A rather young city, the architectural appearance of which reflects its three-century culture, is covered in myths. Mysterious and seemingly unrealistic, it is built on bones and human suffering. Since its foundation, its past has been shrouded in mystery, and even local residents do not know much about beloved St. Petersburg.
Will it be possible to learn all the secrets and distinguish the truth from fiction? Let's try to open the veil of secrecy and tell about the legends of St. Petersburg, based on historical facts.
In whose honor is the city on the Neva named?
The main myth is connected with the name of the city. Many believe that Peter is named after his founder, Peter I. However, in fact, St. Petersburg bears the name of the heavenly patron of the Russian emperors - the apostle Peter.
Who is the record holder for the number of bridges?
The second legend of St. Petersburg says that Northern Venice is the champion in the number of bridges in the world. This is a very flattering statement for Petersburgers, but in fact, Hamburg holds the palm. In the second largest city in Germany, there are 2,300 man-made structures erected above the canals, and it is significantly ahead of all cities in this indicator.
Gold riveting of Bolsheokhtinsky bridge
It is with bridges - the visiting cards of the city - that are associated with numerous myths and legends of St. Petersburg. So, in 1911 the construction of one of the most beautiful crossings, made of metal structures that are connected by rivets, was completed. I must admit that the Bolsheokhtinsky bridge did not appeal to the townspeople who called it ugly and too cumbersome.
After the construction of the highway, rumors began that one of the million rivets was made of pure gold. Allegedly, the builders put it on happiness and covered it with a metal film on top in order to protect it from thieves. Petersburgers rushed in search, but so far they have not been successful. Believe it or not - everyone decides for himself.
The ghost of S. Perovskaya
One of the most terrible urban legends of St. Petersburg is connected with a bridge over the Griboedov Canal, which is located next to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The famous landmark was built on the spot where the blood of Alexander II was shed in 1881. After five unsuccessful attempts on the emperor, the sixth was successful. The bomb, abandoned by the Narodnaya Volya, cut short the life of the ruler, nicknamed the "Liberator" for the abolition of serfdom. The day after the tragedy, it was decided to perpetuate it. So the nationwide monument museum appeared - the architectural dominant of the center of the glorious city on the Neva.
Petersburgers claim that sometimes on the bridge in the late evening a silhouette of a young girl appears, on whose neck traces of suffocation are visible. She holds a white handkerchief in her hands and waves it. This is the ghost of Sofia Perovskaya, who was a member of the organization "Narodnaya Volya" and gave a signal to the bomb thrower. The ghost of a terrorist hanged on the parade ground of the Semenovsky regiment horrifies late passers-by. It is no coincidence that the bridge is notorious among local residents: as soon as the girl waves her hand, the unfortunate person she met on the way goes under the stone with a stone. And after a few days, one drowned person becomes more.
There is information according to which Perovskaya stood at the fence of the Mikhailovsky Garden, and not on the bridge. Many do not believe in the urban "horror story", but late in the night few people risk verifying its truth on themselves.
Foundry bridge that sprang up on an enchanted place
One more urban legend of St. Petersburg is associated with the Liteiny Bridge, during the construction of which great difficulties arose. Appearing at the end of the 19th century, it gained mystical fame during its erection. Underwater work and the construction of the foundation killed several dozen people. This fact did not surprise the indigenous people at all, because the masterpiece of engineering was in an enchanted place, under which the so-called bloody stone rested at the bottom.
Historians claim that ancient tribes who settled at the mouth of the Neva brought bloody sacrifices to the boulder. Unhappy prisoners awaiting a fierce death, begged the river to save them, and one day she changed her course. A huge cobblestone, sprinkled with blood, was at the bottom, and since then the stone began to take revenge on everyone indiscriminately. Here people were drowning every now and then, boats were turning over, and the sailors unexpectedly found themselves overboard the ship sailing over a boulder. It is believed that more than 100 people have disappeared without a trace in a mysterious whirlpool.
Mystic Crossing
A massive bridge with a cast-iron fence grill leaves an ambiguous impression. On a building shrouded in a mystical aura, ghosts are often seen dissolving in darkness. Here we saw the ghost of Lenin, the revolutionaries, and entire companies of soldiers from the Civil War, who disappeared just as suddenly as they appeared.
In addition, it is here that suicides rush to decide to lose their lives, and criminals often attack defenseless victims. As already mentioned, the depth of the Neva is 24 meters, and the bodies of people are not found, despite the search for detectives.
Local residents warn that after dark it is best not to walk along the Liteiny Bridge, so as not to meet with guests from the next world and not get into a black funnel that draws passers-by. Be that as it may, taxi drivers refuse to go through the crossing at night.
Ghosts of the Hermitage
Speaking of ghosts, they have long become an unusual attraction in North Palmyra. Walking along the streets of the city, you can meet many historical eras, closely intertwined with each other. Psychics claim that Petersburg is a unique place where the displacement of times and spaces occurs, giving rise to inexplicable phenomena.
