There The Whole Time
He couldn’t believe it. He had walked down this street so many times. No one had any clue the little room was waiting down there.
But this wasn’t just any government hole in the ground. Judging by the distinct architecture, it had been used for a very unique and troubling purpose.
New Site
Leonid had been part of the archeologist society since he had graduated from university.
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He was one of few who were lucky enough to be sent around the world to authenticate his country’s treasures. It was a thrilling life. But these newest instructions were taking him somewhere he would have never guessed.
Middle Of Downtown
It was a quick ride downtown. Granted, there had been plenty of construction to fix the city’s roads and other systems but what could they have possibly found that was so urgent?
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Leonid got out of the taxi and straightened his bespoke suit. A man in a hardhat and yellow vest ran up, looking worried.
Eager Workers
“Mr. Kondrashev? I was told you were coming. I tried to stop them from digging, but a couple of them got too excited.”
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Leonid steamed with annoyance as he charged through the cold drizzle. By god, if they had ruined anything, heads would roll. He saw a crowd of workers gathered in a circle, looking at the ground.
Deep Underground
There was already a ladder down into the deep hole. Leonid wasn’t about to let anyone destroy the find.
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So, he handed off his jacket and climbed down. A single floodlight illuminated the space. He was about to ask what they had already uncovered when he noticed something strange.
Strange Echos
Sounds bounced off the walls and created a distinct reverberation.
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Then, he saw the curves and shape of the room. Stuck in the hard dirt were tiny shell casings. “Spy cambers?” he muttered. It was a leap, but a good place to start. The following weeks would uncover some astounding facts.
Middle Of Moscow
They were sitting in the middle of Moscow. It was a city filled with history as well as plenty of war and rebellion.
Even when the walls were young and mortar still drying, there were hushed meetings and whispered plans. Adding the Cold War on top of it all, who knows what was waiting for them under the many layers of rubble.
Names And Dates
The easiest thing to sort out was the shell casings – and there were plenty. Maybe it was just to store ammunition?
Maybe there had been a shootout? There were also coins spanning across several years. Leonid wondered if they had been used to bribe or payoff anyone. There were also scribbled notes of names, dates, and mysterious numbers.
Espionage Chambers
Leonid finally concluded it was indeed a room for a special form of espionage.
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And while many underground spaces had been used for storage, passing information, or clandestine meetings, this particular space had originally been built for a single purpose – something that people nowadays would have been furious over.
Local Gossip
He deduced that the “spy room” wasn’t for passing messages - not exactly.
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It was for spying on the locals. The special design of the room was mean to boost acoustics so whoever was inside was able to listen and take note of anything important going on above. However, its age changed the story considerably.
Ivan The Terrible
It wasn’t men in Soviet uniforms like he had imagined.
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Yes, they had used the space, but the original structure was over 500 years old – an old arrowhead helped prove it. But how had such an important room gone undiscovered for so long? Ivan the Terrible’s mother was to thank.
City Protection
The Grand Regent Princess, Elena Glinskaya, had ordered a wall built around the city.
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It was originally meant to protect the people from Crimea Tarters. The structure was special not only because of its size. It was the first wall in the country to be built to withstand an attack from firearms. But she also had another reason.
Beside The Kremlin
Underneath, these spy rooms were built strategically to eavesdrop on the Polish population, as well as locals, which lived in the area.
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