Park of the Living and the Dead. In the Voronezh Park of the living and the dead, avenging ghosts live! Forest Park "Olympic"

A park built on bones in Voronezh has become a habitat for evil spirits that have emerged from defiled graves!

There are seven large parks in Voronezh, but superstitious locals prefer to bypass only one of them. Although outwardly it is no different from other urban cultural monuments, on the contrary, it should attract the attention of onlookers with a circus that has existed for more than a dozen years. A circus built on bones and for years causing local ghosts to haunt the living out of revenge...

The bloody history of the "park in the cemetery"

Priests and believers of Voronezh believe that there should not have been a park at this place at all. The cemetery named after St. Mitrofan of Voronezh existed on this piece of land for many decades: basically, the inhabitants of the city who died from the cholera epidemic were buried there. In the southern part of the complex of graves, there was a "Literary Necropolis", which has been preserved to this day. It contains the graves of the poets Nikitin and Koltsov, as well as the writer Militsyna.

In 1940, one of the local party leaders living near the cemetery decided to change the situation outside the window and contribute to the construction of the Durov Recreation and Culture Park on the graves of thousands of Voronezh residents. At the same time, the city leadership was not even going to take into account the fact that the last burial at the Mitrofanovsky cemetery was made only 5 years ago. Tombstones were barbarously removed from the graves and used to line the streets and stairs leading to the river. Since atheism flourished in the USSR at that time, many residents of the city took the plates to private houses and used them in construction and gardening. The large spacious park has become one of the most popular recreational areas for the townspeople.

In 1975, a circus was built in the park, which was supposed to attract even more local residents. Its building was erected on the site of the former All-Vyatka Church, which stood at the same cemetery. Voronezh State Circus named after A.L. Durov with a capacity of 2100 seats is still functioning. During the construction of the circus, workers regularly died, were injured by everything they could and claimed that the place was cursed, but no one listened to them.

Revenge of the disturbed dead

The owners of private houses, who did not disdain gravestones for their household, were the first to experience the influence of the recklessly touched dead. Already in 1941-42, they feverishly began to get rid of what was appropriated, simply throwing stones with the names of the deceased into the street. On the surrounding "Park of the Living and the Dead", as it was then called, the streets, there was not a single house with a stove from the Mitofanovsky cemetery, which would bypass death. Their new owners seemed to be cursed: they fell seriously ill or simply died under strange circumstances.

Later, one of the local residents said:

“A family lived next door to us. The guy brought them on a cart as many as three slabs to pave the yard. Mother cursed, ordered to take the plates out, but the father stood up, he was a party member, and ordered to leave. Less than a month later, the eldest son in the family, the one who brought the plates, fell ill with pneumonia, and soon died. Then my father broke his leg, it grew together incorrectly, then they broke it three times, and so he remained disabled. Well, when tuberculosis was discovered in the youngest daughter, the mother did not listen to anyone anymore, called the peasants, gave them half a liter, and they pulled the stoves out of the yard and carried them away from the house - they threw them into the stream. And she went to the church and ordered a magpie for the repose of the names that were carved on the slabs. Exactly 40 days later, the daughter began to recover, they sent her to a sanatorium in the Crimea, where she recovered.

Since the steps of the park stairs were paved with tombstones, the ghosts were not left without attention. For example, the staircase on Velvet Bugor Street, dismantled by the residents of Voronezh just a few years ago, was known for many years by a ghost named Praskovya.
The crying girl was called by the name carved on the tombstone, on which she constantly sat. One of those who saw her rewrote her name on a stone and ordered a service in the temple for Praskovya, after which she immediately disappeared.

All the troupes touring the country know about the mystical complexities of working in the Durov Circus, so most of them categorically do not agree to come to the damned park. It is known that animals feel the presence of beings from the subtle world much stronger than humans. Trainers say that for this reason it is impossible to perform in the Durov circus, since none of the animals obey commands.

