Place of Execution (Lobnoe Mesto)

There are many versions of the origin of the name. So, one of them claimed that this place “stacked” or “cut their foreheads”. Another suggested that Place of execution is simply a translation from Greek into Old Church Slavonic name “Kranievo place” sacred hill, like the Calvary, is shaped like a

human skull. The third version says that the meaning of “Skulls” means only the geographic location: Place of execution located at the beggining of Vasilevsky descent, which in the Middle Ages called “a forehead” (this is a common name of the steep slopes of the river in the medieval Russia).

In the following years of his reign, Ivan IV again and again ignited the hearts of the common people by their fiery speeches, as well as the place of execution used in order to express the sovereign’s righteous anger.Quite controversial it is the fact of the tradition of the Execution Ground functions of public places of punishment and executions in the period from the 14th to the 18th century.

It is known that in fact execution on Lobnoe mesto was extremely rare, due to the fact that the place was regarded as a holy place. Most often it was used for the announcement of major royal decrees and other official public events. Thus, contrary to popular judgment, the place of execution was not the usual place of execution (execution is usually carried out in the Swamps).

Several cases of execution, of course, have been recorded. It is known that Nikita Pustosvyat – religious dissenter was killed on July 11, 1682 by cutting off his head. In 1698, the place of execution seen perhaps the bloodiest events in its long history. It is here thousands of ordinary people have witnessed mass executions by the order of Peter I. He order to kill riot

musketeers who supported the struggle for power of his sister Sophia. Participants riot musketeers who supported the struggle for power of his sister Sophia. For executions specially erected wooden scaffold, standing next to a pavement was constructed. So far on the basis of these terrible events, the place of execution has gained its bad reputation.