Secrets of the Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds are shrouded in terrible legends and secrets. And thanks to the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita” they have become the most mystical place in Moscow.

But what other secrets does this place hide from Muscovites?

Until the 17th century, there was a Goat swamp on the site of the Patriarch’s Ponds. Why was it called that? Historians name several versions. One of them – there was a settlement nearby, where domestic animals were bred to supply wool to the royal court. And the area around the swamp was called Kozikha, after whom the Big and Small Kozikhinsky are named lanes.

Another version, more mystical and less optimistic, claims that this has nothing to do with goats. The swamps got their name because of the intrigues that were built by unclean forces. Allegedly, pagan priests used to operate here and perform sacrifices. And the swamp hid the crime scenes.

Later, the settlement passed into the possession of Patriarch Hermogenes – so she received the name Patriarch.

But in 1924, during the Soviet Union and the struggle against religion, Patriarch’s Ponds became Pioneer Ponds. But the people continued to call these places in the old way. After 68 years, the city authorities officially returned the former name to the place.

The Moscow elite gathered at the Patriarch’s Ponds. In winter, there was a skating rink, which Leo Tolstoy liked to come with his daughters.

“10th of March. Half past three at night.

… I often have fun lately, and I feel quite healthy. It’s so much fun at the skating rink that when I’m not there, I’m still drawn to at least drive by and take a look. Yesterday it was still cold, and it was wonderful to ride, but today it was melting during the day, and it was not good. Tomorrow I am going with the Beklemishevs to see Soldatenkov’s paintings, and I keep dreaming about how to combine both the paintings and the ice rink. Although the company at the Patriarchs is not very good, it is still fun. Of the main ones: M.A. Bakhmeteva, M.G. Gamaley, A.K. Rachinsky, N. Rachmaninov, Vera Shidlovskaya, A.A. Levitskaya, my brothers, Anya Kozlova, the Stolpakovs, Preklonsky, and on Sundays, a million sweet boys. <…>
Today I learned that Postnikov hurt himself to death on a skating rink, skating over a bench! This is terrible!”

Tatyana Sukhotina-Tolstaya. “A diary”. 1887

But the most interesting thing happened in 1925-1935. In those years, variety hypnotists operated on the patriarch’s ponds. They committed all sorts of crimes from petty bill fraud to major robberies.

On March 18, 1934, a gang of so-called hypnotists was seen at the Patriarch’s Ponds.

They were described as follows: one was a short fat man, dressed in a suit and with a “bowler hat” on his head, he had a cane. The second was thin, and the TRP badge flaunted on a gray jacket. Also, in the tone of the jacket, there was a cap on the head, stretched to the very eyebrow. The surname of the first is Binder, and the surname of the satellite is Orleans.

One of the victims of the hypnotists was the seller of the furniture store Studenitzer.

The scammers came to store No. 4 of the Moscow trust “Mosmebel” and asked the seller to sell two wardrobes. Studenitser explained that the cost of the cabinet is 179 rubles, and he can only sell it by appointment. This record was introduced from the first of January of that same one thousand nine hundred and thirty-four to combat irresponsible citizens crowding in lines at furniture stores.

Orleans began to loudly resent and threaten that the higher authorities would turn, and Binder, on the contrary, whispered something to his companion and all three went into the back room.

The police decided to detain all three after they left the back room. Studenitser confessed that he took a bribe from each of 40 rubles in ten-ruble bills. He also said that the head of the store, Mezdrikov, was also involved in the conspiracy. But in his pockets there were only 8 labels from the port wine produced by Rosglavvino.

Mezdrikov and Studenitser were taken by car to the police station.

And Orleansky and Binder, accompanied by a policeman, had to go to the station on foot, due to the lack of space in the car.

But on that day, none of the three came to the station, and three days later the policeman was found in Novosibirsk on the Moscow-Vladivostok train in an insane state. He did not answer questions – the medical team stated a catatonic stupor.

The gang was arrested in May 1934. The story was loud and at one time got into Izvestia. Perhaps the episode with the chervonets appeared in Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” after that, and, most interestingly, the detention took place in the same house – the only difference was in the apartment number, not in apartment 50, but in 13.

Olga Bakhareva.

Photo by Yulia Smagrinskaya