-You ought to kill yourselves.

-We will not let you get away with this!

 

 

-Bastards!

 

-I should not have shouted.

-I should just have torn the distinctions off Kuroyedov.

 

 

- I would like to know what he saw inside the sub.

  I really wish to know. I really do.

 

- He wanted to become an admiral.

 

 

Caption: <Nadezhdah Tylik, mother>

- He always said: "Father, you became a captain."

I am going to go further and become an admiral."

 

- He would have become one. I am very proud of my son.

 

      Caption: <Nikolay Tylik, father>

- Of course I took him with me and showed him my sub.

   He said: ”Father, I am going to be a military man."

 

 

- The first time he went out with the sub, I was not afraid.

 

Caption: <Natasha Tylik, widow>

- I just hoped time would fly, because three months is a long time.

I just told him to come back soon. I was very calm.

 

 

 <Sergey was only 25. He was proud when he signed on "Kursk”, the largest and most modern submarine in the Russian fleet.>

<His colleagues' video clip shows the submarine's initiation rituals.>

 

 

- We will now start the Navy ritual for new sailors.

- Today is a very important day in the lives of these people.

They will remember it for the rest of their lives. Today they become

a part of the heroic sub-crew.

 

<The newcomers must drink a cup of seawater and kiss a rusty hammer.>

 

 

- Today I became a member of the sub-crew. I am drinking water

from 80 m down in the Barents Sea. I do this so that all shall be well...

 

 

- Now you are a man!

 

 

- What is this?

- It is the escape hatch.

 

 

- They got the order in July or August. He said that they would be

coming back for my birthday.

That is on the 15th of August.

 

 

- We gave each other a hug. He said that all would be well.

"Mama, all would be well. I'll be back."

 

 

- The last time I saw him, I had Liza in my hands.

He was already in uniform. He put on his military cap.

Then he hugged us and said: "I love you both. I'll be back in four days."

We said goodbye for four days. Not for the rest of our lives.

 

 

<Sergey is one of 118 young mariners aboard "Kursk" during the Northern Fleet Exercise.> Russian tv reports from the first day of the exercise:>

 

- This morning more than 30 ships, both surface ships, submarines and supply-vessels, most of them from the Northern Fleet left for the Barents Sea to take part in a large military exercise. During the exercise the subs

L1N03 will be firing ballistic missiles.

 

 

Caption <Vyacheslav Popov, commander,Russian Northern Fleet>

- This is a normal exercise to show Russian presence. We want to show our flag in the North. This is no provocation.

 

 

<Sergey's family lives in the isolated navy town Vidyaevo. Almost every child and woman here has a father or husband aboard a submarine. None of them will forget the unrest of August 13.>

 

 

- On Sunday my husband wanted to go fishing.

I woke up very early. He told me to go back to sleep. But I could not sleep and said that I wanted to go look for mushrooms.

He said it was too early.

When I came out into the forest, I got this funny feeling. It happens to me.

L1N03 It was as if somebody followed me.

 

- I went to a friend of mine. We sat there and drank tea.

Suddenly the telephone rang. My friend answered.

Her faced changed. She talked for half a minute.

She turned to me with tears in her eyes and said: "They say that "Kursk"

is lying at the bottom of the sea."

I didn't believe her.I said it wasn't possible.

I phoned my mother-in-law and asked her.

 

- She said that "Kursk" was lying at the bottom of the sea.

I shouted at her and said: "Don't believe what they tell you!"

This sub couldn't sink. It was that simple. It couldn't.

 

- The mood changed. We started to phone friends to find out about it.

Everybody said yes. "Kursk" is lying at the bottom.

They didn't say that they thought the crew and the sub had perished.

Only that it was lying at the bottom.

 

- Maybe it wasn't true. It could have been a part of the exercise.

Everything happens during these exercises.

 

- I thought they had a small problem and that that was the reason.

That they would surface afterwards.

 

 

- We were fishing for cod. The weather was good. I came home

at about 1:30 am. This was Monday 14th of August.

My wife said: "Haven't you heard?" She told me about the rumours.

I had heard nothing. But there were rumours that there had been an accident.

 

 

- People were talking. One of our friends went to the Headquarter.

It was as quiet there as if nothing had happened.

On the Monday it was also quiet. We got our information

from the tv-channel NTV.

