The suspicious appearance of Sergei Ponomarenko on a street in the capital city of Kyiv, Ukraine, drew the attention of the police. They approached him and asked for his identification, only to be surprised by what they found on it.
On April 23, 2006, a man in his thirties was arrested by the Kyiv police due to his suspicious demeanor. He was dressed in clothing reminiscent of the Soviet era and claimed his name was Sergei Ponomarenko.
Sergei appeared extremely confused, which is not unusual for someone who has just been apprehended. However, what was strange was his repeated questioning: “What year is it now?”
Sergei Ponomarenko. (Photo: thedecoderz)
Sergei Ponomarenko – The Time Traveler?
Claims of time travel are not unheard of, and what Sergei told the police was no different. However, what set Sergei apart was that he had evidence to support his story.
Sergei informed the police that he seemed to have been lost in a different time and place. The young man claimed that just moments before, he was still in the year 1958. When asked for identification, Sergei willingly presented his documents, which only made the situation more perplexing.
The documents Sergei provided were not current identification used in Ukraine. Instead, they were identification papers from when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. The photo on the documents appeared to be Sergei, and the birth year listed was 1932.
Sergei’s appearance suggested that it was impossible for him to have been born in 1932. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, and Ukraine has been independent since then. So how did this 25-year-old man have identification from the Soviet era?
Identification showing Sergei was born in 1932.
Clues from the Camera
In addition to his vintage clothing, Sergei had another item that could prove he had “traveled through time.” That was a very old camera.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that this type of camera had not been manufactured since the 1970s. More importantly, the film inside the camera was still intact and could be developed if a photography expert was found.
Sergei insisted that the camera was his and that the photos he took could prove he had traveled through time.
According to Sergei, he had taken pictures of the city just before he was “transported” to the future. While walking with his fiancée, Valentina Curish, the two noticed something unusual in the sky.
The object resembled a bell and was hovering oddly. Sergei felt drawn to it and thought that if he took a picture, he could examine it more closely after the film was developed.
Sergei pointed the camera up and captured an image of the unidentified flying object. At that moment, he transcended time. When he lowered the camera, Sergei was no longer in 1958 but in 2006.
The camera that Sergei Ponomarenko carried. (Photo: Olaf).
A photography expert was requested by the police to develop Sergei’s film. The expert was astonished to find the vintage film in near-perfect condition.
What this expert saw in the photographs corroborated Sergei’s story: there was a picture of a woman who could be Sergei’s fiancée; a photo of Sergei wearing the same outfit he had on when he was arrested; and finally, just as Sergei claimed, there was the bell-shaped UFO.
Although hard to believe, the photographs indicated that what Sergei Ponomarenko said was true. Since time travel was beyond the understanding of the Kyiv police, they did the only thing they could: they referred him to a psychiatrist.
Vanishing Without a Trace
The officers who arrested Sergei believed they could do nothing else for this man. He might indeed be a time traveler or someone with a mental health issue.
Given that the second possibility seemed more plausible, they took Sergei to a psychiatric clinic for medical assistance.
On April 23, 2006, Dr. Pablo Kutrikov examined Sergei. The entire questioning process was recorded.
Sergei answered all questions just as he had at the police station. He told the doctor that he was 25 years old and was taking pictures with his fiancée when he “traveled” to 2006.
Dr. Kutrikov then showed Sergei the developed photographs. Sergei was not surprised by what he saw and emphasized that they were evidence supporting his claims.
Sergei was then allowed to return to his room. However, after leaving the doctor’s office, he vanished without a trace.
Did Sergei Ponomarenko return to the correct space and time of 1958, or was his story merely fabricated?
The Truth Revealed
The story of time traveler Sergei Ponomarenko is quite fascinating. It existed for a time, with visual evidence seemingly indicating that Sergei was indeed real. A quick search on the internet reveals images of Sergei and photos from his camera.
But ultimately, the truth came to light.
Upon deeper investigation into the case of Sergei Ponomarenko, it was discovered that something extraordinary occurred. All the photographs considered evidence for Sergei’s story were recreated for a Ukrainian television show called “Aliens.”
The show produced those images for the episode titled “Time Traveler.” Therefore, none of the photos were authentic. More importantly, the “Aliens” program included a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode, informing viewers that there was no concrete evidence supporting the authenticity of what they presented.
The disclaimer stated: “The series ‘Aliens’ aims to recreate controversial themes. Any theories and hypotheses proposed cannot be considered true and require further scientific investigation. All recreated images are based on the testimonies of ‘witnesses.’ There is no compelling evidence proving the existence of aliens. Your opinion on this matter is entirely up to you.”
