If you find yourself near the Novorossiysk-Sukhumi highway in Sochi, be sure to visit the local square where the ruins of an ancient noble castle are located. Once it attracted tourists with its unusual architecture and vibrant decor, but now it is just a pile of rubble. The history of the castle began like a Hollywood movie.

In the early 20th century, retired Colonel Andrei Valeryanovich Kvitko inherited a fortune and decided to make a gift for his Italian wife by building a copy of her Western European castle in Sochi. The authorship of this architectural masterpiece is still unknown, but it is believed to have been designed by local architect Alexei Butkin. At the same time as the castle, a park was being arranged where Kvitko and his wife loved to relax, sail, and throw parties. It is said that the famous Fyodor Shalyapin once visited them.

However, happiness was short-lived. After the defeat of the Whites, Kvitko had to leave this place in a hurry. Two creepy stories are associated with the castle. During the Civil War, four White Guards took refuge here, refusing to surrender and dying during the assault. The place was dubbed the Red Assault. The second story occurred in 1931 when the building became a sanatorium for the OGPU. According to legend, after drinking, the Chekists allegedly attacked the underage daughter of a sanatorium employee, raped her, and killed her in the basement. The mother, upon seeing her dead daughter, shot the Chekists and committed suicide.

During the Great Patriotic War, the castle housed a hospital, and later the building was used as a children's health resort. In the 1990s, there was a legend that before leaving, Kvitko hid jewels in the walls. In search of them, the walls were destroyed, and the house suffered even more.