Perhaps the residents of Voronezh should think about moving or closing the park after such events…

No in Voronezh more sinister place, with which so many apparitions of ghosts and the revenge of the dead for the disturbed peace would be associated, like the Park of the Living and the Dead (aka park them. Durova, Leninsky district park).

But before introducing readers to the nightmares and horrors that ordinary Voronezh residents have witnessed, it is worth telling a little about the history of the park.

Entertainment on the bones

The park near the circus was created in 1940 on the site of the Mitrofanevsky cemetery, the last burial there was made in 1935. After the closing of the cemetery, the Soviet authorities decided to use the tombstones for the needs of the city.

Basically, they ended up in the private sector - the streets and stairs leading down to the river were paved with slabs. A large well-maintained park became a favorite vacation spot for Voronezh residents until the end of the 80s.

The rest of the dead from the Mitrofanevsky cemetery was disturbed repeatedly after the creation of the park: in 1973 during the construction of the circus, in 1986 - during the construction of an underpass, at the beginning of the "zero" - during the construction shopping center "Europe"

Everyone knows that in the 20th century townspeople observed ghosts in the park very often, especially in the first years after its creation. The gloomy shadows of the dead silently wandered along the paths, not seeking, however, to cause any harm to the living and not coming into contact with the townspeople.

Revenge of the dead

But there were more troubles with tombstones. Plates appeared not only on the streets of the private sector, but also in the courtyards of residential buildings - what to do, then it was the time of atheists. However, after a year or two, people suddenly began to throw strong age-old slabs into the street.

It turned out that in those yards where the tombstones lay, misfortunes began to occur one after another - then the only breadwinner in the family slipped on the stove, fell, hit his head on a stone and in the hospital and died, then the whole family got burned, then one by one the children began to hurt.

They say that there was not a single house with a stove from the Mitrofanevsky cemetery, which would not have been touched by trouble.

A family lived next door to us, - said grandmother Maria, who has now died, a resident of the private sector. - The guy brought them on a cart as many as three slabs to pave the yard. Mother cursed, ordered to take the plates out, but the father stood up, he was a party member, and ordered to leave.

Less than a month later, the eldest son in the family, the one who brought the plates, fell ill with pneumonia, and soon died. Then my father broke his leg, it grew together incorrectly, then they broke it three times, and so he remained disabled.

Well, when tuberculosis was discovered in the youngest daughter, the mother no longer listened to anyone, called the peasants, gave them half a liter, and they pulled the stoves out of the yard and carried them away from the house - they threw them into the stream. And she went to the church and ordered a magpie for the repose of the names that were carved on the slabs. Exactly 40 days later, the daughter began to recover, they sent her to a sanatorium in the Crimea, where she recovered.

Praskovya from the Velvet Hillock

By the way, gravestones, which served as stairs, could be observed in considerable numbers 7-10 years ago. The most famous of these stairs is the staircase on the street. Velvet Hillock.

For many years, local residents have seen a ghostly girl on it at night, who was nicknamed Praskovya by the name that was carved on the stone on which she always sat. The ghost did not touch anyone, only people heard how he cries at night.

Someone once guessed - rewrote the name engraved on the stove, and went to church, ordering a funeral service. Praskovya soon disappeared.

This is how the circus turned out

Voronezh residents say that during the construction of the Europa shopping center, workers often fell into pits, were injured, cut themselves, and some then completely refused to work at the facility. In the families of the builders, problems also began.

And about the Voronezh circus, all the trainers of the country said: animals do not like to work here, because they feel the energy of the cemetery.

