Work Text:
Starkov Hall
Location Keramzin, Ravka
Built 1623
Owner Kaz Brekker & Inej Ghafa
Starkov Hall is a large country house in Keramzin, Ravka. Built on the site of the original Stolba Hall, it is said to have been haunted by the devil and the ghost of a woman (commonly believed to be Alina Starkova).
Starkov Hall has a long history of ownership, through private residence, landlords, two different orders of nuns and a hotel run by members of the Zlatan family in the 1980s.
Purchased by Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa in 2015, Starkov Hall was opened to the public in 2017 with guided tours of the house and fully restored walled gardens.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
Alina Keyen Starkova
Born: 21 June 1761
Died: 29 November 1780 (age 19)
Children: Lukyan Aleksandr Starkov, 3rd Viscount Stolba (rumoured)
Parents: Anton Bogdan Starkov, 2nd Viscount Stolba
Keyen Leyti Starkova nee Kir-Taban, Viscountess Stolba
The Honourable Alina Starkova was the daughter of a Ravkan nobleman and a minor princess of Shu Han’s Taban dynasty, born on 21 June 1761 (the Summer Solstice) at Starkov Hall. She was the first child born to Anton Starkov 2nd Viscount Stolba and his wife Keyen Starkova Viscountess Stolba.
She was present at Starkov Hall during the alleged visit in January 1780 by a mysterious man rumoured to have been the devil. She died under somewhat mysterious circumstances on 29 November 1780.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Alina Starkova
Anton Starkov inherited his title of Viscount Stolba from a bachelor uncle in 1757, one year before he married Keyen Kir-Taban, a minor princess of Shu Han’s Taban dynasty, who gave up her royal title to wed Starkov. Although their marriage was by all accounts considered to be a love match (what else could it be, people said, when she lost her title and he received no dowry, for the Empress refused to pay it over when Keyen chose to marry below her station), the affection between them did not survive more than a few years following their wedding.
Their daughter Alina was born in 1761 and contemporary records indicate that both were fond of her, but their continued focus on producing a son created distance between all three. It was not, one guest commented in a letter to his wife, a lively household.
There was considered to be something gloomy about Starkov Hall even before the incident that would make it famous.
The property was built on the site of the original Stolba Hall, which had been torn down after Dmitriy Stolba killed his wife, her lover and then himself there in 1689. Although no reliable reports exist that any of the three returned as ghosts, it was said that the section of Starkov Hall built over the spot that was once the Stolba Hall dining room – where the killings took place – was always cold, even in the summer.
Even further back in time, there are over a dozen reliable records from the 16th century suggesting that the infamous Black Heretic – a half historical, half mythical figure – stayed the night at Stolba Hall right before his confrontation with Tsar Anastas in 1583 and that the witchcraft and devil worship supposedly practiced by him and his followers left a dark cloud over the area.
Excerpt from The Haunting of Starkov Hall by Demyan Rime
One evening in January 1780, the Starkov family were at home when Grigori Borisov, the local doctor, stopped by with a man he introduced as visiting doctor Aleksandr Morozov. Borisov would later insist that he had no memory of the evening and could not recall meeting Morozov or introducing him to the Starkov family.
Morozov was welcomed into the mansion as a guest and he became very close with Alina Starkova over the next week. They were spotted by many of the locals walking together and at the dinner party held by the Starkov family a few days into Morozov’s stay, they were said to be almost inseparable.
Strangely, no one seems to have questioned Morozov’s presence or wondered why he was invited to stay by the Starkovs, who were the premier family of the region, even though they had never met him and he had only Doctor Borisov’s introduction to recommend him. Instead, Morozov appears to have been warmly welcomed and allowed an unprecedented amount of intimacy with the family, including a great deal of unchaperoned time with Alina Starkova.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
… and he is such a knowledgeable gentleman, and very indulgent in answering all my questions. Mama often says I talk too much and can be quite impertinent, but Sasha – he insists that I call him that – seems to delight in telling me all about his travels.
How I envy him and all that he has seen – the Fairy Caves in the Wandering Isle, the ruins of the Ice Court in Djerholm, the palace at Ahmrat Jen, Ketterdam University, the Grand Palace in Os Alta, and so much more. I have only had sketches and maps to look at, but Sasha has seen them all with his own eyes and can describe in great detail any aspect I ask about – the history, the culture, the art, the food, the landmarks and the people.
