth day. Recently, guys from Lida returned from searching and spent more than one day in the Svisloch forests.
The Lidskaya Gazeta correspondent spoke with the coordinator of the TsentrSpas PSO, Alexey Zhol, who told how everything happens on the spot. Updated: search history from AvtoGrodno reader Egor.
- Alexey, when did you start participating in the operation?
You could say from the very beginning, on the second day. It was Sunday, September 17, we went to the Shchuchinsky district, the village of Dembrovo, where an old woman who had gone to pick mushrooms had disappeared. We had almost arrived at the place when a request was received to come in search of the child. We turned the car around and a couple of hours later we were in Novy Dvor. Already there, at headquarters, we were familiarized with the details of what happened.
- What exactly did they tell you about the boy’s disappearance?
On Saturday, September 16, Maxim went for a walk and bike ride around 6-7 pm. At some point, he left his friends, saying that he would go to the “headquarters” - a hut that the boys had built in the forest. The parents, without waiting for their son, already sounded the alarm at about 8-9 pm and contacted the police. From that moment the search began. The first thing they discovered was a hut, and next to it was Maksimka’s bicycle and someone’s basket with a small amount of mushrooms. The dogs were set on the fresh trail. There were two of them, and both of them from this place, having reached the village, returned to the forest road, then lost the trail. In addition, it turned out that the boy was seen by a mushroom picker from Minsk. He said that around this evening time he saw a boy run out onto the road, called out to him, but he ran even faster.
- Who could scare Maximka like that?
The first and main version that began to be worked out was that Maxim could have been scared by bison. Nearby, according to local residents, there live two large herds, one with about a hundred heads, the other with more than 30. As you know, in those days the weather was dry, there was little water in the canals, and the bison came out close to the village. It was a large herd of one hundred heads that was noticed by residents shortly before the boy’s disappearance. There is a possibility that Maxim, while in the hut, saw the bison, got scared and began to run in panic. Hearing the mushroom picker’s cry, in stress, I didn’t understand who was screaming and why. Further beyond the indicated road, which the dogs led to (on the other side), after a few kilometers a swampy area begins.
- When you arrived, were there many people involved in the search?
Yes, a lot, more than a thousand people. From everywhere. Minsk, Gomel, Brest, Mogilev, Grodno, Molodechno, Volkovysk. This is just what I remembered right away. I think there were volunteers from all over our country. We immediately began working in the allocated area, and other groups began working in theirs. They combed the forests and swamps. Almost all night. Monday is a working day, many volunteers were forced to leave, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Internal Affairs remained to work. I went back on Tuesday and worked with the Angels (search and rescue team). From the same day, the search engines organized duty: Tuesday - Lida, Minsk, Wednesday - Brest, Thursday - Soligorsk, Friday - Gomel. It was announced on Saturday general fee all search and rescue teams of Belarus.
- Is it true that volunteers were refused?
Is it true. But only because there were not enough coordinators - people capable of leading groups. There were a lot of people interested. But you need to understand that searching in a forest, especially a protected forest, where there is no logging and the area is swampy, is a very responsible job. Some experienced search engines got stuck up to their waists at times. And not all newcomers could withstand the load. The forest there is very heavy, there are a lot of swamps and rubble. Again, volunteers are different people. It is difficult to form a cohesive group. Some people allow themselves to pick mushrooms instead of work, others warm up with alcohol. And this happens, unfortunately. I would like to say that on the second day we managed to assemble an excellent group of 32 people. I will even note that this the best group of the volunteers throughout my participation in the search for people.
- Were they men or representatives of the “weaker sex” too?
Both men and women. Moreover, you are not weak at all (smiles). When we were almost finishing our square, there was an opportunity to send some of the people to the camp and, of course, the first thing we did was offer the women a rest. Not so! Every single one of them refused.
-Have you seen animals that could scare the boy?
We saw it. Bison, as well as wolf tracks. But by that time aviation had already begun to actively operate, and the animals, of course, went to other places. But, by the way, before leaving, on Sunday, we saw that large herd of bison, the animals were already coming out from the other side of the Pushcha.
