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These kids - seven today - were all born in Chelyabinsk as a meteorite crashed on their region

By 0 and 0 and 0
15 February 2020

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They met at the gathered at State History Museum of the Southern Urals with the parents - some 46 families in all. Picture: Yury Ermolin/Chelyabinsk History museum

The famous Chelyabinsk meteorite injured 1,500 people when it crashed to earth on 15 February 2013.

The meteorite exploded in the atmosphere with a force as great as 30 Hiroshima nuclear bombs, causing extensive damage in the city, shattering glass in many buildings, but fortunately - miraculously - not killing anyone.

It produced an extraordinary early morning light show before remnants of the space intruder crashed into Lake Chebarkul.

Hundreds of people later needed psychological counselling. 

Superbolide babies


Superbolide babies


Superbolide kids
They are seven today, a significant milestone in Russia because this is the age when children start school. Pictures: Maxim Gritsuk


Today for the first time there was a meeting of a group deeply impacted by the meteorite, now known as the Superbolide Babies.

Forty six families with children born seven years ago today met at the gathering at the State History Museum of the Southern Urals

Every family in Chelyabinsk remembers this day - the blinding flashes, the explosions in the sky, windows shattered all around the city, mobile coverage vanishing.

Yevgenia Sitnikova
Yevgenia Sitnikova and Zoya. Picture: Yury Ermolin/Chelyabinsk History museum


But for the mothers in maternity hospitals the memory is even deeper and more traumatic, and today as the children gathered around the space rock, they recalled their eerie experiences. 

Yelena Moskaleva was already in the delivery room, minutes away from giving birth to her baby daughter. 

'All the doctors ran away, I was left all alone,’ she revealed. ‘I got out into the corridor and asked if there was anyone there to help. 

‘An old midwife was the only one around, she helped me to give birth.

Yelena Moskaleva
Yelena Moskaleva with her daughter Masha (second from the right), youngest daughter and husband. Picture: Yury Ermolin/Chelyabinsk History museum


'We didn't know that it was a meteorite, people were saying it was a plane crash somewhere in the area where my husband worked. 

‘I thought that was it... Then they said in another area, where my sister studied. And my heart sank again. 

‘I had to concentrate on breathing and pushing, but instead I was just lying there in floods of tears because I didn’t know if the plane fell in the area where my husband worked or where my sister studied. 

Chelyabinsk meteorite
It produced an extraordinary early morning light show before remnants of the space intruder crashed into Lake Chebarkul. Picture: Chelyabinsk History museum


‘When finally it all got clear we all felt relieved, but then the news came that another meteorite was on the way. 

‘After it all finished my friends said we had to call daughter Meteorita. But we opted for Masha.’

Another expectant mother Nadezhda Ilyinykh said: ‘I was midway through giving birth when the meteorite struck.

‘Doctors said that all the heavily pregnant mothers from pre-delivery ward crawled under their beds.

Nadezhda Ilyinykh

Nadezhda Ilyinykh with her son Yaroslav and husband. Picture: Yury Ermolin/Chelyabinsk History museum

‘In the delivery room the TV was on at top volume, where people were running around with eyes popping out.

‘They couldn’t understand what else was to come. 

‘Doctors hands were shaking as they were delivering babies. 

‘I remember feeling upset that my boy was going to be born on 15 Feb. This is such an ordinary day, I thought. If only I knew.’

Her boy Yaroslav was safely born despite the extraterrestrial visitor. 

Superbolide kid


Superbolide kids


Superbolide kid
For the first time there was a meeting of a group deeply impacted by the meteorite - now known as the Superbolide Babies. Pictures: Yury Ermolin/Chelyabinsk History museum, Maxim Gritsuk


Little Zoya was due to be born on 8 March - International Women’s Day. 

But the meteorite, which entered the atmosphere size of a six storey house confused nature’s plans. 

Her mother Yevgenia Sitnikova was at a routine gynaecologist’s check-up when there was a super bright flash, followed by a deafening boom.

This triggered her contractions early - and later that day her healthy baby girl was born.

The famous Chelyabinsk meteorite injured 1,500 people when it crashed to earth on 15 February 2013.: Marat Akhmetvaleev, Chelyabinsk.ru, Chelyabinsk region's governor, Irina AbramovaMeteorite caught by local photographer


trace in the sky left by meteorite


School room destroyed by explosion wave


Piece of bolide lifted from Chebarkul lake


Chelyabinsk meteorite

Comments (2)

That is a story to tell and retell.

What fine looking children!
David B. Benson , Pullman wa USA
17/02/2020 10:56
3
1
Wow....happy birthday to all!
SteveC, Odessa, United States
17/02/2020 02:38
4
0
1

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