Adventurers have long been attracted to treasures, a great number of which are hidden in the depths of the seas, deserts and in ancient hiding places. This is not only an adventurous adventure, but also interesting discoveries that lift the curtains in history, and romance from the past that makes itself known.
The most amazing thing is that not only archaeologists and divers, junk dealers or treasure hunters can find something valuable. Sometimes ordinary people get this chance. The main thing is that the wealth found is not underestimated!
Here are the most valuable and interesting treasures found in the last decade!
"Treasure of the Naryshkins" in St. Petersburg, 2012
In March 2012, in St. Petersburg, during the restoration of the ancient Trubetskoy-Naryshkin mansion at 29 on Tchaikovsky Street, workers found a walled-up room filled with dishes. Most of the devices bore the Naryshkin family coat of arms. The collection was complemented by French knives with mother-of-pearl and porcelain painted handles, several Easter pendants in bulk and on a chain, stored in a case with the mark of Faberge, and orders Russian Empire— 2168 items in total. All items were carefully packed in vinegar-soaked cloth and 1917 newspapers. Apparently, the owners expected to return.
Offerings at an Indian temple, 2011
This is one of the largest treasures in modern history. The treasures hidden in the lower tiers of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple have been valued at $22 billion. This is 6% of India's total gold and foreign exchange reserves. The temple's guardians began filling six underground vaults with donations from the 14th century.
One and a half hundredweight of Roman coins, 2010, Great Britain
The bronze coins were kept in a clay jug, which was located only under a 30-centimeter layer of earth. The treasure was found by an amateur archaeologist. The total value of the coins has not been disclosed.
Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, 2009
The treasure, discovered by the Englishman Terry Herbert, consisted of five kilograms of gold, three kilograms of silver and precious stones. The treasure hunter stumbled upon the treasure while exploring the territory of his friend's farm with a metal detector.
Collection of coins from the German library, 2011
A box filled with unique Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins was found among the books of the state library in one of the towns of Lower Bavaria by an ordinary cleaning lady. Perhaps the collection was hidden in 1803 from the authorities, who confiscated coins and books stored in monasteries for the benefit of the state. The cost of the find is several million euros.
17 tons of silver at a depth of 2.5 km, 2011, Atlantic
About 17 tons of silver were discovered on board the British steamer Mantola, which sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was wrecked as a result of an attack by the German submarine U-81. The value of the treasure exceeds $19 million. True, no one has yet been able to lift it from such a depth.
Half a million gold and silver coins, 2007
In May 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration announced the discovery of a sunken ship with 500,000 gold and silver coins on board. The treasure was recovered and shipped to the United States, but the company did not say who owned the sunken ship or where exactly it was found.
48 tons of English silver, 2012, Atlantic
In February 1941, the Gairsoppa was torpedoed by a German submarine. The transport sank 300 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland. There were 85 crew members on board the ship. Only the second mate, Richard Ayers, managed to escape. About 48 tons of silver—1,203 bars—were recovered from the ship.
700 gold coins, 2011, Caribbean
Off the coast of the Dominican Republic, divers from the American organization Deep Blue Marine recovered 700 coins dating back to 1535 and gold jewelry from a sunken ship. The cost of the find is several million dollars.
53 tons of platinum on a British ship, 2012, USA
In 2009, American treasure hunter Greg Brooks announced that he had discovered unimaginable treasures lying on the bottom of a British merchant ship off the American coast, with which Great Britain and the USSR paid for equipment supplied from the United States under Lend-Lease. Then Brooks, fearing competitors, named only the approximate cost of what was found - $3.5 billion, without disclosing the location of the find.
Three years later, Greg Brooks named the ship - Port Nicholson - and clarified that it was sunk by a German submarine. “Our equipment is not enough to cope with currents of two to five knots, almost zero visibility and difficult conditions open ocean,” Brooks said, complaining that he didn’t have $2.5 million for suitable underwater equipment. No one has yet succeeded in lifting treasures from the bottom of the ocean.
500-year-old ship with $13 million worth of gold found in the desert, 2016
Namibian diamond miners stumbled upon the wreck of a 500-year-old ship in the desert off the coast. The Portuguese ship Bom Jesus ("Good Jesus") disappeared in 1533 on its way to India. Found under a very impressive layer of sand, the ship rested on the site of an ancient man-made sea lagoon, which has now turned into a salt lake. Gold and silver coins were found in the hold, as well as many elephant tusks. The total value of the goods is estimated at more than $13 million.
The ship was found by diamond miners after draining one of the salt lakes near the Skeleton Coast. Ships are discovered from time to time in these places, but the Portuguese cargo ship is the oldest of all those found and the only one whose cargo is of such value.