It is not true! The food was organized very well. There were two field kitchens in operation, and I didn’t hear any complaints from anyone that they left us hungry or cold. Accommodation in the gym was arranged local school, and the villagers themselves came and offered accommodation in their houses, taking in everyone. For example, I, my group and others (there were 10 people in all) settled in big house from a local resident. In general, people are very responsive: some help with food, some with clothes, some with money (for example, for gasoline).
And there are really a lot of rumors around this story. Psychics have become more active, and from different countries. Some call and almost command in an orderly tone - where to go. I’ll say right away that not a single landmark indicated by psychics lived up to expectations. Moreover, I would add, this has never happened in all the time I have been involved in various searches. So whether to believe or not to “clairvoyants” is, of course, a personal matter, but it is better to believe in yourself and official information.
- I heard reproaches that there are not enough aviation and other technical means of search...
Not true again. Aviation, thermal imagers, drones, divers - everything was involved at once. I have never seen such a highly organized search operation. There are, of course, all sorts of fantastic versions: either a boy allegedly “deceives” thermal imagers by hiding in some wells, or, supposedly, some friend disappears for a while and supposedly brings him food. These versions are put forward without taking into account that it is a little boy, who is just about to turn 11 years old, and is neither Rambo nor Batman. Again along roads, villages and abandoned houses: all objects - farms, haystacks, villages, abandoned houses - have been worked out and combed “like a rake”; there are 24-hour checkpoints on exit roads. And all this was done not later, but immediately.
- How long will the rescue operation continue and have there been fewer people willing to search?
It will continue as long as possible until the result is achieved. My group and I are planning to go again in the second half of the week. The most impassable swamp areas remained, and in total, at the time of our departure, more than 20 square kilometers of area had been mined. There are always fewer people willing to search on weekdays, but, as far as I know, even now 300-400 people work there; on weekends the number of people will increase again.
Today, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into the disappearance of ten-year-old Maxim Markhaluk.
A criminal case has been opened into the disappearance on September 16 of a minor resident of the village of Novy Dvor, Svisloch district, Maxim Markhalyuk, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus, says the press service of the Investigative Committee.
If within 10 days after the official statement the location of the missing person is not established, then Part 2 of Art. 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code allows you to decide to initiate a criminal case on the fact of an unknown disappearance.
To date, there is no evidence that the missing child in the Svisloch region became a victim of a crime.
While the entire public, people hope that the boy is still alive, that he is probably lost, waiting for help somewhere, it would even be immoral to initiate a murder case. Not to mention that it’s illegal,” said the head of the Investigative Committee, Ivan Noskevich.
The Investigative Committee does not guarantee that the child could not become a victim of a crime, but they would not want to get ahead of themselves.
As soon as new factual data appears that will allow us to judge the possible violent nature of the disappearance, we will immediately initiate an appropriate criminal case,” said the chairman of the Investigative Committee.
Ivan Noskevich reported that no new traces, except for a bicycle and a basket of mushrooms, have yet been found.
Yesterday, about 500 people worked on the site: volunteers, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, police, foresters and local residents. The search continued in the area of the village of Novy Dvor, near the town of Teraspol and in the forest adjacent to the main highway. The headquarters reported that the search engines had already reached the maximum distance that the child could overcome. Some areas are surveyed more than once.
Added 09/27/2017 9:20
The story of how exactly the work of volunteers is organized was told by AvtoGrodno user Egor and shared the video:
“I arrived at about 11 am. I was driving, as indicated, to the village council in Novy Dvor. There were a lot of people there, cars too, and the regions were very different, I noticed the car even from St. Petersburg. Having parked the car, I went to look for where the volunteers were recording. It was one of the tents. Entered your details and number mobile phone, began to wait for the group to form. Our group recruited 33 people. Immediately the guys from the Red Cross gave instructions on how to stay in the forest - everything is accessible and clear. Some members of the group tried to insert their “I”, but overall everything went well.
Our square was 15 km through the forest from the collection point. But by car, the detour on more or less passable roads was about 40 km. They gathered in a column and began to move. The people in our group were different and from different places: Minsk, Brest, Shchuchin, Grodno, etc. We got to the right square, but spent some time near the barrier at the entrance to the reserve while they received permission to enter.
We reached the point: people were counted, the bearing of the edge of the square was taken, the azimuth was set - and into battle.
