Another reality: where the ghosts of St. Petersburg live

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Some residents of St. Petersburg claim that the true face of this city is revealed only under the cover of night. Only in the dark can one see the creeping dark shadows, hear the whispers of witches behind closed doors and hear the piercing cries of lost souls of suicides on the stairwells of old houses. One can doubt the existence of St. Petersburg ghosts, but what exactly can be sure - there are more than enough legends about the ghosts of St. Petersburg.

Museum ghosts

St. Petersburg is not only a "window to Europe", but also a city of palaces. Today, most of them have turned into museums, but some of their inhabitants, judging by the statements of some impressionable people, do not want to leave the familiar rooms and corridors.

One of the most beloved ghosts of St. Petersburg residents can be considered the ghost of Nicholas I. They say that he appears at night in the Hermitage and wanders through its halls. Those who dare to enter the museum at night often observe a foggy person in its halls. And although the ghost never comes into contact with commoner compatriots, the royal personage is recognizable in its thick epaulettes and posture.

They say that someone's lost soul wanders to this day in the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg. The old-timers of the academy tell the story that during the reign of Empress Catherine II, the architect Kokorinov himself received her at the academy, who wanted to show the empress the new decoration of the halls. Unfortunately, the Empress stained her dress on a freshly painted wall. The architect was frightened by the anger of the monarch and, out of great sadness, hanged himself that evening in the attic of the Academy, which he had been so diligently restoring.

There is "its own" museum ghost in the Kunstkamera (now the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography). Experts say that even before the revolution, the skeleton of an overgrown man was installed in the museum. The exhibit has served the museum faithfully for many years, but in 1917, during a revolutionary confusion, someone stole the skull, removing it from the skeleton. Since then, the Kunstkamera watchmen have been telling the story that a black shadow wanders the halls of the museum every night and searches for its missing skull. It is noteworthy that the overgrown skeleton became one of the first exhibits of the museum, which appeared in the time of Peter I.

The ghost of Peter I

The brightest and most widely known ghost legend is the urban legend about the ghost of the founder of the city - Peter I. Some say that Peter's shadow can often be seen walking along the city's canals.

There is another legend about the ghost of Peter the Great, dating back to the reign of Paul I. They say that Paul somehow returned to the palace late at night. Suddenly, a stranger came right at him, all wrapped in cloth, and walked to the left of Paul. The guards accompanying His Holiness did not notice anything. But Paul clearly heard how the stranger, passing by him, whispered to his very ear: "Oh, poor, poor Paul …". After that, the people began to talk that it was the very spirit of Peter the Founder, who predicted the imminent death of Paul I. Since then, the appearance of the ghost of Peter I is considered an omen of bad news. Residents of St. Petersburg do not like to admit it, but few people, moreover drunk, decide to walk along the Decembrists Square past the statue of Peter the Great on a cold night.

The ghost of Rasputin

Another famous ghost of St. Petersburg is the ghost of the legendary, controversial and controversial personality - Grigory Rasputin. And although today many historians claim that the dark pages of this man's biography were invented by the Bolsheviks as propaganda, the people do not trust the dead Rasputin either. Rumor has it that today his ghost walks through the rooms of the famous house on Gorokhovaya, scaring guests and residents with his steps, creaks and grunts in dark corners.

The ghosts of the new time

With the new time, new ghosts came to St. Petersburg. The story that took place in the Kshesinskaya palace is widely known, where today there is a museum of political history, and where not only various documents are kept, but also wax counterparts of politicians of the past. One day a strange-looking man with a wooden holster jumped out of the palace. He emanated the smell of sulfur. He scolded terribly, threw some paper into the trash can and ran down the street. The paper turned out to be an order for the execution of counter-revolutionaries and was signed by Uritsky, who was at one time the chairman of the Petrograd Cheka. Experts are sure that it was the main St. Petersburg security officer himself. And the smell is characteristic - at one time he swore an oath not to wash until the world revolution won.

If you believe the St. Petersburg legends, then every building in this city, every street and even nook and cranny has its own ghost. Of course, these stories look quite funny, but they still make walks in St. Petersburg even more interesting and mysterious. However, this city always has something to surprise. For example, in the summer there is an annual sand sculpture festival.