Items found on the ship, with a spatula to help understand the scale: an astrolabe (in the center), a frying pan and some pottery. Things were well preserved. Prayer beads and silver Portuguese coin.
In the holds were found many Spanish, Portuguese and Venetian gold coins, ivory from West Africa, German copper ingots, weapons and, of course, skeletons.
When describing the finds of treasure hunters and archaeologists, we cannot ignore old discoveries. Although they were made quite a long time ago, their importance does not decrease over the years. Here is our selection of the 7 greatest treasures ever found in the world. We understand that we cannot describe all the finds, but we will try to tell you about the most interesting of them.
Cuerdale treasure
Found: 1840
Cost: about 3.2 million dollars. USA
While renovating the River Ribble embankment at Cuerdale, near Preston in England, a group of workers dug up a lead box. Inside was one of the most large treasures Viking treasure ever found. More than 8,600 items were documented, including silver coins, various pieces of jewelry, and silver bars.
Although most of the items came from the English Viking kingdoms, some were also from other regions, including Scandinavia, Italy and Byzantium.
The treasure was presented to Queen Victoria and part is now on display in the British Museum (as seen above). The workers who found him managed to steal some coins.
Treasure from Hoxn
Found: 1992
Cost: about 3.8 million dollars. USA
After losing his hammer in a field, farmer Peter Walling called a friend with a metal detector to help him find it. Instead, he found treasure. Inside the oak chest was a collection of silver spoons, gold jewelry and coins dating back to the 4th or 5th century AD. Walling called for help, and archaeologists were able to find other ancient artifacts buried in the same field, including Roman ladles and serving bowls.
This treasure was purchased by the British Museum, although it was so expensive that the museum had to raise funds from the National Art Collections Fund to pay for it. As for the lost hammer? It is also in the British Museum.
Treasure from Staffordshire
Found: 2009
Cost: about 4.1 million dollars. USA
Terry Herbert was using his metal detector in a newly plowed field near Hammerwich in Staffordshire when he came across the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure yet. It is known that the treasure included more than 3,500 items, most of which were related to military items.
However, along with the weapons, the treasure included several religious artifacts and many decorative items. It is difficult to say for sure, but the treasure is believed to date back to the 8th century and has influenced historians' views of this period in English history.
Treasure and crown from Poland
Found: 1985-1988
Cost: about 120 million dollars
In 1985, during the demolition of an old building in the Polish city of Sroda Slaska, a vase was found under the foundation. Inside were more than 3,000 silver coins dating back to the 14th century.
A couple of years later, during the demolition of a nearby building, more artifacts were discovered, including many gold and silver coins and a variety of jewelry, including a gold crown and a dragon's head ring. The crown was for women, also around the 14th century.
Sunken Treasure of Caesarea
Found: 2015
Value: priceless
Scuba divers exploring the seabed near the harbor national park Caesarea, Israel, thought they had stumbled upon a child's toy when they found the first gold coin. But when they saw how many coins there were and looked closer they realized they had found something quite significant.
They reported their discovery to the Israel Antiquities Authority and returned with metal detectors to more thoroughly search the area. In the end, almost 2,000 coins were found - the coins were minted in different times, approximately between the 10th and 12th centuries.
Until now, no one has assigned an exact value to the find, but its value is very, very high.
Golden treasure from Bulgaria
Found: 1949
Value: priceless
Brothers Pavel, Petko and Mikhail Deykov were digging for clay at a tile factory near Panagyurist, Bulgaria, when one of them came across what he thought was a strange whistle. Further digging revealed more objects, and when the brothers brought their finds to the mayor's office, it became clear that they were all made of gold. There were even more of them at the discovery site.
In fact, rather than being a whistle, the first thing they found turned out to be a ceremonial drinking horn dating back to the 4th century BC. There were also golden vessels, a peculiar dish and a vase. All items are believed to have been used in religious ceremonies. In total, they found over 13 pounds of pure gold, carved into complex shapes and intricately decorated.
Found: 1978
Value: priceless
The treasures found at the site of Tilyaya Tepe, which became known as Bactrian gold, were found in six burials. More than 20,000 gold ornaments were recovered. This find closes the article “The 7 Greatest Treasures” of the World.
The treasure was dated between the 1st century BC. and 1st century AD E. And came from the burials of a nomadic prince and five women (possibly his wives). What is particularly interesting about this treasure is that the treasure is so diverse that it contains a mixture of objects from China, India and Greece. Jewelry is decorated with precious stones of all colors.
