Garbolovo has two specific points of reference for the history of the village and religious life: the memorial site at the entrance to the village and the church, consecrated in 2018. Nature trails and Koporye Fortress complement this account as distinct topics within the wider Leningrad Oblast.

Local history and the church

At the entrance to Garbolovo is a mass grave of Soviet soldiers who died in a local hospital. The Church of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God (Khram Pochaevskoy ikony Bozhiey Materi) is also in the village; it was consecrated in 2018.

Nature and culture in Leningrad Oblast

Vepsian Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of Leningrad Oblast and comprises seven reserves with particularly strict protection regulations. Numerous lakes define the park; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. Among its special features are well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsskiy les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves.

These forests are important for many organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are relatively numerous in the park; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived here. The Ladva Trail leads through glacially shaped terrain and middle-taiga vegetation to the Vepsian village of Ladva; it also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District. Vepsian Forest Nature Park thus brings together ecological features and Vepsian culture. In 2019, ecological routes for independent visits were in place at seven regionally significant protected areas in Leningrad Oblast. They were equipped with information materials and various visitor facilities. Check their current condition and visitor arrangements before your trip. At the Toksovskie Vysoty Natural Monument, a circular eco-trail runs over sandy hills and hollows and through old spruce and pine forests. By contrast, in the Gryada Vyaryamyanselkya protected area, an ecological cycling route passes through a landscape of lakes, marshes and dry, old pine forest. An eco-trail near Kurba in Podporozhye District runs alongside lakes in Vepsian Forest Nature Park. Together, the circular trail, cycling route and eco-trail offer different regional nature experiences. Check the current conditions for each route before planning your trip.

Koporye Fortress is a museum and a monument of ancient Russian stone architecture. It has been preserved in its present form since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. You can visit without a guide using the “Koporskaya krepost 2.0” multimedia guide; check its availability in advance. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because they are in a state of disrepair.

Discover more destinations: Shlisselburg, Lake Ladoga, Pikalyovo, Bugry, Yanino, Kalishchi, Vaganovo, Berezhki.

For the wider travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.