Everyone knows the stories of finding treasures. Not long ago one resident Nizhny Novgorod region I was digging up my garden and found a whole collection of coins and old tokens from 1751. In the same year, on the embankment of Izhevsk, a bulldozer driver dug up a whole barrel with several hundred coins of tsarist mintage. In Suzdal, a team of plumbers found more than 300 coins from the end of the 18th century in the ground.
The list can be continued for a long time, because reports about the location of treasures in Russia appear on average once every six months. It is clear that treasures are found much more often, but not all treasure hunters are willing to cooperate with the authorities.
Today, according to the law, the found treasure must be divided in half between the finder and the owner of the land. If the treasure contains things that belong to cultural or historical monuments, then the state takes half for itself, and the rest is divided in half. As a rule, here too 25% goes to the state. The procedure for evaluating found treasures itself is very imperfect, which discourages seekers from legalizing treasures. For example, the excavation site itself may turn out to be a “historical monument”, which will make it possible to bring a person to criminal liability.
As a result, most treasure hunters conduct “black” searches, and “white” specialists work closely with lawyers. But such difficulties do not scare away amateurs, because there are so many treasures in the ground that there is enough for everyone. In our country on large territory there was a turbulent history, with many wars and changes in power. Naturally, people buried money in the ground in the hope of better times. As a result, banking in Russia began to develop much later than in Europe.
You can start looking for treasures in the Moscow region; in the capital itself, such events are officially prohibited. There is even a list of territories potentially rich in treasures, which includes territories near Mozhaisk, Kashira, Kolomna, Dmitrov, Kashira, the banks of the Oka and Moskva Rivers. It is advised to search in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, as well as in the territories through which Western invaders left the country, especially in the Smolensk region.
For some, a treasure is an opportunity to get rich, while others are attracted by romance and history. Professionals emphasize their selflessness, but note the unprofitability of such a hobby. It is believed that searching for treasure just for the sake of enrichment is simply unprofitable. However, every seeker dreams of finding his own great treasure, among those legendary ones that have been searched for for decades. Below we will tell you about the ten most famous treasures hidden somewhere in Russia, just waiting to be discovered. The story of each of them is akin to a small detective story.
Suitcase with Bosporan gold. Many treasure hunters call this suitcase “golden”. In fact, it was black, passing through the documents as “special cargo $15.” And the name of the object was given by its contents. Inside were seventy silver Pontic and Bosporan coins from the reign of Mithridates, Panticapaean pure gold coins, and gold Bosporan coins. There were also a lot of simple Genoese, Byzantine and Turkish coins, medals, ancient jewelry and gold plaques - everything that was found in 1926 in a Gothic burial and transferred to the Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum. Treasures dating back to the 3rd-5th centuries were lost just 15 years after their discovery. The reason is war. In September 1941, the Germans were rushing to Crimea, the director of the museum, Yuri Marti, put the entire collection in a plywood suitcase, upholstered in leatherette. The valuable cargo, along with its attendants, crossed the Kerch Bay on a ferry, and then was transported by car to Armavir, where it was deposited. But the building where the valuables were located was destroyed by bombing. Soon rumors spread that the “golden” suitcase, as being of particular value, was kept in another place. Only in 1982 were researchers able to find out that the suitcase had survived, and after the occupation they were able to take it to the village of Spokoinaya, handing it over to the partisans. The Nazis looked for treasure, but could not find it. Today our contemporaries are looking for the treasure - in the mountains and near the village where that same detachment was. The suitcase weighed about 80 kilograms and contained 719 ancient objects. Those wishing to look for the treasured treasure should start from the village of Spokoynaya, Otradnensky district of the Krasnodar Territory.
Treasure of Lenka Panteleev. The life story of the famous St. Petersburg thief Leonid Panteleev is very rich; it can be divided into three parts, each shorter than the previous one. Until 1922, Lenka was a fighter in the Red Army and served in the Cheka. However, a mysterious dismissal from the organs led to a "Robin Hood" lifestyle. The noble St. Petersburg thief robbed only the Nepmen, and burned through his earnings with the typical Russian breadth and scope. The authorities captured Panteleev quickly, but already in November 1922 he managed to escape from Kresty (the only successful escape in the history of the legendary prison). After his release, Lenka quickly decided that it was time to do some hard work, and then run away abroad with the loot. The city was shaking for two whole months - Panteleev carried out 35 armed raids, and did not disdain killings. The victims were deprived of chains, bracelets, rings, money and other small expensive items. But Lenka failed to carry out his plans; on the night of February 12, 1923, operatives found him and shot him during his arrest. But the wealth accumulated by the thief disappeared somewhere. Modern St. Petersburg diggers are sure that it has sunk underground, and in the literal sense of the word. So they are looking for the thief's treasure in the endless underground galleries of St. Petersburg. At the same time, diggers periodically stumble upon bandit caches, consisting of weapons, tools and other items used by thieves. But the main prize remains unfound. Today, the value of the treasure, which contains jewelry and gold coins, is estimated at 150 thousand dollars. The main search area is the dungeons in the center of St. Petersburg, the cellars of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the Ligovsky catacombs.