Since the treasure was discovered in the late 70s, it has changed storage location several times due to the turbulent situation in the country. Since 2006, the collection has been exhibited in various museums around the world. For security reasons, it was never shown in Afghanistan, although it brought more than $3 million to the country's budget.
label ,There are many mysterious secrets about treasures, especially those lost at sea during shipwrecks. Many people dream of finding treasure, whether they believe in it or not. Most of the legendary treasures are associated with pirates whose ships were wrecked during battles or strong storms. How many sunken ships are there that contain enormous wealth? The imagination paints endless pictures of incredible treasures, and many enthusiasts actually spend a lot of time searching for them. Some claim that these are just fairy tales and legends, but others truly believe that there are chests of gold waiting in the wings at the bottom of the ocean. Luckily, there are plenty of people willing to help unearth the biggest mysteries on the planet. This collection contains a list of 10 legendary ocean treasures that have not yet been discovered.
Blackbeard's Treasures
In 1966, off the coast of North Carolina, archaeologists discovered the remains of a shipwreck, linking it with the ship of the famous pirate nicknamed Blackbeard. But the catch is that not a single ounce of treasure was found anywhere around the ship. Blackbeard is the most notorious of all pirates, amassing vast amounts of gold and other riches. Many speculate that the treasure still lies somewhere off the coast of the Carolinas, but it is very difficult to determine its location. Even Beard himself once said that “only me and the devil know” where it is. According to rough estimates, the value of gold could be about $2.5 million.
Fortune by Jean Lafitte
French pirate Jean Lafitte made his fortune by attacking merchant ships in the Gulf of Mexico and then selling the stolen goods in one of the many ports he owned. Lafitte's accomplice was his brother Pierre. These two were so good at theft and robbery that they accumulated a lot of wealth and jewelry. As a result, the brothers had to hide their treasures somewhere, which gave rise to many secrets and legends. They had over 50 ships under their command, suggesting just how large the fortune was. After Lafitte's death in 1830, legends about his treasures began to spread throughout the world. It was said that part of his treasure was buried in “Lake Bourne,” on the coast of New Orleans. Another was said to be a possible site about three miles east of the “Old Spanish Trail,” on the Sabine River. On at the moment no one ever discovered the wealth, estimated at approximately $2 million.
Captain Kidd's Wealth
Late 17th century pirate William "Captain" Kyd is the origin of many myths about lost treasure. Kyd began plundering in 1698, attacking ships and amassing great wealth. But when he himself began to be hunted, Kidd decided to protect his treasures and began hiding them on various North American islands. Captain Kidd was eventually captured and hanged, with his treasure still buried in unknown place. To add some reality to this myth, in the 1920s, four treasure maps hidden by “Captain” Kidd were found in pieces of furniture believed to have belonged to him.
Oak Island Money Pit
The Money Pit, located in Nova Scotia, Canada, has spawned one of the longest running treasure hunts in the world. For hundreds of years, hunters have come to Nova Scotia to try to find the treasure, only to return empty-handed. In 1795, teenager Daniel McGinnis found a strange place on Oak Island where all the trees had been uprooted. Interested, he began excavation work in secret from the rest of the treasure seekers. He managed to find a message with an encrypted message that two million pounds were buried in this place, at a depth of 40 feet. Unfortunately, due to many obstacles and strong water flows, no treasure was found. There are several popular theories that are associated with the “Money Pit”: The pit contains pirate treasures, or the missing priceless jewels of Marie Antoinette. There is also a theory that English professor Francis Bacon used the pit to hide documents proving that he was the author of Shakespeare's plays.
Treasures of Lima
During the Peruvian revolt against Spain in 1820, the captain of a large British ship was tasked with delivering treasure that belonged to the city of Lima. The cargo was estimated to be worth $60 million and included two life-size statues of the Holy Virgin, made in solid gold, and 273 bejeweled swords and candlesticks. Captain Thomas was quite greedy and killed all the passengers, after which he sailed to Cocos Island and hid the treasure in a cave, hoping to keep it all for himself. On his deathbed, he spoke a little about the location of his treasure, which had never been found.
Treasures of John the Landless
In 1216 King John the Landless, also known as “The Bad,” was heading to Lynn in Norfolk. Along the way he contracted dysentery and decided that he must return to his Newark Castle. He decided to follow the route around Walsh, with its dangerous mud traps and swamps. King John and his soldiers were making their way through the marshes with carts full of his royal regalia when they fell into a deadly swamp. Carts full of an estimated $70 million worth of treasure, including jewelry, gold cups, swords and coins, were lost and never found.
