Peno’s cultural and historical significance can be understood through the story of Lisa Chaikina and the memorial sites associated with her. The Lisa Chaikina Museum in Peno opened on May 8, 1973. The museum excursion includes the spot on the banks of the Volga where Lisa Chaikina was shot, as well as the Military Glory Memorial in the center of the settlement. The memorial was opened on November 22, 1981. The two sites highlight different aspects: the spot by the river is linked to Lisa Chaikina’s death, while the memorial adds a military-historical dimension to her biographical commemoration. If you are planning to take the excursion, check in advance whether it will be running on your travel dates.

Museum, memorial sites and the Volga route

Another perspective is offered by the combined excursion route “To the Source of the Volga—the Great River of Russia”; Peno is one of its stops. The route is offered seasonally in spring, summer and autumn. The two formats therefore differ in a specific way: the museum excursion connects memorial sites associated with Lisa Chaikina, while the combined route places Peno within the theme of the source of the Volga. If you are planning to take either excursion, check in advance whether it will be running on your travel dates.

More to explore in the wider Penovsky District

The wider destination of Penovsky District offers other themes, including sacred wooden architecture, church and monastery history, and landscape. On the shore of Lake Vselug, in the Shirkovsky churchyard, stands the Church of St. John the Baptist. Built in 1694, it is a 45-meter-high, tiered wooden structure. Its date of construction, height and form each offer a different point of reference for understanding its cultural and historical significance.

A men’s monastery was founded and a church built on Novo-Solovetsky Island in Lake Vselug in 1701. The island is also a natural monument. The lake is the shared geographical setting for two different themes: the history of the monastery on the one hand, and the island’s status as a natural monument on the other.

The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Vseluki and the church in the Vetozhetka churchyard also form part of the cultural landscape of the wider Penovsky District. The church in Vseluki dates to 1835, while the one in Vetozhetka dates to the early 19th century. This allows a precise construction date to be considered alongside a broader historical timeframe.

The Voroshilovo Local History Museum offers insights into rural life in Tver Oblast from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The one-kilometer ecological trail at the source of the Volga offers a different perspective: it passes through the vegetation and landscape typical of the area. The wider Penovsky District thus brings cultural and historical themes together with a nature-focused perspective.

Discover more destinations: Nagovye, Zaplavye, Bologovo, Glinniki, Gushcha, Sudimirka, Borovoye, Zaborovye.

See the overview of the wider destination: Tver Oblast.