The Vepsian cultural festival “Vepsskiy rodnik” was held for the 12th time in 2024 in Schugozero, at the local stadium; the 13th edition followed there in 2025. Schugozero and the stadium provide a specific setting for the cultural festival.
Vepsian Culture, Trails, and Crafts
The landscape can also be explored through specific themes: the eco-trail near Lukino in Tikhvinsky District takes in the valley of the Urya River, the Bolshoy Kaskad spring, and old Vepsian homes. The river valley, spring, and traditional dwellings are thus presented side by side as themes of the same route.
The Lukinskaya Trail in Tikhvinsky District is listed as 3 km long, with a walking time of one hour. Use the time estimate as a guide, and check local trail conditions before setting out.
At the Tikhvin Historical, Memorial, and Architectural Art Museum, visitors can learn the steps involved in icon painting during a workshop and paint a fragment of the Besednaya Icon. The hands-on activity focuses on the craft of icon painting. Check that the workshop is currently available before making plans.
A Nature Park in the Wider Destination of Leningrad Oblast
Veps Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of Leningrad Oblast and includes seven nature reserves with particularly strict conservation rules. Part of the park lies in the northeastern part of Tikhvinsky District; the park also extends across several districts. It is therefore not limited to this district.
The nature park includes numerous lakes. 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. Many organisms depend on forests that have remained undisturbed by commercial use.
Vepsian culture also has a place in this wider natural region: Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park. The cultural theme can thus be encountered on different scales—in the festival in Schugozero and in the traditional way of life in the nature park in Leningrad Oblast.
The park’s wildlife includes brown bears, which occur there in greater numbers; the wolverine, extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. For visitors interested in nature, too, a wildlife sighting is not guaranteed.
In the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast, the Ladva Trail leads to glacial landforms, middle-taiga vegetation, and the Vepsian village of Ladva. It also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District. In contrast to the eco-trail near Lukino, which takes in a river valley, a spring, and old homes, the themes mentioned here include landforms, taiga vegetation, and a village.
Discover more destinations: Luzhskiy District, Podporozhskiy District, Gatchina District, Vsevolozhskiy District, Vyborgskiy District, Korsakovskiy District, Kirishsky District, Slantsevskiy District.
View the wider travel guide: Leningrad Oblast.
