The Lost City
The ancient Russian settlement of Kleshchin stood beside Lake Pleshcheyevo and thrived until roughly the 12th century, when its entire population vanished without warning.
Legends offer two popular explanations. One claims the locals angered the gods, who cursed the city and its people, prompting a sudden exodus or disappearance. Another version suggests the inhabitants fled at the lake’s command, the waters themselves becoming a source of fear for nearby coastal villages, a looming presence sometimes described as a devilish force.
Regardless of the story, the ground beneath Kleshchin eventually yielded to a new city: Pereslavl-Zalessky, a settlement built beyond the forest and still standing today. To this day, locals trade tales to explain where the ancient town once vanished and why the shoreline holds such mystery.
Historians and researchers later concluded that neither the gods nor the lake caused the disappearance. The likely culprit was a political decision: in 1152, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky relocated Kleshchin and its inhabitants to a plain where the Trubezh River flows into Lake Pleshcheyevo. The move reshaped regional settlements and left Kleshchin’s fate as a lasting enigma for lore and legend.
By around 1385, Kleshchin appeared in the historical record of Russian towns near and far, listed alongside Pereyaslavl, which is now Pereslavl-Zalessky.
Fireballs on the Lake
Lake Pleshcheyevo has a long-standing reputation as a magnet for supernatural tales and ufology enthusiasts. Local witnesses have spoken of glowing fireballs hovering over the water and vanishing suddenly, fueling rumors about unidentified flying objects.
Ecologists later challenged that narrative, proposing a more alarming natural explanation: the phenomenon is not extraterrestrial craft but poisonous phosphine gas that can ignite when exposed to air. Known locally as wandering or swamp lights, these flashes often appear at night in wetlands and indicate environmental stress and falling water levels.
Experts warn that without concerted cleanup efforts, the lake could slide toward ecological decline and become a pestilent swamp within a few decades.
The Pleshcheyevo Monster and Local Disappearances
Several divers, scuba enthusiasts, and fishermen have reported disappearing into the depths of Lake Pleshcheyevo, with few traces left behind. When boats vanish or capsize, witnesses sometimes describe a menacing presence beneath the surface. Stories about a Pleshcheyevo monster have circulated to explain the danger, often paired with references to mythic beasts from distant lakes such as the Coelacanth, a creature once thought extinct. Skeptics view these tales as legends, noting that a hoax around a supposed extinct fish once circulated and was debunked enough to cast doubt on the more dramatic claims.
The Blue Stone Movement
A remarkable rock called the Blue Stone, also known as Sin-stone for its blue sheen, has long stood on the Lake Pleshcheyevo shore. Earlier tribes, including Finno-Ugric peoples, revered the stone, placing it on a nearby hill as part of ritual practice. The Slavs later adopted the tradition, naming the hill after a sun god and continuing rites at the site.
With the baptism of Russia, the pagan stone was removed from its hilltop shrine, and a Christian temple began to stand nearby. Yet people continued to visit the stone for its supposed healing powers, especially to aid fertility. Over time, church authorities sought its removal by casting the stone into a well and burying it, but the stone repeatedly resurfaced on the shore. Some attempts to drown it failed, and the stone stubbornly reappeared after successive decades.
The Blue Stone has continued to fascinate visitors, who believe it holds magical properties and may cure various illnesses. The reputation persists, and the rock attracts visitors seeking mystery and wonder as much as health benefits.
Ever since, theories have swirled about the stone’s movements. Some mystics claim it might possess a mind or respond to the influences of ancient gods, while others link the stone to paranormal forces such as a poltergeist or telekinesis. Scientific researchers offer another explanation: seasonal winds push blocks of ice from nearby mounds toward the northeastern shoreline. If the Blue Stone becomes embedded in such ice, it could drift across the lake and appear on shore again, seemingly returning by its own accord.
Unconfirmed Anomalies
Among the many rumors is the belief that swimming in Lake Pleshcheyevo could cause odd skin reactions, including temporary rashes or scale-like growths, and even hair loss. No medical records confirm these symptoms, and water samples have not shown deviations from normal levels. Some witnesses described a vision of a foggy, all-consuming lake that distorts space-time, suggesting a path that seems to bend time itself. No verifiable evidence supports these extraordinary claims, though they continue to echo in local storytelling.