Kremlin - Haunted by the past |
Along with Moscow itself, the Kremlin dates back to the 12th century. Moscow was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. Initially the Kremlin was the fortification of the settlement which appeared on the Borovitsky hill, where the Neglinnaya river flows into the Moskva river.
In the 13th century the Kremlin became the residence of Moscow's princes. For ages it remained the home of the country’s leaders – from the tsars and the Soviets right up to modern times.
Given this long history, it’s hardly surprising that the Kremlin is associated with many myths and legends. One of these suggests the site is haunted.
Lenin - A frequent ghost |
Some people say Ivan’s shadow can be seen and his footsteps heard in Kremlin’s Ivan the Great Bell Tower. There are also reports that his spirit visited the last tsar, Nikolay II and his wife, on the night before Nikolay’s coronation. This was viewed in some quarters as an omen that the Romanov royal dynasty would collapse.
Lenin is also thought to be a frequent ‘guest’ in the Kremlin. According to some historians, Lenin’s ghost was first seen by a security chief in October 1923, even though he was still alive at that time (he died three months later). The official wondered why Lenin came with no guards accompanying him, but he was told on the phone that in fact Vladimir Ilich was in Gorky at that moment.
Stalin still remains active in the Kremlin |
But Joseph Stalin remains the most frequently seen Kremlin ‘shade’. Some say his ghost wants to ‘establish order’ in the country, and thus usually appears when Russia is hit by deepest crises. One of the signs that Stalin is stalking the Kremlin, legend has it, is when the room suddenly gets cold.
It is fair to say that with the Kremlin`s bloody history and tyrannical leaders from the Czar`s to the Communists, this building will remain active for a very long time.
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