The lecture reveals a complex layer of Russian village culture - the perceptions of illegitimate children, their fate, names, and place in rural society. The topic of illegitimate children in traditional culture has long remained on the border of family history, public condemnation, and folk mythology. In the Russian village, such a child was perceived through many contradictory notions: they could be seen as a sign of trouble, a special fate, a disruption of the usual order, or future luck. Listeners will learn why unusual explanations for the birth of such children appeared in folk tales, why many sought to become their godparents, and where the idea of a happy fate originated. The material will be presented by Dmitry Baranov - Candidate of Historical Sciences, Head of the Department of Ethnography of the Russian People at the Russian Ethnographic Museum. We share on our website where to go in St. Petersburg today.