At a certain point in its history, Russia, which lagged significantly behind European states in terms of technology, began to invite foreign specialists in order to learn from their experience and use their abilities.
Along with them, foreigners brought many rumors. Many of the things they did, their habits and customs seemed strange to people. Soon they began to say that newcomers perform incomprehensible rituals, or even have a relationship with otherworldly and devilish forces.
The architect Aristotle Fioravanti, in addition to his main business, was engaged in the improvement of artillery pieces and had a hand in the creation of Russian coins. The main work of the scientist was the construction of the stone Kremlin, and his hobby was alchemy.
Many times Fioravanti asked the king to let him go so that he could go to his native country, but John III was afraid that the architect, who knew the location of all the Kremlin's premises, might share his information with someone. To keep Fioravanti from leaving, his pay was constantly increased.
The king knew that Aristotle was engaged in alchemy.
The autocrat decided that the scientist knew the secret of the philosopher's stone, capable of turning lead into gold, and demanded to reveal this secret to him. The scientist did not want to do this.
First, they put him in prison for an ostracism. But this did not break his persistence. For this, he was immediately ordered to walled up in his own laboratory, where his alchemical devices and a library of literature on witchcraft were kept. The king hinted that if Fioravanti is such a strong magician, he will be able to get out of this situation.
The doomed architect put a curse on the tsar, his children and all the other rulers of Russia who will sit in the Kremlin. The curse is said to take effect immediately.
Promotional video:
On the night when the architect was walled up, lightning struck the cathedral he had created. Strange events began to take place in the Kremlin. The king himself lost sleep, tormented by nightmares. From time to time the ghost of the architect appeared to him. The king's advisers, knowledgeable in witchcraft, assured that in order to get rid of the misfortunes brought by the curse, you need to stick an aspen stake into the sorcerer's heart, and then put the body on fire.
The king obeyed the advice and ordered to open the walled up room. But the body of the architect was not found in it. No loophole was found in the stone walls. All those present came to the conclusion that Fioravanti escaped with the help of the devil.
Later, the priests began to say that Satan took the architect to hell. But the scientist's spirit wandered along the corridors of the Kremlin for a long time. It is said that many Russian rulers saw this ghost before their death.
It is also believed that one of the reasons why Peter the Great moved the capital to Petersburg was the desire to hide from a cruel curse.
KUZNETSOV KONSTANTIN