This story has been passed down in our family from generation to generation. Our grandmother Taisiya told her.
It was in the 1930s, before World War II. My grandmother lived in her own house in the town of Kasli, Chelyabinsk region. There was an old cemetery next to it. It just sounds a little scary. However, when you live near a cemetery, you get used to it - fears, superstitions, fears no longer visit.
This cemetery has survived to this day. It is somewhat different from modern ones: there are many large and small cast iron figures on it, and an old chapel stands on the central alley.
It all happened on a warm sunny day in early September. The evening was approaching, there was silence in the neighborhood, there was not even a wind. My future grandmother, and then still a girl, Tasya redid all the chores and decided to go to the cemetery, to clean up the graves of relatives. She quickly gathered herself up and within five minutes entered the cemetery gate.
It was not the first time she had to be there alone, so she boldly walked along the main path, at the end of which stood the already mentioned beautiful chapel, decorated with cast iron. Tase had to turn off the main path. She habitually crossed herself at the chapel and continued on her way. There was not a soul around, only the croaking of crows broke the silence. The sun had not set yet and was shining brightly enough.
Suddenly the grandmother felt that something was wrong - she was overwhelmed by an unimaginable horror. She looked around and noticed that along the path and near her feet strange "snakes" of spinning fallen leaves appeared (this is how the snow drifts along the ground in winter). Tasya was very scared, because there was still no wind!
The leaves swirled more and more, until a real vortex emerged from them, similar to a giant funnel. Tasia could not move from her place - her legs were taken away from horror. Then she fell to her knees and crawled back to the chapel.
A meter-high column of leaves swirled around her, roaring, howling and strange sounds resembling an evil giggle were heard. It was this laugh that scared the grandmother the most. She heard him clearly.
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She still could not get up on her feet and continued to crawl on her knees to the chapel. On the way, she was baptized and recited the prayers that her mother had taught her. From fear, the words were confused, the tongue was tangled. And the whirlwind, meanwhile, grew stronger.
Finally Tasya got to the chapel, climbed onto the small porch and burst into tears. She sat on the porch and, closing her eyes, recited the prayers she could remember. And in front of her a gigantic whirlwind of leaves circled, buzzing and laughter was heard. And all this happened in sunny, calm weather!
About half an hour passed. Finally the whirlwind died down, the sounds and laughter ceased. Tasia was able to get to her feet and with great difficulty made her way home. On the way from the cemetery, she never met anyone.
Later, she told about the experience of the priest in the church. He listened to her very carefully and explained that she was at the "damn wedding". She was saved at that moment of prayer and a consecrated place - a chapel.
"Devil's wedding" is popularly called a natural phenomenon when a whirlwind carries dust in a column. The famous Russian scientist, compiler of the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language" Vladimir Ivanovich Dal wrote: "The Russian peasants considered the whirlwind to be a consequence of a devil's wedding, or the wedding of Satan with a witch." According to other beliefs, this is the wedding of a goblin with a goblin.
All her life my grandmother sincerely believed in God and tried to convey this faith to us.
Natalia and Olga SEMENOVY, Yekaterinburg, magazine "Non-fictitious stories", No. 4
