This strange case occurred in early June 1980. We, first-year students of the Moscow Institute of Economics and mathematicians, having successfully passed the session (that year in the capital in connection with Olympics passed exams in advance), went on a campaign to a few days to places near the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve.
A photo from open sources
The reserve is located on the left bank of the Oka River, in the Serpukhov district Moscow region. In those places wonderful nature. Were getting we went there on the water bus from the South river port, landed on some small far pier. Its name, unfortunately, in memory was not deposited. For some reason, the marina was far from settlements. Then five or six kilometers along the Oka went on foot.
They are located on the banks of the river. Forest, fresh grass, birds, bees, butterflies. Around nobody, only our group – twelve people. We had a wonderful time: we sang with a guitar, sitting by the fire, drank tea with smoke, smoked fish caught right there. Four days passed quickly.
They decided to return on the fifth day after lunch. I note that, since the places are deaf, the water bus only went twice day – morning and evening. Everything is fine.
True, the two boys stopped a mechanical watch, but this such a trifle that no one paid attention to her. You never know, maybe forgot to start, or they stopped from a blow, but we ran, played in football.
Fifth day: tents collected, things packed in backpacks, trash removed, the fire extinguished. Students checked the clock and one after another on a narrow path moved to the pier. I walked next to my friend the organizer and “leader” of our camping trip Michael.
The clock was about four in the afternoon. I walked and looked at the sky, in the sun, and something confused me. – Strange, yesterday at the same the sun was much higher than today, ”I said to a friend. He agreed.
We patiently waited for the arrival of the tram. But 10, 20, 30 passed minutes, but he was gone. And a little dark for this time days. Suddenly a man appeared, chasing a cow in front of him.
– You do not know why there is no tram? – we asked him.
“You guys are late, he left,” the man answered.
– How did you leave? It’s only six, and we’ve been waiting for minutes forty.
– Which one is six? Look at the sky, students! The sun is quite low. Already eight. I’m driving a cow from the pasture.
We all looked at the clock. Everyone (!) Has the same time – 6 p.m. Yes, the clock stopped for two, they set the time, asking others. But the group is big, everyone has a watch.
We were shocked and upset. Upset because parents said about the five-day hike, now they will worry, to search for us (this, incidentally, happened, as it turned out later). Call and warn from nowhere. Phone in a stand alone on the pier, broken. And we are all tormented by the question – where did the two go? hours?
Nothing to do, returned to their original place. Tents were not set up. We decided to sit the night by the fire and leave already in the morning tram.
Bear played the guitar, drank tea, sang. But the mood was not very fun. We were upset that the parents were probably in a panic, call back. It’s good that I told my mom in advance that we, maybe a little delay. It was she, when she got through, all and reassured. The next day, we already safely reached Moscow.
Many years later. I’m still tormented by the question: like everyone else Did the guys watch two hours behind?
By the way, in the future I heard about these deaf places more than once. A friend of mine told me that people went there specifically, to run into something mysterious.
Elena Ivanovna BUKHAREVA, Moscow
Moscow Sun Time
