Paranormal Downstairs: showcasing 13 haunted locations that turn your blood cold

      Places in Nizhny Novgorod where you can encounter ghosts have been named

      Nizhny Novgorod, soon to be 804 years old, is rich not only in historical events but also in folklore, as well as stories of paranormal phenomena. NewsNN correspondent has gathered several such legends and visited those locations in the city center where spirits and ghosts are most often seen.

      The oldest ghost

       There are several versions explaining why the Koromyslova Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin received its name. The first legend tells of a brave woman who secretly fetched water from the Pochaika River during the Tatar siege of the fortress. One morning, she was spotted by an enemy patrol, and the girl had to fend them off with a yoke. Unfortunately, the heroine died, but she impressed and frightened the Tatars so much with her strength and rage that they lifted the siege.

      The second version of the name's origin: during construction, masons could not build a solid tower — it kept collapsing. On the advice of elders, a ritual was performed as in ancient pagan times — killing someone and burying them at the foundation. A girl passing by the construction site with a yoke and full buckets of water was chosen. She was killed, but her ghost remained in the Koromyslova Tower.

      Stories about this spirit are still told, and Nizhny Novgorod residents constantly try to get inside to verify whether the stories are true. Currently, the tower can only be visited during guided tours, as all other entrances are closed. Through the loopholes, one can examine the interior rooms and possibly even hear the moans of the murdered girl.

      Koromyslova Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Ghosts on Ilyinskaya

       On this street in the city center of Nizhny Novgorod, filled with old houses, allegedly two ghosts reside. One of them is frequently seen by townspeople on the balcony of house №56. It’s an old merchant’s mansion built in the nineteenth century. According to legend, she liked to relax on the balcony and could sit there all day, even when her health started to decline. After her death, the merchant’s widow did not change her habits — locals say she can still be seen on the balcony.

      House №56 on Ilyinskaya in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

       The second paranormal place on Ilyinskaya is house №61 — it has a darker history. It once belonged to the wealthy merchant Markov family. His father, a shrewd man, decided to find good suitors for his daughters. But there were problems with one of them — legend says she was very ugly, so no one wanted to marry her.

      Eventually, a groom was found, but he had to flee due to the revolutionary upheaval. The merchant’s daughter’s heart could not withstand the stress, and she died. Her spirit is said to still haunt the house. Now, it functions as one of the buildings of NNGA (Nizhny Novgorod State Architectural and Construction University), and students sometimes enjoy scaring each other with ghost stories.

      House №61 on Ilyinskaya in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Paranormal Nizhny Novgorod

       A few years ago, everyone knew about the so-called “House with icons” or “House of the wizard” at 29 Nizhegorodskaya street. Its owner decorated the facades with icons, astrological, and magical symbols, and installed numerous religious attributes inside.

      Now, only the inscription “mage” remains on one wall, and the house otherwise looks no different from others nearby — except for the terrace on the second floor.

      House №29 on Nizhegorodskaya in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

       Nevertheless, Nizhegorodskaya Street itself remains a creepy and mysterious place. It is surrounded by abandoned and burnt houses with empty windows staring out. Local elders told NewsNN that the section of the street near the wizard’s house has a bad reputation, and in the evening, one can hear creaks, rustles, and howls from the deserted buildings.

      Abandoned houses on Nizhegorodskaya in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Evil reputation of Pochaika Gorge

       This place, before the revolution, was just like any other, but afterward, according to legends and folk tales, enemies of the people were shot there. Locals still tell stories about shadows seen before sunset, semi-transparent figures, sounds of gunfire, and dying groans.

      Now, Pochaika Gorge is being landscaped — a multi-level park with a pond, an amphitheater, cozy trails, and observation platforms will be built there. It’s uncertain whether the ghosts of the slain will bother visitors after the work is completed.

      Pochaika Gorge in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Mysteries of the old City Duma

       One of Nizhny Novgorod’s most beautiful buildings, as it turns out, also hides secrets. Previously, the house belonged to the famous Bugrov family, who were not only wealthy but also philanthropists.

      Due to their kind nature, one of the floors was given to the city theater, but after that, accidents and fires began to occur. The disturbances ceased only after the Drama Theater was built and the entire troupe moved there.