When I explained my own desire to travel, and my worry that I would never have the chance – mama does not seem at all enthused by the idea and I feel sure she will have me married off in the next year if she can manage it – he insisted he would take me to see every corner of the earth. It is a wild promise, really, but I found myself believing him.
Excerpt from the diary of Alina Keyen Starkova, dated 20 January 1780
One night, a week into his stay, Morozov and the Starkov family were in the Games Room playing cards, when Alina bent down to pick up a card she said she had dropped. It was reported that, when she picked up the card, she looked beneath the table and saw the Morozov had cloven feet.
Three servants in the room at the time all insisted that Alina turned quite pale and announced her discovery to the room. Rather than responding, Morozov simply stood and, in the words of one of the servants (recorded later by a friend he had told the story to) “shed his human disguise, revealing a creature eight feet tall, with black eyes, horns upon his head, sharp fangs and cloven hooves rather than feet.” He then went up through the roof, trailing shadows behind him and leaving a large hole in the ceiling.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
I cannot think. I cannot sleep. I can scarcely eat or drink.
Sasha is gone, and in a manner that I shudder to remember.
How can someone so charming and intelligent, who was solicitous and tender in his manner towards me, be the very devil that the priests preach about each week?
Excerpt from the diary of Alina Keyen Starkova, dated 24 January 1780
He has come to me.
Late at night, in my room.
I thought to scream but, in the end, I was too glad to see him.
Am I damned for this? He is no man, despite the form he takes, but the very devil himself.
I let him touch me, though, and now I wonder if the fires of Hell await me.
And yet it seems so cruel! This does not feel like a sin, it feels – and forgive my blasphemy – like heaven when I am in his arms.
Excerpt from the diary of Alina Keyen Starkova, dated 6 February 1780
Torn into pieces and burned in the fireplace minutes after writing
In the aftermath of Morozov’s disappearance, Alina became extremely despondent. She rarely left Starkov Hall and, when she did, locals noticed that she was dreamy and distracted. For a brief time, she enjoyed a resurgence in health but when her parents – apparently concerned about her fixation on the absent Morozov – invited a priest to cleanse the house of evil and speak with Alina, she became ill once more and was never seen out of Starkov Hall again. It is believed that the Starkov family were ashamed of Alina – due to her unstable mind, or her possible pregnancy, perhaps both.
Some suggest she was driven mad by the sight of the devil, others that she pined for the lover who had left suddenly. Another theory is that she suffered from a mental illness that became worse around that time, leading her to suffer hallucinations and delusions – this hypothesis is generally dismissed, however, given that Alina showed no indications of any psychosis prior to the events of January 1780, and that the rumours of Aleksandr Morozov’s demonic form were spread by a number of Starkov Hall servants, not by Alina herself.
Little is known for sure – although much has been speculated (most recently in the 2022 limited series Starkov Hall) – about what went on at Starkov Hall from January to November 1780. The family saw almost no guests, citing Alina’s unspecified illness and, later, the alleged ill health of the Viscountess. For the last month of her life, it is reported that Alina refused food and drink, spending most of her time in an armchair by her window, looking out across the garden, as if she expected the mysterious Mr Morozov to return at any moment.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
I cannot feel him anymore.
The connection is not gone, exactly, but it’s stifled, like something is keeping Sasha away from me.
I persuaded Marie to tell me what had happened. She admitted that mama and papa had the priest here again, and that he buried vials of holy water around the grounds. I know such superstitious things do not have the power to harm Sasha, but they must be able to repel him so he cannot reach me here.
I tried to go to him, but they caught me before I reached the stairs. They think me mad, I know, and tell me I am not in my right mind.
But I have never been more clear-headed in my life.
