The folklore of the northernmost state in the United States is a treasure trove for paranormal investigators. The mysterious Sitka phenomenon is reported in the 2016 book Spirits of Southeast Alaska: The History and Pursuits of Alaska’s Panhandle by author James Devereux.
The author drew attention to the urban legend of the former Novoarkhangelsk in connection with the “Baranof Castle”. This is the name of the hill on which stood the residence of the first ruler of Russian Alaska, Alexander Baranov. The building itself burned down in a fire in 1894. But stories about the ghost of a “Russian princess” allegedly appearing in these places arose much earlier.
One of the first publications on this subject can be read in the New York Times newspaper of August 22, 1883. The article ‘The Story of a Ghost in Alaska’ tells about a ghost who took up residence in an abandoned building. Sitka residents usually saw the mystical “princess” at midnight. She was said to wear long black robes and have diamonds on her forehead, neck and wrists.
“She wrings her beautiful white hands and wanders mournfully from room to room, leaving at every step the light scent of wild roses,” the paper wrote.
Brave officers of warships sometimes dared to spend the night in Baranov Castle, but none of them managed to talk to the ghostly beauty.
The “Lady in Black” was considered the daughter or niece of the “Russian Governor,” who was once famous in Sitka for her beauty and grace. The girl married an unloved man against her will.
On the first wedding night the bride disappeared. She was soon found dead in a small guest room. According to one version, the girl committed suicide. According to another, she was murdered by her unfortunate lover, a sailor on one of the merchant ships.
In the book, James Devereux details the romantic legend he discovered. He describes the groom of the “lady in black” as a cruel and cruel man who blackmailed the ruler of Alaska, who was involved in a “revolutionary conspiracy.”
Even after the engagement, the beauty continued to secretly meet her lover on the banks of the Koloshenka River (Indian River). When the governor heard of this, he sent the young man on a naval expedition south along the American coast.
On March 18, the girl married the “evil prince” in the Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. The same day the warship returned to port. Hearing of this, the newlyweds ran from the ballroom to meet her lover. The couple realized that their situation was hopeless and decided to die.
“With one last kiss they drew their hidden swords, pierced their hearts, and fell dead on the banks of the Indian River,” Devereux writes.
The lovers are said to have been buried in each other’s arms. And since then, the ghost of the “Russian Princess” began to wander around the “Baranov Castle”.
Some versions of the story mention that the girl holds a candle or lantern in her hands, as if searching for her beloved. A bloody wound was seen on the chest of the dead beauty, and before disappearing, the ghost usually lets out a terrible cry of pain.
‘The Lady in Black’, according to folklore, comes once every six months and prefers the northwestern part of the former Baranov mansion.
Who was “The Lady in Black”
There is no historical evidence for the Sitka legend. Rumor links the “lady in black” with the name of the first ruler of Russian America, Alexander Baranov.
Polar explorer Frederick Svatka attributed the ghost story to the period of the sixth ruler – Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel, who was the ‘master’ of Sitka in 1830-1835.
And according to the newspaper The Boston Alaskan, published in 1906, the bloody drama took place in the spring of 1826, when Alaska was ruled by Matvey Muravyov.
Journalists named Muravyov’s niece Princess Olga Arbuzova, the young midshipman Demetrius Davidov and the old Count Vasiliev as the characters in the story. However, no historian of Russian America mentions such individuals.
There are numerous other contradictions in the legend itself. For example, from the description it is not clear why the unfortunate bride is dressed in a black robe, because the wedding clothes of Russian aristocrats have always been white.
However, in some versions of the story the ghost is referred to as “the lady in blue.” Apparently in the dark, when the ghost appears, it is not easy to distinguish the color of his clothes. Moreover, in the presence of a ghost, the fire of eyewitnesses mysteriously extinguishes.
The plot of the “Lady in Black” is influenced by literary tradition – in particular Walter Scott’s novel “The Bride of Lammermoor”. Therefore, it is possible that the entire story is a common invention of the yellow press of the late 19th century.
But even if this is true, the legend of the beautiful ghost eventually took on a life of its own. For example, the estimated date of death of the “lady in black” – March 18 – is due to the fact that on this day in 1894 the “Baranof Castle” burned down.
Despite the legend’s questionable authenticity, guides in Sitka still make money to this day by showing tourists the alleged grave of the “Russian Princess.”
