At the beginning of the 20th century, a glowing man was walking around Moscow. A crowd of onlookers followed the figure, exuding a bluish glow. Sometimes the "ghost" even talked to curious passers-by. The people called him "the luminous monk."
There really was a glowing man, but he had nothing to do with the other world. The famous Moscow legend appeared due to a strange coincidence of circumstances and the perseverance of an inquisitive, learned mind.
Who was the Moscow "luminous monk" really, and why did ordinary people refuse to believe in his belonging to the world of the living? We will reveal the secrets of the mysterious creature and expose the famous legend.
Glowing monk on the streets of Moscow
The "ghost" appeared in the same place. He usually walked calmly from the Moscow Institute of National Economy late in the evening. In the darkness, a bluish glow emanating from clothing was clearly visible. The heels of the shoes would sometimes knock out sparks. A line of onlookers followed the ghost, ready to run away at any moment. From time to time the "ghost" would stop and explain to people that he was an ordinary person. The crowd did not listen to him. For its bright blue glow, the people called him "the luminous monk." Some believed that a "ghost" was able to grant wishes or contact deceased relatives.
Experiments with phosphorus
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The legend was born thanks to an absurd accident. The novice chemist Semyon Volfkovich conducted experiments at his own institute with a poorly studied substance - phosphorus. Little was known about the properties of a chemical element at that time. Wolfkovich not only used phosphorus for experiments, he heated it in an electric furnace. As a result, the substance released volatile vapors that were absorbed into clothing. The chemist did not follow the safety precautions.
It was enough for Wolfkovich to work a few hours at the stove for the clothes to be saturated with phosphorus for a long time. The chemist stayed up late. And then he walked along the street, illuminating everything around with a bluish glow and striking sparks. However, Wolfkovich could not help but notice the glow during the first walk. Why did the chemist continue to ignore safety precautions?
Semyon Volfkovich in his laboratory.
Deceiver Semyon Volfkovich
There are two versions. According to the first, he simply did not know that phosphorus is poisonous. Not only will direct contact with a chemical element lead to burns, the substance accumulates in the body. In addition, phosphorus is highly flammable (even under water) and produces corrosive smoke. The scientist was saved from poisoning by the fact that he carried out thermal treatment of phosphorus in special furnaces. The chemist got off with only glowing clothes.
According to another version, Wolfkovich was specially "impregnated" with phosphorus vapor. Seeing how the blue glow affects city dwellers, the scientist deliberately caught their eye. In the fear and awe of local residents, the ignorance of the common man in front of science was manifested. Some of Wolfkovich's colleagues were convinced that in this way the chemist received moral satisfaction.
Why was phosphorus gas needed?
The scientist did not invent a weapon, a bomb, or even a fuel. Wolfkovich's field of research was more prosaic - mineral fertilizers. In particular, he was involved in the development of concentrated plant nutrition and methods of processing waste into fertilizers using phosphorus. Wolfkovich defended more than 40 patents and was awarded the Stalin Prize. Despite the experiments without a protective suit, the chemist lived to be 84 years old without obvious health problems. Interestingly, people continued to believe in the existence of the "luminous monk" even after the myth was exposed.
Irina Krymskaya
