City of Legends: mystical routes in St. Petersburg for secrets and desires
We are going to explore the mystical places of St. Petersburg: to learn the historical side of the city, to be impressed by the chilling beliefs, to make wishes and just enjoy the beautiful.
What attracts the mystical legends of St. Petersburg
The unknown excites, helps to fight fears, and allows you to reboot from routine tasks. Well, St. Petersburg, built on the marshes, has been associated with secrets and legends since its foundation. White nights, rains, fogs — the area itself "dictates" mystical rules, giving rise to new mysterious stories. And many of Peter's secrets are based on real facts.
Tips for those who want to visit the mystical places of St. Petersburg
A few simple tips for those who plan to travel through the corridors of the mysteries of St. Petersburg:
- As corny as it may sound, but if you're a fan of riddles, a little skepticism doesn't hurt. Do not expect to meet the ghost of Paul I in Mikhailovsky Castle or feel "something like that" next to the sphinxes on the embankment.
- If you are a skeptic, let the magic enter your analytical mind. Make a wish on the Seven Hundred, throw a coin at the Chizhik-Pyzhik for good luck: this is part of the special culture and legends of St. Petersburg.
- Pay attention to sightseeing tours. There are a lot of offers online from private guides and large tour bureaus. They offer mystical routes at any time of the day. There are short walking/water trips, long bus trips. Tours to the places of power of St. Petersburg, the city center, outskirts, and suburbs have been developed. You can start from the themes: palaces, cemeteries, monuments. Just make sure that the tours are conducted legally.
- Have you decided to explore the legends and myths of St. Petersburg alone? Make a route beforehand so that you don't have to travel half a day from one point to another. Explore the sights in portions. We advise you to check on official resources whether access to the location is free, whether the object is under restoration, and whether the visit is paid.
Mystical routes of St. Petersburg: top places for mystery lovers
The Bronze Horseman Monument
Let's start with the monument, the symbol of the city on the Neva: it will open our list of mysteries of St. Petersburg. The rider is mounted on a piece of rock, which, according to rumors, was split off by a lightning strike.
Many people believe that the pedestal is prophetic. And the prophecy is that while he is decorating the Senate Square, the Northern Capital is protected from enemies. The place is really strong: scientists constantly record strange activity at its foot. Some compare the sculpture to the horseman of the Apocalypse. By the way, although the monument has the word "copper" in its name, it was cast in bronze.
Address: Senate Square.
Sphinxes on the University Embankment
These are perhaps the most famous mythical creatures of St. Petersburg. The sphinxes were brought from Ancient Egypt in 1833. Fans of mysterious stories claim that the sphinxes have the spell of Amenhotep, the sorcerer pharaoh, who, along with his henchmen, staged creepy rituals using the embalmed dead.
Someone is afraid to look into the eyes of the sphinxes and touch them: they say, trouble cannot be avoided. Whether this is true or not is difficult to judge. But for some reason, the bodies of those who drowned in the Neva River are brought by the current to these statues. It gives me the creeps...
Address: 17 Universitetskaya Embankment.
Bypass channel
One of the mandatory items on the list of mystical places in St. Petersburg. Locals are sure that the energy here is negative. Unfortunately, unhappy people often decide to say goodbye to their lives on this stone massif.
There is a legend that during the renovation of the area in 1923, the builders found something strange: an altar with mysterious symbols and human remains. No one could really explain what it was.
Rotunda
Most of those who have visited here note the oppressive atmosphere. Despite this, the Rotunda attracts tourists from all over the world. What is worth at least the fact that the building, which is decorated with a spiral staircase and columns, was built as early as 1827!
Previously, Freemasons secretly met here and, rumor has it, held secret rituals. This is probably why many people feel uncomfortable in the Rotunda: the walls silently store pictures of rituals.
Address: 47 Gorokhovaya Street.
Nikolskoye Cemetery
If you believe the mystics, the Nikolsky cemetery is inhabited by an aggressive ghost in the form of... a black cat. Supposedly, the cat is the devil-enchanted warlock Prokopy. His occupation was black magic: he prepared powders from the bones of deceased people to alleviate the suffering of the sick. This interested the supreme demon, who offered Procopius the elixir of eternal life in exchange for his soul. The deal seemed profitable to the witch doctor.
The blood of a sinner was needed to create a magical drink. Prokopy dragged the girl to the cemetery and tied her to a cross, and then gouged out her eyes. Next, he filled the ritual cup with blood and had to drink it immediately — he would get the coveted elixir. But something went wrong, and the warlock was found dead in the morning, with a cat's paw instead of one leg.
Procopius's restless soul, in the guise of a ghost cat, still roams the cemetery, attacking belated guests.
Address: embankment of the Monastyrka river, 1, lit. A.
The Brusnitsyn Mansion and the Cursed Mirror
The dance hall of the former mansion used to be decorated with an antique mirror. According to legend, its first owner was Vlad Tepes himself, Count Dracula. For this reason, the mirror was considered cursed. They said that if you look into it, you can get sick, go crazy, or even die.
When the rumors reached a peak, the Brusnitsyn mirror was removed. But after the nationalization of the mansion and its restructuring into a factory management, the thing turned up again — in the director's office. At the same time, a series of strange disappearances began: first, the director himself disappeared without a trace, then several repairmen installing the mirror. Legend has it that the incidents led to the closure of the plant management in this building.
There is no mirror in the mansion now, but you can come here for the atmosphere and appreciate the impressive interiors as part of tour groups.
Address: Kozhevennaya liniya, 27.
Semimostye
This attraction is about wish fulfillment. From here, you will see seven St. Petersburg bridges from an unusual angle: Kashin, Adjacent, Pikalov, Novo-Nikolsky, Staro-Nikolsky, Mogilevsky, Krasnogvardeisky. An unusual angle.
They dream of the innermost things here. They say the best time for the ritual is July 7, 19:00. But you can make wishes in other months as well: the main thing is that it should be on the 7th and exactly seven in the evening on the clock. You must stand on the Pikal Bridge so that St. Nicholas Cathedral is visible on the left. Next, slowly turn clockwise, examining all the bridges available to your eyes and saying a wish to yourself. A wish made on Semimostye will surely come true!
Address: the intersection of the Kryukov Canal and the Griboyedov Canal.
Where to stay in Saint Petersburg
Novotel Saint Petersburg Center
A designer hotel located in an intricate building and hidden on one of the central streets of St. Petersburg. Category — 4*.
It offers 223 rooms with all amenities. For gastronomic reinforcements, go to the local Green restaurant, and for a fresh dessert, go to the hotel's own pastry shop. There is a hammam and a gym.
Address: 3A Mayakovsky Street.
SO/Saint Petersburg
A five-star SO is a five- to seven-minute walk from Admiralteyskaya station. Architect Antonio Citterio had a hand in the interiors of this hotel, so aestheticians and hedonists will especially like it here.
There are 137 rooms in total: standard, attic, apartments with fireplace, Jacuzzi and a view of St. Isaac's Cathedral. There is a 24/7 lobby bar, an on-floor restaurant and a panoramic rooftop restaurant. They also offer SPA services in the Urban Wellness Zone.
Address: Voznesensky Prospekt, 6.
Conclusion
The northern capital is a storehouse of secrets and legends. They are everywhere here: in intricate sculptures, ancient buildings, on busy pavements, in magnificent royal gardens. Therefore, if you find yourself in the city, do not deny yourself the pleasure of exploring the mystical facet of St. Petersburg: alluring and mysterious.
