One of the most mysterious and amazing sights of Russia is the griffin tower in St. Petersburg. Its unusualness lies in the fact that this place is not found in any tourist guide, and not all residents of the city know about it. Other names are also known - digital or Optimist Tower. Opinions about this attraction are also contradictory: someone seeks to visit it again, while in others it inspires fear.
Griffin Tower in St. Petersburg - a description of a mysterious place.
Vasilievsky Island is famous not only for the Kunstkamera. Here, in the “Pharmacists Quarter”, there is also a mysterious tower. The uniqueness of this place lies in its mystical atmosphere, mystery, based on various speculations and legends. A brick tower is located in the courtyard of the pharmacy of Pel and his sons. The height of the building reaches 11 meters, and the diameter is 2 meters. The building has neither doors nor windows, and almost all the bricks are numbered.
The story of the appearance and transformation into a legend.
The legend of the formation of the tower dates back to the construction of a pharmacy in the area in 1730. From the very beginning, it was a pharmaceutical institution, which also had workshops for the manufacture of medicines in its department. The remaining unoccupied rooms in the house were rented to tenants. At that time, Dr. Wilhelm Pöhl, a chemist, lived in the quarter. Free time, as one legend says, he devoted to breeding griffins, which at night flew under the Petersburg sky, frightening its inhabitants. It was believed that these formidable, but loyal creatures protect the doctor’s laboratory from prying eyes and carefully protect all the secrets of this no less mystical “smithy of happiness”.
Another story is based on the fact that during the great Patriotic war in this building was a bomb shelter, the entrance to which was the tower of griffins in St. Petersburg. The legend that Wilhelm Pöhl, working in his laboratory, managed to create a substance that converts mercury into gold, also did not find confirmation.
Perhaps the most plausible version is that the doctor built a laboratory to do alchemy. A mysterious pipe was intended to conduct various experiments.
In fact, there are a lot of rumors and legends dedicated to such an amazing attraction as the griffin tower in St. Petersburg that it is difficult to find out which are real and which of the above is not true.
The Mystical Power of the Quarter of Pharmacists
Among the inhabitants of St. Petersburg there are also legends that a quiet and mysterious place on Vasilievsky Island radically changes the life of everyone who finds themselves there. Some of them suddenly became rich, others had a career going up, and someone started a family. For example, one of the inhabitants of the tower in 1853 was Karl Fedorovich Siemens. And after some time he was lucky: he contributed to the founding of the Russian electrical industry and personally participated in the development of lighting on Nevsky Prospect.
The griffin tower in St. Petersburg also helped such an outstanding Soviet figure as Vladimir Ulyanov. In 1893, he spoke in one of the rooms of this building at a political meeting with a report on Marxism. In the future, as we know, he gained fame and accomplished a lot for the Soviet Union.
There is a legend about a little boy named Peter. At an early age he remained an orphan - his mother died from the beating of his father, who later fell into a drunk cart. Petya desperately dreamed of a new home and a strong, friendly family. One winter, a boy ended up in a pharmacy quarter. He was almost freezing from the cold, when one gentleman saw him and, regretting, sheltered at home. He and his wife had no children, and soon Petya became their son. So the cherished wish was fulfilled, which the boy made on a cold winter night in the pharmacy alley.
A rather large number of similar stories can be cited, showing us how the tower of griffins in St. Petersburg changed the lives of people who need help, but who came here exclusively with good intentions.
Griffin Tower - Monument to the Egg
In May 1994, a huge egg appeared in a cardboard nest on the top of the building, and the bricks were painted with numbers from 0 to 9. So the famous griffin tower turned into a “Monument to the Egg”. This event was associated with the upcoming holidays: Orthodox Easter and the Day of Solidarity of all workers. The egg symbolized the unity of all workers and various figures. And numbered bricks meant an inventory of the structure, which the artist wanted to perpetuate, since not all objects of art were entered into the register. However, the innovation did not take root. The egg repeatedly disappeared, but it was restored again. This went on for a rather long time until the “symbol of unity” completely disappeared.
The Riddle of the Digital Tower
The unique feature of this structure is that the numbering on its walls periodically changes. There is also a legend that in a certain period of time the numbers mysteriously add up to a code of happiness. And the person who appeared in front of the tower at that moment will surely fulfill his most cherished dreams. However, it is worth remembering that it is necessary to make a wish, having only the purest and kindest thoughts, otherwise you can incur trouble.
An amazing place is the griffin tower in St. Petersburg. How to get there.
Undoubtedly, anyone who has heard these bewitching stories at least once is interested to know where the griffin tower in St. Petersburg is located. The address of this place is not indicated in the tourist schemes. Travelers who wish to visit the attraction will have to develop their own itinerary. You can get to the tower as follows: from the Vasileostrovskaya metro station, go along the 7th line to the Dnepropetrovsky lane. On it - to the end, then turn left, under the arch of house number 30. However, it is difficult to get to the tower itself, since the entrance to the courtyard is possible with a doorphone key. There is another option - wait until one of the residents misses you to this unique attraction.