One may not believe in the existence of Petersburg ghosts, but St. Petersburg legends about them are more than enough. The favorite ghost of St. Petersburg is the shadow of Nicholas I, wandering through the halls of the Hermitage. Employees of the largest art museum often watch at night the silhouette of the emperor, inaudibly wandering through the empty halls.
It is not surprising that in the museum complex, which consists of several dozen buildings, which are architectural monuments, ghosts walk around. From time to time, an alarm is triggered, sighs and groans are heard, and the fluffy guards of the Hermitage, listening to something unknown, scatter all over.
Secret passage near the Hermitage
Hidden underground passages connecting city buildings with the museum building are not ignored by the mythmakers. Myths and legends of St. Petersburg say that the Hermitage is connected with the mansion of M. Kshesinskaya, who met with the Tsarevich. Now the building houses a museum of the political history of Russia. Allegedly, the future Emperor Nicholas II went to visit the famous ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater through the maze dug under the Neva. True, so far no one has been able to find this dungeon.
Mysterious Underworld
According to the legends of St. Petersburg, there are enough underground passages in the city and its environs. Recently, local diggers discovered a branched system of labyrinths located under the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, but they turned out to be flooded by the muddy waters of the small river Monastyrka.
In addition, an underground passage was found on the territory of the Summer Garden back in the 20s of the last century, which led towards the Fontanka. However, at present no one can find his entrance, since the galleries were littered with stones. Local stalkers, exploring abandoned places, talk about the whole system of underground communications located under Sennaya Square and Ligovsky Prospect. Unfortunately, specialists do not do research, and the underground world of St. Petersburg is now as mysterious as it was a hundred years ago.
Labyrinths underground
Mysterious dungeons are part of the myths and legends of St. Petersburg. Children and adults will be interested to know that they actually exist and hide amazing secrets. Northern Venice was built on a swampy area with many canals, and this fact made it difficult to make moves.
On the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress, a terrible was discovered - an underground gallery connecting the inside with the outside. A 97-meter-long secret corridor was of fortification significance, but it was not useful for defense, therefore it was most often used as a warehouse. And now it is open to tourists.
Legends of the Peter and Paul Fortress
The city's historical center, turned into a museum, can tell a lot of interesting things. The flow of tourists, attracted by the mysterious myths of St. Petersburg and the gloomy history of the Peter and Paul Fortress, which was built for defense purposes , does not dry out.
It is believed that many structures of St. Petersburg are located in anomalous zones, and some of them are in the so-called dead places. Before the start of each construction, people carefully checked the place: pieces of fresh meat were hung up, and if they decayed, it meant that there was poor energy, which did not allow building houses. The Peter and Paul Fortress, according to psychics, stands on the site of a pagan sanctuary where human sacrifices took place.
Pavel Globa agrees with them . He is sure that Peter I laid the future attraction on Hare Island, noting two eagles - birds, whom he considered the messengers of another world and symbolizing power. After the proud birds made several circles, the king ordered the construction to begin in this place. Nobody suspected anomalies of the region, and the Russian emperor was guided only by geopolitical considerations.
However, historians claim that these are all the city legends of St. Petersburg, and when laying the fortress in mid-May 1703, Peter the Great was not present. Speaking of eagles, mountain birds never appeared in the sky above the swamps. And the question of whether there was a pagan temple under the historical monument remains open.
Revived ghosts of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
One of the most mystical corners of the city is the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, which appeared on the ruins of an ancient sanctuary. The architectural complex has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery. And still Petersburgers believe that representatives of the other world wander in the monastery, and not a single scientist can debunk this myth of St. Petersburg (a photo of a mysterious place is presented in the article). The scariest ghost is a drunken grave digger, wandering in the dark in dirty clothes. As soon as a passerby meets on his way, he asks to be treated with alcohol. If the traveler does not have vodka, then the phantom cuts the person with a shovel.
On the territory of the attraction there are several cemeteries at once, and the peculiar city of the dead attracts guests who want to tickle their nerves. Gloomy ghosts from the crypts are chosen in the midst of white nights, not sparing the living. And those who, by their own stupidity, penetrate the grave kingdom, remain here forever or go crazy with horror. Tourists themselves decide whether to believe in these stories, but even the most desperate do not visit the Orthodox monastery at night.
Legend born in Soviet times
In the Soviet era, the House of Soviets was considered the largest administrative building. According to the legend of St. Petersburg, genetic experiments were carried out inside the building, which was not used for its main purpose. And when the project was closed due to lack of funding, the laboratories were flooded with concrete. However, one monster who lost his human appearance managed to get out of the room. A genetic freak settled underground, not far from the Moskovskaya metro station. And late pedestrians, descending into the underpass at night, even hear a terrible howl, terrifying.
St. Petersburg falling in love is covered in mysterious legends, sometimes even too incredible to believe in them. Some stories look funny and make exciting city walks even more interesting. There is always something to surprise Northern Venice, and admiring tourists, captivated by its special beauty, but not comprehending all the secrets, return here again.