Conjoined twin sisters snatched at birth and subjected to cruel medical 'experiments': One was cruel and the other a gentle soul

Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyopova were the world's oldest living conjoined twins at the time of their death, age 53 in 2003. The twins were institutionalized for much of their lives.

The girls were snatched from their Russian mother following their birth, and were subjected to a variety of cruel medical 'experiments' by Stalin's Soviet medical authorities. 

The girls shared a blood system but had separate nervous systems - so were seen as ideal subjects for research.  

They were treated as medical guinea pigs as they were burnt, frozen, starved, electrocuted, kept forcibly awake and injected with radioactive and other toxic substances in the name of 'science'.  

Their horrific story has now been revealed in full for the first time by journalist Juliet Butler.  

Ms Butler who befriended Masha and Dasha said despite sharing the same genetics, horrific childhood and all of their lives with the same lower body - the sisters had wildly different personalities. 

According to her, one was a cruel, domineering 'psychopath' who was 'emotionally abusive' to her caring, empath sister who remained gentle and kind and longed for a normal life.  

Ms Butler, who met them in 1988 and became friends with them, told MailOnline: 

I've no doubt at all that Masha was a psychopath - she ticked all the boxes.

Dasha was in an emotionally abusive relationship - similar to the situation some people find themselves in with a partner.

But while those people have a chance to leave, Dasha physically couldn't.

Masha denied Dasha everything she ever longed for – a chance of love, a relationship with their mother, a job and even what she wanted most: a separate body.'  

Ms Butler, who has written a novel based on their lives, The Less You Know The Sounder You Sleep, has provided fascinating insights into the tragic pair that reignite the nature versus nurture debate. 

Used as guinea pigs
Almost immediately after the twins were born on January 1950 by caesarean section, they were snatched from their mother Yekaterina - who was told her babies had died shortly after birth.  

Dasha and Masha were taken away to, a medical institute in the Moscow region, the Academy of Medical Sciences Pediatric Institute, to be used as medical guinea pigs.  

The girls shared a blood system but had separate nervous systems - so were seen as ideal subjects for research.

 

Scientists performed cruel tests to ascertain their reactions to prolonged sleep deprivation, extreme hunger, and intense temperature change.  

In one experiment, one twin was poked with needles to assess the other for reactions and in another, one was submerged into a tub of icy water to check the other’s body temperature.  

During childhood, one twin got measles and the other did not - their separate nervous systems meant one could become ill while the other was fine. 

Masha forced her sister to get drunk
In 1956 Dasha and Masha were transferred to the Central Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics.  

They were kept hidden from the public in a children's ward for eight years before being moved to boarding school for children with motor-impairment in southern Russia.  

Ms Butler said, as adults, the women had blocked out the trauma of their earlier childhood.

It was myself who told Dasha and Masha that they had been subjected to these cruel experiments from birth until the age of six, when I found out about them.

They said they couldn't remember. They could recall only happy things - such as the time a nurse brought them a toy.

 

Masha got angry while Dasha just said "It wasn't their fault, they were just doing their jobs". That's a typical reaction of sweet Dasha.'  

She reveals how Masha was unable to consume alcohol so forced her sister to drink - so they could both get drunk.

They had their own hearts and lungs but shared a blood supply, so when one drank alcohol they could both get drunk, she explained.

But Masha was unable to because of a gag reflex. And despite Dasha detesting alcohol she forced her to drink anyway.

Possessive 'love'
Ms Butler says Dasha longed for a normal life and had fallen deeply in love with a boy - but Masha denied them a chance at happiness.

It was very much requited - the boy really loved her back. He tried so hard with Masha to get her on side but she was possessive.

No one could have Dasha only her.

With medical advances, many doctors offered over the years to separate the girls, but were declined - by Masha.  

Ms Butler recalled visiting the sisters in the late Nineties with a letter from a British surgeon who specialised in separating conjoined twins, offering to help them.

Dasha glanced across at Masha, her eyes full of hope, but Masha, looking straight ahead, immediately said "nyet". And that, as Dasha would say, was that.

And later in life when they found their birth mother Yekaterina Krivoshlyapova in 1985, Masha again decided after four years to cut off the connection - against Dasha's wishes.  

And sadly, when the girls met their two brothers they were rejected by them because of their looks.  

Dasha wanted a job and tried a job putting rubber bulbs on pipettes - but Masha was not interested in changing her life and would smoke and read magazines. 

Even after death - Dasha was loyal
After making an appeal on television, the sisters moved to a Home for Veterans of Labour with greatly improved living conditions.  

Despite their sad lives, the sisters were an inspiration, said Ms Butler.

I wanted to write the book to show people how sweet Dasha was. And it kind of is a tale of triumph over tragedy.

In the end I noticed how Dasha stood up to Masha and put her in her place more.

Despite the toxic dynamic, at the end of the day they had been through a lot together and they had each other. They clearly loved each other deeply.

Masha died of a heart attack on April 17, 2003,  - even then Dasha refused separation, perhaps out of her own need to stay close to her sister, or out of loyalty.  

Dasha was taken to hospital and died another 17 hours later due to blood poisoning from the toxic by-products of Masha's decomposing body.