Yes, I thought it was that simple. It turns out that for people without practice, keeping a column even at a distance of 5 meters from each other is very difficult. a big problem, and it's very annoying. Very. The patience of the guys from the Red Cross is something. They cannot say or order in a rude manner. And I just want to shout: “People, you didn’t come to pick mushrooms!” And look for a person!!! And girls... you're not out for a walk!"
A column of 33 people covers an average of 250 meters. The pace is slow, even very slow. You look at everything, where you can hide and what arouses suspicion. Then you wait for everyone to gather.
In the forest until 19:00 - then everyone needs to be taken out. Emergency Situations Ministry employees with thermal imagers begin work. At their signal, special teams with dogs are delivered. By the way, helicopters fly non-stop. But the forest is so huge, the fields are so large, there are a lot of irrigation canals, there are a lot of abandoned houses and corn fields are everywhere.
As I understand it, psychologists conducted conversations with the friends of the missing person. They say we don’t know anything. They communicate only in the presence of their parents. And again, rumors: either the grandmother heard the child cry, or someone saw it in the corn, or something else. By the way, in the crowd every now and then one could hear: “Give us his friends, we will beat out the truth.”
Many stayed overnight. Locals provide assistance with overnight accommodations, free of charge. At the headquarters they posted the telephone numbers of those who could accommodate us for the night. You call, ask and stay the night. They feed. But take it with you too. Before leaving, many people ask who needs to go home; if the paths coincide, they will give them a lift. We'll wait for news.
Thanks to everyone who cares!"
Added: on 09:00 27-09-2017 the boy was NOT found!
Rescuers urge you not to spread rumors, but to wait for an official statement from law enforcement! All actual information will be PUBLISHED on the resources
As before, no traces of Maxim Markhaluk have been identified. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case today under Part 2 of Art. 167 Code of Criminal Procedure. Radio Liberty has collected 10 main facts about the disappearance of a 10-year-old child:
1. Circumstances of disappearance
The first reports of the disappearance of Maxim Markhaluk appeared on September 18. The report said that the mother of a 10-year-old boy contacted the police and reported that at about 20.00 on the evening of September 16, he rode a bicycle towards the forest near his village and disappeared.
Already at 22:00 on the same day, parents, fellow villagers, police officers and the Ministry of Emergency Situations began looking for Maxim. In the forest they found a boy's bicycle, a bag of mushrooms, but no more traces.
2. Where does it happen?
All events take place in the village of Novy Dvor, Svisloch district, on the outskirts of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The village council said that the Markhalyuks’ house was located on the outskirts of the village, next to the forest. About 500 meters from the house in the forest, a hut was built where the Markhaluks dry mushrooms.
Already on Monday, September 18, not only police officers and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but also teachers from his school, high school students, residents of Novy Dvor and surrounding villages, and volunteers from different cities of Belarus came to search for Maxim.
3. About Markhalyukov
Maxim Markhalyuk is almost 1 year old. According to the police report, he appears to be 8-9 years old, was wearing blue sweatpants, a brown hooded sweater, and a cherry colored sleeveless vest.
Mother Valentina Nikolaevna works as a technician at a school, father Valery Nikolaevich is a worker at a local agricultural enterprise.
Valentina told reporters that they walked around the entire neighborhood in search of Maxim, day and night, examined swamps and abandoned houses, combed the forest, but to no avail.
Maxim's older brother Sasha (has already graduated military school) said that his brother warned him: he would only walk along the edge of the forest and return home. He also says that Maxim did not go far alone and did not quarrel with anyone that day.
According to Sasha, his brother could have been afraid of the bison - there were many bison tracks where Maxim left his bicycle and basket.
In the first days after the boy's disappearance, the parents turned to fortune tellers and psychics - they allegedly said that the boy was alive.
4. Search headquarters version
10 days after the disappearance of Maxim Markhaluk, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 167 Code of Criminal Procedure.
The article decides to initiate a case if within 10 days after filing a complaint about the disappearance of a person, it was not possible to locate his whereabouts.
Previously, investigators saw no grounds for a criminal case. They said there was no reason to believe the boy was the victim of a crime.
The main version, which the search headquarters followed for ten days, was that the boy got lost in the forest.
