Conifers of Karelia. An amazing land of forests, lakes and rivers. Karelia. Fauna of Karelia

Evgeny Ieshko

Vice-chairman

Presidium of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Karelia - the land of lakes, forests and stones

At the edge of lakes and forests

Karelia is traditionally called the lake and forest land. Its territory, which is larger in area than Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and Denmark (excluding Greenland) combined, is inhabited by a little more than 700 thousand people. Representatives of many nationalities live here, having a lot in common in their culture. Dominated by Russians, Karelians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. And for example, such peoples as the Vepsians and Ingrians, indigenous to these places, are very few in number today. There is concern that if current unfavorable demographic trends persist, they could disappear.

Glaciation of its territory played a significant role in the formation of the modern relief of Karelia, which is characterized by rockiness and clear orientation of water basins (from northwest to southeast). The intensive melting of the glacier began here about 13 thousand years ago. The ice sheet was hundreds of kilometers wide and long. The ice finally melted only in the early Holocene. The waters of the melting glaciers filled the folds of the rocky relief. As a result, many lakes were formed. The catalog of reservoirs of the republic includes 61 thousand lakes. There are more than 27 thousand rivers in Karelia.

The first traces of an ancient man who created his settlements on the territory of present-day Karelia date back to the 3rd millennium BC. In the first half of the next millennium, separate isolated groups already lived along the entire perimeter of Lake Onega. Among the preserved material evidence of this historical period, a special role is assigned to rock carvings - petroglyphs. On the sloping smooth granite rocks of the eastern shore of Lake Onega, hundreds and hundreds of various drawings of ancient people have been discovered. Art museum under open air attracts many tourists and explorers to this region. Petroglyphs are trying to decipher and, on this basis, to comprehend the worldview of the Neolithic man and, perhaps, to understand themselves deeper.

Virgin forests

For a number of reasons, intensive forestry activities have bypassed the Karelian forests located along the border with Finland. This led to a high degree of preservation of the "islands" of virgin nature. The largest tracts (more than 100 thousand hectares each) of virgin (indigenous) forests in the west of Eurasia have survived only in the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk region. The age of individual pine trees in such forests reaches 500 years or more. In these areas of the taiga zone of Russia, a corresponding network of specially protected natural areas has been created.

In Karelia, primary forests in the rank of national parks and reserves are preserved on an area of ​​about 300 thousand hectares. It is assumed that about 150 thousand hectares of protected taiga lands should be added to this. To the west of the Russian-Finnish border of such large tracts virgin forests has not survived. That is why the pristine forests of Karelia are of global importance.

Virgin forests are an integral part of the Paanajarvsky National Park, the Kostomukshsky, Pasvik, Laplandsky reserves. One of the most precious pearls of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, which, like a meridian, stretches from north to south along the state border from the Barents Sea to the Gulf of Finland, will be the national park"Kalevalsky".

Not only beauty, but also wealth

The nascent industry has become the driving force behind the development of Karelia's forests. V early XVIII For centuries, deforestation (in particular, for shipbuilding) was mainly selective here. Only around the metallurgical plants clear felling was practiced. In the 19th century, the volume of harvested timber grew rapidly. If in 1850 305 thousand m 3 of forest were harvested, then in 1899 - 2.5 million m 3. At the beginning of the 20th century, the annual logging in Karelia reached 3 million m3, and in the 60s it exceeded 10 million m3. Records were set and immediately broken. In 1967, an unbeatable record was set up to this time - about 20 million m 3.

Today the allowable cut in Karelia, amounting to 9.2 million m 3, is used by about 65%. The period of reforms that the country is going through has not bypassed the forestry industry either. Logging in the 90s was greatly reduced, and only in recent times the intensity of felling starts to grow again. Wood is required by the growing paper-making and construction industries. Timber is an important export product with an ongoing demand in the world market.

