Stories about "free masons" add a mystical aura to Petersburg. There are a lot of places associated with Freemasons and Rosicrucians, visiting them will be interesting and will show new facets of the history of your beloved city.
So, one of the most famous Masonic signs "the all-seeing eye" can be found on the pedestal of the Alexander Column.
The radiant delta adorns the Church of Macarius of Egypt at the Mining Institute (21 lines of Vasilievsky Island), the explanation here is quite simple and logical. It is known that the Masons were also called free masons, the profile of the Mining Institute may well be associated with construction.
Also, Masonic signs adorn the domes of the Trinity Cathedral, they are also on the pediment of the Grand Palace in Peterhof.
In general, the symbols of Freemasonry are frequent as elements of decoration of many buildings and palaces of St. Petersburg, and this is due to the great influence of the Freemasons on the history of the city.
It is said that the first Masonic lodge was founded by Peter the Great and his associates Franz Lefort and Patrick Gordon.
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I. P. Elagin - the chief mason of Russia
The most famous Russian Freemason was I. P. Elagin. The researchers suggest that it was Quarnegi himself who built the house for this Russian freemason. In the nineteenth century, the palace was rebuilt, there is information that under the palace, extensive catacombs were built for Masonic rituals. The famous Count Cagliostro visited this palace. Contemporaries believed that Elagin was associated with evil spirits, and all sorts of strange things were happening in his palace. Long after the death of the owner, no one wanted to live in the palace.
According to legend, Emperor Peter III was a Freemason, who established a lodge in Oranienbaum.
The mysticism of the Prioriate castle
Emperor Paul I was a Freemason. The Priory Castle, erected in Gatchina, can be confidently attributed to one of the most important buildings associated with the Freemasons. The architect of the castle was also part of the Masonic lodge and erected the building in accordance with the principles of this teaching. So, 41 pillars in the fence symbolized the number of the Great Lodges, the spiers are decorated with six-pointed stars.
Alexander the First banned Freemasonry in Russia. However, they continue to talk about its influence on Russian history to this day.