The forest area is divided into squares, each of them is checked. The headquarters says that in search of the little boy, they have already covered the maximum distance that he could cover during this time.
Helicopters and drones with thermal imaging are still being used in the search. The search continues.
5. The main danger in Pushcha
According to the coordinator of the “Angel” squad, Kristina Basova, who twice went to Novy Dvor to look for Maxim, the most dangerous things for the boy are wild animals, impassable swamps and the weather.
“During these days we met bison, a wolf, wild boars, and a roe deer,” says Christina. - It was rainy, damp and cold this week. This is all very difficult even for a trained adult.”
6. What people say
Locals claim that the boy was prepared and could not have disappeared into the forest so easily. Many of them believe that the bison might have scared him, and assume that he is simply hiding there.
True, the same locals add that such cases have never happened in their village before. They say that the village children know well where to go and where not to go. They say about Maxim that with strangers he wouldn’t go anywhere, much less go anywhere.
7. Large-scale search operation
The search operation for Maxim was called the largest in Belarus.
A week after Maxim’s disappearance, a gathering of all search and rescue teams was announced in Belarus. Last weekend, several thousand people took part in the search for the boy.
In addition to police officers, military personnel, border guards, police officers, and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, people from all over Belarus, volunteers from the Smolensk region and Lithuania came to Novy Dvor.
8. An incredible number of volunteers
The largest number of search engines was on weekends. According to official data, over two thousand volunteers gathered in Novy Dvor on Saturday. Experts noted that many people had no experience at all in such operations, sometimes they simply did not know how to behave and what to do.
Nevertheless, everyone was divided into groups, each of which received its own search square.
Volunteers say they walked through the forest and swamps for 10 hours, sometimes in the rain. But no one was able to find any traces of Maxim. The coordinator of the “Angel” squad, Kristina Basova, despite various shortcomings in the organization, believes that the search is being conducted at the highest level.
“Yes, at the beginning there were problems and there was not even a single coordination point where information from all search groups would flow. But for a very a short time specialists were able to streamline coordination and direct people to search activities. They managed to feed people, warm them and provide a place to rest. Everyone participated in this. It’s just that people were actually motivated to find Maxim,” Basova said.
According to Christina, those who were unable to come and help in the search transferred money to the squad’s bank account. And this, she says, is also a big help.
9. Can a child survive in the forest for that long?
The coordinator of the “Angel” detachment, Kirill Golubev, who today coordinates the work in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, says that the possibility that the boy is alive is real. According to him, there were cases when a four-year-old child disappeared into the taiga and survived for 10 days.
“We assume that the boy is still alive. The search continues, no new traces of Maxim have been found, but we believe and are looking,” says Kirill Golubev.
The commander of the “Angel” detachment, Sergei Kovgan, said that the operation has search and rescue status.
“The fact is that now there is nothing special to eat in the forest. I understand that the hunter could still get food for himself, but he is not a hunter, he is only a teenager, and it is difficult to imagine what he could eat,” says Kovgan.
10. The operation continues
According to official information, on September 25, over 500 people were involved in the search for Maxim. The search continues, no new traces of Maxim have yet been found.
As before, no traces of Maxim Markhaluk have been identified. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case today under Part 2 of Art. 167 Code of Criminal Procedure. Radio Liberty has collected 10 main facts about the disappearance of a 10-year-old child:
1. Circumstances of disappearance
The first reports of the disappearance of Maxim Markhaluk appeared on September 18. The report said that the mother of a 10-year-old boy contacted the police and reported that at about 20.00 on the evening of September 16, he rode a bicycle towards the forest near his village and disappeared.
Already at 22:00 on the same day, parents, fellow villagers, police officers and the Ministry of Emergency Situations began looking for Maxim. In the forest they found a boy's bicycle, a bag of mushrooms, but no more traces.
2. Where does it happen?
All events take place in the village of Novy Dvor, Svisloch district, on the outskirts of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The village council said that the Markhalyuks’ house was located on the outskirts of the village, next to the forest. About 500 meters from the house in the forest, a hut was built where the Markhaluks dry mushrooms.
Already on Monday, September 18, not only police officers and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but also teachers from his school, high school students, residents of Novy Dvor and surrounding villages, and volunteers from different cities of Belarus came to search for Maxim.
