Tavern owner's place

In the middle of XIX century at the beginning of Logoyskaya road in Komarovka there was a half ruined house of a tavern owner and right behind it, there was a huge oak. And under it in dense bushes a grave without a cross was seen. There were rumors from the past that it was an evil place, in night devils, witches and other evil forces danced there.

Everything was as follows. As soon as moon arose somebody started to walk in dense grass near the grave. That was walking and crying sinful soul which was destroyed by sorcery of an evil wizard. Lost soul was strolling around old oak each night regardless of a season, embracing and leaning against it. And then the giant oak flinched rustling its leaves, scratching its bark, moaned and cried till morning.

If the shaggy oak cries
wind tears foliage cloak
- damned tavern owner revenged!-
people told each other.

Here is the story which took place there. Not far from the tavern there lived a carpenter Simeon Yarylo with his young daughter Annushka. Years passed and she became a beautiful girl. "And in silence as a flower in a field she blossomed." There was nobody more beautiful than her by body and face five versts around. Guys flocked after her. But she didn?t look at them as there was only one loved man in her heart, he was handsome, strong and good looking Vayna. They dated, joyfully spent time together knowing no troubles. But not too long. Presentiments started to bother the girl. She was scared by closeness of death. She shared with her boyfriend about the fears. He didn't take it seriously but tried to calm her down as much as he could.

Presentiments were not groundless. The tavern owner, old Jew Izka Srol, fell in love with her. People called him a wizard. They say he destroyed a lot of souls during his life. Once having seen Anna old Izka lost his head and dreamt only about getting her. One autumn morning Anna went out to a garden for a walk. Izka Srol chased her. He reached her and started to confess in his love. He offered gold, rich life, his ardent love. The girl laughed at his words and answered that there wasn't anybody dearer to her in the world than Vanya. Then the wizard called evil forces, moved his hand and Anna was covered by a shroud. She immediately went out of her mind. The girl took the oak for her boyfriend but she couldn't talk with him, she didn't understand what it was answering. She walked days and nights in the garden, hugged the oak asking for its protection.

That continued for a year and next autumn Anna died. Inconsolable father buried her near the oak. Since then Anna went out from her grave in nights and walked in oak's shadow looking for calm and scaring those who passed by.

The tavern exists no longer, the same as the oak, the grave disappeared also, but sometimes a shadow of the girl seeking for her loved one appears in nights near the area of modern Yakub Kolas street, the place where a small park was situated close to checkpoint of MPOVT.

Translated by Ekaterina Ludvigovna Prokopovich, Odessa