The RELICT HOMINOID INQUIRY 5:1-3 (2016)

Book Review

Bigfoot Research: The Russian Vision. By Dmitri Bayanov. Compiled by Christopher L. Murphy and edited by Roger Knights. Surrey, B.C. Canada and Blaine, WA, USA: Hancock House. ©2011. 431 pp. ISBN 978-0-88839-706-5. $29.95 (paper).

The contribution of suggests the reality of living unknown higher Russian investigators to primates. In the course of this research, the subject of unidentified Bayanov became convinced of the close living hominoids has been biological relationship of Bigfoot creatures to long and influential. humans, more so than to apes. He coined the Probably no other single name “homins” to describe them, and terms Russian investigator has their study hominology. As the taxonomic had Dmitri Bayanov’s Family name for living and extinct higher impact. Due to his primates, including humans, chimpanzees, persistent energy and prolific writings about gorillas, and orangutans is Hominidae, relict hominoids, Bayanov has been a major hominology is arguably an apt label, covering influence in the field for decades. a wide range of possible identities. “Bigfoot Research: The Russian Vision” is In Bayanov’s own words in the Prologue, a compilation of Bayanov’s writings over the his viewpoint is characterized by three years and a showcase of his thoughts and specifics: “It is based on the combined findings. It traces his involvement in bigfoot evidence regarding these primates obtained in research from his first interest, in 1964, in the different parts of the world, such as Russia, work of Russian Professor Boris Porshnev, North America, China and Australia in past and his subsequent field research with Dr. centuries and in modern times; it regards these Marie-Jeanne Koffman in the Caucasus humanlike beings as relict hominids (hominins Mountains, to his interactions with fellow by latest primate classification), i.e., the investigators worldwide in the present day. closest relatives of man, Homo sapiens Aside from his notable enthusiasm for his (amazingly, the bottom line is that Bigfoots subject, Bayanov has made his mark with his may even be humans); and it firmly takes the engaging writing style. Trained in philosophy, existence of these still enigmatic bipeds for a sociology and anthropology, he has biological fact, not a popular myth or a approached Bigfoot research through the scientific hypothesis.” methods of field investigation, scientific In the course of charting his journey in corroboration and, distinctly, a wide ranging Bigfoot research, Bayanov navigates three exploration of folklore and legend which general eras, well documented with

© RHI

BAYANOV – BIGFOOT RESEARCH: THE RUSSIAN VISION 2 eyewitness encounters, his own field description of Homo troglodytes, are to be observations, and compelling historical taken seriously and are evidence of a very accounts and chronicles. He dedicates long history of interaction between modern “Bigfoot Research: The Russian Vision” to humans and our closest living relatives. the memory of Boris Fedorovich Porshnev Following his initial exposure to, and (1905-1972) his self-described mentor. A immersion in, the subject, Bayanov and his philosophy professor, Porshnev introduced colleague Igor Bourtsev expanded their Bayanov to the subject of possible living relict influence beyond Russia. The catalyst for this hominoids. He himself suspected that they was the notorious Patterson-Gimlin film of may be living Neanderthals, and he was active 1967. The Russians became very involved in in establishing a scholarly Russian study the study of the film and at this point group for the subject. This group continues cemented their relationships with investigators today at Moscow’s Darwin Museum, with in North America, including Rene Dahinden, Bayanov at its head. This initial era, with John Green, Dr. Grover Krantz and others. In participation by academics like Porshnev, fact, despite a continuing emphasis on the role Marie-Jeanne Koffman and Pyotr Smolin, laid of folklore, they were the first to actually the groundwork for the future of Russian undertake a scientific biomechanical analysis hominoid research. From the beginning a of the P-G film subject. Their conclusion, major characteristic of their approach has been provided by Russian biomechanical expert Dr. the integration of myth, legend and historical Dmitri Donskoy, and later repeated in England documentation into the subject matter. by Dr. Donald Grieve as well, was that the Bayanov participated in field investigations subject is a natural being and not a man in a and developed the viewpoint that relict costume. Bayanov and Bourtsev offered a hominoids are responsible for much of the $100,000 reward to anyone who could world’s lore regarding demons, fauns, satyrs, definitively disprove the film. The reward trolls, and the like. He uncovered sufficient remains unclaimed. They were also active in folklore in worldwide cultures to form a the organization in 1982 of a scientific reasonably consistent picture of hairy bipeds society, the International Society of who live in the woods, avoid humans, yet Cryptozoology, for promoting research into sometimes interact with them in remarkable the subject of “hidden animals,” including ways. His exploration of this aspect of the unknown hairy bipeds. matter is always engaging. Unlike many During this second phase of study, Bayanov American investigators, who tend to take a became further convinced that the reported strictly anthropological or zoological approach creatures were hominins, members of the while relegating native legends to a subset of human clade, and not apes. Embracing a investigatory interest, Bayanov sees European, morally humanistic viewpoint, he promoted a Eurasian and indeed worldwide anecdotal “no-kill” ethic that brought him into conflict evidence as valid and culturally consistent. He with hard scientists like Grover Krantz and believes that native and historical anecdotal those investigators, like John Green, who felt contributions, including Linnaeus’s seminal that the anecdotal evidence from North

WILLIAM DUNCAN 3

America supported the idea that a big film) has proved the case by legal standards unknown ape, not a wild man, was at large. for their being actual living beings. Perhaps, Here the matter rested in unresolved limbo but science is not the courtroom and it until the dawn of the 21st Century and the demands a type specimen of any living thing emergence of an accumulative body of in order for it to be recognized as part of the anecdotal evidence from North America natural world. So despite the preponderance of regarding so-called “habituated” Bigfoot evidence, such as it may be, many scientists creatures. People were claiming that these refuse to recognize the possibility of Bigfoot’s beings sometimes persisted in proximity to reality, while some of their fellows are willing remote farms and ranches and that some to take the evidence seriously and hope for, degree of contact was possible. Drawing on and sometimes participate in, attempts to settle the experiences of chimpanzee researcher Jane the matter. Goodall and gorilla researcher Dian Fossey, Controversial at times, witty and Bayanov encouraged careful investigation of compelling, “Bigfoot Research: The Russian these alleged events as they were uncovered. Vision” is a wide ranging survey of Dmitri He felt that the resulting reports correlated Bayanov’s personal immersion in the science, well with the Russian and Eurasian tales of politics, and lore of the fascinating subject of Rusalkas and Domovoys which he had possible unclassified living hominoids. It chronicled. In this third era, advances in DNA offers an unmatched compendium of lore science were applied to various biological suggesting avenues for further investigation. samples as well, and acoustic science was Little is left unexplored, including reports of enabling analysis of audio recordings alleged alleged telepathy and the possibility of to have been made of Bigfoot vocalizations. Bigfoot speech. The Russian Vision The possibility of gaining greater knowledge encompasses wide possibilities and leaves few of what, exactly, Bigfoot creatures are seemed stones unturned. For Bayanov, in the end, plausible under the combined efforts of these there can be no doubt – wildmen are real, and initiatives. mainstream science has a duty to acknowledge The Russian position has at various times it as soon as possible. been that the rules of courtroom evidence would long ago have validated the reality of Bigfoot creatures. That is, the preponderance Will Duncan of anecdotal, trace, and physical evidence Cary, North Carolina (footprints, hairs, audio recordings, the P-G USA