I am a Mystic

You will see a real pharmacist's house on Prytysko-Mykilska Street, a few steps from the Saint Nicholas's Prytyska Church. Read about this museum in the "I am a researcher" section. Today pharmacists are people with higher education and nothing mystical in them. But until the 18th century, healers, shamans, wizards, fortune tellers, and sorcerers were engaged in the treatment and manufacture of medicines. In ancient times, they gathered in the "markets" in the "green rows" and traded there in gunpowder, pets, drinks and potions. Go further down the street and you will get to the place where once was the Podilsk marketplace, opposite Pyrohoshcha Church. Just remember the phrase from Mykola Hohol's "Viy": "Here in Kiev all women, sitting at the bazaar, are witches".

There were several locations in old Europe for witches' sabbaths, and the southernmost place for them was my bald mountains. But please note that there has never been any witch-hunting on my slopes. Maybe because "not every witch is a Kyivan woman, but every Kyivan woman is a witch"? And if we have already mentioned Bulhakov, then here is another mystical location – 13 Andriyivskyi Descent. Today here a memorial house of one of the most mystical writers is located. As a matter of curiosity, this house stands in the foothills of one of the bald mountains - Uzdykhalnytsia. And did you know that some of Mykhailo Afanasiiovyche's mystical biographers are convinced that the events of the Satan Ball in the Master and Margarita novel were seen on this mountain? Or maybe the writer saw healers looking for autumn felwort (tyrlych trava), a very rare plant that has settled on my hills? Whether you believe any mystique or not, be sure to visit the museum - it will impress you. Also, look into the "I am a researcher" section and I will tell you about other interesting places.

In general, it seems to me that everything mystical in my image came from the fact that the locals could not explain a phenomenon of nature, and then this mysticism became even a tribute to fashion. Here I have in mind a funny incident that happened in the century before last. There was a rumor among the dwellers that the city had a wizard who was able to cure any disease. The attendance was scheduled for many months ahead. In the end, the relevant authorities became interested in the wizard and visited him with the question of whether he had any documents. The wizard disappeared behind a shield and appeared after a while showing a diploma from the Medical Faculty of St. Vladimir's Institute (nowadays the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv). The authorities were surprised, and the wizard begged them to keep what they saw in secret because a lot of people wanted to visit a wizard, but not a doctor.

The apartment house on 15 Andriyivskyi Descent was also called a mystical place. It is rumored that the Lord of Darkness himself lives there. And all because the residents heard constant moaning, crying and howling in the middle of the night. A ghost could get lost there, but maybe the reason for such sounds is much more obvious. The fact is that the customer of this house Dmytro Orlov is a great mean person. The project of this house was borrowed, to put it mildly, the plot of land near Uzdykhalnytsia Mountain was not decorated, and the builders were not paid for their work fully. So the workers decided to take revenge on the greedy homeowner by walling up the eggshell and broken glass into the ventilation. If we take into account that wind on Andriyivskyi Descent blows constantly, then moaning of the walls became a permanent companion of its inhabitants. However, all this mysticism did not prevent a galaxy of prominent artists and researchers from living and working here.

Then we move up Andriyivskyi Descent. And there shows an incredible picture, a swan song by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli - St. Andrew's Church. I will tell you about the love story connected with it in the "I am a romantic" section. More than a century and a half ago, a holy fool Ivan the Barefoot arranged a shelter for the poor and sick in the stylobates of the Church. He lived as a righteous man, collected large donations that he was giving to the needy. He could also foretell the future, and when he died, he was buried in the cemetery of Frolivska Mountain (or Zamkova, or Khoryvytsia). Since then, there is a belief that the earth from the grave of Ivan the Barefoot has healing properties and saves from fever. Representatives of various occult societies still like to gather here today.

Along with Khoryvytsia, Kyievytsia, or as it is often called Starokyivska Mountain, is located. The name "Kyievytsia" may not have taken root, because

 Kyiv witches were called "kyievytsi". The history of my creation originates from Starokyivska Mountain. When you get here you will find a linden tree, which has been growing here for many years and every citizen knows that if you make a wish and go around the tree three times, the wish will come true. Kyivans believe that it was planted by Prince Vladimir himself.

I will make a wish for you to visit me. I will wait. Your Kyiv.

Київ Цифровий

Count of publications: 83