With the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, it is hard to not get into a fall mood, even if temperatures don’t quite reflect it yet. If you are planning to travel to Russia this Fall or are in to spooky travel in general, peek at these odd locales behind the former iron curtain. 

1.       The City of the Dead – Dargavs:

Spooky Level: Super Spooky
What Makes It Spooky: Legends swirl about this weird abandoned village in the Caucasus mountains. Nicknamed “City of the Dead,” it’s an ancient city whose only residents are in crypts and tombs.  While actual dwellings from these long dead medieval peoples exist, the multi-story hut shaped crypts, full of belongings and personal items of the dead loved ones are what really make it super creepy. While legends and myths regarding this site abound, it is widely believed by historians that a plague hit this area between the 16th and 18th century AD. Get the full creepy back story of this city of the dead. As it is abandoned, there is no cost to enter, but rather difficult to get to…and probably out of.

2.       Stalingrad:

Spooky Level: A little Spooky
What Makes It Spooky: Built for the film Stalingrad on the territory of the abandoned military base in Saperny, a village outside of St. Petersburg. Plenty of creepy details are constructed into the site, plenty of weird Instagram shots for your spooky album. 

3.       Lena Pillars:

Spooky Level: Kinda Spooky
What Makes It Spooky: Don’t these pillars just look terrifying? Imagine what they look like a night? Located in one of the most beautiful natural parks in Russia, the pillars are 250 meters tall and stretch for 260 kilometers. At more than 500 million years old, you can’t help but imagine plenty of spooky stuff happening here.

4.       The Solovetsky Islands:

Spooky Level: Very Spooky
What Makes It Spooky: Monastery turned prison camp, 2500-year-old stone labyrinth, all located on remote Islands in the Arctic circle. While beautiful in the daylight, spooky might as well be its middle name. A monastery has been on the islands since the fifteenth century and became the first Soviet prison camp in 1921.  While the stone labyrinths true purpose has been lost in time it is believed to symbolize the border between this world and the underworld and was used to help souls travel through after death! Seems plausible as the labyrinth is made up of boulders in rows and excavations have found that human bones within them!  Due to the harshness of the weather, it can only be visited during the summer months. It is also quite the trek to get there  but the journey seems just as awesome as the islands themselves. 

5.       Brusnitsyn Mansion:

Spooky Level: Definitely Spooky
What Makes It Spooky:  The outside of the Brusnitsyn mansion looks like a factory, but the inside is all haunted house. That and that it is the rumored home of the “Dracula Mirror” is enough to get this St. Petersburg Mansion a definitely spooky rating.  In the 20^th century, an Italian mirror known to have resided in the same palazzo as the askes of Count Dracula, was brought to the home. Looking into the mirror was supposed to cause the person to feel ill and cause awful things to occur, including deaths. After moving a bit, the Mirror was returned to the house, where it is believed to be hidden between the walls. The mansion can only be accessed through pre-booked guided tours, but I wouldn’t want to walk around in there alone anyway! 

Ready to start your creepy Russian adventure? Placing an order for your Russian Tourist Visa with American Passport and Visa International unlocks access to our step-by-step instructions, one-on-one customer service and review with your APVI Specialist, status updates, and overnight shipping. You can have your visa processed in as little as 24 hours, nothing spooky about that!