MYSTICS OF PETERSBURG


Emperor Paul the First and free masons (bricklayers) of Petersburg
Well-known are the words of Pushkin about Empress Catherine the Second: "The end of her reign was nasty… Everyone was indignant with her, but Paul ascended the throne and indignation ever increased… The reign of Paul proves one fact: that also during the enlightened times Caligulas can be born". Although returned by Paul from Siberian exile poet and mason A.N. Radishchev named these times differently, and seemingly more precisely: "The century is insane and wise" ...
        [Emperor Paul the First and free masons]


Famous masons: Suvorov
Great military leader, who crowned all his battles with victories, who reached the highest military title of generalissimo, was an enigmatic person. Everybody knows about his disposition towards bywords, puns and buffoonery which rather appeared to be a mask hiding another Suvorov who was one of the most educated and wise people of his times ...
        [Famous masons: Suvorov]


Famous masons: Novikov
While the thoughts of masons were secluded by "the small world", i.e. by the internal state of the human being, they didn't worry the empress Catherine the Second much, but as soon as in the centre or their attention appeared "the big world", she found in this a threat for herself and pricked up her ears. This is the essence of conflict between Catherine and the main enlightener of that time Nicolai Novikov, journalist and publisher ...
        [Famous masons: Novikov]


Famous masons: Kheraskov
Until recently the city guides used to say that chimes of Peter and Paul Cathedral rang the tsarist hymn "God save the tzar!". But in reality there was another melody, the hymn "As our Lord is glorious in Zion", written by the most renowned writer and poet of XVIII century Michail Matveevich Kheraskov for the ritual Masonic meals ...
        [Famous masons: Kheraskov ]


The first Masonic lodges
The genealogy of Russian free masons starts from Peter the great, which, according the kegend. Was introduced to the masonry by Cristopher Wren, master of the great English Lodge. Allegedly it happened in the course of famous Great mission of the tzar to Europe. Upon coming back home Peter, according to the same legend, created the first Russian lodge together with his closest friends, Swiss Franz Lefort and Scotchman Patrick Gordon ...
        [The first Masonic lodges]