Nuestra Señora de Atocha
In 1622, the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha was returning to Spain, full of gold, precious stones and rare silver, when it was overtaken by a hurricane. The impact of the storm was so severe that the galleon was thrown onto a coral reef and instantly sank under the weight of the treasure. An immediate attempt was made to salvage the treasure, which included 17 tons of silver bars, 27 kilograms of emeralds, 35 boxes of gold and 128,000 coins. Other ships were sent to the place where Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank. Unfortunately, a second hurricane struck and ruined any attempts to salvage the treasure. The crash site was never found again, until recently. In 1985, treasure hunter Mel Fisher found part of the $500 million treasure less than 100 miles off the coast of Key West. However, experts believe that approximately $200 million worth of treasure still lies somewhere at the bottom.
Legend of the Golden Man
There has long been a myth surrounding Lake Guatavita in the Colombian Andes. It spoke of Inca gold hidden at the bottom. The most popular theory is that the Golden Man, known as “El Dorado,” once dove into a sacred lake and his followers brought gold and jewelry there as a show of devotion. As a result, many visited the area in attempts to discover the treasure. Since the arrival of the Spaniards in 1536, 100 kilograms of gold artifacts have been mined from the muddy bottom of Lake Guatavita. In 1968, a gold bar was discovered in a cave, once again resurrecting the legend of El Dorado, or the “Golden Man.”
Treasures of San Miguel
In 1715, Spain assembled a fleet of ships filled to the brim with pearls, silver, gold and jewelry worth an estimated $2 billion. The ships were sent from Cuba just before hurricane season to prevent attempted hijacking by pirates. This turned out to be a bad idea, as the entire fleet of 11 ships was sunk just six days after setting sail. As a result, $2 billion is still buried at the bottom of the sea. After this catastrophic event, 7 of the ships were discovered, but only a small amount of valuable treasure was recovered. It is believed that the Treasure of San Miguel may be near the eastern shores of Florida.
Gold Flor de Mar
A 400-ton Portuguese ship called Flor De Mar (Flower of the Sea) was caught by surprise in a violent storm in 1511. She was shipwrecked on the reefs of Sumatra, split in two, and all the treasure was lost at sea. The story goes that Flor De Mar was carrying around 60 tons of gold, which is the largest treasure ever collected in the history of the Portuguese navy. It's no surprise that Flor De Mar has become one of the most wanted treasures in history.
On January 9, 1932, in the ruins of the ancient Indian settlement of Monte Albana in southern Mexico, a rich treasure of the 13th century belonging to the Zapotec people was discovered.
When and where else were the largest treasures in human history found?
1. Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is considered a cemetery for sunken ships carrying untold treasures. More than 6 thousand sunken ships rest on its bottom. In 1953, Finnish fishermen came across a ship that had been sunk near the islet of Borste, near the city of Turku. At that moment, he made no impression on archaeologists and historians. However, in 1961, divers from Sweden began studying it. It turned out that this was the galleon "St. Michael". On October 15, 1747, he headed from Amsterdam to the shores of St. Petersburg. On board were valuable cargo destined for the imperial court. Also, a gift was personally delivered to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, in the form of a carved gold convertible. When permission to carry out work at depth on the Finnish side was received, Swedish divers opened the cabins and during the first days of the expedition they recovered many gold objects encrusted with precious stones. 34 gold snuff boxes, a set of gold and silver watches, porcelain. Among them was a gilded carriage for Elizabeth.
2. Baltic Sea
In the summer of 1999, a Finnish search expedition discovered the schooner Frau Maria, which was shipwrecked in 1771, on board which were treasures for the Hermitage - various works of art that were ordered from Holland by the Russian Empress Catherine II.
In the holds of the ship there were many paintings, which were not just sealed in boxes, but packed in leather cases, placed in lead vessels, and then filled with wax. In addition to paintings, there were other valuable items on the ship, such as porcelain, bronze, and products made from various precious metals.
After the treasures were actually found, legal proceedings began to determine who they should belong to - those who found them or those for whom they were originally intended. The court transferred the right of disposal to the discoverers. Russia did not agree with this. The matter of this treasure has not yet been resolved.
3. Moscow Kremlin
In 1910, during the construction of shopping arcades (currently the GUM is located on this site), a treasure was found consisting of 4,820 copper kopecks dating back to the time of Alexei Mikhailovich.
At the Spassky Gate in 1939, two were found metal vessels, which were filled with thirty-three thousand silver coins dating back to the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich and Mikhail Fedorovich. This is approximately before 1654.