With deforestation and changes in natural landscapes, changes biological diversity flora and fauna. Intensive felling, the development of a network of forest roads, an increased number of pickers of mushrooms and berries - all this worries wild animals. That is why the wolverine and forest deer are "pushed aside" to the north from the southern zone, and the whooper swan and goose goose move their nests there.

The problems of aquatic communities are also often associated with the negative impact of human economic activity. For example, as a result of the construction of hydroelectric power plants, the ecosystems of the Kem and Vyga rivers have suffered. As a result, the republic's largest populations of Atlantic salmon and other valuable salmon fish... Fortunately, these examples are the exception rather than the rule. In general, economic activity in the republic does not seriously affect the nature of Karelia. negative impact... Countless picturesque corners of the vast taiga region are pristine and pure. This is facilitated by the fact that Karelia is located at a considerable distance from major sources pollution located in industrial areas Central Europe and Russia.

What's in the basket?

In the forests of the republic, rich reserves of medicinal, berry plants and edible mushrooms are concentrated.

On the territory of the region, 150 species have been identified medicinal plants, of which 70 are used in scientific medicine. Of greatest interest for industrial harvesting are blueberries, lingonberries, bearberry, wild rosemary, erect cinquefoil (galangal), mountain ash, St. John's wort, common raspberry. Up to 70% of the identified available stocks of medicinal plants fall on the leaves and shoots of lingonberry, blueberry and wild rosemary.

Although the stocks of the main types of medicinal plants are estimated at 10.5 thousand tons, the volume of industrial preparations for medicinal plants in the republic is currently insignificant - only 5-6 tons per year.

In Karelia there are about 100 species of plants suitable for food, and about 200 species of melliferous plants. Blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries and cloudberries are of the greatest economic importance. The biological reserves of the berries of these plants are 120.4 thousand tons, of which 61.8 thousand tons are available for mass harvesting.

Despite the significant reserves of available berry resources, there are no solid production facilities in the republic for their processing. Therefore, in large quantities, wild berries are exported outside the republic in an unprocessed form. Part harvested berries- 4.5 - 5.5 thousand tons per year - exported. For comparison: the population of Karelia annually harvests 4-5 thousand tons of berries for their own needs.

An essential addition to the local table is edible mushrooms... There are about 200 species of edible mushrooms in the forests of Karelia, of which 47 are recommended for harvesting. The local population usually gathers no more than 20 species. Of the tubular, this is primarily the king of mushrooms - the porcini mushroom, then aspen, birch, boletus, moss and goat. V large quantities residents of Karelia prepare salted for the winter lamellar mushrooms and, first of all, real milk mushrooms, volnushki and serushki. Chanterelle, pine and spruce mushrooms, which are rarely found in the southern regions of Karelia, are also highly valued.

In years with an average harvest, the reserves of edible mushrooms in the republic are estimated at 164 thousand tons, in high-yielding years they increase by about 1.5-2 times, in lean years they turn out to be 6-7 times lower than the average.

Orchids of Karelia

The flora of Karelia is distinguished by a great variety. Botanists find here plants that are not found, or almost never occur in the neighboring countries of Northern Europe, where habitats suitable for these plants disappear with the introduction of new management methods. These include, in particular, orchids, members of the family of delicate outlandish flowers that usually grow in tropical latitudes. But it turns out that some orchids do well in the north. In Karelia, 33 species of orchids have been "registered". At the same time, 27 species grow on the territory of the Kizhi archipelago, which is distinguished by unique natural and climatic conditions. Here, for example, such species, which have almost disappeared in European countries, grow, such as the lady's slipper, single-leaved pulp, green half-petals, Dortman's lobelia.

Karelia's orchids are, as a rule, small, nondescript plants. The only exception are representatives of the genus Venus's slipper, numbering about 50 species, of which 4 are found on the territory of Russia. Among them, the real slipper and the large-flowered slipper are the most decorative. Both species are included in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and flora. By the way, the real slipper is the first orchid temperate zone, taken under protection back in 1878 (in Switzerland). Now this species is protected in all European countries, it is listed in the IUCN Red List.

