The lingonberry mansion is a mirror of Dracula. Mirror of Dracula - in the mystical mansion of the Brusnitsyns. Former mansion of Princess Golitsyna

A mansion with which a terrible legend is associated. /Photo: citywalls.ru

In the working-class quarter, located in the southwestern part of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, there is a mysterious house. It is lost in an industrial zone among factories and warehouses, and few tourists, or even St. Petersburg residents themselves, know about its existence.

From peasants to millionaire industrialists

As generous philanthropists, the Brusnitsyn brothers maintained an almshouse and a hostel, providing financial assistance to the families of their workers. It is known that at the time of the October events of 1917, about 200 children and old people lived here.

On Vasilyevsky Island, the Brusnitsyns owned plots on the Kozhevennaya and Kosaya lines. At the junction of these two lines there was an 18th-century building, which Nikolai Brusnitsyn bought and modified somewhat, adding, in particular, an extension on the western side. After the death of their father, the Brusnitsyns remodeled the building even further, commissioning the work from St. Petersburg architect Anatoly Kovsharov. When choosing a style, he settled on eclecticism, gaining the approval of the owners.

The second floor became higher, in addition, the building now has a main entrance staircase, a greenhouse, and the decoration of the facades has changed. A cornice with denticles appeared, as well as an interesting pediment, semicircular bay windows and many other new elements. The building itself began to resemble the letter “W” lying flat in shape, and each brother in this mansion had his own wing. By the way, the original entrance doors from the Kozhevennaya Line side have still been preserved.

The inside of the building was also richly decorated and looked luxurious. In the living room there was a huge oak table with 60 (!) chairs - the whole large family and guests dined here.

Chic interior

The interior is characterized by an abundance of carved ornaments. By the way, the wooden ram heads that decorate the doors of the dining room symbolize trade in mythology.

The building now hosts tours. Visitors invariably admire the architect's imagination and the details of the exquisite interior decoration, which have been preserved since the time of the first owners - for example, the luxurious stucco on the ceiling (though later covered with paint) and a huge chandelier. The marble window sill and marble fireplace in the dance hall have also been preserved from merchant times.

Troubled times

The nationalized Brusnitsyn plant began to bear the name of Radishchev, and its administration was located in the mansion. The fate of the former owners themselves is also interesting. If two of the brothers went abroad after the events of 1917, the third, Alexander Nikolaevich, decided not to leave Russia and remained to work at his native enterprise - however, not as an owner, but as a chief engineer and chairman of the board of the plant management. Alas, in May 1919, Cheka officers came to Brusnitsyn’s apartment and, as you might guess, arrested him as an enemy of the people. He was sentenced to prison, but this story was still resolved successfully. The case, at that time, was unique: the plant workers, outraged by the arrest, submitted a petition to the Cheka for the release of their boss, and, in the end, achieved a review of the case. Brusnitsyn was released.

The scary legend of Dracula's mirror

Not long after the mirror was delivered to the merchant's house and installed on the wall, everyone who looked at it began to notice strange things. The person either felt bad or was in a bad mood, and some of those who looked in the mirror even became victims of accidents. According to rumors, having discovered such an eerie pattern (the latest in a series of misfortunes was the sudden death of his granddaughter), the owner ordered the mirror to be removed and put in the pantry.

The further fate of the mirror is very vague. According to one legend, he was taken back to Europe. According to other rumors, it remained in the storeroom; after the revolution, it was allegedly transported to the Palace of Culture named after. Kirov, and after some time the authorities decided to return him to the mansion. The mirror was hung in the office of the deputy director of the plant, shortly after which he disappeared under very mysterious circumstances. Also, one of the factory workers suddenly disappeared, who, having entered the office one day, had the imprudence to look in this mirror. After these strange incidents, the office was allegedly boarded up, and no one else worked in it.

But the most terrible version about the fate of the mirror still brings horror to especially impressionable local residents. According to this “horror story”, this unfortunate object is kept in the mansion to this day - they say, it is hidden in some secret room and still affects the energy of the ancient mansion. Some lovers of mysticism even claim that it is better not to walk past the mansion at night: supposedly, moans and incomprehensible noises are heard from the building every now and then.