During the reconstruction of Red Square in 1945, a treasure trove of silver coins was found, the minting of which dates back to the reign of Ivan the Terrible - Alexei Mikhailovich.
In 1965, a cache was discovered under the building of the Patriarchal Palace. There were two crosses made of marble and lapis lazuli and bound in gold. The products dated back to the 13th century. In 1884, a treasure was found there, consisting of letters with seals from the 14th century and documents.
In 1966, during the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral, a treasure was discovered consisting of temporal three-bead rings made of silver.
The treasure is the contribution of noblewoman Morozova to the Miracle Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin. XVII century (1664). Presumably hidden by monks in 1917 (walled up in the wall). Discovered in 1931 during the destruction of the monastery. Paten. Star. Spear. Workshops of the Moscow Kremlin. Gold, precious stones, pearls. Enamel, carving. Photo: Dmitry Korobeinikov/RIA Novosti www.ria.ru.
4. Strait of Gibraltar
A huge treasure was found in the waters of the strait near Portugal. The treasure was found by the American company Odyssey on a sunken Spanish military frigate in 2007. 500 thousand silver and gold coins, as well as jewelry and jewelry were lifted from its side. The cost of this one of the most expensive treasures was $500 million. The court handed over all the treasures found to the Spanish government as historical value.
5. Atlantic Ocean
In 2009, an incredible treasure worth more than three billion dollars was discovered in the Atlantic, off the coast of Guyana (a state in the northeastern part of South America). During the Second World War, a ship sank in those places, the holds of which were filled with gold, platinum and diamonds. According to the main version, the owners of this cargo were Soviet Union and Britain. The American company that discovered the treasure tried to classify information about it, but failed. There is a version that Soviet Russia paid its allies for clothes, food and weapons with these diamonds, gold and platinum. In 1942, a treasure ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine.
6. England
The “catch” in the amount of $5 million belongs to the English treasure hunter Dave Crypt, who in 2010, using a regular metal detector, discovered a vessel with ancient coins in a farmer’s field in Somerset County - there were more than 52 thousand of them. Some of them date back to the 3rd century. How the lucky man disposed of the find is unknown.
7. Chile
In 2005, specialists from the Chilean company Wagner, using their own engineering development - a robot capable of scanning the molecular composition of soil at a depth of 50 meters, found 600 barrels with more than 800 tons of gold.
It is believed that they belonged to the Spanish navigator Juan Ubill. In 1715, he buried a huge amount of gold on one of the islands of the Juan Fernandez archipelago off the coast of Chile.
The treasure was sought by many famous treasure hunters, for example, the American millionaire Bernard Kaiser, who sold his highly successful business producing fabric for NASA space suits in order to search for the Chilean treasure. However, only the Chilean company was lucky, which, by the way, with difficulty later defended its right to 50 percent of the value of the treasure from the Chilean government (the treasure was valued at $10 billion).
8. India
In the summer of 2011, the world's largest treasure was found, worth 22 billion dollars! The treasure was found in the Sri Padmanambhaswamy Temple in India, more precisely, in four of its crypts. The treasure consisted of precious stones, jewelry and gold coins, as well as countless works of art, the most outstanding of which was already recognized as a 1.2-meter statue of the god Vishnu, cast from pure gold and decorated with emeralds and diamonds.
The amount of treasure was so enormous that the officials who assessed them did not count the coins one at a time, but weighed them in whole bags.
Treasures that every archaeologist dreams of finding
1. Ark of the Covenant
According to the Bible, this is the greatest shrine of the Jewish people. The Ark of the Covenant (sometimes also called the Ark of Testimony) contained the tablets containing the Ten Commandments of Moses. IN Old Testament it is said that the Ark was made of wood, but was trimmed with gold inside and out.
In 607 BC. e. Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in Solomon's Temple, was besieged and then captured by the Babylonians. The Jews were able to retake the city only 70 years later. But when they returned to Jerusalem, they never found the Ark.
Historians and adventurers are still looking for it. Not only for the gold it contained, but also because the existence of the Ark would mean that many of the events described in the Bible were true.
2. Treasures of the Templars
Knightly order, which at first was right hand church, and then was declared its worst enemy, managed to acquire considerable wealth. The knights supposedly went to the Holy Land to guard the path to it for pilgrims, but in reality they were actively searching for ancient treasures and shrines. Some researchers suggest that the Templars managed to find the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and the treasures of King Solomon.
However, after the brutal reprisal of the knights of the order, most of the wealth was lost.
3. Tomb of Genghis Khan
Between 1217 and 1227, Genghis Khan created the most big empire in world history and became the most influential person planets. At his disposal were countless riches captured in China, India, and Ancient Rus'.