Gold from the ship "Varyagin". On October 7, 1906, this cargo-passenger ship crashed in the Ussuri Bay. The ship was commanded by Captain Ovchinnikov, and the owner was the merchant Alexey Varyagin. The steamer sailed from Vladivostok to Sukhodol Bay (at that time Gankgouzy). Local newspapers reported that he was carrying mail and money for the population and military units. There were also 250 passengers on board. But on the way, the ship collided with a mine, a “gift” from Russo-Japanese War which ended recently. Almost instantly, the Varyagin sank; only 15 people, including the captain, managed to escape. For Far Eastern Russian shipping, the tragedy remained the largest in history. But then the press was not so influential, the matter was quickly forgotten. But soon one detail emerged - in his petition to the local governor-general, Varyagin’s confidant asked to compensate for the 60 thousand rubles transported on the ship in gold and some “especially valuable cargo.” Then the authorities refused the merchant, but in 1913 Captain Ovchinnikov himself tried to carry out the ship-lifting operation. The ship was found, but it turned out that completing the operation would require quite a lot of money and effort. From a depth of 26 meters it was then possible to recover only part of the valuable cargo, not gold. The second expedition was postponed due to storms, then the first one began World War, then the revolution... No more attempts were made to raise “Varyagin”. The main interest for treasure hunters is gold coins. At today's prices they cost about several million rubles! You need to look for the sunken ship in the Ussuri Bay, between the Three Stones site, Mount Vargli and Sukhodol Bay.
Kolchak's gold. This story is one of the most popular among our treasure hunters. It is not surprising that there are many versions and directions of search. It is reliably known that in 1918 in Omsk, Admiral Kolchak was proclaimed the Supreme Ruler of Russia. This power, alternative to the Soviet one, was supported by a large amount of gold previously exported from Kazan. Part of the Russian gold reserves was evacuated there at the beginning of the First World War. The Omsk branch of the state bank estimated the value of the reserve at 650 million rubles. In 1921, Kolchak’s power fell, and the gold was given away by the Czechoslovak corps in exchange for promises to leave Russia unhindered. But it turned out that there were much fewer ingots. The fortune itself was already estimated at 400 million. But where the 250 million went remains unclear. On this basis, many versions have appeared, of which two main ones can be distinguished. According to one of them, gold remained lying in the Omsk region, in particular in the underground passages under the building of that very branch of the state bank, or underground near the Zakhlamino station. Another version says that the gold was sent on convoys to Vladivostok. Important is the testimony of the Estonian soldier Karl Purrock, who served in Kolchak’s army in one of the Siberian regiments. He said that not far from Kemerovo, at the Taiga station, the gold was unloaded and buried. This version is supported by the fact that at the beginning of 1941, the omniscient NKVD summoned Purrock from Estonia to help investigators in their search. Many excavations were carried out in this area, but nothing was discovered. The Estonian himself was arrested for deceiving the Soviet authorities, and a year later he died in a correctional camp. The gold bars remained unfound, located either in Omsk, or near the village of Taiga, or somewhere else.
Treasure of the breeder Andrey Batashev. The wealthy Tula industrialist Andrei Batashev founded the village of Gus-Zhelezny in the second half of the 18th century. One part of the name arose due to the Gus River, which flows into the Oka, and the second - to the deposits iron ores. It was they who allowed Batashev to build a factory on this site. As a result, the industrialist became the de facto owner of all the surrounding areas. He drove away almost the entire population from the villages under his control, building a huge estate in two years. The house looked more like a fortress or the dwelling of a medieval feudal lord than the estate of a Russian landowner. Nearby there was a church, the Trinity Cathedral, which has survived to this day. Andrei Batashev himself, according to eyewitnesses, eventually retired, leaving the industry to his brother Ivan. The former breeder turned into a local robber. He abandoned all his affairs, immersing himself in the construction of his estate, and periodically visiting Moscow, wasting money there. Batashev stated that he had eradicated all the robber gangs in the area, but the robberies of passers-by continued. Over time, 300 people who were conducting some kind of activities inside the estate also disappeared somewhere. secret work. The breeder was patronized by Prince Potemkin himself, so the authorities did not have any special questions. But after the death of the empress’s favorite, an inspection arrived at the Eagle’s Nest estate. Among other goals, the task was to check the presence of a secret mint. But no untold riches or obvious irregularities were discovered. Without a patron, Batashev quickly turned into a hermit, dying in his home in 1799. Surprisingly, after the death of this one of richest people country of its time, no special material values were found in fate. Today, on the site of the house there is a children's sanatorium; several outbuildings, the ruins of greenhouses and a theater remain. It is clear that historians, archaeologists and treasure hunters are not so interested in them as they are in the secret system of underground galleries and caches. Only now the estate has been declared by the state historical monument, so carrying out excavations here is simply illegal. So, somewhere in the vicinity of the Eagle's Nest estate, which is near the village of Gus-Zhelezny in the Ryazan region, a treasure with valuable items remained.
Treasures of the Smolensk Bank. When Nazi troops attacked Smolensk, bank valuables were taken out of the defending city in great haste and almost at the last moment. There are facts indicating how at the beginning of August 1941 a convoy of 8 trucks set off for Vyazma, but were fired upon at the Solovyov crossing. As a result, only 5 cars reached the nearest village of Otnosovo, while the fate of the rest remained unknown. At this moment, Vyazma, located 20 kilometers to the east, was already practically captured by the Germans. Almost nothing is known about the cargo, but it is believed that these were the vehicles that transported valuables from the Smolensk bank. This assumption is based on the memories of local residents. They claimed that when one of the tarpaulin-covered cars was hit by a bomb, thousands of shiny coins scattered throughout the forest. It can be assumed that the command realized that it would not be possible to remove bank valuables from the encirclement, therefore, they burned the paper money and buried the gold and silver. This version is also supported by the fact that after the end of the war, many coins from the 1924 issue were discovered in Otnosovo, which went out of circulation long before the start of the war. But the location of the treasure itself, in which silver coins were interspersed with gold bars, remained unknown. It is believed that the estimated value of the treasure at today's prices is about 6.5 million dollars. You should look for treasures in the vicinity of the village of Otnosovo, in the Smolensk region.
