Not only England and Romania are known to be a favourite residence for spirits. As a city with rich history and the bloody past, Moscow is wrapped in legends and myths, and some of the city streets and districts have a strong mystical reputation.

The legendary Ostankino District, where the famous Ostankino TV Tower is located, is known to be not only an adverse place because of the high electro-magnetic emissions produced by the masts, but also as a place linked to evil spirits. The district’s name Ostankino derives from the Russian word “ostanki” meaning “bones, remains”. It is known that centuries ago here a cemetery for self-murderers and wizards was situated.

In 1558 a ghost of a humpbacked old woman with a crook started to appear in the future TV lands. According to the legend, the locals who died suddenly saw the old woman shortly prior to their death. The modern locals also say they saw the old woman before the last largest fire in Ostankino TV Tower in 2000.

According to the statistics, now the biggest number of all crimes committed in Moscow is registered in Ostankino District.

A big black cat – one of the most famous city ghosts – often appears near the Revolution Museum. The legend says it appears at midnight twice a month, only on odd-numbered days, walks along Tverskaya Street, and disappears in a dogtrot. The cat ghost’s existence is registered in an encyclopaedia of the world ghosts published in the UK.

Another phantom walks in the centre of Moscow. In the past in Myasnitskaya Street there was a small mansion of the Kuskovnikovs couple known to be extremely greedy. Despite being rich, the family led a modest life, did not invite guests and did not keep maids. When went out, the Kuskovnikovs always took the box with the savings with them. Once they were going on a long trip the Kuskovnikovs decided to hide the box with the savings at the porter’s lodge. While they were away, the domestic servant, who knew nothing about the hidden box, laid a fire and the money burnt. Since that time the old man Kuskovnikov wanders along Myasnitskaya Street and miserably whispers to the passers-by “Oh, money, my money…”

The crossroad in the Sukharev Square is also surrounded with a legend. In the 18th century here stood Sukharev Tower – residence of the Moscow’s most famous wizard Yakov Bruce also known to be an alchemist, astronomer and engineer. The Muscovites believed Yakov had a black magic book that could point the way to the treasures Yakov hid in a tower wall. Decades later, Sukharev Tower was removed brick by brick according to the Stalin’s order, but no treasure was found. The wizard’s spirit is still believed to appear in the local lanes looking for the tower.

Podkolokolny Lane and its surroundings have a reputation of a most terrible place of the old Moscow – Khitrovka. It was a shelter for beggars, vagabonds, thieves and killers. It was a place of dirty flophouses, rookeries and cheap barrelhouses. The most famous barrelhouse Katorga (Podkolokolny Lane, 11), was always full of people, it was a place where all the thievish community gathered. Often there happened fights and murders. The corpses were buried straight in the house basement mapped out with secret passages. They say spirits of the thieves and robbers are still sometimes seen and heard in the area.

To be continued...

Source -
    shkolazhizni.ru