Every year thousands of people come to Kuban who would like to meet the famous white ghost, which appears at night in the vicinity of waterfalls near Gelendzhik.
What is the "maiden" crying about
The valley of the Pshada River is located at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains and has a long history. The ancients called it "a place of calm" and composed legends and stories about it.
Even today, any of the aborigines will advise you not to wander at night in those places. And if you decide to spend the night, be sure to leave some food under the tree - a gift to the forest man Shokhlar. In gratitude, he will not touch you and, moreover, will protect you from night misfortunes.
For local residents, the Pshad waterfalls and famous dolmens are of special value, and it is difficult to disagree with them. In the vicinity of the village of Pshada, more than 70 dolmens were found, which archaeologists date back to the 3rd millennium BC. e. They are carved with petroglyphs and solar signs - symbols of the Sun.
Pshad waterfalls.
And the Pshadsky waterfalls are pulling for a record - this unique natural complex has more than a hundred large and small waterfalls. The largest, Olyapkin, falls from a height of nine meters. The smallest is less than a meter high, but he is also proud and independent.
Promotional video:
Picturesque cliffs, rapidly falling water, spray clouds and iridescent arches. Camera shutters are heard here and there during the holiday season. Everyone wants to take with them a piece of the greatness of local nature and a bouquet of beautiful stories. One of them says that a traveler who lingered in this place until sunset can see the Pshad maiden with his own eyes. A white ghost arises from nothing and beckons people …
Shroud of the bride
They say that a long time ago a young Circassian woman rushed into the waterfall, and now her restless spirit wanders in these parts. If the ghost discovers a traveler lagging behind the excursion or any other person who finds himself in the dark in the mountains, he hypnosis lures the unfortunate man to the waterfalls and throws him off the cliff. For what the virgin takes revenge on innocent travelers, go figure it out now!
According to one of the legends, her groom died, single-handedly freeing the river from a stone blockage, and the bride could not come to terms with this. According to another, the Circassian woman was married to a disloyal woman, but she preferred death. There is even a touching story of mutual, but, as in any romantic story, tragic love.
The beauty Zulikhan fell in love with the courageous Asker from the neighboring village. Their love could not be prevented by the long-standing enmity between the clans. The young people met in the evenings near the waterfall and decided to secretly get married. Father Zulikhan found out about this and decided to interfere with the marriage at all costs. Once, secretly from his daughter, he sent a message to Asker about an urgent meeting. That evening, the fog enveloped the Pshad Valley in a thick blanket, and the young man did not notice the ambush. The old man pushed the highlander down onto the sharp stones. Zulikhan felt something wrong with her heart and rushed to the cherished place in the hope of preventing the misfortune, but it was too late. When she stepped onto the ledge of the waterfall, the fog cleared, revealing Asker's bloody body. Zulikhan rushed down. The girl's body was never found …
Since then, in the valley of the Pshad waterfalls, they began to notice a strange phenomenon: at night there appears a translucent silhouette in a white robe. The ghost, which was nicknamed the Pshadskaya or White Maiden, attracts tired travelers to certain death - beckons to the very ledge of the waterfall in the hope that they will stumble and fall.
Campfire Tales
At night, near the waterfalls, sometimes a misty spot appears, in shape resembling the silhouette of a girl. It is easy to find an explanation for this, because the name of the Pshada river is translated from the Adyghe as "shrouded in fog". A dense foggy lump in the dark can easily be mistaken for a ghost.
But the Kuban ethnographer and traveler, founder of the site "Sober 0647" Pavel Parshin, believes that all tales about mountain ghosts and ghosts come from the 70s of the last century. It was then that the flowering of Kuban tourism began. Many planned routes were developed, which quickly became popular among local residents and visitors to the region. And the horror stories only increased interest in hiking. It was then that legends were brought to light, which first became tales around the fire, and then went to the people. Among them is the legend about the Pshad maiden.
In those years, Pavel himself worked as a hiking instructor. He remembers: a halt for the night, a blazing fire, and, as if by accident, a horror story begins. Everyone listens with enthusiasm, involuntarily crowding together.
- And suddenly a ghostly silhouette looms behind the backs of those sitting. Noise, commotion, and then, when it turns out that this is one of the comrades on the route, wrapped in white, bursts of laughter and good-natured abuse. The next day, only talk about the draw. After the campaigns, all the burdens and hardships were forgotten, but the night gatherings forever remained in the memory. Almost everyone who walked along one of the routes along the Kuban mountain paths returned the next year, - says Pavel Parshin.
During the perestroika years, planned tourism came to naught. Along with hiking, the stories about the Pshad maiden and other ghosts of the local mountains were forgotten. They received a second birth with the flourishing of the tourism business. Today, numerous guides-carriers, who have arranged a transfer to the most popular attractions of the Caucasus Mountains, tell visitors about the famous ghosts in all colors.
Natasha voditsa
It is difficult to get to the Pshadsky waterfalls on your own, but the more mysterious and attractive these places are.
Chapel of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Here you can see a huge oak tree left from the forest that was earlier in these places. It can lay claim to the title of the oldest in Russia - its age is at least 1000 years, and its girth is about three meters. You can make a wish near dolmens - ancient structures of the megalithic culture. Local residents are firmly convinced that it will certainly come true.
And be sure to visit the chapel of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Here you can drink crystal clear water from a spring called Natasha. According to local legend, the spring is a petrified girl, and the water is her tears. Newlyweds love to visit this place: it is believed that if the bride and groom simultaneously drink water from this spring, they will never part and will love each other forever.