Mountains become a place of memory: Psychologist on the tragedy of Russian mountaineer on Peak Pobeda
The tragedy on Peak Pobeda (Victory Peak) in Kyrgyzstan, where 47-year-old Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna lost her life, has once again raised the question: why do mountaineers return to places marked by danger and loss? Psychologist Nadezhda Kucheruk shared her insights, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Nagovitsyna sustained a severe leg injury during descent and was trapped at an altitude of over 7,000 meters. Despite multiple rescue attempts, she could not be saved. The tragedy carries an added poignancy: in 2021, on nearby Khan Tengri, her husband Sergey Nagovitsyn also died during an expedition.
According to Kucheruk, Nagovitsyna’s decision to return to the mountains was not accidental.
“Mountains become a place of connection. Her husband remained there. The subconscious seeks to touch the loss in order to turn it into experience rather than an open wound,” the psychologist noted.
The expert emphasized that for many climbers, returning to such places reflects a profound inner need.
“The subconscious does not accept defeat. A person returns to prove: ‘I am stronger than my pain.’ It is an attempt to close an unfinished chapter. Where there was loss, people search for a way to transform grief into strength,” Kucheruk explained.
The story of the Nagovitsyn family, in which both husband and wife met their tragic end in the mountains, illustrates how sport, memory, and romance intertwine with risk and human destiny.
“Everyone seeks the place where the heart feels most deeply. For her, that place was the mountains. There she lost, and there she also found,” the psychologist concluded.
Earlier, it was reported that Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja, also known as Nimsdai, gained worldwide fame in 2019 after completing the record-breaking “Project Possible,” scaling all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in just six months and six days.