Tsvelodubovo lies on the shore of Lake Nakhimovskoye, also known as Suulajärvi. For planning purposes, the local themes can be easily distinguished: the lake and landscape, remembrance and local history, and cycling routes that pass through the village. The Petäyänniemi estate has been preserved in its original form in Tsvelodubovo.

Memorial and historical traces

Tsvelodubovo is home to a burial site for Soviet soldiers who died during the Soviet-Finnish War and the Great Patriotic War. It includes a granite stele with memorial inscriptions and the names of those buried there, as well as a grey tombstone bearing engraved names. The obelisk was erected in 1950; the burial site is a cultural heritage site of regional significance. The inscriptions and names give this place of remembrance a tangible connection to those buried there.

The village name also has a varied history. Tsvelodubovo was formerly called Kaukolempiälä. In 1948, settlers renamed the village Gornaya; the Leningrad Regional Executive Committee did not approve this name. At a meeting in July, the village was renamed Tsvelodubovo in honour of flight radio operator Yakov Tsvelodub. Gornaya therefore remained an unapproved name, while Tsvelodubovo refers to Yakov Tsvelodub.

On 27 February 1940, a Soviet aircraft belonging to the 5th Short-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment crashed in Kaukolempiälä. The three crew members were buried in the same village. This episode is part of the local history under the former name Kaukolempiälä.

Lake, cycling routes and nearby bathing spots

The 30-kilometre A3a cycling route and the 66-kilometre A9a both pass through Tsvelodubovo. The A3a is therefore the shorter of the two routes described; their lengths provide a useful first point of comparison for your planning. The A9a also follows a forest road around nearby Lake Veseloye. Its shores are mostly marshy, but there is a spot suitable for swimming on the northern shore.

There is also a group of lakes near Tsvelodubovo with clear-looking, bluish-tinted water and shores suitable for swimming. The bathing spots at the nearby lake group should be distinguished from Tsvelodubovo’s location on Lake Nakhimovskoye. Check current access and swimming conditions before your visit; you should also check route conditions in advance for the cycling tours.

Other regional perspectives in Leningrad Oblast

Those looking beyond Tsvelodubovo to other places in Leningrad Oblast will find a different focus at Vepsian Forest Nature Park. The park lies in the far east of the oblast and comprises seven reserves with particularly strict conservation regulations. It has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. The park’s special features include well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the reserves. They 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, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded there. The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the park. Nature and culture come together here as regional themes, distinct from Tsvelodubovo’s specific local attractions.

Another regional cultural highlight 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, while parts of the masonry date back to the 13th century. It is possible to visit without a guide using the multimedia guide “Koporskaya Krepost 2.0”; confirm its availability before planning your visit. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because they are in an emergency condition.

Discover more destinations: Ladozhskoye Ozero, Shcheleyki, Murino, Vsevolozhsk, Shapki, Gavrilovo, Podborovye, Garbolovo.

Go to the main travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.