The Voronezh catacombs, which once connected monasteries to escape in the event of an attack on the city, served as an inexhaustible source of legends and myths in Voronezh in the 20th century. There was not a single boy who did not look for the entrances to the catacombs. By the way, many found them.
Andrei, now a sedate man, a father of two children, said that in the 80s near the Chernavsky bridge there was a "hole" that led to the center, many more made their way into the catacombs from Children's Square, exploring the underground world of Voronezh along long winding passages.
- The guys were all looking for a passage under the reservoir, they said, and such was. But if the passage once existed, then it could have been under the river, and when the water supply was poured, most likely, it collapsed,”Andrei recalls. - They said that in the catacombs we often hear incomprehensible sounds and even groans, sometimes we saw frightening shadows on the walls. They said that this is the soul of some monk wandering underground, guarding the church treasures hidden there. I didn't believe in stories, because I was a Komsomol member and an atheist, and I asked the guys when they would go to the catacombs again.
They decided to go at night, because, we reasoned, what kind of ghosts are they?
They walked, of course, with lanterns, and suddenly the elder, who had been here many times, stopped in amazement - the underground tunnel was bifurcating, although earlier in this place there was one continuous corridor.
- He was not here, I give a grudge, - he swore like a boy. - How many times went - was not.
It became scary, although no one admitted it.
The underground corridor that suddenly appeared from where was much narrower and lower than the main one, only one person could pass. It seemed that the entrance to the maze that had just opened was knocked out in the wall on purpose - it was uneven, more like a hole. Andrey and another guy volunteered to go see what was there.
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- We walked along a very narrow passage, the walls directly clamped us. It began to seem that someone was following us. I looked around several times - no one, - Andrei recalls. - Sashka, who was walking in front, suddenly offered to return. I immediately agreed, because my heart began to be constrained by a previously unfamiliar animal fear. I turned 90 degrees and suddenly saw in front of me a black silhouette in a monk's attire. In surprise, he dropped the lantern and yelled. My friend also screamed, tried to shine a lantern at the ghost, but I blocked the passage, and we could not see the ghost.
The monk sighed, leaned over to the dropped lantern, then straightened up and took a step forward. It seemed to me that he just passed through me. I felt it directly - a burning cold passed through my body. Without hesitation, I rushed to the exit, shouting: "Sasha, let's run!"
When we reached the main corridor, the boys were not there. It became even more frightening, and we silently, without looking back, rushed outside.
The guys were on the surface. It turns out, hearing our wild screams, they got scared no less than ours and all as one jumped upstairs.
At first they believed our story, but when the first fears subsided, they began to laugh. However, no one climbed into the catacombs a second time.
A few days later, someone from our company finally decided to return to the dungeon. But that branch from the main corridor was not found, although they ransacked almost every centimeter of the wall with their hands. Although, it seems to me, the guys were afraid to go far - they walked about five meters and returned, - says Andrey.
In his opinion, by some strange coincidence they found themselves in a secret corridor that led to the treasure.
Natalia Osadchaya