Unraveling the Universe: Griffins Tower

By Jonathan Melvin

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: September 24, 2014 (Issue # 1830)

Legend has it that the numbers, if solved, reveal the secret to immortality. Photo: flickr

Tucked away in one of St. Petersburgs hundreds of claustrophobic courtyards is a less well-known relic of the northern capitals past. This relatively well-preserved historical monument, known as Griffins Tower, is perhaps one of the more mysterious attractions that the city has to offer, especially when considering the works intriguing origins.

Located on Vasilievky Island and roughly 11 meters high and two meters wide, the tower was built circa the 19th-century by a famous St. Petersburg pharmacist named William Pell. The tower was originally a part of Pells pharmaceutical factory, in which he produced various remedies and cures for the sick and unwell citizens of St. Petersburg. While one might consider such a construction merely commonplace, it is the legend behind the tower and the mysterious inscription upon its aged brick exterior that once brought many-a-tourist upon its secluded locale.

According to the legends surrounding the tower, William Pell was said to be more than a mere pharmacist. While the medicine man created traditional healing concoctions by day for the most typical of illnesses and diseases, by night the pharmacist was alleged to have used the tower to incubate magical griffins. The griffins, unfortunately, were said to be invisible save for a brief moment at midnight when the mystical creatures could be witnessed in the reflections of the windows looking in on the tower from the adjacent buildings within the courtyard. Few have ever claimed to witness the magical beasts.

While the griffins were said to be invisible, the inscriptions plastering the exterior brickwork of the tower are as plain as daylight. Perhaps the most mysterious aspect of the towers history, an extensive series of numbers each brick bearing its own numeral snakes its way around the entirety of the tower. Some locals allege that the numbers are a part of some master code of the universe. Ostensibly remaining to this day unsolved, one who happens to stumble upon the numerals secret message shall discover the secret of immortality.

Of course, for those out there who are more skeptical, there are other, more sensible explanations behind the towers mysterious code of numbers. While some might obsess over the secret behind the numbers, the numbers are actually of a much simpler nature. In fact, the numerals are a lengthy inventory identification number for a giant egg that was placed at the summit of the tower on May 1, 1994, by Alexei Kostroma, an artist linked with the creative association known as TUT-I-TAM. Symbolizing the purity of the city, the placing of the egg was inspired by the overlapping of International Workers Day and Orthodox Easter. In short, those unfamiliar with Kostromas inventory-tracking practices simply created the idea that the numbers were in fact the code of the universe.

Unfortunately, the giant egg no longer adorns the tower: having been replaced multiple times after being vandalized, the association has given up. Nonetheless, those wishing to witness this niche historical landmark can certainly seek it out, though local residents, in what can only be alleged as having been fed up with constant visitors, have blocked the courtyard with a gate. Thus, if you do indeed seek the answers to the universe, you will first have to be patient.

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Unraveling the Universe: Griffins Tower