3. About Markhalyukov
Maxim Markhalyuk is almost 1 year old. According to the police report, he appears to be 8-9 years old, was wearing blue sweatpants, a brown hooded sweater, and a cherry colored sleeveless vest.
Mother Valentina Nikolaevna works as a technician at a school, father Valery Nikolaevich is a worker at a local agricultural enterprise.
Valentina told reporters that they walked around the entire neighborhood in search of Maxim, day and night, examined swamps and abandoned houses, combed the forest, but to no avail.
Maxim’s older brother Sasha (who had already graduated from military school) said that his brother warned him that he would only walk along the edge of the forest and would return home. He also says that Maxim did not go far alone and did not quarrel with anyone that day.
According to Sasha, his brother could have been afraid of the bison - there were many bison tracks where Maxim left his bicycle and basket.
In the first days after the boy's disappearance, the parents turned to fortune tellers and psychics - they allegedly said that the boy was alive.
4. Search headquarters version
10 days after the disappearance of Maxim Markhaluk, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 167 Code of Criminal Procedure.
The article decides to initiate a case if within 10 days after filing a complaint about the disappearance of a person, it was not possible to locate his whereabouts.
Previously, investigators saw no grounds for a criminal case. They said there was no reason to believe the boy was the victim of a crime.
The main version, which the search headquarters followed for ten days, was that the boy got lost in the forest.
The forest area is divided into squares, each of them is checked. The headquarters says that in search of the little boy, they have already covered the maximum distance that he could cover during this time.
Helicopters and drones with thermal imaging are still being used in the search. The search continues.
5. The main danger in Pushcha
According to the coordinator of the “Angel” squad, Kristina Basova, who twice went to Novy Dvor to look for Maxim, the most dangerous things for the boy are wild animals, impassable swamps and the weather.
“During these days we met bison, a wolf, wild boars, and a roe deer,” says Christina. - It was rainy, damp and cold this week. This is all very difficult even for a trained adult.”
6. What people say
Locals claim that the boy was prepared and could not have disappeared into the forest so easily. Many of them believe that the bison might have scared him, and assume that he is simply hiding there.
True, the same locals add that such cases have never happened in their village before. They say that the village children know well where to go and where not to go. They say about Maxim that he would not go anywhere with strangers, much less go anywhere.
7. Large-scale search operation
The search operation for Maxim was called the largest in Belarus.
A week after Maxim’s disappearance, a gathering of all search and rescue teams was announced in Belarus. Last weekend, several thousand people took part in the search for the boy.
In addition to police officers, military personnel, border guards, police officers, and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, people from all over Belarus, volunteers from the Smolensk region and Lithuania came to Novy Dvor.
8. An incredible number of volunteers
The largest number of search engines was on weekends. According to official data, over two thousand volunteers gathered in Novy Dvor on Saturday. Experts noted that many people had no experience at all in such operations, sometimes they simply did not know how to behave and what to do.
Nevertheless, everyone was divided into groups, each of which received its own search square.
Volunteers say they walked through the forest and swamps for 10 hours, sometimes in the rain. But no one was able to find any traces of Maxim. The coordinator of the “Angel” squad, Kristina Basova, despite various shortcomings in the organization, believes that the search is being conducted at the highest level.
“Yes, at the beginning there were problems and there was not even a single coordination point where information from all search groups would flow. But in a very short time, specialists were able to streamline coordination and direct people to search activities. They managed to feed people, warm them and provide a place to rest. Everyone participated in this. It’s just that people were actually motivated to find Maxim,” Basova said.
According to Christina, those who were unable to come and help in the search transferred money to the squad’s bank account. And this, she says, is also a big help.
9. Can a child survive in the forest for that long?
The coordinator of the “Angel” detachment, Kirill Golubev, who today coordinates the work in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, says that the possibility that the boy is alive is real. According to him, there were cases when a four-year-old child disappeared into the taiga and survived for 10 days.
“We assume that the boy is still alive. The search continues, no new traces of Maxim have been found, but we believe and are looking,” says Kirill Golubev.
The commander of the “Angel” detachment, Sergei Kovgan, said that the operation has search and rescue status.