Historians are still wondering where these untold riches went. In particular, it is assumed that his tomb can eclipse all previous similar finds, for example, the tomb of Tutankhamun. According to legend, the conqueror bequeathed to kill every soldier who would participate in his burial, and then turn the river so that it passed over his tomb.
4. Amber room
An 18th-century masterpiece of art lost during World War II has yet to be found. According to one version, she was kidnapped by the Nazis and exhibited for review in Konigsberg, which was destroyed by Allied bombing.
According to another version, the Nazis exhibited a copy in Konigsberg, and the Amber Room itself was taken to an unknown location. There is also a version according to which the Nazis got a copy of the Amber Room, and the masterpiece itself was hidden on the orders of Joseph Stalin.
5. Blackbeard's Treasure
The pirate nicknamed Blackbeard sailed the Atlantic for only two years (1716-1718), but managed to loot more than enough. Just at this time, the Spanish colonialists were actively transporting gold and silver mined in South America, to Europe. And the pirate made good money by robbing Spanish galleons.
Blackbeard hid the loot somewhere, but the secret of the location of his hiding place went with him to the grave on the day when the British officer Robert Maynard caught the pirate and strung him up on a yardarm.
Some researchers believe that the key to the cache can be found in the remains of Blackbeard's ship, which was called Queen Anne's Revenge and was sunk by the British shortly before the pirate's death. The ship is believed to be located off the coast of North Carolina.
Each case of finding any decent treasure becomes a sensation and attracts attention for some time. And this happens not so rarely. Only for the most lately The media reported several similar stories. So, in the Nizhny Novgorod region. a certain citizen accidentally found a fair amount of coins and other valuable items dating back to 1751. He did this while digging up his own garden. What is especially noteworthy is that this was not the first time he dug up.
Another famous case. The bulldozer operator carried out work in accordance with the plan for the reconstruction of the embankment in Izhevsk. And in the process of work, he pulled out a barrel from the ground, which was filled with coins from the tsarist era. There were several hundred coins. Around the same time, in Suzdal, again, while carrying out scheduled work, a team of plumbers discovered over 300 coins dating back to the third quarter of the 18th century. This is not a complete list of valuable recent finds.
According to long-term statistics, once every six months (on average) in Russia someone finds a treasure worthy of media attention. In fact, such discoveries happen even more often. Since they are widely announced only by those who intend to cooperate with the authorities, and the treasure was discovered completely by accident. Unfortunately, among those who are looking for treasures purposefully, there are practically no people willing to cooperate with the state. This area is highly criminalized. Many of those who find treasure by accident prefer to realize the discovered values themselves, without involving the state. This is very dangerous.
The fact is that, according to current legislation, the cost of the recovered treasure is divided in half between the one who found it and the owner of the land where the treasure was discovered. At the same time, the law contains a clause that if the objects contained in the treasure are of artistic value, half the value of the found treasure goes to the state. And the procedures for assessing and determining the presence of this notorious artistic value are also very imperfect. There have been cases when the very location of a treasure was declared a “historical monument”, and retroactively, and the owner of the land and the person who found the treasure, who wished to register it according to the law, were prosecuted. All this discourages citizens who have found treasure from cooperating with the state. However, attempts to sell ancient valuables on your own also involve serious risks, often fatal. The sphere of “black treasure hunting” is criminal by its very nature. And the methods for resolving conflicts among people involved in this business are appropriate.
And now we will list the 5 most mysterious treasures in Russia:
- Bosporan “golden suitcase” lost during the Great Patriotic War.
- A treasure containing jewelry items looted by the famous St. Petersburg bandit of the NEP period Lenka Panteleev.
- Gold, from the ship "Varyagin" that sank in 1906
- Kolchak's gold.
- Treasure of industrialist Batashev.
All these mysterious treasures have one thing in common. The real existence of these values is beyond doubt. There is documentary evidence. And second. These treasures are called mysterious treasures because, despite numerous attempts, no one has been able to find them. At the same time, the likelihood that the person (or group of people) who found them managed to keep the fact of their discovery a secret is negligible, since we are talking about too large and unique values, the appearance of even a part of which on the market would not go unnoticed. That is why there is reason to say that these mysterious treasures still lie somewhere and are waiting for someone to discover them.
Now let’s tell you in more detail about the origin of each of these mysterious treasures.
