Is This Proof Of Time Travel?

Those who saw the man assumed that he was a tourist, even though his clothes seemed out of place in 2006, and the camera he carried added to his odd appearance. However, it was what he said that led people to think he was mentally ill.

According to him, he left his house in the past and saw a bell-shaped UFO, then he was transported to the future. The claim was ridiculed at first and nobody believed it.

The police arrived at the scene. They requested identification, which the man produced. He showed them an official Russian license, but the documents appeared to be over 50 years old.

In spite of the mounting evidence, the officers considered Sergei Ponomarenko's claims suspicious. Even if they did accept the time travel story, which seemed dubious at best, adding in an alien conspiracy seemed too outrageous.

When the police arrested him, they asked Dr. Pablo Kutrikov to speak with them. His answers turned their investigation upside down and made them question everything.

Dr. Kutrikov pushed back and said that the young man was no older than 30 years old during the interview between the two men. Sergei claimed to have been born in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, on June 16, 1932.

Sergei claimed to be 25 years old.

The doctor then asked Sergei how he appeared in 2006. Sergei explained that he had left his house to take some pictures. Outside he spotted a bell-shaped object and took a photo of it. At that point he was thrown forward in time.

Disproving The Theory

Sergei's story sounded far-fetched to the doctor, so he examined the camera. It was made in the 1970s by a manufacturer that no longer exists. As a result, he decided to investigate the story of the young man further and have the film produced.

The camera had to be taken to a photographer with expertise, Vadim Poisner, for development. After seeing the pictures, he discovered something interesting.

One picture showed Sergei standing in the same clothes as when he was in jail. Another showed a young woman posing for the camera. Yet another showed a bell-shaped object. The same thing sort of image that the young man claimed he saw before he traveled through time.

Was it possible that the prisoner was telling the truth?

Nevertheless, Dr. Kutrikov and Sergei spoke about what they found. There was no reasonable explanation for what happened, the youth was indeed a time traveler, as he claimed.

Even though that seemed to be far fetched, the evidence pointed that way. Investigaors continued to try disproving the story. They claimed it was too odd and there was no such thing as aliens or time travel.

But things were about to take another weird, unexplained turn.

No Trace Of Sergei

The interview ended, and Sergei was walked back to his room. The young man has been seen on security footage returning to the dwelling, but he was not found when an orderly went back to check on him.

In reviewing video surveillance footage, officers, Dr. Kutrikov, and others found that after Sergei had been dropped off in his room, he didn't leave. He was unable to exit the room. Sergei just disappeared.

It was later revealed that someone with Sergei's name was reported missing in 1960.

The officers went to speak with the young woman in the picture. She admitted it was her in the picture and that it had been taken by Sergei, her ex-boyfriend. She confirmed that he went missing during the time he was in jail. He returned but then went missing again. It was this time that their relationship ended.

She then showed them something that changed the conversation.

In the years following, he sent her a postcard with his signature. The postcard showed a major city in the background, supposedly Kiev, and was dated 2050.

According to the woman, she never heard from her lost love again. She believes he found a new lady love and left, but never forgot her.

The disappearance of Sergei was attributed to a time traveler who lost his way. Others wondered if there was more to it.

Is The Story True?

Generally, people believe that the story is too fantastical to be true. Their stance is that there are no records of the incident, or if there are, no one in an official capacity is willing to disclose them.

While the identification card appears official, there are also issues with it. The stamp on the card does not appear as prominent in one version of the picture as it does in another. Those who believe in the story assert it is just a matter of perspective.

One thing that is hard to argue is that the postcard from 2050, the one that Sergei sent to his former lady love, looks fake. Critics claim that it has been photoshopped. They claim to have found evidence that the buildings in the background repeat frequently, including a replica of the Empire State Building.

Yet believers point out that the girlfriend testified that the story is true. Why would she lie? Critics point out that she may have been ghosted by a man she cared for and this is her way of getting over it.

It's likely that there will continue to be debates over Sergei Ponomarenko for decades to come, just as there are debates over UFOs and other paranormal activity.

A man with the name of the infamous time traveler disappeared in 1960. But was this the same guy who claimed a UFO sent him forward in time?

Do you think Sergei's story was true? Or was it fabricated by the internet?