Excerpt from the diary of Alina Keyen Starkova, dated 9 March 1780
… It is a most disturbing tale, the devil so easily slipping into the home of pious people who worship the saints as they should. The evil one is crafty indeed. And then there is the girl and her … condition. I feel certain that the coming child should not be allowed to live, it being the spawn of the devil, but it is a delicate matter and so I have not yet discussed it with the Viscount. I seek counsel on how to proceed in this …
Excerpt of a letter from Father Konstantin to The Apparat of Ravka, dated 10 March 1780
Unsent when it was burned to ashes by a fire at Keramzin Church on 10 March 1780 that claimed the life of Father Konstantin
My dear aunt,
These have been very strange weeks. Keramzin has always been such a dull place where little of interest ever happens. Recently, however, there have been all manner of disturbing events, although it is hard to be sure whether they are connected.
The most recent is quite tragic – the death of Father Konstantin, who has ministered here for almost four decades, in an unfortunate fire that thankfully did not spread beyond the church yard …
Excerpt of a letter from Karolina Petrova to her aunt Ludmilla Petrova, dated 14 March 1780
… ask that you keep this unfortunate business completely private. I would greatly appreciate your advice in contacting a discrete midwife who could assist us. We estimate that the child is due in October and …
Excerpt of a letter from Keyen Starkova Viscountess Stolba to her sister-in-law Lady Olga Popova, dated 3 June 1780
I have not seen mama or papa in weeks.
They do not like to visit. Mama only weeps and papa looks grave. They cringe when they glance at my stomach and consider it a sign of shame, rather than proof of the love Sasha and I share.
Excerpt from the diary of Alina Keyen Starkova, dated 19 August 1780
The last time Alina was seen in society was a month and a half after the visit by the family’s mysterious guest. The story put out by her family was that she was seriously unwell, unable to leave Starkov Hall or receive visitors. Lady Starkova also kept to the house, allegedly on account of a delicate condition (believed to refer to a pregnancy) and only Viscount Starkov was seen in public.
When, about nine months after the visit, it was announced that Lady Starkova had given birth to a son named Lukyan, gossip naturally arose that the baby was in fact Alina’s own child, conceived with the mysterious stranger who had left the household in such disarray. Such rumours were always denied by the family, but they persisted nonetheless.
Alina died only one month after Lukyan’s birth, the cause of death recorded as a fever. She was buried in the Starkov family crypt in Keramzin Graveyard.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Alina Starkova
Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha Sasha
Found scribbled across thirteen pages in a notebook taken from Alina Starkova’s suite in Starkov Hall following her death
… forgive me for not writing to you sooner. It has been a painful time for us and I confess that I could not bear to write down anything of our troubles.
The infant has been named Lukyan Aleksandr Starkov – his middle name was a source of some contention for us all, but Alina was so very insistent that we did not have it in us to deny her, especially as she was so very ill.
She is with the saints now, I believe (I hope), and will find some comfort there.
Lukyan is a quiet infant, almost unnaturally so. He always seems to be looking at something none of the rest of us can see. It unnerves me a little, I must confess, but the doctor says there is nothing to worry about and he will grow out of it.
Still, one cannot help but fear, especially given the circumstances of …
Excerpt of a letter from Anton Starkov 2nd Viscount Stolba to his sister Lady Olga Popova, dated 12 December 1780
He looks very much like Alina, which is both a relief and a pain to my heart.
Far easier to pass him off as ours when he looks like our first child did. If he had taken after his father … I do not think I could look at him without shuddering.
It is only his eyes that unnerve me. They usually seem dark brown, like Alina’s were. Sometimes, though, in a certain light, they appear to be pitch black. And when he looks at me, despite his tender years, I feel as if there is an unnatural intelligence behind those dark eyes.
Does he know the truth? Has he guessed the dark secrets we have tried so hard to bury? Will he one day look at the portrait of Alina on the stairs and realise she is not really his sister?
Excerpt from the diary of Keyen Starkova Viscountess Stolba, dated 19 May 1790
Our first granddaughter came into the world last night, a thankfully easy delivery for Galina, who had both her mother Genya and Keyen with her as support.
“I cannot tell who she takes after,” Galina laughed as we all admired the baby, oblivious to the discomfort Keyen and I shared.
Elena, even minutes old, had horribly familiar features. The same we saw twenty-three years ago when that thrice-damned stranger appeared.
If Lukyan was Alina in miniature, then Elena is Morozov’s face in a female cast.
“Oh, I think she looks rather like Anton’s aunt,” Keyen told Lukyan, Galina and Genya with a strained smile, “but she had no portraits done for us to compare her to.”
