Naziya brings together a range of cultural topics: a repurposed church, places of remembrance, and local folk choreography. Those interested in local history will find tangible points of connection here; looking further afield, Leningrad Oblast offers its own regional natural and cultural heritage.
Naziya: Local History and Culture
The Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Naziya was converted from a former kindergarten. Its history connects a familiar type of building with a later religious use. The Chapel of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was built in memory of the soldiers who fell in the Second World War and were buried in the local mass grave.
The School War Museum is also part of the town’s culture of remembrance: it is located in Naziya’s school, is described as unique, and is known far beyond the town. Naziya thus brings together the repurposing of a building for religious use and different forms of remembrance.
Folk choreography is another facet of local culture. The Raduga ensemble is based at the Naziya Cultural and Sports Center; it traditionally takes part in regional and international festivals. Together, the church, chapel, School War Museum, and ensemble make up a local profile encompassing religious history, remembrance, and cultural life.
Natural and Cultural Heritage in Leningrad Oblast
The Veps Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of Leningrad Oblast. It includes seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection regulations. The landscape is dotted with numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. Among the park’s distinctive features are well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsskiy les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves. They are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by commercial activity.
Brown bears are relatively abundant in the nature park; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded there. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have also traditionally lived in the park. The protected forests and lakes, along with Vepsian culture, represent different aspects of the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
The Region’s Fortress and Eco-Trails
Another regional attraction is Koporye Fortress in Leningrad Oblast. It is a museum and a monument to ancient Russian stone architecture. It has survived 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 they are in a state of disrepair. The multimedia guide “Koporskaya krepost 2.0” is available for unguided visits; check whether it is available when planning your visit.
The eco-trails of Leningrad Oblast vary in their landscapes and destinations. A circular route at the “Toksovskiye vysoty” natural monument passes over sandy hills and through hollows, as well as old spruce and pine forests. In the “Gryada Varyamyanselkya” protected area in Priozersk District, an ecological cycling trail winds through a landscape of lakes, wetlands, and dry, old-growth pine forest.
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. Another eco-trail runs alongside lakes in Veps Forest Nature Park near the settlement of Kurba in Podporozhye District. The descriptions of the trails at Toksovskiye vysoty, “Gryada Varyamyanselkya,” and Kurba date from 2019. Check current trail conditions before planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Pervomayskoye, Pikaljowo, Vistino, Korobitsyno, Ushaki, Berezhki, Ilyichevo, Shcheleyki.
For the broader travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.
