The famous Russian historian and ethnographer Yevgeny Baranov has long been interested in house number 14 on Old Arbat in the capital of Russia. And there is nothing surprising in this, urban legends have long been circulating about the house and they call it the "House of the Hangers". However, this house has not been there for a long time …
Like most old Arbat mansions, this one was built of wood. Logs were hidden under a thick layer of plaster. A small church of St. Nicholas with a bell tower was located nearby. Evgeny says that, in addition to the front entrance, the mansion also had an entrance from the courtyard, which was guarded by a bronze lion.
At the beginning of the last century, this house was often photographed for postcards. He can also be seen in the 1913 painting by M. Germashev “Arbat Street”. The Moscow landscape is complemented by a tram track …
The legacy of the black magician
Legends say that the house was built by Prince Khilkov, a famous devotee of black magic. Once, one of the prince's servants decided to steal a valuable book on black magic from his master. However, the slave, afraid that the theft would be discovered, burned the book. Upon learning of the loss, Khilkov hanged himself.
After some time, Khilkov's relatives rented out the house to one family. However, after four days, the tenants moved out, explaining that at night they hear footsteps in the house, and the furniture moves by itself.
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Other tenants shared these stories. No one in house number 14 lived for more than one week. Meanwhile, the same servant who burned the book on black magic started drinking. The drunkard wandered about the taverns and told everyone in a row about the book he had stolen from his master. And also that the dead master cannot find peace for himself and constantly comes to that house to find a book.
Rumors that evil spirits had settled in the prince's former house spread throughout Moscow instantly. The servant finally got drunk and died.
Death of a colonel and an official
Nevertheless, after a while, this house was bought by a rich colonel. It didn't take long before his beautiful young wife ran away with some officer. With grief, my husband decided to have a party at home with his druses. Exactly at midnight, the owner of the house drank a glass of champagne and ordered the musicians to play the funeral march. As soon as the first chords started playing, the colonel put a bullet in his forehead.
The next tenant was an official with a large family. Later it turned out that right in this house, a civil servant was printing counterfeit money. The police raided the house late at night, but no one opened the door. When the police broke down the door, a terrible picture opened up in front of them: a husband, wife and four children were hanged …
Evgeny Baranov also recorded such an ancient legend: “… In this place, when Moscow was not yet, a mother and son lived in fornication. Once the son stabbed his mother, and after that he hanged himself. And from that time on, evil forces have chosen this place."
Museum in a perilous place
When Soviet power came, this house housed various state institutions. In the late 1930s, the mansion was converted into a warehouse. And during the war, the house was destroyed by bombing.
For a long time this place was empty. In 2010, the city authorities started talking about restoring this house as part of the reconstruction of the Arbat. They plan to build a museum of Suvorov here, since this piece of land once belonged to his ancient ancestors. It remains to be hoped that evil spirits will not interfere with the implementation of these plans.