Treasures of Count Rostopchin. The historical Voronovo estate is located 37 kilometers away. During the War of 1812, the residence of Moscow Governor General Rostopchin was located here. By the way, Tolstoy spoke very disparagingly about this in his novel War and Peace. Rostopchin at one time managed to turn the estate into something grandiose; contemporaries called this place a little Versailles. Antique vases and marble statues, paintings and works of art came here from European capitals. Rostopchin, who surrendered Moscow to Napoleon's troops during the retreat, deliberately set fire to his palace and left a defiant note. It reported that two houses and property worth half a million rubles were left in the city, and the estate turned into ashes. There is an opinion that in this way the count made it clear to everyone that his property was destroyed, since no evacuation was carried out. But contemporaries discovered some oddities in Rostopchin’s behavior in last days defense Previously, the count was famous for his hospitality, but he did not invite anyone from the headquarters located nearby to the estate. It remains a mystery why Rostopchin did not try to save any of the valuables, sending him along with the servants and peasants to another estate near Lipetsk. The governor carried out the arson personally, and in the fire even something that could not have burned was burned - marble statues. The elements of the picture finally began to converge in 1983, when specialists from Spetsproektrestavratsiya found an underground passage more than two meters high on the territory of the estate. Its length turned out to be short; due to the crumbling arches, the tunnel was completely filled in to avoid accidents. As a result, there is no doubt that there are underground passages in Voronovo, but serious searches in this area have never been carried out. In addition, the Voronovo sanatorium was erected here on the site of the former estate. Treasure lovers in the area can look for silver and bronze items, porcelain and paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The sanatorium is located on the 61st kilometer of the Staro-Kaluga Highway, 37 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road.
Treasure of Sigismund III. Russia is particularly rich in buried treasures. Time of Troubles, which is logical. As a result, most of the treasures found date back to the 16th-17th centuries. But the history of the most important treasure of those times is far from over. It begins with the words “I sent 923 occasions of various goods from Moscow to the Kaluga Gate to Mozhaisk.” Tradition says that the original of this recording was made on a copper plate and is kept in Warsaw. It was there that the treasures looted by the Poles were sent for King Sigismund III. In 1611, an uprising broke out in Moscow against the Polish occupiers. They brutally suppressed the riot and continued to plunder the capital. Karamzin says that the Poles “robbed the royal treasury, took all the utensils of our ancient crown-bearers, their crowns, wands, vessels, rich clothes, to send to Sigismund... they tore off frames from icons, divided gold, silver, pearls, stones and precious fabrics ". It is unclear whether the valuables were collected to be sent to Sigismund, or whether some of the nobles planned to use them for their own purposes. But the mentioned 923 carts did not even reach Smolensk, disappearing along the way. At the same time, there are even seemingly exact indications of the place where the treasure was buried - 650 meters from the churchyard of St. Nicholas the Wonderworking Lapotny, near the Khvorostyanka River. There remains a small problem - no one knows what kind of graveyard this is. This geographical concept allows the treasure to be located in many places. Researchers believe that it is necessary to look for a treasure with jewelry, gold and silver either near modern Mozhaisk, or in the vicinity of Aprelevka, in the Moscow region.
Napoleon's treasure. The fact that Napoleon collected a lot of treasures in Moscow is as much a legend as the library of Ivan the Terrible. There is no need to doubt the reality of the existence of this treasure, but the details still cause heated debate. It is clear from any history textbook that in September 1812 the French emperor decided to leave the Russian capital he had captured. His troops headed for the Old Kaluga Road, but were met by the Russians, forcing them to turn onto the Old Smolensk Road. Under Napoleon there were always two convoys. “Zolotoy” was carrying jewelry from the Kremlin, and “Zhelezny” was carrying a collection of ancient weapons. The number of carts with loot cannot be counted at all - the French did not want to leave Russia without trophies. The plans of the invaders did not include the resurrection of the Russian army, nor did the harsh Russian winter with the subsequent famine. Within a few days, the most insignificant loads began to be dropped. The first treasure related to these events was found near the Nara River near Moscow, where silver dishes were discovered. Even before the retreating troops reached Mozhaisk, Napoleon gave the order not to leave the stolen goods to the Russians, but to hide, drown or destroy. The carts that followed him survived at least until the Berezina River, when it became clear that there was no longer any talk of any treasures. Otherwise, it was possible to lose the remnants of the once victorious army. Belarusian historians believe that Napoleon dragged his part of the treasure further, while the Russians suggest that the jewelry was sunk in the Smolensk region, in one of the local lakes. Attempts to explore this area have been made more than once, in different times. So, in the early 1960s, detachments of Komsomol researchers were sent to these places, but no results were obtained. Today, the attention of historians is increasingly drawn to Lake Semlyovskoye in the Smolensk region - several years ago, geophysicists discovered an increased content of gold and silver in its waters. But finding anything here is not so easy - the entire bottom is covered with a 16-meter layer of silt. It is known that Napoleon's treasures included, in addition to ancient weapons a cross from the bell tower of Ivan the Great, diamonds, gold in coins and bars, as well as candlesticks and chandeliers made of silver.
