Russia is a labyrinth, which consists of many labyrinths placed inside the labyrinth. And in each labyrinth you will find your own "minotaurs".
Moscow labyrinth
According to the research of the famous Russian archaeologist and explorer of "underground Moscow" Ignatius Stelletsky, underground structures under the buildings of the 16th - 17th centuries, located within the Garden Ring, are connected with each other and with the Kremlin by a network of underground labyrinths. Moreover, the original plan of the underground capital was created by the Italian architects of the Moscow Kremlin - Aristotle Fiorovanti, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aleviz Novy. Stelletsky, in particular, wrote: “All three architects, as foreigners, could not leave Moscow and had to lay their bones in it …” The archaeologist discovered a well-coordinated system of 350 underground points, thanks to which, for example, it was possible to get from the Kremlin to Vorobyovy Gory. However, after the death of Stelletsky, the research was classified.
Kandalaksha Babylon
"Babylon" - this is how labyrinths were called in the Russian North, where, by the way, there were many of them. There is a version that initially they were called "Avalons" (in honor of the Celtic mythical island of the blessed), and then, with the advent of Christianity, by consonance - "Babylon". Some believed that ancient people made sacrifices in these structures, others - places for initiations, and still others - places of power where a person can go to another dimension. It was even believed that these are traps for fish that fell into the maze at high tide.
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It is not known what function the "Babylon", built on the shore of the Kandalaksha Bay 3-5 thousand years ago, performed initially. It is known that the Sami performed their shamanic rituals here at the beginning of the last millennium. Then this place was settled by Russian Pomors, who were very cautious about “Babylon”. It was believed that the "journey" through the labyrinth could end with a descent to hell. True, they say, the Old Believers Pomors still used the "Babylon" before the start of sea navigation: they say, with the help of the labyrinth it was possible to control the winds.
Umbian babylon
Another "Babylon" can be found near the Umba River (not far from Kandalaksha). Probably, its functionality did not differ from the neighboring Kandalaksha labyrinth. Locals said that "Babylon" is located in an old Sámi cemetery, and the passage of the labyrinth may end up in unwanted contact with ancient spirits.
Great Solovetsky labyrinth
This labyrinth is located on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island. It consists of two intertwined snakes. Regardless of which way you go, you will always return to the point of entry.
There is a belief associated with this "Babylon": popular rumor said that it contributes to the doubling of "material" values. For example, if you go through the labyrinth with 10 rubles in your pocket, then soon your capital will grow to 20 rubles. People scientists call the "investment" version, of course, nonsense.
Pyskorsky labyrinth
This labyrinth was accidentally discovered in 1915 in the Urals, under the Pyskorskaya mountain. At one time, the Pyskorsky Monastery, the ancestral abode of the famous Stroganovs, stood on the mountain. Under the monastery, the monks created a system of tunnels, underground chapels, secret cells, warehouses and other premises. It was not possible to investigate the labyrinth more thoroughly, since soon the only underground passage to it was closed by a landslide. It is interesting that among the local residents there have long been legends about the treasures hidden in the mountain, while a certain old man came to some of the burger in a dream from night to night and indicated the place of the treasure.
Garden at the Tempel Pavilion
Peter I was a big fan of labyrinths. They say that by order of the modernist tsar, no less than ten structures were built throughout Russia. Peter was even credited with the creation of some "Babylon" in the White Sea, which archaeologists allegedly misunderstand today for the construction of the Neolithic. But these are all rumors. With complete confidence, Peter Alekseevich can be attributed to the authorship of only one labyrinth - in Peterhof, which was created according to the plan of the French specialist Jean Baptiste Leblond. The labyrinth, dubbed "Temple Pavilion Garden," was an almost square plot of about 2 hectares. In the center of it was an oval pool, from which eight lanes diverged; they were crossed by a circular alley dividing the site into sixteen clumps in which flowers were planted. Despite the "plant" origin, the labyrinth was not so harmless: there were rumors that some "travelers" there disappeared without a trace. According to another legend, the "Garden at the Temple Pavilion" was eventually chosen by the first Russian Masons, who performed their secret rituals there.
Spiritual Labyrinth
You can see this icon, painted in the 18th century, in the New Jerusalem Monastery. The image is very unexpected for Russian iconography: knowledgeable people talk about the influence of Western Christian tradition. Although this is not fundamental.
The Spiritual Labyrinth includes 12 circles: two entrances lead to the Kingdom of Heaven, and twelve - to hell. The icon serves as a kind of detector of sinfulness: having set off visually from the center on a journey, you supposedly run into your main sin. People said that you can go through the "Spiritual Labyrinth" only immediately before confession (and once at a time).