 

 

- First about the accident in the Barents Sea. The submarine "Kursk"

did not report at the agreed time. This submarine took part

in the exercise going on there.

There has been an incident on board and the sub is now at the bottom-

of the Barents Sea.

 

<"Kursk" was the newest submarine in the Russian fleet. The nuclear-powered sub was a powerful sight. 155 metres long and as high as a 6 storey building. It contained an arsenal of missiles and torpedoes. The hull, made of 7 cm massive titanium, was to protect the crew against the enemy's weapons.>

 

 

- I was very happy that he was given service on "Kursk".

He just loved and lived for submarines. He trusted it and I trusted it.

I still can't believe that it is lying on the bottom.

 

 Caption <Paul Dinessen, deep sea diver, Stolt Offshore>

- The first time I heard about it, we were out on the oil-field.

It was late at night. The mate listened to the radio and they said there had been an accident with a submarine. I thought that if I could help saving lives,-

I would give everything to take part in a rescue operation.

 

 

- There has been an accident in the Barents Sea.The submarine "Kursk" is now>

at the bottom of the Barents Sea.

 

- In the Officer's House they set up a headquarter. When we came there, they said: ”Here is the television-set.We know only what they

show on tv. We know nothing."

 

 

- We have made contact with the crew of the submarine.

 

 

- No comments.

 

- We have no contact with the crew.

- Many people are probably dead.

 

 

- So we said to them: "Tell us at least something!". An official representative came. I have forgotten his name. He started to talk about the technical specifications. How much oxygen they had etc.

He said that they were doing everything to save them. We should wait a few more days.Then everything would be OK. They would get the crew out.

 

<Two days have passed. The Russian rescue vessel does not work. The authorities are powerless and spread lies about strong currents, poor weather, muddy waters and evacuation.>

 

Caption <Vladimir Kuroyedov,commander, Russian Navy>

 

- This is a new stage in the salvaging operation.

 

- Have you started an evacuation?

- We have started to save people.

 

Caption <Pilot, Russian minisub>

- During the last days we have several times tried-

to get into the submarine. But it is very difficult.

The current is very strong and we have not been able to fix-

our minisub on "Kursk". A couple of times we made it.

But after having done this, we could not make the connection air-tight.

We think the hatch is damaged. Therefore it has not been

possible to enter the submarine. But we continue to work.

 

 

- As long as they were trying to rescue people, I had hope. Maybe not the whole crew had survived, but some of them might.

When I heard that they had made connection, I thought all was well.

But inside I knew that something had happened. Something serious.

 

 

<Next of kin came from all over Russia to the railway station in Murmansk and to the isolated town of Vidyaevo.>

 

 

- Children, children. We will survive. Don't show your tears.

Life is ahead of us. Life is hard.

 

- Where were our divers? It is not more than 100 m deep! Where were our divers? They said that we had divers who could only go down to 60 meters.

But we have four fleets! Is that all? For four fleets? Let us get help from abroad.

 

 

- We should have asked for help earlier. Not on the Wednesday. Four days after the accident. On the Monday when Norway said that you could help.

When Great Britain offered to help.  When the US offered to help.

 

<Paul Dinessen is one of 12 divers in the rescue operation. After four days, the Russians ask for help from Norway and Great Britain. One question is on everyone's mind. Is there life aboard the submarine? Is there enough oxygen for 118 people over 7 days? Is it possible to survive when power supplies fail and tempratures drop? A British vessel for submarine rescue is now their last hope. But it will take at least two, maybe three days before the help gets there.>

 

- All the wives of the sailors hoped that this would help. But then they said on tv that the equipment couldn't be transported by plane.

We were very much surprised. It would have been much quicker

by plane. The ship took three days.

 

- We knew that for the crew, every hour and every minute counted. If this was delayed, the hour of death would draw closer.

 

<6 days after the accident, criticism against the authorities is so strong the military is forced to host an open meeting. Head of the board of inquiry,>

vice-president Ilya Klebanov and the Navy commander Vladimir Kuroyedov, answer questions.

 

 

Caption <Ilya Klebanov,Head of board of inquiry>

- We discovered the sub at 11:00 pm on the Saturday.

It did not establish contact as it should.

 

- Bastards!

 

- I want to say that to the whole world!

 

- What do you have to help you? A minisub from 1968!

