Memorial Plaque to Sergei Bodrov

The memorial plaque to Sergei Bodrov stands on a rock by the road in Karmadon Gorge, in the Prigorodny District of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, about 25 km from Vladikavkaz. It is a grassroots memorial to actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr. and the members of his film crew, who died here in 2002.

History

On September 20, 2002, the Kolka Glacier broke off the slope of Mount Dzhimara. The collapse began at 20:08:30, and a mass of ice and rock of about eight million cubic meters rushed down the Genaldon Gorge at a speed of around 200 km/h. At the time, the film crew of the movie "The Messenger," led by Sergei Bodrov Jr., was working in the gorge. The disaster killed at least 125 people, and the fate of the film crew was never established — their bodies were never found.

This event is known as the Karmadon disaster, or the 2002 Kolka Glacier catastrophe. The death of Sergei Bodrov Jr.'s film crew made the tragedy in Karmadon Gorge known far beyond North Ossetia, even though the number of victims that day was far greater than just the members of the crew.

Legends and testimonies

According to one version of events, retold by local residents and tour guides, the film crew may have managed to take shelter in one of the gorge's tunnels when the glacier came down. The debris that blocked the gorge was never fully cleared, and rescue operations could neither confirm nor rule out this version: no survivors were ever found inside the tunnels.

What is there now

The memorial sign is not placed at the exact site where the film crew died, but by the road through the gorge. On one of the nearby rocks, an image of the actor can be seen. The spot has become a spontaneous memorial: visitors bring flowers, toys, and candles here in memory of those who died.

Getting there

The memorial in Karmadon Gorge can be reached by car or taxi from Vladikavkaz, about 25 km away. There is no public transport to the gorge, so visitors have to get there on their own. The road is rough and scattered with rocks in places, so it is best to visit in daylight and clear weather.