Underground passages, caves, grottoes near Moscow have attracted me for a long time. But somehow there was no opportunity to visit there. And on November 7, I finally received an invitation from my longtime friend Viktor Buinov to visit what he had dreamed of for many years.
I took with me a sweater, a ski cap, an electric flashlight, matches and a soldier's flask of vodka - suddenly I have to celebrate a holiday. Worried about the unknown: does Victor know the Moscow dungeons well, will he get lost in the labyrinths, will not mutant rats attack us, will we not fall into the clutches of bandits hiding there from justice?
At exactly 3 pm I was at his apartment on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Viktor skeptically examined my civilized "outfit" and, laughing, said: “They don't go underground with such a set of clothes. And he gave me a chemical protection suit, a miner's helmet, a powerful railway lantern, ten meters of nylon rope, a set of climbing hooks, a hammer, a week's supply of food. He took the same with him. Added only a sapper shovel and a pickaxe. He explained that anything can happen underground, you need to be ready for anything. Over the costumes, we put on the orange sleeveless jackets of repairmen to confuse the police patrols when descending underground.
Rodent attack
We moved to Trubnaya Square. We imperceptibly slipped into one of the dilapidated houses, on the site of which, during the time of Princess Sophia, was the palace of one of the most influential nobles. It was he who built an underground passage through which he entered the Kremlin into the arms of the loving princess. Victor found a passage through archaeological books, cleared it and began to use it to descend into the dungeons. Pushing aside the concrete slab that covered the inlet, we began to go down.
A terrible stench hit my nose. Eyes began to water from the large concentration of unbearable odors. It was hard to breathe. Despite the warm clothes, dampness penetrated the whole body. It became creepy from the pitch darkness. I looked up. Only a small piece of the gloomy sky was visible. I thought: maybe I will see him for the last time. Victor called out to me: "Do not lag behind." And we moved through the dungeon.
A stinking ooze squished underfoot. The stone walls of the passage were covered in slime. It was black, red, yellow, and simply colorless. God, what a disgusting smell she has! Reminiscent of sour cabbage soup flavored with rotten eggs. I almost vomited.
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After about 250 meters we turned to Neglinka. The tunnel was so narrow that it had to be advanced sideways. That's when I appreciated a friend of mine who dressed me in a rubberized suit. If not for this equipment, then I would have looked no better than a bum.
Suddenly, someone jumped on my shoulders. In my head flashed: "mutant rats." He tried to shake off the giant rodent with all his might, but it didn't work. I called Victor for help. It turned out that a huge piece of yellowish mucus fell on me. For the first time in half an hour spent underground, we laughed heartily and cheerfully. Indeed, in such inhuman conditions, only microbes and homeless people can survive. What mutant rats are there!
Shadow of Death
Under the Maly Theater, we turned left and moved towards Lubyanka. I really wanted to be convinced of the reliable protection of the respected department from the penetration of spies there. To get to the passages under Lubyanskaya Square, we had to use a secret breach made by the diggers. It looks like a gap measuring a meter by fifty centimeters. At times it seemed that we were about to be crushed by this huge stone layer, which hung ominously over us. Victor climbed first and, since he was much smaller in size than me, he moved much faster. I, rather resembling a wardrobe, had to overcome every meter with great difficulty. Sometimes my partner pulled me by the rope. The most unpleasant thing was that there was not enough air. Finally we crawled out to a huge iron door, on which hung an impressive lock. A friend of mine pushed the door open with his foot, and it gave way.
Before us opened about ten meters, trimmed with gray limestone. Further the dungeon was walled up. We started tapping the wall and soon found that there was an emptiness very close. A few hard blows with the pickaxe, and the passage is open. As soon as we got there, the vault collapsed with a crash. A thick, poisonous dust rose. She climbed into the mouth, nose, eyes. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. We decided to dig a passage parallel to the collapsed one. It turned out to be difficult. For two there were a sapper shovel and a pick. We worked tirelessly, without rest. We drank water only occasionally. Twenty minutes later we were completely exhausted. I wanted to sleep. This is a bad sign. We started saving batteries. During the next break, we simultaneously declared to each other that we can see perfectly in the dark. At first we thought it was a hallucination. Checked in a variety of ways. We read the newspaperdetermined the colors of the clothes. It turned out that by some miracle our vision had adapted to the pitch darkness.