And it has never been in use!

 

- What I did at the Officer's House was a cry from my soul. I regret it now.

I regret what I did not do. How long will this continue? For $50 they sit down there.

 

- Why does Russia do this to her children? Why?

 

- I shouldn't have shouted. I should just have torn off

Kuroyedov's distinctions. That would have been the right thing to do.

 

- Don´t You have children? You don´t understand anything!

We haven´t got anything! Our conditions are terrible!

I'm tired of this mess! My husband worked 25 years in the Navy!

Why? So that I should have to bury my son?

I will never forgive you! Tear off your distinctions!

Tear them off now!

You should shoot yourselves now! Bastards!

 

- I became hysteric. My husband and a nurse

were standing beside me. In order not to have a second dead body,

my husband asked the nurse to give me something for the heart.

 

<Sunday August 20, over one week after the accident, the diving vessel arrives.

One question overrules all other. Can there still be life down there?>

 

-The first lockout we did was at about 10:00 am. We had gone out of the bell

and were standing on the sub.

 

<-Diver 2 is ready.>

<-Come on, diver 2.>

 

- It was almost unreal to stand there on the sub and be so close to those people

who were inside it.

 

<Have you got your hatlight,>

<Paul?>

 

<The Russians lead the operation and make sure the divers are only are at the astern hatch. Nobody is allowed to film or approach other parts of the ship. Rumours of the severe restrictions reach the next of kin.>

 

-At that timethey did all they could. At that time

they did all that was possible. But I think they were hampered.

There probably were secrets. That's what I think.

But secrets...

 

 

- They should have asked for help earlier. To save people's lives is something

which is an international task. One can not think about

principles and pride here.

 

<You've got the Geiger Counter?>

 

<-I've got nothing on the Geiger.>

<-0 reading on the Geiger counter.>

 

<The Russians claimed the sonars had intercepted knocking inside "Kursk".>

 

<You're gonna do some tapping,>

<are you?>

 

<-Yes, I am.>

<-Four taps, four times.>

 

<The rescuers were given a crash course in Russian morse.>

 

<-Do you want me to start now?>

<-Roger.>

<Nothing.>

 

<Nothing. Just sit and wait.>

 

<-Do you want me to try again?>

<-Yes, try again.>

 

 

- If we had heard one tap, the British minisub would have been called in.

 

- We hoped that people were alive. Everybody hoped that. We even tried to calculate how much oxygen they had left.

 

<Make yourself aware of any orifices for the water ingress.>

<Have you got the dye with you?>

<You've got it, have you Paul?>

 

<Have you taken any water samples, Paul?>

 

<It was important to find out whether. The air lock contained air or water. Air would mean hope. They have to open an equalisation valve to find out. But their equipment is too poor. The Russians do not know which way to unscrew. The new key does not fit. They have to have a new one made.>

 

 

Caption <Olga Kolesnikova, widow>

- It is very difficult for us now. When we meet,

we always talk about our husbands. We knew who our husbands were. We knew very well what our husbands risked. Because they had a dangerous job.

We also knew that they loved their wives but that they also loved

the sea and their submarine.

 

- They worshipped "Kursk". They believed that nothing would happen.

 

 

- This is the sub where daddy served.

Who is this? Is it your father? She smiles.

 

<I'm turning it counter-clockwise.>

 

<The valve is opened. The divers use bottles containing milk to find out if there is air on the inside. If there is, the liquid will be sucked into the air lock.>

 

<-It's opening up a bit now.>

<-If you get any flow going in, you close it. Do you understand?>

<-All right.>

<Any flow in, you close.>

 

Caption <Gennady Verich, vice-admiral, Russian North Fleet>

-The chamber is filled with water. The hatch can be opened.

We should tell them to open the hatch.

 

<Though there is water in the hatch, there can still be air in the sub. Should they open both the inner and outer hatches? The pressure on the rescue command increases.>

 

-One second, lads. There's about 30 people in here.

 

<There is a slight chance of people being alive inside the ship.But new problems arise: It is difficult to get the equipment working as it should.>

 

- Mentally speaking I'm strong. My friends are more likely to be stressed.

I pulled myself together because if everybody would be crying, it would be worse for everybody.

 

- We didn't live. The earth was moaning the whole week.

 

- I'm happy that I have a child to remind me about my husband. I have to go on living for the sake of my child.