5 largest mysterious treasures in Russia
Bosporan gold
The treasure is also known as the “golden suitcase”. Although in fact we are talking about a suitcase, it is an ordinary black suitcase. In the accompanying documents it was named “special cargo $15.” And it received the “popular” name “golden” due to the value of its contents. Its composition is impressive: 70 Bosporan and Pontic silver coins from the Mithridates period. There are many Pantipakean coins made of red gold, as well as Bosporan gold coins. This is the most valuable thing. But there are things “simpler”: coins various materials and the merits of Genoese, Constantinople, and Turkish coinage related to different periods, medals, gold plaques and jewelry made in ancient times.
All these values were found during archaeological excavations of a Gothic mound in 1926, then they were described and placed in the historical and archaeological museum located in Kerch. The collection dates back to the 3rd-5th centuries, and each item is of not only commercial (weight), but also cultural, historical, scientific, and many, artistic value. 15 years have passed and all this wealth has disappeared.
In September 1941, when there was a real threat of occupation of Crimea by the Nazi army, the director of this museum, Yu. Marti, tried to take this unique collection to safe areas of the country. He put it in a strong plywood suitcase, lined with black leatherette on the outside. This valuable cargo safely crossed the Kerch Strait and arrived in Armavir by car. There it was accepted for storage, about which documents have been preserved. But the building where it was stored was hit by an aerial bomb and it was completely destroyed. And the suitcase disappeared. It is known that the Germans who occupied the Krasnodar region in 1942 undertook an active but unsuccessful search for this suitcase.
Many years later, already in 1982, evidence appeared that this same suitcase had been preserved and was transported to the station. Calm and given over to the partisan detachment operating in that area. What happened to him next is unknown. The suitcase, containing a total of 719 items, weighed approximately 80 kg. Attempts to find him are still being made. The starting point for treasure hunters is still Art. Calm, located in the Otradnensky district of the Krasnodar region.
Treasures of Lenka Panteleev
The first reliable fact of this man’s biography is his service in the Red Army, where he was an ordinary soldier until 1922. Then he served in the Petrograd Cheka and for short term He made a good career for himself there, which ended abruptly with an unexpected and still strange dismissal. After this, Panteleev plunged headlong into crime, becoming the most dangerous bandit-raider from Russia at that time. He tried to create for himself the image of a “noble thief”, a kind of “Robin Hood” of the 20s, robbing exclusively NEPmen. But this is explained by purely pragmatic motives: the NEPmen at that time were the only wealthy class, they had something to rob. And for robbery government organizations or institutions, a significantly more serious punishment was provided.
At the same time, Panteleev practically did not hide, he led a riotous lifestyle, squandering the loot in the best restaurants of the city. As a result, he was quickly arrested and placed in the famous “Cross”, from where he safely escaped in November 1922. By the way, this is the only successful escape from the famous prison in its entire history.
Once free, the bandit decided to flee further, abroad, but not before ensuring a comfortable existence for himself. Petrograd trembled. In two months, Panteleev’s gang carried out 35 armed raids (on average: more than every other day), many of which were accompanied by murders. During this period, the bandit managed to appropriate a huge amount of various valuables, mainly small-sized jewelry. On February 12, 1923, operatives of the Petrograd UGRO managed to establish the whereabouts of Panteleev and attempted to detain him. In the ensuing shootout, the bandit was killed. Almost all the valuables looted by Panteleev’s gang disappeared without a trace. It is assumed that Panteleev's treasure is hidden somewhere in the dungeons of the city. Attempts to find him were made repeatedly, and it cannot be said that all searches were completely unsuccessful. Quite often, diggers managed to discover various hiding places or caches with weapons, criminal accessories, etc. in dungeons. According to rough estimates, total cost Panteleev's treasure can reach $150 thousand. The most likely location of this treasure is underground passages, galleries and communications laid before 1923 under the central districts of St. Petersburg, including Ligovka and other dungeons of that area.
Gold from "Varyagin"
On October 7, 1906, the motor ship “Varyagin” sank in the Ussuri Bay. He was flying from Vladivostok to b. Gankgouzy (now Sukhodol). The goods transported included mail and cash intended for the troops stationed there and the local population, newspapers reported. In addition, there were 250 passengers on board. The cause of the crash was a sea mine that had drifted since Russo-Japanese War. The ship sank very quickly, only 15 people were saved, including the captain.
But a little later one became public interesting fact. It turns out that soon after the crash, the merchant Varyagin’s confidant sent a petition to the local General Government. The document contained a request for compensation for 60 thousand rubles in gold transported on that ill-fated flight, and the cost of a certain cargo. The merchant was refused.
In 1913, Captain Ovchinnikov, who survived the wreck and knew the exact coordinates of the place where the ship was lost, managed to equip a ship-raising expedition on his own. The ship was found, but the ship-lifting work itself required much more serious investments. Therefore, then only part of the valuable cargo was recovered from the ship that sank at a depth of 26 m, and it is known for sure that there was no gold among the recovered ones.