No one questioned my wife’s story, for which we were both thankful, but it did put a rather dark cloud over what should be a most joyous occasion for the two of us.
Excerpt from the diary of Anton Starkov 2nd Viscount Stolba, dated 2 January 1803
The period from 1803 to 1815 saw a great number of visitors to Starkov Hall write or speak of their own experiences with the alleged ghost that haunted the property.
Most reported a blurred, wispy figure that they all seemed to believe was a woman, despite being unable to describe her face. This apparition did not speak and interact with them, but made the area noticeably cooler.
A few, however, had closer encounters.
General Raevsky, who stayed for a week at Starkov Hall, later confided to his wife that he had barely slept more than four hours a night while a guest of the Starkov family, having been woken at regular intervals by a ghost that he confidently recalled looked exactly like the portrait of Alina Starkova. He believed the ghost had been trying to communicate with him – knocking over bottles of ink and cologne, rattling the windows and moving objects around his room – but he was unable to understand her messages and, in the end, her frustration had boiled over and caused a small fire that thankfully did not harm anyone.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
She came to me again last night.
I asked her questions, but she would not answer them, only sighed and repeated the same things over and over.
“Where is my baby, my precious boy, my little light?”
“Sasha … I cannot find you … where are you?”
She touched my face and her fingers were so cold that I shivered.
I told her my name and asked for hers. She only shook her head and repeated her questions again.
“Where is my baby, my precious boy, my little light?”
“Sasha … I cannot find you … where are you?”
Still, just before she faded away with the dawn, she seemed to smile at me.
“Little Lena,” she sighed, “you look just like my Sasha.”
Excerpt from the diary of Elena Ehri Fahey nee Starkova Viscountess Istamere, dated 21 February 1811
Elena Fahey, Viscountess Istamere
Artist: Juris Kuznetsov
Year: 1846
Style: Neoclassicism
Genre: portrait
Location: Fahey Manor, Istamere, Wandering Isle
This painting of Elena Ehri Fahey, Viscountess Istamere, was commissioned by her husband Cormac Fahey, 1st Viscount Istamere, as a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary present for his wife.
There was talk at various points during Elena’s lifetime of her lack of resemblance to her parents. While no one ever seriously entertained the idea that her mother Galina Starkova nee Kostyk had ever been unfaithful to her husband, Elena was noted by locals in Keramzin, her place of birth, to strongly resemble the mysterious visitor Aleksandr Morozov who had so entranced the late Alina Starkova. This gave credence to the rumour that Elena’s father Lukyan was in fact the son of Alina Starkova (with Morozov), rather than her brother. As with the earlier rumours, the Starkov family strenuously denied all such suggestions.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Elena Fahey, Viscountess Istamere (Kuznetsov)
… and my dear brother, I implore you most sincerely, you must not dig up the blue irises in the garden. No good will come of it and you will find yourself in a great deal of trouble. They were her favourite, you know, and she will be most displeased if you remove them …
Excerpt of a letter from Elena Ehri Fahey nee Starkova Viscountess Istamere to her brother David Anton Starkov 4th Viscount Stolba, dated 30 April 1867
We were all woken up last night by the most appalling wailing. One of the maids – a superstitious girl – whimpered and cried about it being Alina Starkova’s ghost, but I told the children it was obviously just a feral cat or perhaps a fox.
Then, after breakfast, the gardeners told me that a large section of the garden appears to have died overnight.
Grass brown and brittle. Trees wilted gnarled and decayed. Flowers wilted. The pond is now murky, with dead fish floating to the surface. There is a smell of rotting eggs all over.
Some strange weather event has caused this, I imagine, and I doubt it will happen again. Still, two of the maids and one footman gave in their notice and it will be a damned nuisance replacing them.
Excerpt from the diary of Anatoly David Starkov 5th Viscount Stolba, dated 1 November 1891
The building which stands today was heavily renovated between 1901 and 1903 in preparation for a visit from Tsar Pyotr II. The visit never happened and the Starkov family were left with huge debts following the work. On the verge of bankruptcy, the family put the property up for sale.