 

 

<New and unexpected problems arise: The drawings of the rescue hatch>

are of no use. The Russians are forced to carry rescuers by helicopter to a sister ship, where the crew can see how the hatch works. The dilemma they are facing is formidable: If they open the inner hatch and find a pocket of air,-water will stream in.>

 

- This is his dogtag. It says Dmitry Romanovich Kolesnikov.

Second blood-group. Orthodox Christian. This is his cross. Last time he left

this at home. I don't know why. Maybe he foresaw

that he would die. When I came to him this summer,he had written this poem to me:

When the hour of death comes

I chase the thoughts away

I would only whisper this

My dear, I love you

 

<The Russians decide that the inner hatch is to be opened.>

 

- To me these air-bubbles looked like the souls of the submariners. At last they had managed to get out of this confined space and ascended to heaven.

 

- We closed the hatch. I jumped down and closed it. I thought:

We are sealing a grave.

 

- It was announced that the divers had opened the hatch and that they saw

that the sub was filled with water.How did you react to this?

 

- They never told us. We didn't know that.

This is the first time I've heard it.I know that it is a custom to give dead sailors to the sea. But I would like to bury him. So that I will have a monument

to go to. A monument to my son.

I have thought that if there is nothing left of my son, we can always fill a canister with water from the place. So that we can bury him the Christian way.

I know that there is nothing left of him. If we could only have opened his cabin. Found some of his things. Have something to remember him by.

I know that it is not possible.

I'm sorry...

Any of his things. A document. Something.

Then we would have been satisfied and left for good. Sometimes I see him

in other people. A young sailor walks by.

My heart breaks.It breaks.

They say time is the great healer.

I don't know.

 

- I would like to know the truth. What happened to the sub?

I don't think our authorities will tell us what happened to "Kursk".

Why our children, fathers died.

 

- I would like to know the truth.Talk to Paul under four eyes. "Tell me what happened."

 

- I would like to know what he saw inside the sub. What he saw inside it. I would like to know.Maybe it will be hard, but I would like to know.

 

<For weeks we tried to arrange a meeting with the families Dinessen and Tylik. But Russian authorities told us Nadezhdah was in a mental hospital.>

 

- Yesterday our mayor said to me: "Some Norwegians would like to meet you." I said to him that it was OK. I will tell them all I know”.

They had been wanting to talk with me for a long time,but they were told that I was in a hospital in Leningrad.

 

 

 

 

- When the first cry for help came,

you answered it. You came to our rescue.

I drink to you, Paul.

Thank you.

 

-The death certificate. It says August 12th.

 

- This is our son...

...whom you tried to rescue.

 

- Good morning.What is the latest news?

 

- Today, on the 26th of October, at 00:30 am, two groups of russian divers

managed to hoist to the surface the bodies of four of the

submariners on board the Kursk. One of them is identified

as Dmitry Kolesnikov. He was identified on the basis of a letter found in his pocket. The letter is deeply personal and will be handed over

to his next of kin.

 

- He promised me that I would get this letter. But later he said something

that I found very strange:

"You may only get the ashes of the letter.”

I can't believe they want to destroy it.

 

- How long was my husband alive? I want to believe that

his death was instantaneous. But now we all know that that's not what happened.

 

- This was filmed on the 9th of July when I visited the submarine.

So this is the very last recording of the crew.

 

<I say: "Do that!"The sailor answers: "Aye!">

<-I say: "Do this!"Aye". They do what I tell them.

"Aye"!>

 

- He was a man with a strong sense of humour. We were very happy then.

Because we had just married. We thought that we would have children and grow old togheter.

 

- I was only told the content of his letter. But I have never seen the letter itself:

 

"My dear Olga. I love you.

Please don't suffer. It is dark,

but I still try to write this.

I guess we don't have a chance.

Maybe 10-20 %. Let's hope somebody reads this.

My greetings to everybody. Try not to despair. Kolesnikov."

He didn't write time or date after this.

 

-          I don't think I will find out anything more.Not today. Not ever.

I have a reason not to trust anyone anymore.

First they lied to us: They told us that they were alive and that they were rescuing them. And now, and this nearly kills me,they promised me the letter,

but didn't give it to me. I will never have faith in anybody again.

 

                 

 

                              ## END ##