Lake Svetloyar, Russia (folk tale)
The Sunken City of Kitezh
Folklore — not a documented case
In Russian legend, an invisible city sank into Lake Svetloyar with its praying people as the Mongol army approached, and is said to live on beneath the water.
Small Lake Svetloyar, hidden in the forests of Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, is tied to one of the best-known legends of Russian folk culture. According to the tales, Grand Prince Georgy II of Vladimir founded a city here called Greater Kitezh, famed for its churches and white stone walls.
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Read in the appThe stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.