Bloody victims
Half an hour later they ran into a stone wall. According to Viktor, this was the same famous corridor that once connected the KGB and the Central Committee of the CPSU, along which bags with party money and secret documents were transported during the August putsch. It was almost impossible to breach the famous tunnel. According to Victor, the walls of the gallery can withstand not only the pressure of the diggers, but also the explosion of a medium-sized atomic bomb. We decided to continue excavations, turned left.
Soon we hit the wall again. This time it's brick. They made a break and suddenly found themselves in a communications tunnel. They leaned against the wall and smoked a cigarette with great pleasure.
After the endured horror, it was easy and joyful to walk. There were ten steps left until the exit from the tunnel when we heard human voices. There were five of them. All in black wetsuits and with automatic weapons in their hands. The feeling is not pleasant. When the strangers left, we quickened our pace and moved to the hatch in the wall. They opened the grate and climbed down the rusty stairs.
There was the familiar noise of the subway. My heart beat with joy. As if I had met a good old friend. I suggested that my friend finish the excursion and go upstairs. Victor was offended: "Are you drifting?" Reluctantly, he continued his descent. I counted seven levels of tunnels. In the lowest corridor there was waist-deep water. It's a mess under your feet. Sometimes he stepped on something springy. The thought that they were corpses made me shiver. Victor stopped and began to carefully study the wall. He was looking for a transition to other underground passages. Found. Through a narrow crack we crawled to the underground, which should lead to the hotel "Russia". There is no more fear that a collapse may occur. Feelings dulled.
We met unusual people. They settled down on a spacious platform and performed some sacraments. A naked woman lay on a makeshift table. A black mask covered her face. A sword lay on his stomach. Thick black candles burned around her and people in black robes and masks stood. Their chief held a bowl in his hands, dipped a shaving brush into it and sprinkled a red liquid on the woman: "Great black forces, we appeal to you!" Victor explained that these are Satanists: “The worst thing they have is the sacrifice to Satan. I saw that sometimes they bring babies to be killed, they kill, and all members of the sect drink blood. The only hope is for homeless people. They constantly destroy the shelters of sectarians and do not allow them to gain a foothold in one place. " After consulting, we went back and went the other way.
Ivan the Terrible's treasure
Soon we got to the area of the hotel "Russia". On our way there was a small lake. The water in it was black. The lake seethed and gave off a scent familiar to all drunkards. According to Victor, the fruit and vegetable traders did their best by dropping a batch of spoiled goods here through the ground drain hatches. If homeless people find out, they will certainly drink every last drop.
Fatigue knocks down. I want to go home with a hot shower. But my friend insists that we go to the Kremlin. The entrance to the underground passage was located approximately at a height of two and a half meters. I had to recall the experience of a climber twenty-five years ago. Failed ten times, but then climbed. The vaults of the dungeon are finished with white stone. They were not moved by time. The bottom is littered with a thick layer of debris. In the middle of the course there is a well with water. I shone a flashlight at him. When I removed it, I was surprised to see that the water glows. Both ends of the passage were covered with heavy brickwork. Victor slipped a crowbar under the masonry and, unexpectedly for me, pushed aside a decent piece. Viktor explained: if we can disassemble all the masonry, then you can get into one of the Kremlin towers located nearby. He is convincedthat this particular move will lead to the famous library of Ivan the Terrible hidden there. In the meantime, Victor is busy digging it up. During the entire excavation period, he has already found about 30 gold coins of the royal minting. In general, Victor believes that the diggers did not rush underground for romance - they are looking for treasure. Our way back was much shorter. On the
A Zhiguli was waiting for us near Gostiny Dvor. Saying goodbye, Victor promised that next time he would take me on an excursion to a secret underground city hiding in the south-west of the capital …