The popular name is ZhIM or the Park of the Living and the Dead.
1828 - 1935
Newly built Mitrofanovskoye cemetery
It was founded by the inhabitants of the settlement Near Chizhovka in 1828 on the outskirts of the settlement and outside Voronezh. The new cemetery did not receive wide popularity, since there was no church on it, and the funeral service had to be performed on the other side of the settlement. Therefore, the cemetery, almost immediately after its foundation, was abandoned and continued to be buried there already in 1831 and 1832, during the cholera epidemic, when there was a shortage of places in other cemeteries. The epidemic has passed - the burials have ceased. In 1836, the All Saints Church was finally built here, and the cemetery became a citywide one.
In 1842, the poet A. Koltsov was buried at the newly built churchyard, and in 1861 - I. Nikitin. Their graves became an attraction for passing travelers, so signs were installed on the paths: "To the graves of Koltsov and Nikitin." By the age of 20 20th century this cemetery occupied more than 8 hectares and was the largest in Voronezh. In 1930, the writer E. Militsyna was buried here. On the tombstone are the words of A. Gorky: "a smart and persistent fighter for the revival of our country."
In 1934, the Voronezh City Council closed the Newly Built Cemetery. The last burials took place in 1935. Soon, the bulk of the tombstones were removed from the churchyard, leaving only A. Koltsov with his relatives, I. Nikitin and E. Militsyna in eternal rest. In the 1960s During the construction of the Circus, the All Saints Church was also demolished. And the so-called Literary Necropolis can be visited even today - it is next to the circus, near the tram stop.
1940
At the former cemetery, it was decided to lay out a park for the rest of the townspeople. A well-aimed popular definition of "Park of the Living and the Dead" appeared immediately after the start of construction. About how wonderful it became to live and relax, tells a historical document:
Newspaper "Commune" July 19, 1940
PARK OF CULTURE AND RECREATION OF THE PLANT - 16.
More recently, a huge green area was abandoned. Now this area is difficult to recognize - it has changed so much. The array is framed by a high fence. At the entrance there is a beautiful arch. In the center of the main alley is a monumental sculpture of Comrade Stalin. Around - flower beds and lawns.
In a record time - two months - the park of the Voronezh plant - 16 was created. You built a summer cinema, a stage, a reading room, a dance floor, a cafe. In the depths of the park there are two shooting ranges: one - for shooting from small-caliber weapons, the other - from wind. A large area is reserved for a sports town. An obstacle course is being built here to pass the standards for the TRP badge, a tennis court, two volleyball, basketball and croquet courts, and a shower are being equipped. Attractions are installed nearby: “flying people”, “swing boats”, “giant steps”, etc.
The grand opening of the park will take place on the evening of July 27, on the eve of the Day of the Soviet Navy.
And further, until the 80s:
The aircraft engine plant - 16 was evacuated in 1941 to Kazan, and remained there. And the park was rebuilt after the war and called the park of the Leninsky district. Entertainment - for all ages and for all tastes: a playground, pony rides, a summer theater where amateur groups perform on weekends; cafe with Zhiguli beer and different waters; dance floor with live music; benches under the trees where you can sit and remember your youth. When the Circus opened in 1972, there was an opportunity to take part in the fun organized by a visiting troupe: ride a camel, chat with a clown or take a picture with an elephant. And behind the lattice fence of the dance floor, promising students met young military men and were carried away in waltzes to the sounds of a brass band? Back in the 80s, in Leninsky Park, one could sit in a cafe with relative comfort and admire how children sort things out in the sandbox.
And in the 90s:
In 1996, the dance floor was demolished, and a church dedicated to the Great Martyr Demetrius of Solon was built in its place. The townspeople asked the city administration whether the authorities were going to return the cemetery to its place?.. And move the circus, for example, to the square named after the leader?..

Now called the Durov Park, Voronezh residents know this memorable place by the abbreviation "ZHIM", which stands for Park of the Living and the Dead. Its history and evolution is so bizarre that it deserves a separate story.
In 1828, a new cemetery was founded on this site (beyond the then Voronezh borders) by the inhabitants of the Blizhnaya Chizhovka settlement, which initially turned out to be of little demand, since there was no church on it, and the funeral had to be performed on the other side of the settlement. Therefore, the cemetery, almost immediately after its foundation, was abandoned by Voronezh residents ... However, due to the cholera epidemics that shook Voronezh in 1831 and 1832, the funeral processions again headed here. Several thousand Voronezh residents were buried in this land during those cholera years.