Golden horses of Khan Batu. This treasure is golden, in the truest sense of the word, the dream of Volgograd treasure hunters. It is known that once upon a time two golden horses life size stood near the entrance to Sarai-Batu, the capital of the powerful Golden Horde. Such figures were created by order of Batu from all the golden treasures collected during the year as tribute. The horses' eyes were ruby. After the legendary Batu, Khan Berke ruled, who moved the golden figures to his Sarai, located near the present village of Tsarev, in the Volgograd region. The trail of horses is lost under Khan Mamai, or rather, along with him. History says that Mamai lost the Battle of Kulikovo, after which the Horde began to retreat. But no one could drag the heavy horses far. Today there is debate about whether the horses were entirely made of gold, or hollow inside. Researchers are wondering whether the figures were hidden together or separately. According to one version, one horse was buried along with Mamai, which means you need to look for the treasure in one of the mounds, of which there are simply many in the vicinity. The most popular search area is the bank of the Akhtuba River, just below the city of Leninsk in the Volgograd region.
28.09.2015
Sometimes it seems that treasure hunters only exist in adventure books. And in modern world It is naive to count on finding treasures by chance. Our ranking of the Top 10 most famous treasures in world history proves the opposite. This means that the earth and depths of the sea they are still saving pleasant surprises for desperate treasure hunters.
10. Basement with a secret
Sometimes, to find the largest treasures, you don’t need to diligently wield a shovel. So, a married couple from France didn’t even have to leave their home to do this. The treasure was found in the basement of their house. One day, while trying to fix a leak water pipes, a couple from the city of Milo found an embedded clay pot. Its contents made the home owners forget about problems with the pipes. The jug was filled with old gold coins. There were a little more than 30 of them in total. However, according to a numismatist, today the find could be worth about 100 thousand euros. After all, all coins are of great interest to collectors. Thus, the most expensive of them is considered to be the louis d'or, issued during the reign of Louis XIII. An expert valued the 1640 coin at 6,500 euros. According to French law, spouses are the rightful owners of treasures. And all because the treasure was found on their private property.
9. Easy money
In 2010, Italian drivers could feel like real treasure hunters. Although there was no need to look for 1 and 2 euro coins. Money amounting to 2 million euros was scattered along the Autobahn. This happened near the city of Foggia in the south of the country. The whole point is that as a result of an accident, a cash-in-transit vehicle overturned. In its back they transported money from the Italian mint to the country's banks. Is this a treasure? Definitely for those drivers who feverishly stuffed coins into their pockets and left the scene of an accident. The police arrived quite quickly, but the short time was enough for passing drivers to grab a total of 10 thousand euros.
8. Profitable hobby
Englishman Lawrence Egerton has an interesting hobby. He likes to wander through the fields with a metal detector. Not to say that he is enthusiastically looking for treasures; rather, he is simply relaxing. In October 2014, during one of these walks, his headphones suddenly beeped. It could be an old horseshoe or tin, but Egerton looked at the find with curiosity. It turned out to be 2 ancient coins. The man decided to check the place more thoroughly. And armed with a shovel, he drove it into the ground. Very shallow underground, he discovered a treasure consisting of copper coins. Realizing that he had found real treasures, Lawrence hastened to turn to specialists. Throughout the three days it took to prepare the group of archaeologists, Egerton did not leave the site of the discovery. He guarded the coins, preferring to sleep in the car. Specialists who arrived at the scene established that the coins belonged to III century n. e. So, from the county of Devon, 22 thousand coins of the Roman Empire migrated to the British Museum. Presumably, the cost of the find is about 100 thousand pounds. Part of the funds is due to the owner of the land in which long years the coins were lying around. The rest will rightfully go to Lawrence Egerton.
7. Princely cache
In 1917, representatives of noble families and prominent merchant families were forced to hastily leave Russia. Leaving the country, each of them fervently hoped to return. Therefore, we took the minimum amount for the trip so that it would be enough for the first time. They tried to hide the main wealth in the form of family jewelry, silverware and masterpieces of painting more reliably until better times. So it turned out that the largest treasures found in the 20th century in Russia often have noble roots. Thus, the hiding place of the Yusupov princes was accidentally declassified shortly after the revolution. But the treasures of the Trubetskoy-Naryshkins lay in a secluded place until 2012. It was then that during the restoration of the outbuilding, a secret room was accidentally discovered. It contained 40 bags of real treasures. In addition to the already mentioned silver and jewelry, the bags contained orders and medals from tsarist times, antique clock. All items were carefully packed in linen rags soaked in vinegar. Due to this, all 2168 items were preserved in perfect condition.
6. Reward for perseverance
Sometimes treasure hunters spend their entire lives searching for treasures. However, not everyone is lucky in this case either. Providence rewarded Richard Miles and Reg Mead for their perseverance. These two residents of the island of Jersey, located in the English Channel, spent more than 30 years of their lives searching for the treasure. And in 2009, hundreds of silver and gold coins were found. Professional archaeologists have already established the age of the coins. This kind of money was in use in 50 BC. e. Of course, this is an invaluable historical find. As for the more mundane facts: the treasure weighs about 750 kg, and the cost reaches 10 million pounds. The coins had been in the ground for an incredibly long time, and the metal had become caked with the soil. Therefore, the find is a huge block, but archaeologists expect to clean and separate the coins. And Reg and Richard, of course, will be rewarded. Although they modestly note that money does not play a special role in this situation. The men are happy that their long-standing dream of a treasure has come true.