“The fact is that now there is nothing special to eat in the forest. I understand that the hunter could still get food for himself, but he is not a hunter, he is only a teenager, and it is difficult to imagine what he could eat,” says Kovgan.
10. The operation continues
According to official information, on September 25, over 500 people were involved in the search for Maxim. The search continues, no new traces of Maxim have yet been found.
Photo in article: Onliner.by
So. Before delving into such a hair-raising topic, I simply have to make a number of clarifications. The next paragraph is dedicated to exactly this. You can sleep for now.
I didn’t want to write about this topic, but you can’t help your heart. For the last two days, I, like many other Belarusians, have been captured by one huge detective. The whole country sincerely worries about the boy, although the mind has already understood everything a long time ago (I would like it to be wrong). This is not an attempt to hype a hot topic. But when a text has been written in your head willy-nilly for the last 48 hours, it’s impossible not to let it out. Anticipating many questions: yes, he helped the search, transferred money to the Angel PSO.
I tried to abstract as much as possible from the conclusions and value judgments. I won't blame anyone. All coincidences that happened in the past, are happening now and will happen in the future are random. I don't have any inside information. None of the versions (except the official one) from this text should be taken into account by law enforcement and other related authorities. I, like all of you, hope for a successful outcome. All my work on this topic consisted of me, armed with a tablet and plenty of time, collecting information on the Internet, Special attention giving comments, reading even the wildest ones. The result is a list of versions, each of which I will try to cover in a variety of ways. Go!
- Version oofficial: the boy is lost
In favor of the version:
Well, look, after all, where it all happened! On the edge of Belovezhskaya Pushcha! I repeat: BELOVEZHSKAYA PUSCHHA! For a second, one of the largest (if not the largest) relict forest in Europe! All the nonsense about how the boy “couldn’t get lost”, “knew the forest like the back of his hand”, “led out mushroom pickers” (I can just imagine how the boy, instead of rescuers, runs into the forest to lead out mushroom pickers). Those who cannot swim never drown. For he does not climb into the water, but sits on the bank, dangling his leg. And only good, experienced swimmers drown. Because they are self-confident. Even adults get lost in three pines, and this is a child! The video from the scene clearly shows how overgrown the forest is in those places. And the wording “They searched everything within walking distance of the child” does not stand up to any criticism at all. Who measured it, that reach. If he wants, he can walk 100 kilometers. Adrenaline and stress do their job. Several traces were found, although it is difficult to say that they definitely belong to Maxim. But there were many tracks of bison in the place, which could have frightened the boy and he rushed away from them into the thicket.
Version vs:
There’s no need to even say anything here. Just look at the map.
Despite the fact that the village is surrounded on all sides by forest, it is not that big. Even YandexMaps shows that there are enough white spots in the forest. Add to this a huge number of paths, clearings, wandering rangers and foresters, camera traps and so on. Even if the boy just starts walking in one direction, in less than 24 hours he will be released into the light of God. They started looking for him almost immediately, shouting and signaling, but no answers. According to volunteers, the forest was eventually encircled and completely combed. That is, the boy simply cannot be in the forest, either alive or dead. The only exception is that the child could drown in a swamp - although even in this case there should be at least some traces! And why would a child go into the forest at dusk? We add here the brother’s testimony: “He did not go anywhere far alone.” How this fits in with “I knew the forest like my pocket” is still unclear. The purple line on the map from one point to another is only 16 km long. Regarding the bison: why did he run not towards the village, along the road along which he arrived, but into the Pushcha? Did the bison learn tactics and encircle the child, cutting off his escape route?
2. Semi-official version: the boy is hiding
In favor of the version:
There were several witnesses who clearly testified that they had seen the boy. Alive and healthy. A mushroom picker saw him once literally immediately after the boy disappeared. Allegedly, he asked him why the boy was walking through the forest alone at such a time, to which the boy, without saying anything, rushed to run away. Then two more times the volunteers said that they saw a boy running in the distance. Each of us knows stories about how children, afraid of what they have done, do not go home. The boy could simply be afraid of punishment when he saw the scale of the search. Again, remember about the tracks. Also in the forest they found places where the boy could presumably spend the night. Maxim’s friends remembered some secret dugout in the depths of the thicket. The boy may be there. As a branch of this version, I put forward the theory that the boy could have gone on a journey. Theoretically, even cross the border with Poland.
