Crushed Plane on the Slopes of Mount Aragats

In 1978, Armenfilm studio produced the film "Snow in Mourning," directed by Yuri Erzinkyan and based on the novel by Henri Troyat, at the request of the USSR State Television and Radio.

Cast

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan: Isai

Guzh Manukyan: Marceline

Maya Bulgakova: Marie Lavalou

Altynay Asylmuratova: Hindu

Plot

A passenger plane crashes in the Alps, and rescuers cannot reach the crash site. Meanwhile, Isaiah, a peaceful shepherd living in the mountains, and Marcellin, his younger brother aspiring to sell their inherited house, escape rural life, and start a business in the city.

Marcellin persuades his elder brother Isai, a former guide once the best in these mountains, to climb to the site of the disaster to collect the valuables of the victims. Despite Isai's hesitation who considers it an immoral act (due to a tragic accident in the mountains he was impaired intellectually) Marcellin exploits brother’s mental problems and pressures him into going. Upon reaching the crash site, they discover a survivor. Marcellin is interested in collecting valuable things, while Isaiah wants to help the survived passenger. A conflict erupts…

The movie in Russian is available on YouTube

How the Plane Reached There

Filmmakers used a Yak-40 aircraft from the Armenian Civil Aviation Administration, damaged during a rough landing at Erebuni Airport in Yerevan in 1973, to depict the foreign aircraft wreckage. The Yak-40 was transported to the slope of Mount Aragats near Lake Kari, resembling the crash site. After shooting, the plane was left on the mountainside.

This photo is from Armen Gasparyan's photo archive, featuring his uncle posing for an epic shot while looking out of the plane's window

Unfortunately, the plane is no longer there, as metal hunters have already looted it! Luckily, Armen Gasparyan's captivating photo from his family archive offers a glimpse into this historic moment!