This is how the church looks today
The topic of this post was the little-known Shuvalovsky park, located in one of the sleeping areas of St. Petersburg. Once it was a suburban estate of the Shuvalov family. In this area there is an ancient crypt, a Gothic cathedral and a sad romantic story - all that is needed for a legend.
The Peter and Paul Church in the Gothic style, built by architect Alexander Bryullov (brother of the artist Karl Bryullov) in the early 19th century. So, here is what this place tells about in my ancestor's diary:
189 * year
From the diary of Nikolai Verbin
I went to stay with my friend, who bought a cozy cottage in Pargolovo.
I’ll note right away that my companion always held skepticism, so his story caused me special surprise.
“I have to tell you a story that happened to me last night,” he said when we got to his cozy country house. Not expecting anything unusual, I got ready to listen to a banal story from the life of a summer resident.
189 * year
From the diary of Nikolai Verbin
I went to stay with my friend, who bought a cozy cottage in Pargolovo.
I’ll note right away that my companion always held skepticism, so his story caused me special surprise.
“I have to tell you a story that happened to me last night,” he said when we got to his cozy country house. Not expecting anything unusual, I got ready to listen to a banal story from the life of a summer resident.
It looked like cottages in the vicinity of Pargolovo near Shuvalovsky Park in the late 19th century.
This area was especially popular with summer residents.
This area was especially popular with summer residents.
One of the few surviving country houses of the Shuvalovsky park of the late 19th century today
Last night, yesterday, I decided to take a walk in the park before going to bed. Not yet dark. When I was about to leave, Marya Stepanovna, the neighbor woman whom I hired as a cook, was hurriedly going home.
“Don't walk until dark,” she said confidently.
“Are robbers roaming around?” I wondered.
“No, not robbers! Marya exclaimed, with some annoyance that arises when one has to explain obvious things. “Have you never heard of Countess Varvara Shuvalova?” She looked at me reproachfully.
Of course, I knew who Varvara Shuvalova was. Like her three marriages. She burned with special love for her second husband, Adolphus, and built a crypt for him, which she came to every day. But the living boyfriend was more attractive than the dead. The countess married a third time.
“It's a pity, Countess,” the cook sighed. “She took an oath to be with Adolph forever, but then she was caught by some crook, and she forgot the promise.” She became the wife of another, but she did not live with him for five years, she was widowed ... And life with him did not become as happy as with Adolf. Then the countess went abroad, where she died many years later ... "
“Yes, a well-known sad story,” I remarked wearily.
“Don't walk until dark,” she said confidently.
“Are robbers roaming around?” I wondered.
“No, not robbers! Marya exclaimed, with some annoyance that arises when one has to explain obvious things. “Have you never heard of Countess Varvara Shuvalova?” She looked at me reproachfully.
Of course, I knew who Varvara Shuvalova was. Like her three marriages. She burned with special love for her second husband, Adolphus, and built a crypt for him, which she came to every day. But the living boyfriend was more attractive than the dead. The countess married a third time.
“It's a pity, Countess,” the cook sighed. “She took an oath to be with Adolph forever, but then she was caught by some crook, and she forgot the promise.” She became the wife of another, but she did not live with him for five years, she was widowed ... And life with him did not become as happy as with Adolf. Then the countess went abroad, where she died many years later ... "
“Yes, a well-known sad story,” I remarked wearily.
Varvara Shuvalova, nee Shakhovskaya (1796-1871), lived 75 years, surviving three husbands
The cook shook her head.
“The countess’s life was not happy in life, and there is no happiness to her after death! So the countess wanders through the park at dusk. She is not evil, but from a habit she can be frightened ... It’s like some kind of curse - to bury three husbands. And in vain she violated the oath to Adolf, then after death she would find peace, he would lead her away with him. But the countess could not keep her oath, so Adolf left her ... Now, after her death, her soul wanders through the park, looking for her beloved Adolf. ”
Having accepted the words of Marya Stepanovna as village superstition, I went for a late walk.
Wanting to prove to myself, and the next morning to tell the superstitious old woman about my walk, I walked to the crypt where Adolf, the countess's beloved husband, was buried.
After wandering around the Gothic church, I went down to the crypt. Gradually it began to get dark. Suddenly, I saw a female figure enter the crypt. I went after her, wanting to offer a lady help - to lead home. You should not wander alone in the overgrown park.
To my surprise, I found that there was nobody in the crypt. Suddenly, a hand fell on my shoulder, the cold of which I felt through the thick fabric of my jacket. And the imperious voice said quietly in my ear:
“Go away!”
