Ghostly Apparitions In Russia

St. Petersburgh has a history of more than 300 years so it is no wonder that through all these years and centuries some ghostly apparitions have been left behind.

Ghostly violin player

Mikhailovsky Castle has the honor of being home to the most famous ghost in the city Tsar Paul I. It was tragic when Tsar Paul I was murdered by a mob of drunken soldiers who were there only to arrest him, so his son could take the throne. The Tsar had ruled for four years, four months, and four days and had spent forty days in the castle. Legend has it that he is still there standing by a certain window in the castle playing the violin, which was his favorite instrument. Today the castle is a branch of the Russian Museum and home to its Portrait Gallery.

Losing your mind

The Rotonda is housed in an eighteenth-century building standing on the corner of Gorokhovaya Str. and the Fontanka embankment. At one time this was the meeting place for secretive Freemasonry. All kinds of musical groups and subcultures would gather in the circular hall of this building during the 1970s and 1980s. Soon the walls were covered in graffiti and it was thought that if someone wrote down a wish it would come true. The building holds a strange secret. At night supposedly if someone goes down to the basement they'll come back out a few years older or they'll completely lose their mind.

The ghostly spirit of Rasputin

The most mysterious and notorious man in Russia most likely is Grigory Rasputin. Many speculations have been made about him and many stories have been written. To this day it is not really known this man simply referred to as Rasputin had healing powers. His death is well-known. He was poisoned, shot, and drowned but still refused to die. Now his apartment at 64 Gorokhovaya St. in St. Petersburgh has been turned into a museum and supposedly visitors get surprised by Rasputin's spirit that still lives there. His ghostly apparition quietly mutters and footsteps can be heard on the floorboards.

Restless souls

Obvodny Canal is the longest artificial canal in the city and it used to be the southern border. Even though the canal isn't very deep it has met with people committing suicide. Suddenly by the canal, they've experienced an overwhelming force and jumped. Supposedly this happens because there are restless souls in the canal seeking company so it is wise not to stand too close to the water you might be asked to join them.

The spirit of Sophia Perovskaya

The embankments of Griboedov Canal are haunted by the ghostly apparition of Sophia Perovskay seen in a long dress. She was a member of a revolutionary organization known as Narodnaya Volya. It was the terrorist group that murdered Tsar Alexander II on the embankment of the canal. On the spot where he was murdered now stands the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. All of the terrorists were captured and sentenced to death by hanging. The ghostly apparition of Sophia can be seen waving a white handkerchief, just like she did on the day of the murder to signal that the Tsar's carriage was approaching. Those who are unfortunate enough to see her fall right into the canal.

The saddest spirit

Peter and Paul Fortress was in the very heart of St. Petersburg when the city was first constructed. This was the location of the first mint, the first fortifications, and the first prison. Political prisoners were kept in the dungeon until the 1917 revolution. Many were tortured to death and others executed on the grounds. Among these were the five Decembrists, executed for attempting to take down the emperor and the son of Peter the Great. The son, Alexei Petrovich Romanov, was sentenced to death and died in this fortress. There are many spirits here but the saddest is the one of Princess Tarakanova, who at one time made claims to the Russian throne. During one of the floods in St. Petersburg, she drowned locked up in a cell.

The spirit of Peter the Great

It should not come as any surprise that the spirit of Peter the Great has remained in St. Petersburg. This is his city and was built during his rule. His spirit can be seen here and there in the city, but most often near the monument that was dedicated to him, The Bronze Horseman. His ghostly apparition appears at night and if you happen to be walking past the monument you'll see a tall, dark figure wandering around.