The Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve is one of the unique sights of Moscow. This place combines the spirit of Russian history and modern trends. Magnificent gardens with oak trees of the Peter's era, picturesque natural landscape, ancient temples, buildings of different eras - all this harmoniously combines on the territory of the estate. In addition to architectural landmarks, many interesting facts about Kolomenskoye have survived to this day.
Mysterious Liberia
Photo: Alexander Grishin
There are several famous churches in Kolomenskoye, one of which is consecrated in honor of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The building appeared in the time of Basil III, here the tsar prayed for the grant of an heir to him. According to other historical data, the temple was built in honor of the wedding to the kingdom of Ivan the Terrible. Today, experts see in the building similar architectural features with the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed on Red Square.
Local legends keep a secret about the library of the king (Liberia), hidden within the walls of the temple. The collection of the rarest books went to Ivan the Terrible from his grandmother - Sophia Paleologus, a former Greek origin. Her grandson added to the collection of books, after which he divided it into "black" and "white" parts.
The second was available for reading to everyone, and the first was walled up by the king in a dungeon dug under the foundation of the temple. Occult books containing secret knowledge are kept in the "black" part of Liberia.
One of the chronicles during the reign of Ivan the Terrible indicates that the tsar put a curse on the library, according to which anyone who opened it earlier than 800 years after the death of the tsar would die a painful death.
Underground passage system
One of the Russian rulers who lived in Kolomenskoye was Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He was constantly haunted by the thought of reprisals, so the king made every effort to ensure his own safety. In this regard, a well-thought-out system of interconnected underground passages appeared in the estate.
The longest passage was discovered by archaeologists between the temple of the Kazan Mother of God and the Church of the Ascension. In addition, experts found another passage, built under the river, leading to the Nikolo-Perervinskaya monastery.
In the pre-war period, archaeological excavations in the Kazan temple showed that under the church there is another secret door that opens the entrance to the tunnel. The well-known archaeologist I. Ya. Stelletsky noted this fact in his notes. However, the excavations had to be suspended, as there was a threat of collapse of the foundation of the church.
Voices ravine
Mystical stories are associated with one of the underground passages leading to the Voice Ravine. Local residents also called this natural formation Velesov or Volosov ravine. In Slavic pagan mythology, the name of the ravine etymologically comes from the name of the deity "Veles", "Volos". He was the patron saint of livestock and wealth, as well as the ruler of the dark kingdom of the dead. In different centuries, evidence was recorded that a time portal exists in the ravine, capable of transporting people to other eras.
Among the most mysterious cases are:
- The disappearance of the peasants Arkhip Kuzmin and Ivan Bochkarev in 1832. The friends decided to take a shortcut and went through a ravine, after which they saw a green haze and people from the Stone Age that appeared in it. When the peasants came out of the haze and returned to the village, they realized that more than 20 years had passed. Their family members have aged, and their houses have practically collapsed.
- The appearance of a group of Tatar horsemen near the palace in 1621. The archers surrounded the detachment and began a biased interrogation. The riders reported that they were part of the army of Khan Devlet-Girey, who wanted to seize Moscow in 1572. After complete defeat, the riders tried to find salvation in the Voice ravine, after which they saw a thick green fog and left the ravine in a new time.
Such cases have been described more than once, not only in books, but also in police reports. For example, the first case was studied in detail by the police, but the investigation was suspended due to the fact that one of the participants in the experiment also disappeared in the temporary portal.
The legend of George the Victorious
Another popular legend says that the legendary battle of St. George the Victorious with the serpent took place on the banks of the Golosov ravine. In the life of St. George, a battle is described in detail, which as a result led to the victory of the hero, but the death of his horse, which the serpent cut with his tail, scattering the remains along the ravine.
The locals believed that the springs flowing near the ravine were the footprints of the sacred horse's hooves, and its remains were transformed into massive boulders. Today one of the boulders is called "Horse-stone", and the second "Maiden's stone". Both boulders have amazing power to fulfill wishes. Women ask for the coveted "female" stone, and men can make a wish near the "male" stone.
