Kommunar offers two clearly distinct park themes: Yablonevyy Sad combines a riverside promenade on the Izhora with the history of a former apple orchard park; Bumazhnaya Strelka draws on the area’s paper-making heritage. This gives you a concrete point of reference when choosing where to stay: you can focus on the riverbank and public-space design, or on the explicitly stated connection to the Kommunar paper mill.

Izhora Riverbank and Yablonevyy Sad

The Yablonevyy Sad public space includes a riverside promenade on the Izhora, created in 2020 near MKU FOK Olimp. Its name comes from a park with apple trees established on the banks of the Izhora in the early 20th century. The historical origin of the name and the promenade created in 2020 thus represent two different time periods associated with the same place.

The park’s first construction phase included four pavilions with barbecue areas, paved footpaths, wooden pergolas and a rotunda. Public swings and loungers were installed on the riverside deck. If you are interested in public-space design, you will find a range of features here: paths and architectural structures, as well as the swings and loungers specifically mentioned by the water.

Paper History at Bumazhnaya Strelka Park

Bumazhnaya Strelka Park was officially opened in Kommunar in 2025. Its concept gives particular attention to the area’s historical heritage and draws a connection to the Kommunar paper mill. The mill marked its 180th anniversary in 2025. This gives paper history its own place alongside the older story behind the name Yablonevyy Sad.

The two park themes emphasize different things: Yablonevyy Sad focuses on the Izhora, the origin of its name and its landscaped riverside areas. Bumazhnaya Strelka, by contrast, explicitly connects the park with the area’s historical heritage and the paper mill. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are more interested in the riverbank and public-space design or in industrial history.

More to Explore in Leningrad Oblast

At the broader destination level of Leningrad Oblast, you will find additional nature and cultural themes. They offer a regional perspective beyond Kommunar. Vepsian Forest Nature Park is located in the far east of Leningrad Oblast and includes seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection rules. The park has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name.

The nature park’s special features include preserved old spruce and pine forests in the Vepsskiy Les and Ashchozyorskiy reserves. These forests are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are found in significant numbers in the nature park; the wolverine, extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded there. The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have also traditionally lived there.

Another regional cultural destination is Koporye Fortress in Leningrad Oblast. It is a museum and a monument of Old Russian stone architecture. It has been preserved in its present form since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because of their emergency condition. You can visit without a guide using the Koporskaya Krepost 2.0 multimedia guide; check whether it is available for your visit before making plans.

Discover more destinations: Tsvelodubovo, Ilyichevo, Borodinskoye, Roshchino, Shapki, Peski, Gorlovshchina, Lyugovichi.

For the broader travel guide: Leningrad Oblast.