Michael Litvjakov, 1938, film director of the St.-Petersburg documentary studio, had told me how he encountered an unknown animal on Taimyr peninsula. Taimyr is a peninsula in the North of Russia between the Kara and Laptev seas. It spread more than 1000 km towards the Pole from the Polar Circle. Climate in this place is very cold, the ground is covered by snow more than 9 months during year.

After graduation a technical collage in 1957 he worked some time in geophysical expedition on Taimyr peninsula. The expedition had its main base at mouth of river Kotuy into river Khatanga about 73 deg. Latitude. It was Kotuy expedition of the Leningrad research Institute of arctic geology.

The red circle on Google map points the place of encountering

The event had occurred at end of September or in first days of October, 1957. In that day the group of geophysicists continued investigations near the base at the northwest from it. They moved across some area on a distance between them, but could see directly each other.

Suddenly Michael Litvjakov saw at about 1,5 m from himself an unusual creature of medium dog size ¾ about 35-40 cm high. It was among large stones and looked at him. The animal had a wide strong body, its forward legs stayed wide. Thick back legs were not so long, but stomach of the creature was above the ground. The thick tail was shot prolongation of the body, it came to end as cut within 10-15 cm behind back legs. Its head had form of that of a turtle or of a dragon. It appeared from under thick skin of some kind on animal's back. This skin was covered by convex plates that had size large enough. This feature amazed Michael Litvjakov most of all. He would say later that it was like the spine of an armadillo.

Picture of the animal by Michael Trachtengerts according to comments by Michael Litvjakov.

Litvjakov became motionless from astonishment. Though he had with him both a short-gun and a camera, he had not used them. After a while the creature turned back and run from the man. It quickly disappeared among rocks. At movement it curved its body like dragon.

Only then Michael Litvjakov could cry to his colleagues. They tried to find the animal but received no result.

 

The story was has written down by Michael Trachtengerts
St.-Petersburg, November, 10th, 2007