Church of All Saints

And then at the cemetery, which became citywide, the construction of the Church of All Saints began, which was built from 1834 to 1851. The long-term construction is explained by the fact that the cemetery church was erected with private donations from the merchant's wife Evdokia Sergeevna Avramova. Over the course of 17 years, watching that construction site, the Voronezh residents called the church, and then the cemetery itself, Newly Builders.

Memorial service at the monument to the poet A. Koltsov

In 1842, the great Russian poet Alexei Vasilyevich Koltsov was betrayed to the land of the newly built (Mitrofanovsky) cemetery, mourning whose untimely death, the most famous Russian writers one after another agreed with the literary critic Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, who recognized the poet - after Pushkin, Gogol and Lermontov - the right to genius.

Monument at the grave of the poet I. Nikitin

And in 1861, in the neighborhood of Koltsov, another great Russian singer Ivan Savvich Nikitin rested forever. Thus, a literary necropolis arose in one of the corners of the Mitrofanovsky cemetery. And long before our days, admirers of poets came here, to whose graves along the well-groomed cemetery there were signs with the inscriptions "The path to the monuments of Koltsov and Nikitin."

Park of the Living and the Dead

Over the hundred-year history of the Newly Built (Mitrofanovsky) Cemetery, many thousands of Voronezh residents found their last earthly shelter here, among whom were high-ranking officials, retired generals, cultural figures, merchants, and working people.

Continuing to operate after the revolution of 1917, the cemetery was closed by the decision of the Voronezh City Council in 1934.

And on the eve of the war in 1940 - literally, on the graves - the Park of Culture and Leisure of the Voroshilovsky District was arranged, which immediately received the gloomy name "Park of the Living and the Dead" or, in short, "ZHIM".

Of the thousands of burials, the destroyers of the largest city cemetery in Voronezh did not touch only 6 burials, among which were the graves of two Voronezh poets (I. S. Nikitin and A. V. Koltsov), three closest relatives of the poet A. V. Koltsov (mother, father and sisters), as well as the resting place of the now little-known Soviet writer E. M. Militsyna.

In 1930, she was buried with her fellow writers - under a marble tombstone in the form of a sarcophagus, on which the words of the classic of socialist realism A. M. Gorky from his letter to E. M. Militsyna are carved: "Smart and persistent fighter for the revival of our country."

Construction of the circus (1967)

Following the cemetery (after the war), the cemetery All Saints (Novo-Mitrofanovskaya, Newly built) church was destroyed, under the arches of which at one time there was a forge, then a garment factory No. 1.

Built at the behest of the soul with private donations from Voronezh residents, the Church of All Saints was mercilessly demolished by soulless descendants in 1964 in order to build ... a circus in its place!

And since then, Voronezh residents, visiting their circus, built on the graves of their ancestors, pass by the remains of the destroyed cemetery - fenced with a low fence, a plot of cemetery land measuring 16 × 19 meters, which today is officially, but with a hint of lyrical regret, is called "Literary necropolis", and is positioned by the city authorities as one of the main attractions of Voronezh.

It is symbolic that this sad Voronezh landmark is located at the intersection of the street of the 20th anniversary of October (read - 1937!) And the street named after one of the leaders of the armed uprising in Voronezh in October 1917, a participant in the Civil War A. S. Moiseev. In 1919, shot by the White Guards who temporarily captured Voronezh, the Bolshevik Moiseev was buried by his wife at the Newly Built Cemetery - in a grave that is now listed as lost along with the cemetery.

To this it remains to add that the building of the Voronezh circus was put into operation in 1972 - in the godless Soviet era. But at the beginning of the 21st century - already in the era of a seemingly renewed Russia - despite the numerous protests of Voronezh residents, a huge shopping and entertainment complex with the pretentious name "Europe" was erected on the cemetery land (on the territory of the Park of the Living and the Dead) and is now operating.

Natalya Veter told Komsomolskaya Pravda how the city is planted today

Photo: Elena FEDYASHEVA

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Voronezh has long earned the reputation of a green city. Perhaps there is not a single truly “stone” street in it. Trees adorn the quiet streets of the private sector, and the transport arteries of the city like Moskovsky or Leninsky Prospects. In Voronezh, you can meet "guests from the south" catalpa, mulberry and strict coniferous "northerners".