Filming on the main staircase of the mansion. / Photo: lenaudenko.lj.com

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From peasants to millionaire industrialists

In the middle of the 19th century, Nikolai Matveevich (Mokeevich) Brusnitsyn, a native of the peasants of the Tver province, moved to Moscow and set up his own business. At first it was a small leather workshop, but gradually the business grew and ultimately the Brusnitsyns became a wealthy and respected merchant family in the city. To his three sons, the merchant of the 1st guild Nikolai Brusnitsyn inherited a modern factory with six hundred jobs and millions earned in the leather business.

As generous philanthropists, the Brusnitsyn brothers maintained an almshouse and a hostel, providing financial assistance to the families of their workers. It is known that at the time of the October events of 1917, about 200 children and old people lived here.

On Vasilyevsky Island, the Brusnitsyns owned plots on the Kozhevennaya and Kosaya lines. At the junction of these two lines there was an 18th-century building, which Nikolai Brusnitsyn bought and modified somewhat, adding, in particular, an extension on the western side. After the death of their father, the Brusnitsyns remodeled the building even further, commissioning the work from St. Petersburg architect Anatoly Kovsharov. When choosing a style, he settled on eclecticism, gaining the approval of the owners.

The second floor became higher, in addition, the building now has a main entrance staircase, a greenhouse, and the decoration of the facades has changed. A cornice with denticles appeared, as well as an interesting pediment, semicircular bay windows and many other new elements. The building itself began to resemble the letter “W” lying flat in shape, and each brother in this mansion had his own wing. By the way, the original entrance doors from the Kozhevennaya Line side have still been preserved.

The inside of the building was also richly decorated and looked luxurious. In the living room there was a huge oak table with 60 (!) chairs - the whole large family and guests dined here.

Chic interior

The building had a pompous billiard room, a smoking room (hookah room), made in the Moorish style fashionable at that time, and a spacious dance hall, decorated in the style of the premises of Louis XV. The stucco patterns of the hall depict mythical heroes, plants, flowers, and musical instruments.

The interior is characterized by an abundance of carved ornaments. By the way, the wooden ram heads that decorate the doors of the dining room symbolize trade in mythology.

The building now hosts tours. Visitors invariably admire the architect's imagination and the details of the exquisite interior decoration, which have been preserved since the time of the first owners - for example, the luxurious stucco on the ceiling (though later covered with paint) and a huge chandelier. The marble window sill and marble fireplace in the dance hall have also been preserved from merchant times.

Troubled times

After the revolution, the new authorities boarded up the main entrance to the building, and the monogram of the merchant family located on the facade was knocked down, putting in its place another kind of “monogram” - a hammer and sickle. Instead of the main gate, they made a factory entrance.

The nationalized Brusnitsyn plant began to bear the name of Radishchev, and its administration was located in the mansion. The fate of the former owners themselves is also interesting. If two of the brothers went abroad after the events of 1917, the third, Alexander Nikolaevich, decided not to leave Russia and remained to work at his native enterprise - however, not as an owner, but as a chief engineer and chairman of the board of the plant management. Alas, in May 1919, Cheka officers came to Brusnitsyn’s apartment and, as you might guess, arrested him as an enemy of the people. He was sentenced to prison, but this story was still resolved successfully. The case, at that time, was unique: the plant workers, outraged by the arrest, submitted a petition to the Cheka for the release of their boss, and, in the end, achieved a review of the case. Brusnitsyn was released.

The scary legend of Dracula's mirror

A mysterious and terrible story is connected with one of the objects of this mansion. According to this strange legend, which terrified the surrounding residents and even now makes this building mysteriously gloomy, during the construction of the mansion, the merchant Brusnitsyn decided to order a luxurious mirror from Italy for the future dance hall. And supposedly this was the same mirror that previously hung in the tomb of Count Dracula.

Not long after the mirror was delivered to the merchant's house and installed on the wall, everyone who looked at it began to notice strange things. The person either felt bad or was in a bad mood, and some of those who looked in the mirror even became victims of accidents. According to rumors, having discovered such an eerie pattern (the latest in a series of misfortunes was the sudden death of his granddaughter), the owner ordered the mirror to be removed and put in the pantry.

