Saed News: A group of archaeologists in the Starocherkasskaya region, near the city of Rostov-on-Don in Russia, have discovered objects linked to a local legend from the Russian Civil War era and the region’s Cossacks.
According to SAEDNEWS, the excavation began after the owner of an agricultural land asked the “Heritage” archaeological association to inspect part of his farm. For years, villagers had spoken about valuable items that were said to have been hidden there during the conflicts of 1920. According to this account, a Cossack woman named “Martinova” hid her family belongings inside a deep well before the arrival of Bolshevik forces.
Archaeologists, during their search under the property, discovered a well about five meters deep. Inside the well, several metal vessels were found, including three bronze basins, one copper basin, and one silver bowl.
Roman Yulkin, head of the archaeological team, said that the discovered objects match the details of an old story passed down through generations in the village. He added that the silver bowl alone, due to its size and age, could now be worth nearly 500,000 rubles.
This excavation also led to the discovery of 34 other small objects. Among them are old coins, religious items, and household objects related to the life of the Don region’s people.
Researchers also identified a “denga” coin and a half-kopeck coin from the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna in the 18th century. They also found two crosses belonging to Russian “Old Believers”.
Starocherkasskaya was once the capital of the Cossacks and is still considered one of the oldest settlements in the Rostov region. Archaeologists have been excavating there for years due to its historical importance.
Roman Yulkin, head of the Heritage archaeological association, said: “We consider this discovery a real treasure. First, it confirms the old legend about hidden objects, and secondly, such vessels were truly very expensive at the beginning of the last century. Even today, the value of a silver bowl weighing more than one kilogram, considering its historical importance, reaches about half a million rubles.”
During the Russian Civil War, many families hid their money, jewelry, and valuable possessions underground as armies moved through southern Russia. Some of these hidden assets were never found again. The discovered objects will now be cleaned and examined and then transferred to regional museum collections.
Village residents also closely followed the excavation, as the story of the hidden treasure had been told among locals for decades until this discovery finally took place.