5. Arturito smells treasure
There is Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile. This place is named so because for 4 whole years it was the home of the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk. And his story inspired Daniel Defoe to create the beloved book about Robinson Crusoe. So one of the local private companies stated that at a depth of 15 meters in this place they are buried countless treasures. Such conclusions were made possible by the use of the latest robot, which company representatives affectionately call Arturito. The robot is capable of scanning layers of earth to a depth of 50 meters, accurately determining what is hidden underneath. This time Arturito found 720 tons of gold. Apparently, the jewelry is a pirate treasure hidden on the island by the famous Spanish corsair Juan Esteban Ubilla back in the 18th century. His legacy is regularly searched for by desperate treasure hunters, methodically digging through every piece of land on the island. And “Arturito” found her gold in 2005. Be that as it may, there is still no information that the treasure was excavated.
4. Bellamy the Pirate's Treasure
The fearsome pirate Samuel Bellamy served in the navy long before his criminal career. Having boarded a ship at the age of 18, he fell in love with the sea with all his soul. He could only talk more passionately about his beloved. Maria Hallett met him in America, and the young Englishman was ready to lead the beautiful American down the aisle. But the groom was poor. And in order to earn money to support his young family, he became a pirate. In just a year, he established a good business. An extensive network of informants made it possible to identify ships whose holds were filled with a variety of valuables. The victim simply had no chance to escape from the fast frigate Vaida. This went on all year, and in 1717 Samuel managed to hit an unusually rich jackpot. The ship was filled to capacity with jewelry and gold coins. The pirate hurried to his beloved, now he could afford the most luxurious life. However, Maria did not wait for her beloved. Caught in a storm, the ship, along with its crew and treasures, sank. And it would have remained at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea if not for archaeologist Barry Clifford. In 1982, on a sandbank, he discovered an old ship, and about 5 tons of real pirate treasure. By modern standards, this pirate treasure could be worth more than $15 million.
3. Whose crown?
During the demolition of an old building in the Polish city of Sroda Slaska, a treasure was discovered. This happened in 1985, and became one of the most notorious events of the 20th century in the world of archeology. The treasure consisted of 3,000 silver coins and 40 gold coins. Except old money there were pendants, rings and other jewelry. Historians claim that gold jewelry was made in the 12th-13th centuries. But another find is of greatest value. Among other treasures was a golden crown. It is not known for certain who it belonged to. However, experts suggest that the crown was made for Blanca Valois. Who was the first wife of the King of Bohemia and Germany, Charles IV of Luxembourg. By the way, the famous Charles Bridge in the Czech capital is named in his honor. As for the treasure, all its components are kept in museums in Poland. Most of it is in Sroda Śląska itself, and the rest can be seen in Krakow.
2. Do the impossible for silver
There is a company in the USA that specializes in marine treasures. After all, it’s no secret that the largest treasures are under water. As a result of numerous shipwrecks, the jewelry reserves of the seas are impressive. So here it is American company An operation of unprecedented complexity was carried out. More than 2.7 thousand silver bars were recovered from the bottom, the total weight of which was 108 tons. But besides the big find, OMEX has another reason to be proud. The fact is that the silver was located at a depth of 5 km. In 1941, the British merchant ship Gersoppa was carrying an incredibly valuable cargo. The precious metal was necessary for military needs. However, when 500 km remained from the coast of Ireland, the ship was sunk by a German submarine. Of the 85 sailors, only one managed to survive. And the silver ended up forever in the Atlantic Ocean. However, despite all the difficulties, OMEX managed to do the impossible. The first part of the treasure, weighing 48 tons, was brought to the surface in 2012. On next year I managed to get the rest. The total value of the treasure was 73 million dollars. In accordance with the official agreement, 20% of the find was transferred to Great Britain. And 80% of the treasure was received by the OMEX company.
1. Shocking discovery in the temple
IN Indian state Kerala is located famous temple Padmanabhaswamy. Its main decoration is a 5-meter statue of Vishnu. The figure of the deity is completely covered with gold and lavishly decorated with precious stones. But it was not this remarkable exhibit that made the monastery famous throughout the world. In 2011, a cache filled to the brim with gold was found at the base of the temple. The weight of the objects was an incredible 30 tons, and their value was 22 billion dollars. Historians suggest that the rulers of Travancore stored the valuables for several hundred years.
Who doesn't dream of finding treasure? But do not forget that easy-to-get money does not always bring happiness. And then, it’s much more useful to look around. It is quite possible that your greatest treasure has been drinking coffee with you in the morning for many years.
On January 9, 1932, in the ruins of the ancient Indian settlement of Monte Albana in southern Mexico, a rich treasure of the 13th century belonging to the Zapotec people was discovered.
When and where else were the largest treasures in human history found?
1. Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is considered a cemetery for sunken ships carrying untold treasures. More than 6 thousand sunken ships rest on its bottom. In 1953, Finnish fishermen came across a ship that had been sunk near the islet of Borste, near the city of Turku. At that moment, he made no impression on archaeologists and historians. However, in 1961, divers from Sweden began studying it. It turned out that this was the galleon "St. Michael". On October 15, 1747, he headed from Amsterdam to the shores of St. Petersburg. On board were valuable cargo destined for the imperial court. Also, a gift was personally delivered to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, in the form of a carved gold convertible. When permission to carry out work at a depth of Finnish side was received, Swedish divers opened the cabins and during the first days of the expedition they recovered many gold objects encrusted with precious stones. 34 gold snuff boxes, a set of gold and silver watches, porcelain. Among them was a gilded carriage for Elizabeth.
2. Baltic Sea
In the summer of 1999, a Finnish search expedition discovered the schooner Frau Maria, shipwrecked in 1771, on board which were treasures for the Hermitage - various works of art that were ordered from Holland by the Russian Empress Catherine II.