The further fate of the mirror is very vague. According to one legend, he was taken back to Europe. According to other rumors, it remained in the storeroom; after the revolution, it was allegedly transported to the Palace of Culture named after. Kirov, and after some time the authorities decided to return him to the mansion. The mirror was hung in the office of the deputy director of the plant, shortly after which he disappeared under very mysterious circumstances. Also, one of the factory workers suddenly disappeared, who, having entered the office one day, had the imprudence to look in this mirror. After these strange incidents, the office was allegedly boarded up, and no one else worked in it.

But the most terrible version of the fate of the mirror still brings horror to especially impressionable local residents. According to this “horror story”, this unfortunate object is kept in the mansion to this day - they say, it is hidden in some secret room and still affects the energy of the ancient mansion. Some lovers of mysticism even claim that it is better not to walk past the mansion at night: supposedly, moans and incomprehensible noises are heard from the building every now and then.

However, there are also skeptics who do not pay any attention to rumors and visit this house only to admire the decor and photograph the ancient interiors. The building even hosts photo shoots from time to time.

Built on the site of ancient Finnish temples, surrounded by water, which according to Slavic beliefs has long been attributed special power, wind-pierced St. Petersburg has been considered a mystical city since its formation. “It is built at the intersection of reality and legends,” the poet noted XIX century Vasily Zhukovsky.

Modern psychics claim that the city has surprisingly powerful energy. None of those who come to it remain indifferent. Some admire and unconditionally fall in love with its beauty. Others feel strange discomfort and try to leave as quickly as possible. Native residents of St. Petersburg sometimes joke that any front door can lead to the other world. Mystery, abundance of water, special harmony of nature and architecture make St. Petersburg similar to Venice. But there are several mystical stories that show this connection especially clearly. One of them is hidden under the dilapidated arches of the Brusnitsyn merchant mansion on Vasilyevsky Island. Once one of the most beautiful houses in the Northern capital, built in the eclectic style, it is firmly associated with the legends of the looking glass.

The mirror has long been considered one of the most mysterious objects. Even the ancient Egyptians believed that the souls of the dead lived in mirrors, and the entrance to the other world was guarded by the ominous god of death Anubis. Special powers were attributed to ancient mirrors, which for centuries absorbed the energy of events occurring around them. One such mirror with a mysterious history ended up in the Brusnitsyns’ mansion.

The Brusnitsyn tanneries, peasants by origin, worked a lot, were not interested in mysticism, diligently went to church, and did not particularly sin. The first of them, a peasant from the Tver province Nikolai Mokeevich Brusnitsyn, came to St. Petersburg in 1844. He bought a small wooden house on Vasilyevsky Island and founded a leather workshop nearby, which initially employed only ten people - they tanned leather.

Illiterate, but very enterprising and diligent, Brusnitsyn soon expanded his business and began trading. Within a few years, instead of the workshop, a factory appeared, employing about a thousand workers. Things went uphill, Brusnitsyn started a family and began to rebuild the house. In 1867, architect A.S. Andreev added several wings, increased the height of the floors, and almost completely redid the façade of the building.

In 1882, the mansion came into the possession of the three sons of Nikolai Mokeevich - Nikolai, Alexander and Georgy. The brothers immediately started a large-scale reconstruction and invited the architect Anatoly Ivanovich Kovsharov, who took special care of the interiors of the house, giving them a luxurious look, and built a winter garden

The Brusnitsyns' mansion was rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in St. Petersburg: the stately white halls were striking in their splendor, and guests entered the Moorish-style smoking room as if they were entering a museum. The Mirror Corridor was considered a special pride, for which the Brusnitsyns sought out mirrors made by ancient masters in Europe.

Venetian mirrors were especially famous. It was believed that Italian masters knew a special secret, and therefore any person in it always looks better than in reality. This effect was achieved by adding bronze and gold to the ingredients, and such mirrors were highly valued by experts.

It was to Italy, to Venice, that Nikolai Mokeevich Brusnitsyn headed to purchase decorations for his home. Noticing that a wealthy Russian merchant was interested in antique mirrors, one of the masters mentioned a rare specimen, created, according to him, back in the era of the Crusades. Allegedly, this mirror had a special property of giving strength and success to its owner and once belonged to Sultan Saladin. This is what the Sultan looked at before fighting the crusaders, and the frame was made from the stumps of the swords of his defeated opponents. “Probably such a mirror is very expensive?” - the merchant suggested, immediately calculating the price in his mind. “On the contrary,” answered the master. “The owner is giving it away for next to nothing.” She is old and in great need.” Buy a mirror of Sultan Saladin, and even cheaply? Inspired, Brusnitsyn hurried to the indicated address: Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Lutti.