      House №1 on Minina and Pozharskogo in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Cursed estate

       Many residents and visitors of Nizhny Novgorod love to photograph the unusual building on Verkhne-Volzhskaia Embankment with large columns resembling an ancient Greek temple. However, not everyone knows about the curse that supposedly affects this house.

      Once, it was the estate of the Kamenskikh family, which, according to rumors, was very wealthy and kept its most valuable possessions hidden. After the revolution began, the Kamenskikh had to flee the city, hiding their jewelry in various parts of the mansion.

      Legends say that many sought to find the treasure, but no one ever succeeded, and a curse fell upon those who desired others’ riches. Since then, the spirits of these people wander the building at night, peering out of windows, and sighing loudly, lamenting their imprudent decision.

      House №11 on Verkhne-Volzhskaia Embankment in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Ghosts of Christmas

       Christmas Street is one of the oldest streets in the city, with many mansions, tenement houses, former hotels, and exchanges preserved. Almost every building has a rich history, and some even hold dark secrets.

      Many have heard of the ghost from Blinovsky Passage, which appears in doorways and frightens visitors. Cameras have recorded strange phenomena several times, but no reliable evidence of ghosts’ existence has been obtained. Still, people continue to speak of mysterious crying and wailing figures occasionally seen.

      House №24 on Christmas Street in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

       On Rojdestvenskaya Street, in house №37, which belonged at different times to the Vetoshnikov, Perekletnikov, and Yesiryov families, ghosts have also been observed. One of them periodically wakes people with loud sounds resembling a bell. Legend has it that the ghost of a bell ringer still fulfills his duty, even after death.

      House №37 on Christmas Street in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

       Nearby is the Stroganov estate, once visited by the great writer Alexander Pushkin, as indicated by the commemorative plaque on the façade. According to legend, the house’s story inspired the plot of “The Queen of Spades” (12+). There, lived Sophia Stroganova, daughter of Princess Natalia Golitsyna, who was very wealthy and lived over 100 years. Rumor has it that dark forces aided her, and she often resorted to occultists.

      Stroganova was a passionate gambler, like many wealthy people of that era. Legend says she lost her mother’s entire fortune at cards, then sought help from a sorcerer — who, in exchange for her soul, managed to return the money but cursed her and her relatives. Soon after, her husband and son died. City legends claim that the spirits of the unfortunate still roam the mansion.

      Nearby, there’s another house — №14 on Nizhne-Volzhskaia Embankment, once owned by merchant Nikolai Bugrov. According to legends, he was so active and energetic that even after death, he sometimes roams around his estate.

      Restless prisoner spirits

       Not only merchants and the wealthy can become ghosts after death, but also criminals. Legends tell of two such spirits in Nizhny Novgorod. One, a former fugitive prisoner, inhabits the Zaitsev family mansion on Bolshaya Pecherskaya. He was killed by his wife, a servant in that house. His restless spirit long “terrorized” the residents. Witnesses say they see him even today.

      House №23/9 on Bolshaya Pecherskaya in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      Since most criminals spend their lives not far from prisons, it’s no surprise that their spirits are often tied to correctional facilities. One such old prison is located right in the city center — the Ostróg. In this mysterious place, semi-transparent figures are frequently seen.

      However, the most famous ghost in Ostróg is only one — Mishka Germanets, who was so daring that he managed to break into Bugrov’s house and steal valuables. He was imprisoned several times, with the last imprisonment after the revolution. According to legend, Germanets was killed by cellmates, and his restless spirit still wanders Ostróg.

      Ostróg in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru

      The most famous ghost

       It’s no secret that much of Nizhny Novgorod’s history is linked to writer Maxim Gorky. During the Soviet era, the city bore his name. Many places he visited or lived have been turned into museums.

      But such a prominent figure could not be without a mystical story. Legends say that in house №19 on Semashko street, where Gorky lived and hosted Fyodor Chaliapin, the writer’s spirit is often seen. Sometimes it appears as a faint, blurry figure, and sometimes just rearranges furniture in the rooms. Museum staff are said to hear Gorky walking through the corridors, but they have never seen his ghost directly.

      House №19 on Semashko street in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: newsnn.ru