Version vs:
Still, 10 days have passed. You can hide for a day, maybe two or three, but not a week and a half. And who saw the witnesses who noticed him? Either it’s a fiction, or they didn’t see it. Moreover, in one of the cases of “witness testimony” the boy ran across the road and slipped through the soldiers in chains. I know the people’s opinion about the army, but there are not total (and at the same time deaf-blind) idiots serving there. Haven't you seen or heard? Unlikely. The child has absolutely nothing to eat or drink. He has nowhere (most likely) to sleep, and the nights are cold. All buildings where the child could have spent the night have been checked - he is not there. Crossing the border is not very realistic - it is guarded on both sides.
3. Criminal version: a crime has been committed
In favor of the version:
It's all pure guesswork here. Why did the child throw the bicycle on the ground without even leaning it against the hut (according to fellow villagers and parents, he loved the bicycle very much). What kind of strange broken basket stands next to the hut, where, as if to divert attention, they threw the first mushrooms they came across with the garbage? According to dog handlers, the boy’s trail is confidently followed by dogs to the highway, where it evaporates in an unknown direction. If a child goes out onto the track, then there is absolutely no point in saying that he got lost. Do you think there are a lot of paved roads in those parts and the boy didn’t know where he was? Nothing was found in the forest at all, that is, literally. None of the crumbs that were found can exactly relate to the boy. They say that in those parts, half the population makes money from poaching, and the other half from moonshine. The boy simply could see something wrong. Or become a victim of an accident: at dusk, be hit by a car or shot by mistake with a gun. God forbid, of course. Or be deported to the same Poland.
Version vs:
The police were at the scene from the very first hours. I believe that all the necessary criminological measures at that time were carried out. I once saw a search for a missing person. They turn the house and buildings upside down, shake all the witnesses and neighbors, and restore the path of the missing person. Don't think that the police made a mistake this time. And any crime leaves traces. Explicit or implicit. Blood, signs of a struggle, pieces of clothing, some other evidence. This time nothing was found at all.
4. Conspiracy theory: something doesn’t fit here
In favor of the version:
The inconsistencies start from the very beginning. When did the boy disappear? Someone says that he warned about mushrooms (elder brother), someone says that they knew nothing about mushrooms (mother). The friends also differ in their testimonies: either the boy called them, but they refused, or they went together, and he moved on. And the story about mushrooms itself looks very strange. The boy allegedly went to pick mushrooms at the edge of the forest at around 19.00 in the evening. For the sake of experiment, gentlemen, go outside today at 19.00 pm and look at the light level. Next: mushrooms at the edge of the forest. While the hut where the bicycle was found is located either five hundred or eight hundred meters from the edge of the forest. That is, the child went overnight looking into the forest a kilometer away (within the forest this is a lot) in order to pick mushrooms by touch? Some witnesses say: the boy was timid, he even stuttered, he could be scared of animals and rush into the thicket. Gentlemen, who is not one of the timid: would you risk going into the thicket at dusk a kilometer deep? I’ll say right away that I couldn’t. It's scary. Next come completely ambiguous versions. Allegedly, a local village madwoman approached the members of the search party and quietly muttered: “Look and search, you still won’t find it.” Someone talks about Maxim’s friends fainting while being questioned by the police, and that one teenager’s parents simply do not allow him to be questioned, insisting that there is no criminal case. Allegedly, someone saw a teenager, one of the missing boy’s acquaintances, returning from the forest at night. What he could see there is unclear. There is even talk about some mysterious house that volunteers tried to break into, but it was locked from the inside. When the door was broken down, there was no one in the house. There are so many inconsistencies that the post threatens to turn into a sheet.
Version vs:
It is quite possible that all this is nothing more than hyperbole of our people. Since childhood, we have all been prone to inventions and fantasies. Moreover, nothing can be checked in the comments at all. People simply copy-paste erroneous versions into more and more public pages. I don't think it's all that confusing. And the seemingly unrealistic versions are simply not sufficiently covered in the press; often people are content with such forums and fragmentary tales of volunteers who visited the site. Stories about crazy houses locked from the inside (who in their right mind would break down the door of a house where the curtain on the window just swayed?), nightly adventures of children seem even more unrealistic than the mysterious disappearance itself.