From 1907 to 1929 the building served as a home for the Order of Sankta Anastasia. Despite the heavy presence of holy water, crucifixes and regular prayer, several the nuns who lived at Starkov Hall claimed to have seen a ghostly figure near the suite that had once belonged to Alina Starkova, and there were around half a dozen reports each year of religious items being broken or moved – these may all be attributed to clumsy hands, but there seems to have been a shared belief among the nuns that some of these ‘accidents’ had a supernatural cause.
When the Order of Sankta Anastasia moved to larger premises in Tsemna, the building was leased by the Grigorian nuns to run a school for girls, but they stayed only two years, relocating after a number of their students reported seeing a pale, silent figure roaming the halls and hearing wailing at night.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
26 December 1936
COUNTRY LIFE
THE GHOST OF STARKOV HALL
AN ASTONISHING PHOTOGRAPH
A genuine case of spirit photography has yet to be proved, all cases so far found to be either false or impossible to authenticate. Yet, the following account and image of what happened at Starkov Hall, Keramzin deserves attention.
On 9 September 1936, myself, Dominik Vertov and Isaak Andreyev were taking photographs at Starkov Hall. Shortly after 6pm, we were preparing to pack up when we spotted an ethereal figure drifting slowly down the stairs. I immediately took a succession of photographs, while Mr Vertov and Mr Andreyev made notes on what the figure looked like and how it moved.
All of us agreed that the figure bore a remarkable resemblance to the portrait of Alina Starkova that hangs in the Hall. The ghostly figure did not speak, nor did she cause any items around us to move unexpectedly. However, we all felt a marked chill in the air and a great sense of sadness and loss wash over us. The ghost seemed aware of us, but unbothered by our presence. She drifted out across the floor and came to stop in front of a portrait of Lukyan Starkov, 3rd Viscount Stolba, where she remained stationary for almost ten seconds before she glowed with a bright light and then vanished.
We were all quite shaken by the …
Excerpt from a Country Life article by Alexei Stepanov, dated 26 December 1936
… The photograph and account of its taking were published in Country Life magazine on 26 December 1936. The article was then republished in the 4 January 1937 edition of Life magazine.
Shortly after, noted paranormal investigator Demyan Rime interviewed Stepanov, Vertov and Andreyev and reported that he was impressed and convinced by their story. He devoted a short chapter to the incident in his book The Haunting of Starkov Hall.
However, some critics have claimed that Stepanov faked the image by putting grease or a similar substance on the lens in the shape of a figure, or that he and his companions colluded and one moved down the stairs during the exposure. Another theory is that the image is an accidental double exposure or that light somehow got into the camera.
The magician Valentin Lazarevich suggested the photograph could easily be duplicated by naturalistic methods and, with the assistance of a friend, created a faked ghost image that looked very similar to the Starkov Hall photograph.
Nevertheless, there are many who consider the photograph to be genuine. Stepanov’s supporters even include members of the Starkov family, some of whom are vocal in the belief that Alina Starkova’s ghost haunts their old family home.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Alina Starkova
Rumours that Lukyan Starkov was the illegitimate child of Alina Starkova and the mysterious Mr Morozov who so entranced her (the devil himself, people whispered) have persisted throughout the centuries and bestowed upon the Starkov Family a notoriety that they have never quite escaped, even as most people have come to believe Alina Starkova’s possible lover was an ordinary, if charming, man rather than the devil or some other supernatural entity.
Some of the family seem to lean into their supposedly supernatural heritage, while others prefer to avoid all mention of the topic. There are whispers that certain members of the family have had extensive contact with the ghost of Alina Starkova, but solid evidence of this has never been provided.
Of the devil – or Aleksandr Morozov – less is said. Sightings at Starkov Hall are almost exclusively of a ghost people believe to be Alina Starkova. Still, there are some who believe the devil, unable to enter the property after the blessing performed on it by Father Konstantin of Keramzin back in 1780, makes his displeasure known by cursing those he considers to have disturbed or insulted his lover. Examples of this apparent revenge include Father Konstantin’s death in a fire, the descent into madness of Tsar Pyotr II (whose cancelled visit to Starkov Hall left the family in such debt that they were forced to sell) and the gruesome decapitation of Elizaveta Nikolayeva (a medium cautioned by police for attempting to break into the Starkov family crypt) in a locked room in her own home.