Her breath blew a grave cold.
I hastily turned around, but there was no one behind me.
I don’t remember how I got to the cottage. Nothing beyond was felt in my home. Calming down, I quickly fell asleep. I decided to tell this story to you, because you are serious about the supernatural.
A friend's story interested me. We walked to the crypt of Adolf, but in broad daylight the sign of the countess did not come to us. To go on a night journey the second time my friend did not dare. I agreed with him, the lady, obviously, was not happy with the guests. At night, her time comes when she comes to the crypt and calls the spirit of her Adolf ...
“The countess’s life was not happy in life, and there is no happiness to her after death! So the countess wanders through the park at dusk. She is not evil, but from a habit she can be frightened ... It’s like some kind of curse - to bury three husbands. And in vain she violated the oath to Adolf, then after death she would find peace, he would lead her away with him. But the countess could not keep her oath, so Adolf left her ... Now, after her death, her soul wanders through the park, looking for her beloved Adolf. ”
Having accepted the words of Marya Stepanovna as village superstition, I went for a late walk.
Wanting to prove to myself, and the next morning to tell the superstitious old woman about my walk, I walked to the crypt where Adolf, the countess's beloved husband, was buried.
After wandering around the Gothic church, I went down to the crypt. Gradually it began to get dark. Suddenly, I saw a female figure enter the crypt. I went after her, wanting to offer a lady help - to lead home. You should not wander alone in the overgrown park.
To my surprise, I found that there was nobody in the crypt. Suddenly, a hand fell on my shoulder, the cold of which I felt through the thick fabric of my jacket. And the imperious voice said quietly in my ear:
“Go away!”
Her breath blew a grave cold.
I hastily turned around, but there was no one behind me.
I don’t remember how I got to the cottage. Nothing beyond was felt in my home. Calming down, I quickly fell asleep. I decided to tell this story to you, because you are serious about the supernatural.
A friend's story interested me. We walked to the crypt of Adolf, but in broad daylight the sign of the countess did not come to us. To go on a night journey the second time my friend did not dare. I agreed with him, the lady, obviously, was not happy with the guests. At night, her time comes when she comes to the crypt and calls the spirit of her Adolf ...
Our days and history
After reading the diary of my great-grandfather, I remembered Shuvalovsky Park and its famous crypt. I wanted to return to this mysterious place with an interesting story.
After reading the diary of my great-grandfather, I remembered Shuvalovsky Park and its famous crypt. I wanted to return to this mysterious place with an interesting story.
Count Pavel Shuvalov. The first husband of Varvara Shakhovskaya. Their marriage lasted 8 years (1815-1823). The count was 20 years older than his wife. Barbara became his wife at age 18.
Count Adolf Pollé, Countess’s second husband. They married in 1826, Barbara - 30 years old, Adolf - 31 years old. He died 4 years after the wedding.
Adolphe Polier became famous as one of the discoverers of diamond mines in the Urals. From the article of the Mining Journal: “Diamonds were discovered at Biserisky mine when Count Polie arrived at the factory, who ordered the second time to wash the rough coarse residues remaining after washing the gold sands. The Biser iron-smelting and iron-making factory, owned by Countess Pole, is located in the Perm province by the Biser river, which connects with the Kama ... The most remarkable of the mines currently under development is Adolfovsky ... This mine was opened in 1829 in May and is located near the mouth of Poludenka »
One of the diamonds found was given to Polieu by A. Humboldt, and now it is kept in a museum in Berlin.
The countess, who was very painful at the death of her beloved spouse, ordered to build a crypt in which she spent all the time.
M.F. Kamenskaya, daughter of sculptor F. Tolstoy, wrote about the Countess’s love for her dead husband:
One of the diamonds found was given to Polieu by A. Humboldt, and now it is kept in a museum in Berlin.
The countess, who was very painful at the death of her beloved spouse, ordered to build a crypt in which she spent all the time.
M.F. Kamenskaya, daughter of sculptor F. Tolstoy, wrote about the Countess’s love for her dead husband:
“The countess adored this second husband to the point that she didn’t even want to leave the dead and buried him right there, near her estate, in a grotto dug in the mountain and decorated in a Gothic manner. The entire grotto, inside and out, was lined with tropical plants. Every day the countess cleaned the stove over the body of her late husband with her own hands in rich colors.''
