Thorn Cemetery

One of the oldest cemeteries began its history in the XVIII century. It is located on the high bank of the Voronezh reservoir near the ravine, between Malo-Ternovaya and Dzinkovsky Streets (the former "Beyond the Thorn Fence"). The Thorn cemetery got its name from the tract Ternovaya Polyana, on which it was located.

Now this place is protected by the state as a historical monument. The inhabitants and participants of the Suvorov campaigns, the Patriotic War of 1812, the First World War and the Civil War were buried here. 

Like most old cemeteries, in the 30s of the last century it fell into disrepair, tombstones began to be taken out and used, among other things, for paving streets. In 1937, secondary school No. 16 was built on the site of the former Thorn Church, and a sports ground was laid out on the territory of the cemetery. 

According to urban legends, ghostly silhouettes were seen here. They are mainly about the Dzinkovsky path, paved with cemetery slabs.

In general, it is believed that in Voronezh quite a lot of streets, paths and descents are made of gravestones taken, for example, from dismantled cemeteries. Asphalt was laid on top of some, some were reconstructed and returned to their place. It is believed that the path near the Thorn Cemetery belongs to such places (or belonged to – the cemetery was going to be reconstructed for a long time). Urban legend says that shadow-like silhouettes sometimes move along this path. In general, such legends apply to all places in the construction of which tombstones were clearly or rumored to have been used. However, we did not encounter facts with personal testimonies.

Once, a long time ago, I personally happened to go down one of these stairs to the reservoir. It was very wild to walk on the tombstones, on which the inscriptions were read. But apart from unpleasant sensations associated with morality, nothing was noticed – no silhouettes, no other sensations.