It was later revealed, however, that the legends were a series of elaborate hoaxes perpetrated by successive generations of local writers and journalists, which central publications in the USSR had believed and picked up to boost public interest. The hoax had in fact been first perpetrated and then revealed by Lukyanenko and Grigory Neverov, then president of KLF MGU (KLF = kluba lyubiteley fantastiki, club of fantasy fans), whose involvement started it all. As the story went, when Neverov asked his colleagues throughout the Soviet Union whether they recalled any stories about paranormal phenomena in their regions, Lukyanenko, then an active member of the Almaty KLF, remembered some rumors about mysterious doings on Barsa-Kelmes and decided to play a practical joke on the Muscovite.
However, it was later found that the legends were actually a series of elaborate deceptions created by successive generations of local writers and journalists, which central publications in the USSR had accepted as true and used to pique public interest. The deception was first concocted and then revealed by Lukyanenko and Grigory Neverov, who was the president of KLF MGU at the time. According to the story, when Neverov asked his colleagues about any stories about paranormal phenomena in their areas, Lukyanenko, a member of the Almaty KLF, remembered some rumors about mysterious events on Barsa-Kelmes and decided to play a prank on the Muscovite.