In the holds of the ship there were many paintings that were not just sealed in boxes, but packed in leather cases, placed in lead vessels, and then filled with wax. In addition to paintings, there were other valuable items on the ship, such as porcelain, bronze, and products made from various precious metals.
After the treasures were actually found, legal proceedings began to determine who they should belong to - those who found them or those for whom they were originally intended. The court transferred the right of disposal to the discoverers. Russia did not agree with this. The matter of this treasure has not yet been resolved.
3. Moscow Kremlin
In 1910, during the construction of shopping arcades (currently the GUM is located on this site), a treasure was found consisting of 4,820 copper kopecks dating back to the time of Alexei Mikhailovich.
At the Spassky Gate in 1939, two were found metal vessels, which were filled with thirty-three thousand silver coins dating back to the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich and Mikhail Fedorovich. This is approximately before 1654.
During the reconstruction of Red Square in 1945, a treasure trove of silver coins was found, the minting of which dates back to the reign of Ivan the Terrible - Alexei Mikhailovich.
In 1965, a cache was discovered under the building of the Patriarchal Palace. There were two crosses made of marble and lapis lazuli and bound in gold. The products dated back to the 13th century. In 1884, a treasure was found there, consisting of letters with seals from the 14th century and documents.
In 1966, during the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral, a treasure was discovered consisting of temporal three-bead rings made of silver.
The treasure is the contribution of noblewoman Morozova to the Miracle Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin. XVII century (1664). Presumably hidden by monks in 1917 (walled up in the wall). Discovered in 1931 during the destruction of the monastery. Paten. Star. A spear. Workshops of the Moscow Kremlin. Gold, precious stones, pearls. Enamel, carving. Photo: Dmitry Korobeinikov/RIA Novosti www.ria.ru.
4. Strait of Gibraltar
A huge treasure was found in the waters of the strait near Portugal. The treasure was found by the American company Odyssey on a sunken Spanish military frigate in 2007. 500 thousand silver and gold coins, as well as jewelry and jewelry were lifted from its side. The cost of this one of the most expensive treasures was $500 million. The court handed over all the treasures found to the Spanish government as historical value.
5. Atlantic Ocean
In 2009, an incredible treasure worth more than three billion dollars was discovered in the Atlantic, off the coast of Guyana (a state in the northeastern part of South America). During the Second World War, a ship sank in those places, the holds of which were filled with gold, platinum and diamonds. According to the main version, the owners of this cargo were the Soviet Union and Britain. The American company that discovered the treasure tried to classify information about it, but failed. There is a version that she paid her allies with these diamonds, gold and platinum. Soviet Russia for clothing, food and weapons. In 1942, a treasure ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine.
6. England
The “catch” in the amount of $5 million belongs to the English treasure hunter Dave Crypt, who in 2010, using a regular metal detector, discovered a vessel with ancient coins in a farmer’s field in Somerset County - there were more than 52 thousand of them. Some of them date back to the 3rd century. How the lucky man disposed of the find is unknown.
7. Chile
In 2005, specialists from the Chilean company Wagner, who used their own engineering development - a robot capable of scanning molecular composition soil at a depth of 50 meters, they found 600 barrels with more than 800 tons of gold.
It is believed that they belonged to the Spanish navigator Juan Ubill. In 1715, he buried a huge amount of gold on one of the islands of the Juan Fernandez archipelago off the coast of Chile.
The treasure was sought by many famous treasure hunters, for example, the American millionaire Bernard Kaiser, who sold his highly successful business producing fabric for NASA space suits in order to search for the Chilean treasure. However, only the Chilean company was lucky, which, by the way, with difficulty later defended its right to 50 percent of the value of the treasure from the Chilean government (the treasure was valued at $10 billion).
8. India
In the summer of 2011, the world's largest treasure was found, worth 22 billion dollars! The treasure was found in the Sri Padmanambhaswamy Temple in India, more precisely, in four of its crypts. The treasure consisted of precious stones, jewelry and gold coins, as well as countless works of art, the most outstanding of which has already been recognized as a 1.2-meter statue of the god Vishnu, cast from pure gold and decorated with emeralds and diamonds.
The amount of treasure was so enormous that the officials who appraised them did not count the coins one at a time, but weighed them in whole bags.
Treasures that every archaeologist dreams of finding
1. Ark of the Covenant
According to the Bible, this is the greatest shrine of the Jewish people. The Ark of the Covenant (sometimes also called the Ark of Testimony) contained the tablets containing the Ten Commandments of Moses. The Old Testament says that the Ark was made of wood, but was trimmed with gold inside and out.
In 607 BC. e. Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in Solomon's Temple, was besieged and then captured by the Babylonians. The Jews were able to retake the city only 70 years later. But when they returned to Jerusalem, they never found the Ark.
Historians and adventurers are still looking for it. Not only for the gold it contained, but also because the existence of the Ark would mean that many of the events described in the Bible were true.
2. Treasures of the Templars
Knightly order, which at first was right hand church, and then it was declared worst enemy, managed to acquire considerable wealth. The knights supposedly went to the Holy Land to guard the path to it for pilgrims, but in reality they were actively searching for ancient treasures and shrines. Some researchers suggest that the Templars managed to find the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and the treasures of King Solomon.
However, after the brutal reprisal of the knights of the order, most of the wealth was lost.
3. Tomb of Genghis Khan
Between 1217 and 1227, Genghis Khan created the most big empire in world history and became the most influential person on the planet. At his disposal were countless riches captured in China, India, and Ancient Rus'.
