…And, Mysteriously, So Does a Random Older Guy
At the last minute, Dyatlov was informed they would be joined by Semyon Zolotaryov. Zolotaryov was an outsider. He was older than the rest at thirty-seven, and a veteran of World War II. His tattoos and mustache visually set him apart from the group. None of the other hikers knew Zolotaryov, but photographs show he was able to match the rest of the group in humor and stamina. He and Thibeaux-Brignolle became close friends during the trek, a camaraderie that can be seen in the group’s photos. Zina’s diary from 24 January 1959 said of Zolotaryov, “With us is sr. instructor of the Kaurov sport base Aleksander [one of Seymon’s other names] Zolotaryov. He knows a lot of songs, it’s just happy somehow that we are learning new songs.”