თბილისელი ჭინკები შაითან ბაზართან ნაწილი III

Описание: In 1888, at the initiative of the Caucasus Viceroy, Prince Dondukov-Korsakov, a well-known "detective," Leonid Porfiryevich Mastitsky, who had lost his position and was temporarily unemployed, was transferred to Georgia, specifically to Kutaisi, as a "pristav" (police officer).

Leonid Mastitsky was born into a noble family in the Voronezh province. He first served as an officer in the army and was later transferred to the Kyiv police. From 1882 to 1884, he served as Kyiv's chief of police. He is also credited with introducing fingerprinting into practical use.

Mastitsky solved two high-profile cases: the first, in 1873, involved the theft of 95,000 rubles, and the second, in 1876, concerned the murder of two schoolgirls (gymnasium students). Despite the government’s respect for him, he lost his position in 1884 when he refused to use force against students during a protest.

After losing his position, about four years later, at the initiative of the Caucasus Governor-General Dondukov-Korsakov, Mastitsky first served in Kutaisi and was later transferred to Tbilisi as chief of police. In total, he served in Georgia for ten years.

Mastitsky’s name is also associated with the "stone-throwing on rooftops" case—an unexplained phenomenon recorded in Tbilisi in the second half of the 19th century. The first instance occurred in 1878 on the noisy street of Norashen, as mentioned by A.I. Kishmishev, where gambling houses were located. During the summer, one house was continuously bombarded with stones for four months. The owners were forced to abandon the property.

The second incident was recorded in 1892 in Moghnisi Alley, in a house where a wealthy bathhouse tenant, Ioseba, lived. Leonid Porfiryevich Mastitsky investigated this case, but to no avail. He even stationed guards at the house, but the "criminals" were never caught. After the stones, bricks and even potatoes followed. In Karapet Grigoryants' memoirs, the districts of Mtatsminda and Shaitan Bazaar are also mentioned in connection with the stone-throwing incidents.

Why was no one able to capture or identify the perpetrators? Especially considering that the investigation was led by one of the most famous detectives of the Russian Empire! The most logical assumption is that children or individuals holding grudges against the homeowners were responsible, trying to intimidate them. However, the fact that stones sometimes entered rooms and even shattered a mirror once adds to the mystery.

Stone-throwing incidents in two districts lasted for several days or even months, often leading homeowners to abandon their properties. In the case of Norashen Street, the stone-throwing continued even after the house was vacated. What could have frightened the homeowners so much? Could it have been evil spirits?

Different cultures have superstitions about mischievous spirits that enjoy disturbing humans. In Scandinavian folklore, they resemble elves; in Slavic beliefs, they are "domovoi"; in Armenian traditions, they are "kajis"; and in Georgian mythology, they are "chinkari" (ჭინკები). These mythological creatures are said to live alongside humans and interact with them.

Chinkari exist in both male and female forms. The males appear as small boys, while the females are beautiful, with pale faces and long hair. Both have bodies covered in fur and are usually depicted without clothing. They have childlike voices and can drive a person insane.

If a chinkari loses its hair, or if someone cuts it, the creature can be enslaved. For this reason, they either braid their hair or keep it covered. If a chinkari cursed a family, misfortune would follow. In Imereti, October was considered the month of chinkari, and whatever people did during that month, they had to share with the spirits. It was believed that chinkari feared metal, so men would carry double-edged swords at night for protection.

Chinkari could cause harm, even take lives. If a newborn died during childbirth, people would say that a chinkari had possessed and killed the baby. They could also talk to humans.

Chinkari loved playing tricks on people and took pleasure in throwing stones at rooftops, frightening residents, and ultimately forcing them to abandon their homes.

(Of course, every phenomenon has a logical explanation. It is likely that malicious individuals exploited popular superstitions to drive homeowners away—either to seize their property or out of personal vendetta. Many such cases were recorded even in the 19th century.)

Events that humans cannot explain tend to acquire a mythological aura, leading to the creation of "legendary stories" and imaginary worlds with invented names. Every mythology is based on real events that, over time, are embellished with a "fairy-tale" narrative.

(Vlasi Vachadze and Shalika Sutudio)