How does Voronezh manage to keep its green appearance, how do trees feel in a metropolis, is there a fashion for a “green outfit”. Komsomolskaya Pravda talked about this with the head of the Voronezh Ecology Department, Natalia Veter.

EXAMPLE CUT TREES ON MOSCOW PROSPECT

Correspondents of Komsomolskaya Pravda often have to accept complaints from citizens about pruning trees. Voronezh residents are indignant when they see high stumps on the streets instead of poplars or lindens. What should proper tree pruning look like?

Pruning of trees is carried out by contractors under contract with district administrations. The Department of Ecology issues logging tickets (permits) for pruning or felling trees and controls the quality of work, says Natalia Veter. – Today, on the main streets of the city, rejuvenating pruning is often carried out instead of molding. But there are two needs for this. Firstly, most of the trees on these streets are old-growth. Secondly, if rejuvenating pruning is not carried out on these trees every few years, this can threaten the health of citizens or their property. There are many cases when branches fall on people or cars from old trees. Therefore, the council decides to carry out anti-aging pruning.

An example of a proper form pruning is the linden tree on Moskovsky Prospekt. Quite young trees grow here that do not need rejuvenation. Their crowns were simply given a neat look.

An example of not very well-carried out pruning, to which both residents and we as specialists had complaints, is on Revolution Avenue, - says Natalya Viktorovna. – Of course, it would be necessary to do shaping pruning here, but in fact it turned out to be a mixture of shaping and rejuvenating, and more towards the latter. In this area, the anthropogenic load is very high. But I want to reassure the people of Voronezh: the trees will not die. Already next year they will give a good increase, including will have a decorative look. I must say that there is a different vision. From our point of view, there are comments, but the architects, on the contrary, are pleased that now the trees do not cover the unique look of the historic houses on the avenue.

Perhaps this is not a very successful experience of other regions, because this is carried out not only here, - Veter believes. - Forming pruning is the formation of a crown in the form of a ball, cube or other figure. It is expensive and must be carried out annually, unlike anti-aging.

There is also sanitary pruning, when dry or damaged branches are removed.

IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, TREES ARE SICK AND DO NOT LIVE LONG

Old-growth trees: poplar, elm, often subject to stem rot. It can be determined instrumentally. It is difficult to do this visually, often the only sign is a leak on the trunk. The danger of stem rot is in the sudden and unpredictable collapse of branches.

- What other diseases and pests affect Voronezh trees?

Young trees, linden, chestnut, are susceptible to bacterial fire, which we observed this year. The progression of the disease is facilitated by the drought, which was in July and August. In the city, this phenomenon has manifested itself since the end of July, - says Wind.

Tell us about the ash borer. Is it really the only measure to combat it is the total felling of ash trees?

The administration of Voronezh has a coordinating council for the preservation of the green fund of the city. In addition to officials, its members include scientists and social activists. We asked the question, is it necessary to remove all the ash trees damaged by the goldfish? The scientific community unanimously declared that it is impossible to preserve ash trees affected by gold borer in the conditions of the city. The only preventive measure, according to experts, is the total cutting down of trees. It is also unrealistic to carry out pest control of a tree with a huge biomass and located on the main street. Spraying chemicals on people's heads is unacceptable.

But here we have our own experience. There are a lot of ash trees in the Durov Park damaged by the goldfish. The bark of some of the trees has come off, while others have survived. We did not immediately cut down these trees and, after a while, we noticed that they began to revive.

While the alley of dead ash trees on Krasnoznamennaya was completely cut down, lindens aged 10 years with a formed crown and stem system were planted in their place. The stumps were left from the chic trees on Tchaikovsky Street.

What is the fate of dusty poplars, which are blamed for allergic reactions that occur in the townspeople during their flowering?