The day turned out to be windy and damp, the waves crashed against the pier. The door of the palazzo, decorated with a bronze lion's muzzle, was opened by the hostess herself - she lived alone, without a servant. She was not surprised by Brusnitsyn’s visit. She was waiting for him, she had already been warned. The merchant was struck by the woman’s face - it was dotted with wrinkles, but her eyes - bright green - sparkled youthfully, like two emeralds, and under the black lace veil one could see fiery red hair, untouched by gray hair. Ruby rings sparkled on the mistress’s hands. “This is my father’s inheritance,” she explained, catching the merchant’s gaze. “Despite the need, I do not sell family jewelry.” “And with whom do I have the honor?” – asked Brusnitsyn. The answer sounded like a bolt from the blue: “Princess Borgia.”

The owner's relationship with the Borgia made a great impression on Nikolai Mokeevich; he had heard a lot about the Italian family: about the famous Roman commander Cesare Borgia, and especially about his daughter Giovanna, immortalized by Botticelli on canvases in the Uffizi Gallery.

The hostess led Brusnitsyn into the hall and showed him a mirror. It was large, oval and seemed to glow from within. “They told me it used to belong to Saladin,” said the merchant, without taking his eyes off the curiosity. “Yes, it is,” answered the princess. – During one of the campaigns, it was captured by the Knights Templar and kept in a fortress on the island of Rhodes. After the island was captured by the Turks, it again came into the possession of the sultans. He was later kidnapped by Vlad Dracula, a Wallachian prince. And it hung in Bran Castle as long as he lived."

The owner could not say anything more about the history of the mirror. But the merchant really liked the curiosity. It fit perfectly in the Mirror Corridor, in the place above the fireplace, where they couldn’t find a mirror - either the shape was wrong or the size was wrong. Everything coincided perfectly here. In addition, the price is red, as they say, they almost give it away for nothing. This could not leave the prudent merchant indifferent. Very profitable product!

Perhaps Nikolai Mokeevich would have hesitated in other circumstances, perhaps he would have bargained some more - how not to bargain! – but the look of the princess’s green eyes finally predetermined his choice. At some point, all the wrinkles from her face disappeared, and the woman from Botticelli’s painting in the Uffizi Gallery appeared before Nikolai Mokeevich. The deal was done.

Victoria Dyakova

Continuation in No. 10/2017 of the magazine “Miracles and Adventures”, pp. 90-93

So, in 1857, by order of the new owner, merchant N.M. Brusnitsyn's mansion got its first extension. In the early 60s, according to the project of A.S. Andreeva slightly changed the front facade of the house and enlarged the windows on the first floor. In 1882, the mansion passed to the Brusnitsyn brothers, on whose orders the mansion began to be rebuilt again. The second floor was raised again, another extension was erected, and a winter garden was organized on the courtyard side. The brothers paid special attention to the interior decoration of their home. The decoration of the corridors, stairs and halls looked really impressive. The White Hall, dining room and living room looked especially chic.

Many years have passed, but the real beauty cannot be hidden or spoiled: shabby walls, preserved stucco patterns, fireplaces and huge hanging chandeliers to this day reflect all the former grandeur of the ancient mansion. The mansion retained its splendor even though after 1917 the tannery management was located here. In place of the luxurious gate, a factory entrance was built, and the rooms of the main staircase were separated by wooden ceilings, and some of the doorways were blocked. There are legends that the walls of the mansion still contain a mysterious mirror, which at one time adorned the walls of one of the Venetian palazzos where the ashes of Count Dracula himself were located.

The mirror really existed, it was ordered by the merchant Brusnitsyn when decorating the living room, and the rumors about the mirror are true. They say that everyone who looked into it complained of strange sensations, and subsequently various troubles happened to them. After an accident with the manufacturer's daughter, the mirror was hidden in the pantry.

During the Soviet years, the palace belonged to the Radishchev tannery, and the plant management was located in it. According to rumors, the mirror was hung in the boss’s office, after which he disappeared without a trace, as did another worker who looked into it. After this, the office was sealed and boarded up. The fate of the mirror is currently unknown.
Address: Kozhevennaya line, 27