Treasure Smolensk landowner

6 photos via Andriy Ryazantsev (Around the World)

It all started with a letter. It came to us, the Moscow treasure hunt, from a rural school teacher Mikhail Semenovich Laptev (name changed - AR).
"I have long been engaged in local history, I wrote of Smolensk Laptev heartland - that alone, then with the disciples went through all the surrounding area. Places we have historical - some old mansions in the area, one can count at least a dozen. The story goes that a local landowner, on the eve of the War of 1812 buried treasure. The landowner who died in the war, his heirs have been searching for the treasure but found nothing. And our village looking for all gullies dug for the estate. Frankly, I was young and went to the spade ... I believe in this legend is true - I judge by archival data ... »





We know that a lot of legends about the treasures. And, as experience has shown, they are basically a folk interest. But the reference in the letter to the historical data ... In short - we could not resist and went to the road.

No special equipment we had. And sponsors can become generous on the magneto-seismic equipment, too. We took only a metal detector "Fischer". With us he went and Karen Gevorkyan, kotoryi feels dowsers and sometimes gets to the point.

Before we reached the target without incident. On the outskirts of the village, the pond, overgrown landscape in the park could be seen well-preserved wooden manor house with two side wings. On the other side of the pond among the black branches of the trees could be seen gloomy ruins of a dilapidated church with a bell tower. Behind the church began the very gullies, which he wrote in a letter to the teacher; ravines wound small river.



Michael S. Laptev was even quite a young man. He frankly was surprised to see us, as, according to his confession, doubted that "you are there, in Moscow, pay attention to my letter." All evening long hours we drank tea with the teacher, and he told us the history of the estate.

A local landowner (name I deliberately omit - AR) was quite large by local standards, the landlord, in addition, bound by ties of kinship with the St. Petersburg merchant-fixers, vybivshimsya of serfs in nobles, some Baryshnikov, from which he perepala considerable fraction of wealth. < br />
Shortly before the war of 1812 started the construction of an extensive landowner stone house with services, but only managed to erect an outbuilding and the "zero cycle" of the main house. After the battle of Smolensk, when it became clear that the French were about to come here, the landowner, according to eyewitnesses, he left the estate in a carriage, accompanied by two servants and almost without things. It is said that later he joined the militia and died in the Battle of Borodino.

But where baryshnikovskoe inheritance - as evidenced by the archives, about 15 thousand gold rubles? This colossus in the carriage not uvezesh. Gold had unsuccessfully tried to find the heirs of the deceased - by the way, preserved wooden manor house they built, in the middle of the XIX century.

- And why everyone thinks that the treasure buried in the ravines? - We ask.

It turns out that tradition has a vague indication of the ravines, explains Mikhail Semenovich. However, digging not only in the ravines.

In the morning, along with a teacher go to inspect the area. The rumor that came from Moscow look for treasure, quickly flies village and soon we accompany an impressive escort boys. Type of metal detector leads them into raptures. Gradually tightened and older people.

The first thing Laptev leads us to the ruins of the old manor unfinished. Her only finished building - a wing - was defeated by a direct hit German bomb during World War II, and its remnants villagers dismantled a brick. We only see the overgrown weeds sticking out of the pit but in some places of the earth fragments of brick and rubble. Hence, giving final instructions, went to war ...
estate owner


Turn the detector. Squeak is an almost continuous - the land simply bustles with iron. This curse all our western regions, which swept the war - military metal hammers all other signals.

Several times we pass the ruins, trying to determine the contours of the buildings under construction here. Digging at random, take out two minutes from the shank, cartridge holder is not enough ... even unexploded ordnance or mines!

We go into action our second "device" - Karen Gevorgyan pulls the frame and goes with her on the edge of the ruins. The boys stand open-mouthed. Frame in hand several times Karen swung markedly, turning it into one or the other side. Karen returns. He was confident that under the ruins, there are at least two underground cavities. With the help of notes suspicious places with landmarks and followed the teacher go deep into feral Park, which leads out to the ravines.

On the way to our attention a pile of stones covered with moss. "It's not like a grotto, not the cellar" - explains the Laptev. Karen walks around with a frame: "There is something, but I can not understand that." Three spades together pierce the turf. The boys - they have forty people - help to take away the stones. Gradually opened intact white stone masonry arch, the outgoing layer interior ...

When you stand, as it seems on the verge of opening, it is difficult to come to terms with the disappointment. After a couple of hours before us the old white-stone cellar. The boys pulled out of his last pieces of stone. The cellar is small and completely empty. Prozvanivatsya his "Fischer" - silence. Karen looks at his frame - it does not move. Some of the boys enthusiast starts rattling lined with white stone walls ...

Well, there's nothing here, but we gave the village of another legend. And buried, perhaps for something amiss.

Go ahead, go on driving on the side of "Fischer". At the exit of the park suddenly you hear a beep on the long-awaited "colored metal." Several blows with a shovel - and the palm is a great, heavy, well-preserved copper penny Catherine with the date "1774".



The find raises several shaky credibility with our boys. Again resorting to the metal detector. As long as we go on arable field to the ravine, we find a few more coins, the oldest - in 1856.

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On the walls of ravines oplyvshih traces kladoiskatelskih pits. Karen again wagging his frame, we drive on the slopes of a metal detector. Squeaks military hardware. Digs and we give the guys spent cartridges, rusted "Schmeisser" with a torn trunk pierced the helmet, buckle belt from German illegible inscription «Gott mit Uns». Where the last war, the search for all sorts of meaningless - says the first commandment of a treasure hunt.

The next day we go digging in the ruins, in the places indicated yesterday wands. Soil terribly clogged rubble stone and rusted iron, so the work is progressing slowly. Suddenly he starts beeping "Fischer" - with little depth we extract the roll of a sheet of lead.

Carefully unfold - from silver tube falls fifty dollars. On a sheet of lead clearly read the words: "In the summer of 1811 founded this house guard captain Vasily Petrov son ... Maya 3 days." But this is the mortgage bond! According to tradition, it was placed in the home tab under the eastern front corner of the building and were wrapped in a silver ruble and fifty dollars, bread and salt. Almost one hundred and ninety years ago, retired captain Vasily Petrovich, receiving an inheritance, laid the sheet under his house, which hoped to live happily ever after ...



A half an hour later Spade suddenly one of us to the hilt into the earth ... Dungeons! Who has not read about them, laden with fettered in iron chests, which shimmer with gold highlights dimly ancient treasures ... And here we are on the threshold of mystery and peered intently into the darkness of the passing down of the underground passage.

The walls and vaults lined with wild stone dungeon. We're standing waist-deep in the pit - apparently, this crater of the German bombs, which hit the wing overlap almost completely demolished the building, simultaneously destroying part of the underground passage.

From the basement pulling musty. What to do next? With our equipment does not take a dungeon. You can, of course, fit excavator, and - oh! But this sense can not be, but the structure will be destroyed for sure.

We go to Michael Semenovich and explain the situation. He is thrilled - old legends are confirmed! - And he swears that he will not allow the destruction of the underground passage, which now goes to the head of the village administration ...

- Before your arrival everything will be saved! - He exclaims, and his eyes gleam kladoiskatelskie lights.

Well, it is necessary to go to Moscow. It is necessary to communicate with cavers, look for sponsors to buy equipment ... We sit in the "UAZ».

- Uncle! - Hailing us a fair-haired boy. This is the enthusiast who yesterday rattles the walls excavated by us cellars.
- Uncle! See what we are today found in a ravine!

On his palm lay a golden ducat Catherine II ...



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