Today we abandoned the program of felling dusty poplars. A number of scientists say that it is impossible to clean such poplars, since in the conditions of a metropolis they purify the air best of all and absorb carbon dioxide.

Just these poplars should be subjected to deep pruning, in which case they will not gather dust for two or three years. The main age of poplars is 70-80 years. They were planted in the first years after the war, because they grow rapidly, have a large biomass, and then it was necessary to green the city in the shortest possible time. However, due to their age, most of them currently require replacement, since they carry a potential danger. And new poplar seedlings are not planted in Voronezh now, nurseries do not sell them.

Ecologists approach each tree individually and fight for the life of each. If it is possible to save a plant, the choice is definitely made in favor of conservation.

Sometimes we resort to anti-aging pruning as a last resort, says Natalya Viktorovna. We observe how the tree reacts. It happens that this does not help and after a season or two the plant dries up. Then the townspeople say: pruning killed him. No, this is a natural process, which, unfortunately, we could not stop.

If the tree does not have visual signs of disease, then it is given a logging ticket for pruning. If ecologists decide that it is inexpedient to preserve a tree, they recommend that the council cut it down. But here there are different situations. For example, a tree stands in the yard of a house, and some of the residents are asked to cut it down, while others are asked to leave it. Here the neighbors must agree among themselves.

IS THERE A FASHION FOR THE "GREEN OUTFIT" OF THE CITY

Today, lindens, maples, mountain ash are mainly planted on the streets of Voronezh. There have been attempts to plant pyramidal poplars, but in urban conditions, without proper care, they very quickly begin to dry from the top and take on an unaesthetic appearance.

On average, we buy about five thousand trees a year, but starting this year we have decided to reduce the number of trees with an open root system, since they need long-term care, which it is always possible to provide. Now, although in smaller quantities, we purchase seedlings with a closed root system and oblige the contractor to carry out care work.

Often we donate seedlings to residents for landscaping yards, but we are faced with the fact that the tree was planted, but not taken care of, and it dies. Planting a seedling is easy, but caring for it for two or three years is much more difficult.

Increasingly, in the city you can meet catalpa. This is an exotic southern tree for our latitude with large leaves and pods. In Voronezh, they have taken root, thanks to the climate that has changed in favor of warming.

But there is a danger here and we need to look at several years ahead. After all, if cold winters return now, these trees will freeze en masse. Therefore, completely planting the streets with exotic plants is not worth it. For decoration, we have a lot of different shrubs that bloom very beautifully, - says Natalya Veter.

"EAT MY APPLE"?

There are sanitary norms and rules that in some cases do not allow planting fruit trees in the city. For example, in parks and squares this is permissible, but not on highways.

For example, in Koltsovsky Square and on Sovetskaya Square we have an apple tree of the Olga variety with very beautiful fruits, but let's reason. Here you are walking down the street with a child, he sees an apple, how can you explain to him that you can’t eat it, since it has grown by the road and absorbed exhaust fumes? I understand that this is a matter of upbringing, but we cannot exclude such situations when a child eats a contaminated fruit. Planting fruit trees in the yards is possible, but again - by the decision of the residents, - says the head of the ecology department.

If the residents of the house have decided to plant trees in their yard, they need to apply to the government of their district for the provision of seedlings. Such applications are accepted annually in August, so that the environmental department has time to form an order for nurseries in October. The application specifies what exactly the citizens want to receive: what types of trees or shrubs, in what quantity and for what purpose (for example, to decorate or protect the yard from the road)

Since last year, we have begun such a practice: we give residents a seedling and recommendations for caring for it: how often and how much to water, how to cut, fertilize, - says Natalya Veter. - We tell you which hole to prepare for planting, if it is a tree with an open and which one - if with a closed root system. What kind of soil to use, since our urban land, especially in new building blocks, where there is solid construction debris, is not suitable for plants ... You can also ask a question about caring for a seedling by calling an employee of our department. Nobody will refuse you. I want to wish the residents: if you decide to plant a tree, then you take responsibility for caring for it. Do not forget that a tree is a living organism and taking care of it requires responsibility.