5. Military version: we have exercises
In favor of the version:
All this may be nothing more than interaction exercises civil society and various services. According to rumors, no one saw either the boy’s parents or his brother. Journalists do not communicate with them, where they are is not clear. It is quite possible that there simply was no disappearance. Rumors of this kind were once confirmed in Russia. And, by the way, remember that same girl from Mexico who allegedly fell under a collapsed building and who they tried to get out of the rubble for days. As a result, the girl turned out to be a fiction, created to distract people from trouble. A completely wild version, also inspired by the exercises: the boy accidentally saw a reconnaissance group of fighters from some foreign state, which was returning after observing the exercises. During such meetings, no one is left alive, and the bodies are carefully hidden. Moreover, it is near the border with Poland, through which the fighters could pass.
Version vs:
I don’t believe that the state would do such a thing. This is too much. It was possible to come up with some other way to gain search experience. Thermal imagers, helicopters, the army, equipment - all this is money. It’s also hard to believe that he was killed by enemy saboteurs. This is all very incredible. The idea that all this was invented to distract people from something important also does not work. Nothing important has happened in the country yet.
Perhaps we should end here. I tried to process everything possible versions, found by me in the vastness of the Internet and presented in accessible language. I hope I accomplished something. The picture is, of course, incomplete, however general idea gives.
In Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Maxim Markhaluk turned 11 years old on October 10, and nothing is still known about his whereabouts.
On September 16, a 10-year-old boy disappeared in Belovezhskaya Pushcha; two weeks ago, a large-scale search and rescue operation, one of the largest in the country, took place in Novy Dvor. More than two thousand volunteers came to the Belarusian forest to help find Maxim. Unfortunately, there are still no results.
Like the Tut portal. by, now a quiet and measured life continues in Maxim’s native village. More recently, the headquarters of the Red Cross and many volunteers of the “Angel” detachment were located here.
The mother of the missing Maxim works at a school; she refuses to comment on the situation to journalists. The school said that they were trying to support the woman with all their might.
I really sympathize with the boy’s mother, but I can’t imagine how to help in this situation. Volunteers stayed with me all this time. She fed me and hosted her,” says local resident Zoya. - All versions have already been discussed. Of course, you really want him to be found, and you believe that he just went on a trip.
Now Maxim has been put on the international wanted list; the Investigative Committee of Belarus has opened a criminal case into the boy’s disappearance.
On this moment Police officers are busy searching.
The search is currently ongoing. A criminal case into the disappearance of the child was opened on September 26 due to the expiration of ten days from the date of filing the complaint about the boy’s disappearance and the failure to establish his whereabouts during the operational search activities, Sb reported to the portal. by official representative Investigative Committee Yulia Goncharova.
According to the press service of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, police officers from the Svisloch, Slonim, Zelvensky, Mostovsky district police departments and military personnel are taking part in the search and rescue operation internal troops and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Experts are studying the most difficult to pass and wetlands.
Do you know how many versions there were? Whatever people said: they say, the child was stolen, fled abroad, drowned in a swamp, but these are all assumptions, and what actually happened is unknown. In the church we pray for Maxim to be found alive and unharmed,” says local priest Father Anatoly.
Despite the fact that Maxim has a Catholic family, Orthodox church In Novy Dvor, people order services about their child’s health. This is how the unity of residents in common trouble is demonstrated.
There is a village council in Novy Dvor; journalists were able to find someone there only after lunch. The head of the department for children's affairs, Vera Lisovskaya, commented on the situation:
There is no news. So I can’t tell you anything. Maybe just about family - simple hard-working people who work hard. An ordinary rural family. And Maxim is ordinary, active, like other children of his age.
The journalists drove up to the place where all the operations began - a hut called the base. Here rescuers found Maxim’s abandoned bicycle. At the moment it is empty, and now local residents do not allow their children into the forest.
And for us, adults, it’s a little scary to go into the thicket - now here behind every tree there seems to be something incomprehensible, because there are many versions of the boy’s disappearance. It’s not clear what really happened,” says local resident Vera.
It seems that everyone knows about Maxim’s birthday in the small agricultural town. Locals say: he turned 11. A month has already passed since they are looking for Maxim.