The mystical Bloody shore, on which now stands the Smolny Palace

Today in Smolny Palace is the government of St. Petersburg. During the October revolution, here was the headquarters of the Bolsheviks, and before that housed the Smolny Institute for noble maidens, Russia's first female educational institution. In the map collection of the Stockholm historical Museum is one of several maps drawn by the famous Swedish cartographer of the XIV century Karl Julius. These maps are unique not only for its very respectable age, but the fact that they quite accurately depict vintage Swedish Ingermanland parish, that is, the area of the city of Petersburg and the greater part of Leningrad region. On the cards a part of Nevsky shore, where now is located the building of the Smolny, marked by an ominous pentagram and is called "devil's place".

Here is inscribed the Council of merchants and travelers to avoid the area. The exact cause of danger is not indicated, because the people who lived in the XIV century, in such cases, a special explanation is not required, it is got short notice. Mention of a bad place on the banks of the Neva river and are often found in the runes of the Finns and Karelians, anciently inhabited this region. In the Karelian legends of the place is called the Bloody beach. After the founding of St. Petersburg on the Bloody shore settled molocure. Was an extensive Resin yard, which produced and stored the resin for Admiralty shipyards and the Navy.

This once again underlined the dark aura of the place: among the first settlers of St. Petersburg there were rumors that molocure friends with evil spirits. A plot of land adjacent to the Tar yard, belonged to the daughter of Peter I Elizabeth. Here was built the Palace where she loved to spend the summer months. Becoming the Empress Elizabeth ordered the demolition of the grim molocure. In their place, the architect Giacomo Quarenghi began the construction of the convent, marking the beginning of the architectural complex of Smolny. Some old guy came to talk to the architect about the mysterious incidents connected with this area, but the arrogant Italian is not wished to listen to him, and ordered "to kick out the old stump."

Subsequently, the pupils of the Smolny was extremely afraid even during the day, go to the empty, tightly closed wing of the Institute where night was often seen smoothly sliding the silhouette. Smolyanka were sure that it is the soul of one of the boarders, the seduction of someone of the sovereigns and then committed suicide. The authorities of the Institute did not attach much importance to talk about the phantom vision, relating them at the expense of conventional maiden fear. However, it ended pretty sad. Institute fireman Yefim Glens decided to show off his uncommon bravery. He said a number of senior pupils, that the next night is going to enter the outbuilding. Half the smolyanka from the Windows of their bedroom saw the fireman walked across the yard, opened the door of the building and stepped inside. Has passed hour, another. Efim didn't come out, and the girls already pulled into a dream. In the morning he discovered that the Junior fireman has not fulfilled its responsibilities and its nowhere to be found. Someone suggested the location where you want to look. However, the door wing was closed with a key. Rusty lock tomboli, but Raspadkah not found. In General, except for broken furniture and fly-spotted of the bust of Voltaire, there is nothing could not be found. And gone Efimkov-Stoker, without a trace and God knows where. However, his mysterious disappearance soon was no longer anyone to care about, to bring on terrible reflections.

The revolutionaries with the bloated factory outskirts and sailors ' forecastle without much hardship was thrown out of a Board all the noble audience. The new time gave birth to a new legend: in the 1920-ies the revolutionaries talked about the Ghost who was shot in the Smolny "bourgeois." To replace military communism came the harsh thirties, and on 1 December 1934 at the Smolny was shot the first Secretary of the Leningrad regional Committee of the CPSU(b) Sergei Kirov. A little over a year, and the city spread rumors that at night in the corridors of the Smolny there is a Ghost of the dead man. According to legend, the first saw him head of administrative Department in 1935.

— Comes as a living, only cold emanates from him, and the back of the head where the bullet entered, crushed and whole and black blood — a secret he told to his friends.

Stories and rumors about the Ghost of Kirov were multiplying with each passing day. During the war the Kirov Ghost seen most often. Usually its silhouette is dark and still — appeared on the roof of Smolny. At first the statue was mistaken for Nazi parachutists and fired on it for accurate fire. Soon, however, one of the security officers through the optics of a sniper rifle are clearly considered in the light of the fires characteristic of Kirovskiy comb-over, familiar facial features, a soldier's tunic and a wide belt. Almost the entire war Ghost of Kirov was on the roof. Sometimes, the battery commander air defense that protects the Smolny, look up and shouted to artillery calculations:

— Kirov is with us, guys! — And the gunners even more furiously beaten by the fascist planes.

In the postwar years, the Ghost of Kirov were seen much less frequently. The last time he appeared in August 1991, when after the failure of the putsch the Communists left the Smolny. His appearance was preceded by unexpected freezing cold, and then out of the void materialized and Sergey Mironovich. The form of the Ghost was very creepy and threatening. Wagging gathered huge sinewy hand, he disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. It was ridiculous and scary that one of the Communists became ill. Since then, the Kirov's Ghost never appeared again. However, honored workers of Smolny claim that he is not gone, just laying low for a while. Apparently, they know what they say: old people in such matters is rarely wrong.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»