Excerpt from The Haunting of Starkov Hall by Demyan Rime
“… never going near that place again … supposed to be a stupid dare … couldn’t get the bloody painting off the wall … I don’t know, some woman who died ages ago … like superglue but worse … and it was absolutely freezing … no, I’m not a wimp … blood on the walls, chains rattling, hellhounds the size of horses … I am not exaggerating … this wailing woman, so freaky … I wasn’t scared, I just thought the police were coming and I didn’t want to get done for trespassing …
Excerpt of a telephone call between Mikhael Smirnov and Igor Dubrov, 31 October 1979
The Starkov Hall Hotel was open for most of the 1980s, a venture by the Zlatan Family.
Despite scathing reviews – the hotel apparently played up the ghostly angle in order to swipe valuables from guests, claiming they must have been taken by Alina Starkova’s ghost – it managed to survive for eight years.
In 1989, the family abruptly closed the hotel and sold the property for well below its real value. Their official statement was that they wished to explore other business ventures, but some locals insisted that the family had been driven away by Alina’s ghost as revenge for using her name as an excuse for their own petty thievery.
Bad luck seemed to follow the Zlatan Family after they left Keramzin and, as of 2023, all three members of the family are serving prison sentences for fraud and forgery.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
After the Starkov Hall Hotel closed, the property – aside from three brief stints as a business retreat – was left mostly unused for just over twenty-five years, under the care of a local estate manager.
The rumours and legends continued to surround Starkov Hall and Keramzin locals often entertained tourists who came to see the property from a distance, even if it was not open to the public. A few more adventurous tourists were arrested and cautioned by police for attempting to enter the property and often spread lurid – likely untrue – tales that they had seen ghosts, the devil himself, or hellhounds (likely just dogs kept on the property as a deterrent).
The most popular story at this time was that the roof the devil had allegedly shot through in 1780 could never be properly repaired and that it would continue to fall through. Given the consistent use the property had prior to this period of disuse, such a phenomenon might be attributed to dereliction and a lack of proper upkeep.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall
“I never got the feeling she wanted to hurt anyone. The damage she caused always felt like frustration and grief, not malicious at all. She only wanted to be heard. Most of all, I think, she wished for something that she could not find or reach. There’s always a reason that the dead hang around here rather than moving on – maybe all she needs to be at peace is somebody to help her.”
Excerpt from an episode of Paranormal Ravka which aired on 31 October 1996
Totally lame. Not scary at all. Obviously just holograms and smoke machines.
- Mal O, from Keramzin – 15 October 2019
Interesting and spooky. Not for the faint-hearted, though – some guy with a buzzcut screamed and then fainted when he mistook one of the actors for an actual ghost.
- Nadia Z, from Os Alta – 15 October 2019
We must stop the commercialisation of properties like this. Such unhappy spirits require dignified treatment and trained professionals to save them from this limbo and help them move on to the other side.
At Spirit Journeys, we pride ourselves on ensuring that your loved ones can find their happy afterlife. For just $250 an hour, we will connect with the spirits haunting your home and encourage them to leave the earthly plane behind for their next great adventure.
- The Apparat, from Os Alta – 30 October 2019
A selection of Tripadvisor reviews for Starkov Hall from October 2019
Starkov Hall
Genre Historical
Supernatural
Thriller
Horror
Directed by Anne Loftus
Written by Anne Loftus
Charles Tottenham
Starring Jessie Mei Li
Ben Barnes
Luke Evans
Fan Bingbing
Simon Sears
Julian Kostov
Jasmine Blackborow
No. of episodes 5
Starkov Hall is a 2022 supernatural thriller television miniseries inspired by the events at Starkov Hall in 1780 and the rumours of the supernatural occurrences that followed.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Starkov Hall (miniseries)
Starkov Hall: Truth or Fiction
Our reporter Wylan sat down with Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa, the owners of Starkov Hall, touted as one of Ravka’s most haunted houses, to discuss whether they truly believe the property is haunted.
Wylan: So, do you believe in ghosts?
Kaz: No.
Inej: Maybe, I think. I’ve never seen one, but I sometimes think I feel a presence when I’m alone in the Hall.
Kaz: It’s all smoke and mirrors, clever tricks.