Historians are still wondering where these untold riches went. In particular, it is assumed that his tomb can eclipse all previous similar finds, for example, the tomb of Tutankhamun. According to legend, the conqueror bequeathed to kill every soldier who would participate in his burial, and then turn the river so that it passed over his tomb.
4. Amber room
An 18th-century masterpiece of art lost during World War II has yet to be found. According to one version, she was kidnapped by the Nazis and exhibited for review in Konigsberg, which was destroyed by Allied bombing.
According to another version, the Nazis exhibited a copy in Konigsberg, and the Amber Room itself was taken to an unknown location. There is also a version according to which the Nazis got a copy of the Amber Room, and the masterpiece itself was hidden on the orders of Joseph Stalin.
5. Blackbeard's Treasure
The pirate nicknamed Blackbeard sailed the Atlantic for only two years (1716-1718), but managed to loot more than enough. Just at this time, the Spanish colonialists were actively transporting gold and silver mined in South America, to Europe. And the pirate made good money by robbing Spanish galleons.
Blackbeard hid the loot somewhere, but the secret of the location of his hiding place went with him to the grave on the day when the British officer Robert Maynard caught the pirate and strung him up on a yardarm.
Some researchers believe that the key to the cache can be found in the remains of Blackbeard's ship, which was called Queen Anne's Revenge and was sunk by the British shortly before the pirate's death. The ship is believed to be located off the coast of North Carolina.
Dedicated to all those who like to look for other people's property in the earth (and not only) - the largest treasures found from all corners of the earth!
Did you play pirates or robbers as a child? Then you probably at least once drew a map with an “X” sign, and then pretended that you were looking for a valuable treasure - a chest of gold, for example. Well, the treasures that BigPiccha will tell you about today were actually found - by random lucky people or true adventurers. Only, unlike your childhood trinkets, these valuables are worth much, MUCH more. The most interesting thing is that sometimes the treasure is practically under our noses.
1. Treasure in the foundation of a building in the city of Środa Śląska
In 1985, builders took on the renovation of the ancient building and discovered a treasure in the foundation dating back to the beginning of the 14th century. The walled vase contained more than 3,000 rare coins, medallions and a gold crown. The find is valued at $150 million. The treasure is currently on display in the Wroclaw Museum.
In 2012, searchers recovered about 48 tons of silver from the ocean floor. The treasure became one of the largest finds of silver. Its cost was estimated at $38 million. The valuable cargo was on a military transport ship that sank after an attack by German submarines. The treasure was found after the British Department of Transport announced a reward.
In 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company that specializes in geological exploration, found a Spanish ship on the shelf. Gold and silver coins were found on board. After the treasure was found, a terrible scandal broke out. The Spanish government demanded that the treasure be returned. And the gold itself was exported from the territory of Peru.
In 2011, gold was discovered in the foundations of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the value of which is estimated at $22 billion. And it weighed more than 30 tons. The son of the last maharaja was present at the opening of the treasure.
6. The treasure was found in 2010 by David Crisp. He is an amateur treasure hunter. The treasure is estimated at only $5 million. The most valuable treasure in historical aspect: this is due to the fact that during this period the Roman Empire was experiencing an economic crisis and the quality of the coins was very low, and the treasure itself represented a four-year salary of a legionnaire. The found coins can be seen in the British Museum.
The cargo with platinum was supposed to be delivered to New York during the Second World War - this platinum was used to pay for “Allied assistance.” But the ship was sunk by a German submarine. It is very difficult to estimate the value of this treasure - according to rough estimates, it is worth $3 billion. It was found by treasure hunter Greg Brooks.
The largest treasure found in England was discovered in 2009. Amateur treasure hunter Terry Herbert found the treasure. Almost all items date back to the 7th century AD. The treasure consists of silver and gold objects, their total weight is 7.5 kg, and the quantity reaches 1,500 pieces. These are weapons, dishes, and also jewelry.
10. Archaeologists who were excavating on the island of Jersey (Britain) discovered a cache of Celtic treasures. The treasure was hidden about two thousand years ago. Most likely, it was hidden from the Roman troops who invaded British Isles. Now the cost of jewelry and coins is estimated at $17 million.
The treasure was found during the renovation of the mansion in which the Trubetskoy-Naryshkins lived. During the renovation, a secret room was discovered that was not marked on the building plans. It contained entire deposits of silverware with the coat of arms of the Naryshkin family, awards and jewelry. The dishes have a magnificent appearance because they were in linen cloth soaked in vinegar. This cache was created in 1917. The treasure was valued at 189 million rubles.
13. In the state library of the town of Passau, cleaner Tanya Hels accidentally discovered rare coins in 2011. Tanya took her find to management. The treasure is estimated at several million euros. This cache contained very rare Byzantine, Greek, and Roman coins. It is believed that this collection was hidden from the authorities in 1803, for the reason that the authorities took away the monastery coins and books for government needs.
This treasure was found in 1984 by an archaeologist who specializes in underwater excavations. The value of the treasure is estimated at $15 million. He was on a sunken ship built in the 18th century.
The Atocha galleon was loaded with jewels for two months! With great difficulty, the ship was able to set sail, but it never reached the metropolis. The ship sank off the coast of Florida. The Spanish authorities repeatedly tried to raise the treasure from the bottom, but all attempts were unsuccessful. And only in 1985 Mel Fisher was lucky enough to find the treasure. To find him, Mel created an entire company, Treasurers Salvors Incorporated, and was also able to find investors for financing. When searching for the treasure, Mel's team examined about 120 square meters. miles of seabed. The value of the raised values is estimated at $450 million. It is believed that $500 million worth of valuables were not found from this vessel. And they probably won’t find it anymore...
