The legend of Pike Lake

                                From the history of Simbirsk

                                  The legend of Pike Lake

      1674. The prince Miloslavsky made a present to one of his nobleman, Leontiy Repyev for his good and honest survice. The present was included some miles of wonderful fertile lands in Simbirsk area (now it’s Ulyanovsk area). Repyev bult a big marvelous house with a large garden around it. Not far from the garden there was a lake. This was a favourite place for resting in the warm summer evenings. The divine nook of nature amazed with its calmness and fascination. On the bank of the pond he built several summer houses so that everybody had an opportunity to enjoy a nice view of the smooth surface. The landowner built an arbour even on a tiny island in the centre of the lake. Leontiy had everything but he was unhappy. Once he fell in love with a daughter of his neighbours, but her strict father did not allow the young people to get married… As time goes by, he stopped to believe that he could be happy again.

     Amazingly how dramatic the history can be when several particular facts are mixed in it – a girl named Liza, the lake and Simbirsk area. The all had a great impact on someone’s life.

     One day at the ball which one of his neighbouring landlords gave Repyev met a beautiful blue eyed girl with a royal name Elisabeth. A young lady amazed him with her modesty and her sharp mind. Though she was just a poor orphan she was well-educated and had good manners. Not her poverty nor age difference dd not matter for him. Soon they got married. Leontiy and Liza with their four children were happy living a rich big house and spending time at the lake. Suddenly the family idyll came to an end. The mistress of the plantation, Elisabeth Repyeva died of an unknown disease. The death of his wife had a destroying effect on the nobleman. His life seemed to lose its sense.

    The widower kept staying in the summerhouse at the pond all day long. He built another abroun from the trees that his Liza loved so much. And next to it he erected a plaster sculpture of Gupid with its drooped head. Every night Leontiy saw her in his dreams, and in the mornings he went to the lake and stared at the cold water. Soon he lost his mind. Repyev confirmed that nights Liza came and talked to him. Everyone expected a sort of misfortune. After a while his lifeless body was found in the lake. In his death note one could read: ‘I’m going away with my Lizzi. Sorry, I must be with her.’ The nobleman was buried in a family vault next to his beloved wife.

     Since that time there is a legend of the lost woman. The native people told that they often saw their dead beautiful mistress walking on the sparkling  surface of the pond.