Wylan: And what would you say about all the reports over the centuries since Alina Starkova’s death?
Kaz: People like a ghost story, and this one has been profitable for Keramzin. They believe what best suits them.
Inej: I think Alina Starkova’s story is fascinating and it deserves to be told, whether the supernatural elements are real or not.
Wylan: And do you think Alina’s ghost truly does haunt the Hall?
Inej: If she’s there, then I haven’t seen her yet. But I can’t speak for anyone else who might have had their own experience.
Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa at the premiere of Starkov Hall
Excerpt from an article in Ravkan History, dated March 2022
Jesper Fahey @sharpshootingcrow January 9
I don’t believe in ghosts, but Starkov Hall has some seriously weird energy.
Ravkan Heritage @RavkanHeritage March 20
Join us for a special screening of episode one of @StarkovHallTV on 2nd April at The Little Palace Cinema with the cast. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/5hNdjLA
Nina @ninawaffles April 5
I sympathise with Alina Starkova because if the devil looked at me like this then I too would risk damnation to fuck him! #StarkovHall
Nik @privateersturmhond April 7
I watch @StarkovHall for the plot.
The plot:
Nina @ninawaffles April 8
Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.
That kiss was perfection.
1 – 20 of 666 Works in The Devil | Aleksandr Morozov/Alina Starkova
The Devil and Me by voraciousreader98 29 April 2022
Starkov Hall (TV), Historical RPF
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, The Devil | Aleksandr Morozov/Alina Starkova, Alina Starkova, The Devil | Aleksandr Morozov, The Devil, Anton Starkov 2nd Viscount Stolba, Keyen Starkova Viscountess Stolba, Ivan (Starkov Hall), Fedyor (Starkov Hall), Marie (Starkov Hall), Canon Divergence, Spoilers for episodes 1-4, Alina escapes Starkov Hall, Alina runs away, Ivan is the Devil’s acolyte, the Devil is a simp, Alina becomes Queen of Hell, Pregnancy, background Ivan/Fedyor
Alina finds an unexpected ally and takes the opportunity he offers so she can flee Starkov Hall in search of her lover.
Language: English Words: 23,012 Chapters: 3/3 Collections: 2 Comments: 95 Kudos: 482 Bookmarks: 24 Hits: 5023
touch me, take me, make me yours by darkestnight285 03 May 2022
Starkov Hall (TV), Historical RPF
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, The Devil | Aleksandr Morozov/Alina Starkova, Alina Starkova, The Devil | Aleksandr Morozov, The Devil, Spoilers for episodes 1-2, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Orgasm Denial, Vaginal Fingering, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Loss of Virginity, Size Difference, Size Kink, Dom/Sub, Breeding Kink, Unprotected Sex, Dirty Talk, Shadow Tentacles, Horns
The Devil shows up in Alina Starkova’s bedroom. He has a lot to teach her.
Language: English Words: 9,590 Chapters: 1/1 Collections: 2 Comments: 73 Kudos: 666 Bookmarks: 31 Hits: 4991
I want to know about Alina Starkova. I’ve been thinking about her a lot recently, especially since Starkov Hall came out last year (I haven’t watched it, there’s just something too strange about watching a show about your ancestor’s alleged affair with the actual devil).
But I have her name as my middle name and, while I don’t really look anything like her, I’m curious about all the rumours.
Lev tells me that psychics are just charlatans, but I didn’t really know what else to try.
Inej and Kaz have agreed to let me visit with Madame Vasilka to see if she can try contacting Alina.
I’m not hoping for much and I know it may well be a scam.
I have to try, though. It feels important.
Excerpt from the diary of Irina Alina Starkova, dated 1 March 2023
Keramzin Police Department Report
Case Number: 0215893 Date: 19 March 2023
On 19 March 2023, at 06:27 hrs, I was dispatched to Starkov Hall in reference to a disturbance logged by early-morning joggers passing the property. Upon arrival of myself and Officer HARSHAW, we met with Inej GHAFA, one of the owners of the property
She states that Irina STARKOVA and Vasilka RASPUTINA had requested and been granted access to the property to perform a séance. GHAFA had consented to be part of this experience. During the course of this séance, all three parties allege that objects flew about the room, bloody writing appeared on the walls of the Games Room (where the séance was taking place), the temperature dropped considerably, the lights flashed on and off and the ghost of Alina Starkova appeared to deliver a message.
