The one who will find the skull of Gogol, the promised 8 million roubles Information about the mysterious disappearance of the skull of Nikolai Gogol, introduced on April 1, could be considered normal April fool's joke, if not many rumors and speculations associated with this incident.

In the history of Russian literature, it is difficult to find a figure more mysterious than Gogol. Brilliant artist left behind many immortal works and as many secrets, so far beyond the researchers. on 1 April, we celebrated the 200 anniversary from the birthday of the Russian classics, but the celebrations were marred by the fact that disappeared many years ago skull writer is still not found. In 2005 a certain organization "Nationalism is the weapon of the modern world", or just "the NOSE", has announced that it intends to pay 5 million roubles to the one who finds the lost part of the remains, and on the eve of the 200th anniversary since the birth of the writer increased the amount to 8 million, However, willing to receive the coveted reward was not discovered yet.

Svyato-Danilov "devilry"

Recall that Nikolai Gogol was buried March 12, 1852 at the cemetery of the St. Daniel monastery, but in 1931, in the framework of the campaign against religion, it was decided to close the monastery and cemetery and the grave of Gogol was postponed to the main cemetery of the USSR (Novodevichy, which was done on may 31, 1931. The main headache of the employees of the NKVD implementing this action, have been the grave of the poet Nikolai Yazykov, and Gogol. To give some visibility of public consensus on this act of vandalism at the cemetery at the opening of the graves were invited writers, among them writers Century lidin, and B. Kataev. The grave Yazykov had no problems, but the coffin Gogol sprang a surprise.

"The grave was opened almost the whole day, " says Ledeen. - It was at a much greater depth than the usual burial. Starting to dig out, ran into a brick tomb extraordinary strength, but concealed holes in it is not found, then began to dig in the transverse direction so that the excavations were in the East, and only in the evening was discovered another side chapel crypt. Started already dusk, when the grave was finally opened. This was basically the dust of Gogol: skull in his grave has not been, and remains Gogol started with cervical vertebrae: the whole skeleton of the skeleton was concluded in the well-preserved his coat colour of tobacco; under his coat survived even underwear with bone buttons; shoes too completely preserved. When and under what circumstances disappeared skull of Gogol, remains a mystery. At the beginning of the opening the grave, on the small depth, well above the tomb with immured the coffin was discovered the skull, but archaeologists have recognized it belonged to a young man".

Couldn same skull of Gogol mysteriously "rejuvenate"?! About this hell was immediately reported to Stalin. Father of Nations took the case under special control: all witnesses warned about cruel punishment for disclosure of secrecy.

Dangerous exhibit

During a secret investigation of the questioning of the monks of the monastery was found out, that on the eve of the centenary of the birth of Gogol in the cemetery were restored his grave, and there appeared in the cemetery known Moscow collector, millionaire Alexei Bakhrushin. The mind, energy, and the deep erudition was matched with cynicism and mad passion of the collector. For the sake of passion for theatre relics this man was ready for everything. He decided to sacrilege: for good money to someone from the gravediggers had stolen for Bakhrushin priceless rarity. Receptacle Gogol's mind was decorated with a Laurel wreath of silver and placed in glass rosewood case, sheathed inside black Morocco. Rumors about the incredible Bakhrushin relics crept in Moscow and reached the ears of the nephew of Gogol - Lieutenant of the Russian Imperial Navy Yanovsky. Scientist Nikolay Cherkashin notes the following. Yanovsky was to Bahrushina and put him on the table revolver, said: "Here are two of them: one in the trunk, the other - in the drum. The one in the trunk, - for you, if you refuse to give me the skull; the one in the drum for me..." Bakhrushin, people are not timid, yet felt good to leave a dangerous relic. There is another version: allegedly, after the appearance in the collection Bakhrushin skull of Gogol, the collector started big problems in business and in the family, and Bakhrushin, linking them with the skull, decided that it's time to get rid of the "exhibit". And here and distant relative of the late Gogol turned up.

Roman Express

Anyway, Yanovsky took the casket in Sevastopol, on the ship, where he served. Had a trip to Italy, and Lieutenant expected to visit the Russian Embassy and betray the skull of Gogol earth Italy, which he loved, considering Rome second homeland. However, the campaign for a number of reasons did not take place, and Yanovsky handed the box to the commander of one of the Italian torpedo boats, the captain Borghese, with the request to transfer it to the Russian Consul.

However, conceived not fated to come true. In the spring of 1911, the captain for a long time has left in the sea, and his younger brother, a student of the University of Rome, went with a group of friends in the entertainment train trip, taking with him the skull, while the train in a dark tunnel scare them friends. Before entering the tunnel passengers possessed strange panic, during which Borghese Jr. decided to jump off a footboard of the train.

He then told the reporters about the strange white cloud, absorbing the ill-fated composition, and unaccountable terror that spanned tourists, and about the rosewood casket, borrowed from the Cabinet brother. No clear explanation of the incident was not found, and the government decided to immure the tunnel. According to this version, the head of Gogol still wanders in the train-the Ghost that emerged after the disappearance of the Rome Express. Of course, researchers are far from the idea that the presence of the rosewood case in one of the cars once directs the movement of the "bat Italian", but... the Ghost train, Ukrainian media, seen at the battle of Poltava, on the native land of the writer. This automatically leads to reflections on the fate of the Rome Express and its mysterious passenger.

Letter of mystery

Later one historian lucky to find a letter captain Borghese addressed Yanovsky, in which the Italian sailor offered apologies to the Russian colleague and explained why he failed to fulfill his request.

The letter was a strange phrase: "the Destiny of man is not broken with his life." Goes, Gogol alive, still alive Roman Express?

"Dossier" on the Ghost train filled the year: halt Zavorichi Poltava, secret single track of Adolf Hitler... the last time the Ghost seen under the English channel. Attempt of a scientific explanation of the phenomenon are reduced to the theories of geo-chronal fields and increased chronobiology danger. If phenomenon train-Ghost - not that other, as clots superdense time, and once again the Ghost train can occur anywhere, at any point of the globe.