Crypt of Adolf in the 19th century
''But this was not enough for her: since she spent half the night in the grotto, where it was dark, she wanted to decorate her Adolf’s grave so that she would amaze with her beauty even at night. And the countess came up with this method for this: she began to order the village girls and boys to collect luminous worms for her and, they say, paid five-piece apiece for them ... And the living illusion crawled, shimmering with phosphoric light, over palm trees, roses and lilies ! And the countess sits in the grotto well after midnight, admires this picture, is drenched with burning tears, and talks to her Adolf ...
Finally, it is clear that she will want to sleep; will go home to rest, and the boys and girls will guard her, and as soon as she leaves, go to the grotto! And let's collect your worms in jars and boxes, and in the morning they’ll add a little new ones and sell them to the countess again ... ”
Finally, it is clear that she will want to sleep; will go home to rest, and the boys and girls will guard her, and as soon as she leaves, go to the grotto! And let's collect your worms in jars and boxes, and in the morning they’ll add a little new ones and sell them to the countess again ... ”
Adolf Crypt today
View of the crypt and the church
However, the grief did not last forever, after six years the countess again married Giorgio di Butera, but five years later she was widowed again.
Count Andrei Shuvalov (1817-1876). The son of Barbara and Pavel Shuvalov. According to OS Pavlishcheva, sister of A.S. Pushkin, was against the third chosen mother, so he "went to the Caucasus and joined the army."
They said that it was Andrei Shuvalov who became the prototype of Lermontov's Pechorin.
Church of Peter and Paul in the 19th century, then Gothic came into fashion.
According to the letters of Fyodor, brother Alexander and Karl Bryullov: “Everything Gothic comes into fashion in St. Petersburg ... In Peterhof, a small palace was built for the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna in a Gothic style, in Tsarskoye Selo - a farm. Now Count Potocki has already made a Gothic dining room and all the furniture, and all gentlemen are following this and are eager for the Gothic ... Consequently, you can imagine what gotique foot was on ”.
Church of Peter and Paul today
Flowers near the church
Someone brings flowers to the crypt
- Nymphos, river water lilies associated with the other world
Now the park looks like a wild forest. The cottages of the 19th century, unfortunately, are destroyed. Residents of nearby areas go cycling to the park and have picnics. The Gothic church and crypt, fortunately, have survived to this day.
Sitting on a bench, I looked at the old church. Next to me on a bench sat a man of uncertain age, whose face seemed familiar to me.
“The Countess is still too early for a ghost,” he told me, squinting slyly.
“I would not want to disturb the ghosts,” I replied, “and there is no desire to wander through the park until dark ...”
“The park looks like a wild forest,” the interlocutor continued. - Swamps are very dangerous at night ...
“Imagine,” I nodded.
Now the park looks like a wild forest. The cottages of the 19th century, unfortunately, are destroyed. Residents of nearby areas go cycling to the park and have picnics. The Gothic church and crypt, fortunately, have survived to this day.
Sitting on a bench, I looked at the old church. Next to me on a bench sat a man of uncertain age, whose face seemed familiar to me.
“The Countess is still too early for a ghost,” he told me, squinting slyly.
“I would not want to disturb the ghosts,” I replied, “and there is no desire to wander through the park until dark ...”
“The park looks like a wild forest,” the interlocutor continued. - Swamps are very dangerous at night ...
“Imagine,” I nodded.
“You can’t return,” he added. - By the way, the park has another sad legend. A few years ago, a nearby train went off the rails ... And sometimes at dusk you can hear the sounds of the train, the sound of wheels, and the signal from the driver ... A ghost train ...
He spoke so mysteriously that I even heard the sound of a train.
“And underground is an underground city, built by Count Shuvalov,” he added. - Interesting place. And I am glad that there are no crowds of tourists here ... Rarely does anyone countess the countess ... Maybe Adolf will someday respond to her call.
He spoke so mysteriously that I even heard the sound of a train.
“And underground is an underground city, built by Count Shuvalov,” he added. - Interesting place. And I am glad that there are no crowds of tourists here ... Rarely does anyone countess the countess ... Maybe Adolf will someday respond to her call.
Under the stones are visible underground passages. These are already military installations. They say that to create an underground military city, the dungeons of Count Shuvalov were used.
The old steps.
Park swamps
The park has many picturesque swamps. Some at dusk look sinister.
Park swamps
The park has many picturesque swamps. Some at dusk look sinister.
Shuvalovsky forest
The park is like a wild forest.
The park is like a wild forest.