On being asked what message the alleged ghost had delivered, GHAFA stated that only STARKOVA had heard the message. Upon questioning, STARKOVA refused to reveal details of her encounter with the alleged ghost.
Examination of the scene showed no blood on the walls and the temperature was normal. The furniture was in disarray, however, and three vases and four pool cues had been smashed and broken. All three parties insisted they had not been responsible for any of the damage done to the room.
As no injuries had been sustained, the damage was not to public property and no party wished to press any charges, HARSHAW and I agreed that there was no need to proceed any further with the matter.
Reporting Officer: Lars Stigg Date: 19 March 2023
Supervisor Approval: Commander Pensky
Report filed by Keramzin Police Department on 19 March 2023
Saints! I can scarcely believe it.
I never thought …
It’s absolutely mad …
Am I going crazy?
I can’t believe what happened …
Excerpt from the diary of Irina Alina Starkova, dated 19 March 2023
Starkov Hall will be closed for the next two weeks to undergo emergency repairs and restoration.
Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
If you have a tour booked for the period 20th March – 2nd April, please contact us to arrange a refund or to move your booking to a different date.
Notice on the Starkov Hall website on 19 March 2023
… no comment was made by owners Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa aside from a note on the Starkov Hall website confirming the property will be closed for two weeks.
Ruby Belaya, one of the joggers who reported a disturbance to Keramzin Police Department yesterday morning, told us that she had seen Mr Brekker, Ms Ghafa and two unidentified women (one of them believed to be a descendant of Alina Starkova) on the grounds yesterday afternoon.
“They looked like they were searching for something,” Miss Belaya told our reporter, “they were digging around by some trees and near the front door too.”
None of the stories about Starkov Hall have ever referred to items buried within the grounds, but …
Excerpt of an article from The Keramzin Herald, dated 20 March 2023
As it turns out, ghosts don’t really talk.
Not the way we think of it, at least. No conversations or straightforward words.
It’s more like … they project images and feelings and then you have to puzzle it out.
And what did I see?
A priest. Seven bottles of holy water buried in the grounds of Starkov Hall. A desperate sense of longing.
We figured it out eventually.
And now Alina is finally free.
Excerpt from the diary of Irina Alina Starkova, dated 26 March 2023
Os Kervo Police Department Report
Case Number: 3815967 Date: 28 March 2023
On 28 March 2023, at 01:53 hrs, I was dispatched to the waterfront in reference to a report of intruders at Os Kervo Dock logged by two security guards. Upon arrival of myself and Officer MASYELENTOV, we met with the security guards Nolech BARENOVSKY and Valek TAPENYOV.
Both men insisted that they had seen two intruders on the main dock. They described them thus:
A young woman in her late teens or early twenties, Shu or part-Shu, with dark hair, about 5’4. She was dressed all in black.
A man in his late thirties or early forties, appeared Ravkan, with dark hair and pitch-black eyes, about 6’0. Also dressed all in black.
BARENOVSKY narrated that they had called out to the two, asking to see identification. No such identification had been produced and he had therefore asked them to leave. The pair had instead vanished, as if into thin air. TAPENYOV repeated the same story and added that the man’s eyes had flashed red just before the pair had disappeared.
On reviewing the security tapes, myself and MASYELENTOV found that the cameras appeared to have been misfunctioning during the time the intruders are alleged to have been on the dock. All three cameras which cover the space where BARENOVSKY and TAPENYOV confirmed they had spotted the intruders showed either a smoky, shadowy darkness or a bright, blinding light. Other cameras show no sign of the intruders and give no indication of how they could have entered the area without being spotted.
As no injuries had been sustained and no damage has been caused, there is nothing further we can do to assist in this matter.
Reporting Officer: Yure Teplov Date: 28 March 2023
Supervisor Approval: Commander Chalikov
Report filed by Os Kervo Police Department on 28 March 2023
Luda @lulu93 June 21
Up and out early this morning for a brisk country walk when I took this.
They were gone before I could think to suggest sending the photograph to them but, wherever they are, I hope these two are as happy as they seemed in this moment.