They were going to equip a second expedition, the date of its departure was postponed several times due to weather conditions, and then... the war began. Next - revolution, intervention, final establishment in the region Soviet power. They never tried to raise the Varyagin again. The fate of Captain Ovchinnikov is unknown, as are the exact coordinates of the place in the bay where valuables worth several million are buried. Somewhere between b. Sukhodol, Vargli and the alignment of three stones. You can search in this triangle. Whether the search and lifting work will pay off is not a fact. Apparently that’s why there are no takers yet.
Kolchak's Gold
This story is widely known and therefore very popular among treasure hunters. Books were written and films were made about the notorious “Kolchak’s gold”. They just can’t find him yet. There are many legends, rumors and versions surrounding this gold, so we will list what is known reliably. At the beginning of the 1st World War, a significant part of the Empire's gold reserves was transported to Kazan. It was there that this gold was captured by the army of Admiral Kolchak, who proclaimed himself the supreme ruler of the empire. From Kazan the gold was transported to Omsk, where it was received, capitalized and valued at 650 million gold rubles. But in 1921, Kolchak’s troops were defeated, he himself was arrested and soon shot, and the gold... he was captured by a corps made up of Czechoslovak prisoners (who had previously fought on Kolchak’s side). Soon the corps command was forced to hand over the captured gold to the Bolshevik government in exchange for the opportunity to leave Russia. The gold was counted, and a shortage of approximately 250 million gold rubles was discovered. There were 650 million. There are 400 left. The White Czechs had no opportunity to hide gold bars. Since then, they have been looking for these missing bars worth 250 million old gold rubles.
There are two main versions. The first is that the treasures to this day lie somewhere in the dungeons of Omsk, or are again buried somewhere near the station. Zakhlamlino.
Another version says that shortly before his collapse, Kolchak ordered part of the gold to be sent to Vladivostok, for which several convoys were formed. For example, it became known that one of the soldiers of Kolchak’s army, who served in one of the Siberian regiments, an Estonian by nationality, Karl Purrock, said that gold bars were buried near the station. Taiga, near Kemerovo. In 1941, the NKVD became interested in Purrock’s story, summoned him from Estonia, where he lived, and involved him in the search for the treasure. Surroundings of the station They dug up the taiga diligently, but found nothing. Purrovik was arrested, and a year later he died in the camp.
And the last in number on our list, but by no means the last in value and mystery:
Treasure of industrialist Andrei Batashev
Let's start with the fact that A. Batashev was a very remarkable person. For example, he is the founder of the village of Gus-Zhelezny. In two years he built for himself grandiose building, which became his residence. In style, it bore little resemblance to the estate of a Russian landowner, more reminiscent of a medieval castle with characteristic fortifications.
But Andrei Batashev quickly became bored with the management of the plant and he handed it over to his brother Ivan. And he himself took up... robbery, from time to time, taking breaks for the next reconstruction of the estate or a visit to Moscow, where he openly squandered money. This did not arouse suspicion: the Batashevs were very rich. But the merchant boasted that he had eradicated all the bandits in the surrounding area, although robberies continued and local roads had a reputation for being among the most dangerous. It is also known that no one subsequently saw the people who carried out any work inside the estate. None of them left the estate. And there were about 300 such workers. But the robber industrialist was patronized by Prince Potemkin himself, so he could afford almost anything without any consequences. But then the empress's favorite died.
And almost immediately, Batashev’s Eagle’s Nest estate was subjected to a large-scale inspection. The seriousness of the suspicions is evidenced by the fact that the inspectors were looking for neither more nor less, but the illegal production of coins. However, the inspection did not reveal any special violations or treasures. Batashev after this began to lead a hermit’s life, reducing contacts with the outside world to a minimum and died in 1799.
It was here that his heirs were expected to be very disappointed. After the death of the merchant-industrialist-robber, it turned out that there was practically nothing valuable in his estate. And according to the calculations of contemporaries, Batashev’s fortune was enormous, but it all disappeared without a trace.
Now there is a children's sanatorium here. Most of the buildings from Batashev's time have been destroyed or radically rebuilt. It is clear that treasure hunters are most interested in the preserved dungeons, but here’s the problem: the entire estate has been declared a state historical monument and any excavations on its territory are illegal. However, there is no clear indication that the treasures are buried on the estate. They may well be lying somewhere in the forest under a tree near the village. Gus-Zhelezny, Ryazan region.