While some only dream of finding valuable artifacts, others, armed with tools, go to excavations. The discovery of ancient treasures is always an exciting event. It is difficult to count how many treasures have been found in Russia today, but it is worth highlighting the five most famous.
The largest treasures in Russia
Scythian Gold
The vast space between the Danube and Don is strewn with many mounds left after the disappearance of the Scythian tribes. Raids on burial mounds began in the Middle Ages, and today’s collection of the Hermitage and other museums is replete with a huge number of gold items from Scythian burials.Vladimir Golden Gate
According to legend, oak doors were covered with copper sheets with a thick layer of gilding. They disappeared in 1238, during the offensive of the Tatar-Mongol troops. Legend says that at the moment they rest at the bottom of the river. Klyazma. 
Kolchak's Gold
Over 1600 tons of gold. Kolchak used some of the gold to buy weapons. The second part was found by Red Army soldiers after his arrest. And there are conflicting rumors about the third part of the gold reserves, but all traces lead to Tyumen. 
Napoleonic treasure
The looted wealth of Moscow was placed on two hundred carts. With the onset of winter, Napoleon's troops returned to France, but the difficulties of movement forced them to get rid of some of the booty along the way. Along the route from Moscow towards Smolensk, many valuables were discovered, but the fate of the main part is unknown to this day. 
Treasure hidden by Sonya Zolotoy Ruchka on Khitrovka
Having a weakness for jewelry, the cheat skillfully appropriated them for herself. It is believed that in the center of Moscow, she hid a huge diamond. The exact location is not known. According to legend, the fraudster hid it in a samovar buried next to the Khitrov market. 
Top most famous treasures of world history
But not only in Russia, hidden treasures can be found all over the world. There are legends about them, movies are made, books are written. Every year thousands of people from all over the world try their luck in search of sunken ships, pirate hiding places, caves, grottoes, and carry out excavations in the most various parts globe. Here is a list of just some of them:Treasure on the island of Java (Indonesia)
Just recently, an amazing find was discovered consisting of 14,000 pearls, 4,000 rubies, 400 dark red sapphires, and 2,200 garnets. They were discovered on a ship that sank more than 1000 years ago. Treasure hunters also found small flasks for perfumes, jars made of baked clay, dishes, vases from the Fatimid dynasty, which once ruled Ancient Egypt. Such 10th-century finds from sunken ships are extremely rare, and this will fill a large gap in knowledge about those times. 
Treasures of Tillya-Tepe in Afghanistan
In northern Afghanistan, near Shibargan, in 1979 (a year before the entry of Soviet troops), archaeological excavations were carried out under the leadership of V. Sarianidi. A treasure consisting of approximately 20,000 gold ornaments was discovered in six graves. The find consisted of coins, belts, necklaces encrusted with precious stones, medallions and a crown.Treasure discovered in Staffordshire
In 2009, archaeologist Terry Herbert discovered a treasure dating from the Anglo-Saxon era. The treasure weighed 10 kg and consisted of gold, precious stones, and silver. Among the items were armor, swords, dishes, and religious objects.Pirate's Treasure - Florida Beach
In 1984, treasure hunter Barry Clifford discovered a treasure that once belonged to pirates on the Florida coast. About five tons of various valuables were recovered from the shipwreck. The treasure was valued at $15,000. 
Treasure of Tutankhamun (Egypt)
In 1922, Howard Carter discovered a golden coffin, made in an unsurpassed manner, in the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as a throne, masks and many other treasures. The tomb was the first that had not been looted before. The find was hailed as a huge discovery. 
Pereshchepinskoe treasure (Bulgaria)
The treasure was discovered by accident in 1912 in the village. Maloye Pereshchepino in Ukraine, 13 km from Poltava. The shepherd boy literally fell into the Kuvrat tomb, which belonged to the founder of Great Bulgaria, Asparukh's father. More than 800 items, weighing gold items - 25 kg, silver items - 50 kg. Amphoras, dishes, cups, 12 gold and 11 silver bowls, stirrups, a blade in a gold sheath, a saddle, etc. were found.The largest treasure found
History contains many legends about treasures and the lucky people who managed to find them. But there are treasures the sight of which will take the breath away of the most notorious skeptics. In the dungeons located in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple (India), researchers were able to discover countless treasures that amazed the whole world. 
Five hidden vaults were uncovered in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Cathedral, built in honor of the god Vishnu. According to experts, their price is 25 billion dollars, and this gives grounds to consider it the largest treasure to date.
To date, research continues in 2 more secret chambers and, perhaps, new hiding places will be discovered.
The largest treasure in the world included gold coins, bars weighing about 2 tons, a diamond necklace 5.5 m long, and several bags of diamonds. And the most outstanding find is considered to be a statue of the god Vishu, made of gold, 1.2 m high.
Very often problems arise with the right to own the discovered treasure. For example, treasures found by the American company Odyssey near Portugal from a sunken Spanish military frigate. 500,000 coins, jewelry and jewelry were brought to the surface. The fate of these artifacts has not yet been determined. The Spanish government has put forward its right, but the company is defending its rights, since the treasure was discovered on neutral territory.
The frigate Nuestra Señora las Mercedes was transporting coins from the Spanish colony to Peru in 1804, and was sunk by the British near Cape St. Mary. About 200 frigate sailors were killed in the explosion.
Treasures often contain not only jewelry, but also money. .
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