The history of Russia is a treasure trove, a kaleidoscope of vivid destinies of not only individual characters, but also entire nationalities and cities. Some of them appeared very brightly and disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a host of legends, mysteries and conjectures.
Russian Atlantis: Kitezh-grad
130 kilometers from Nizhny Novgorod there is a round, like a saucer, Lake Svetoyar. According to legend, it was here that Kitezh-grad was located - a settlement with golden-domed churches, where all true believers could find refuge from the raids of the Tatar-Mongols. But Batu Khan still managed to find the way to the hidden city, attacked its inhabitants, and a miracle happened - Kitezh with all the buildings and people went under water.
For a long time, these legends were considered fiction. However, studies of the lake using an echo sounder showed that a kind of earthen rampart was found under the water. On the banks you can find man-made metal objects dating back to the 13th century.
There is also a scientific hypothesis explaining the immersion of this territory under the ground: the surface gradually subsided and then filled with ground spring waters. This is also confirmed by geologists. The bottom of the lake near the shore of the three resembles giant steps that were formed as a result of several episodes of tectonic activity.
There was an explanation for the sound, which the locals took for ringing bells. Magnetic disturbance from geological processes creates sound vibrations that resemble dull metal bumps.
Moreover, there is even documentary evidence of the existence of this place. "The Book of the Verb Chronicler", created by the Old Believers, points to the main characters - Batu Khan and Prince of Vladimir and Suzdal George II - and even the year of the battle - 1237. But other data also point to inaccuracies in the legend: Kitezh was not a secular settlement, but a monastery.
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Mologa: a city on the Volga
Much more has been written about Mologa than about Kitezh. The city was not hidden, moreover, it was the center of the Molozhsky principality, which then became part of the Russian Empire. Schools were opened, there was a town hall, and the city even had its own coat of arms. In 1864, more than four thousand people lived there. The number of churches grew, small factories appeared. And in 1935 a seed-growing collective farm was created. The population was about seven thousand people. They all made plans, dreamed … But most of these desires were not destined to come true. In the fall of 1936, the government of the USSR announced the complete evacuation of the city in connection with the construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station. It was not possible to free Mologa from the inhabitants quickly - the resettlement of the townspeople to the nearby villages lasted four years, and only in the spring of 1941 the city was completely flooded. On the site of Mologa, the water of the Rybinsk reservoir splashes. And the former townspeople, their children and grandchildren gather every second Saturday in August and remember their disappeared, but still their hometown. In dry years, the banks are exposed, revealing walls of houses, churches and cobbled streets.
Magas: the ancient capital
If Kitezh disappeared in the depths, then Magas was located in the Caucasus Mountains at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level. It was the capital of the unique state of Alanya, which existed since the 1st millennium AD. e. until the middle of the XIV century. Byzantine chronicles say that the population reached 15 thousand people. There were several types of writing in the city at the same time - Turkic runic, Arabic and Greek. The city was incredibly rich, it was located at the intersection of the roads along which caravans from China, Central Asia and Europe went. The Great Silk Road also ran through Alanya. Contemporaries described the townspeople as educated, luxuriously dressed people. Silk clothes were even made for children. This expensive fabric was used to decorate the interior of the house.
Unfortunately, this treasury did not go unnoticed - the Tatar-Mongols destroyed not only the capital, but the entire Alanian kingdom, removed valuables and burned houses. The pillars of the menhir have survived to this day, showing the caravans the way to Magas. The legendary city has remained in the memory of many generations - now this is the name of the capital of Ingushetia.
Khatun: ancient princely fortress
The history of the city of Khatun began in the XII century, but people lived in this place before. Excavations confirm that the first settlements of the Finno-Ugric tribes were here six millennia BC.
And only after the formation of the Novgorod principality did Khatun become truly famous. The city became a southern outpost protecting its borders. A little later, he passed into the possession of the Chernigov prince, retaining its function as a defensive fortress. The exchange of goods and brisk trade took place here. In 1375, the army of the general campaign of the Russian princes against the ruler of the Tver principality Mikhail Alexandrovich stopped in Khatun. And 200 years later, near Khatunya, Mikhail Vorotynsky in the Molodino battle defeated the army of Divlet-weight, which outnumbered him three times.
Unfortunately, over time, the geographical position has ceased to be so advantageous, and defense functions were no longer needed. The city gradually became empty and lost its significance. Khatun was finally destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.
Neftegorsk: a modern tragedy
The city of Neftegorsk was one of the most comfortable in Sakhalin. Modern warm houses, clean streets, excellent neighbors - all this turned the shift camp into a small homeland for more than three thousand people.
The end of May. Last call. Happy graduates are about to celebrate their graduation. First kisses, first glasses of alcohol. The fun was interrupted by the strongest tremors. The roofs of houses fell inward, buildings folded like domino bones. On the site of the city, a multi-kilometer gap formed. 75% of the local population died: 2,247 residents, including more than 300 children. The strength of the earthquake was 7.5 points. Three new brick two-story buildings and a store building remained intact. They found out about the tragedy only in the morning - none of the residents could report what had happened. The destroyed Neftegorsk was seen from a helicopter by rescuers flying to neighboring Okha, also affected by the earthquake. The houses were on fire, but there was no one to extinguish them. The air temperature at night dropped to -10 ° C, and during the day rose to + 20 °. Such fluctuations destroyed the last chances of the victims for salvation. The bodies decayed very quickly, so the rescuers also had to treat the area with disinfectant solution. The looters who came from the surrounding villages also added problems.
Now on the site of Neftegorsk there is a huge terrible wasteland and silence, which is occasionally cut by the cries of crows and the grinding of fragments of roofing iron.
Kadykchan: a city with one resident
Kadykchan, a small gorge, was the dream of many residents of the Soviet Union. Still, salaries here were 4-5 times higher than in Saratov or Samara. The city opened cinemas, a swimming pool, and an indoor skating rink (an unprecedented luxury in those days). There were hairdressers and dry cleaners, a restaurant and a cafe.
Everything changed in September 1996. The explosion at the mine destroyed the economy of Kadykchan, depriving residents of income, and the only thermal power plant - of raw materials. The houses were cooling down, and it turned out to be unprofitable to deliver coal to a settlement located 850 kilometers from Magadan. The townspeople left in families, throwing things. In many apartments, books remained on the tables, and groceries remained in refrigerators.
It is surprising that there were also those who refused to leave the city. Stubborn residents made homemade stoves, drowned them with furniture and wooden window frames. Now there is only one resident in the city - an old man, with whose death Kadykchan will become empty.