Seal

Among the inhabitants of water bodies in Karelia, the Ladoga seal (pinniped mammal of the seal family) can rightfully be proud of its status. It is an endemic subspecies of the ringed seal, a relic of the Ice Age, listed in the Red Data Books of Fennoscandia, Ross
si, Karelia and in the list of rare animal species of the World Conservation Union.

In freshwater bodies of water, seals live only in lakes Ladoga (Karelia), Baikal (Siberia) and Saimaa (Finland). The presence of a marine relic in a freshwater lake is explained by the origin of Lake Ladoga as a body of water separated from the sea. The Ladoga seal is the smallest subspecies of the ringed seal, the body length of which is 110-135 cm. In summer, these animals prefer to stay in the northern part of the lake, where islets, stones and capes are abundant, convenient for rookeries. In winter, seals go to the shallower southern parts of the reservoir. Many researchers associate the seasonal movements of seals with the migration of fish.

In the early 30s of the last century, the reserves of the Ladoga seal were estimated at 20 thousand heads. However, due to predatory fishing (in some seasons, up to one and a half thousand animals were shot), the seal population has greatly decreased. This was facilitated by the beginning of the use of nylon nets in the 50s, when the number of cases of death of seals in them reached 700 heads per year. As a result, by 1960, the number of seals in Lake Ladoga decreased to 5-10 thousand heads.

Since 1970, the seal fishery in Lake Ladoga has been regulated by setting catch limits; in 1975, a ban was introduced on sports and amateur hunting for this animal. Since the beginning of the eighties, the seal has been under protection. Its number does not yet exceed 5,000 heads, while a tendency for its recovery can be traced.

Olonia - the goose capital

The coast of Lake Ladoga (the largest freshwater lake in Europe) and the adjacent territories are a real “bird's Eldorado”. In the spring, at the time of their flight through this territory to the Northeast along the White Sea-Baltic flyway, huge masses of birds that have wintered in Western Europe and Africa rush. Some of them overcome the space between the Baltic and the White Sea in one non-stop flight (for example, the black goose, some sandpipers). But most other migratory birds make stops along the way to rest and feed. Especially large aggregations in Karelia near the town of Olonets are formed by geese, which find here ideal conditions for feeding on vast fields and wonderful, safe places to spend the night in the water area of ​​Lake Ladoga or large swamp areas flooded with melt water. It is this combination that contributes to the fact that very large geese camps are formed here, the most powerful in Northern Europe. During the spring period, from 500,000 to 1.2 million individuals are counted here.

Shungite as a national treasure

Shungite - unique rocks , which got their name from the Karelian village of Shunga, located on the shores of Lake Onega. Structural analogues of shungite are not found anywhere in the world. The reserves of the world's only Zazhoginsky shungite deposit, located in the Medvezhyegorsk region, are estimated at 35 million tons.

Shungite rocks are a natural composite with an unusual structure, in which highly dispersed crystalline silicate particles are uniformly distributed in an amorphous silicate matrix. Shungite also contains non-crystalline carbon. On average, the rock of the deposit contains about 30% carbon and 70% silicates. Shungite has a number of unique properties that determine the scope of its use. So, shungite carbon has high activity in redox reactions. Using shungite, it is possible to obtain structural rubbers (rubber plastics), electrically conductive paints, and plastics with antistatic properties. Shungite conductive materials can be used in heaters of small specific power, safe in terms of fire.

Shungite-based materials have radio-shielding properties. In addition, shungite has the ability to purify water from organic impurities, in particular, from oil products and pesticides, from bacteria and microorganisms. These properties are already being used in a variety of filters. For example, in Moscow, shungite filters are used to treat wastewater from the ring road.

The use of shungite preparations is promising in pharmacology and cosmetics. Infusions of water on shungite, shungite pastes are capable of providing anti-allergic, antipruritic and anti-inflammatory effects. Shungite-based preparations are capable of treating allergic, skin, respiratory, gynecological, muscle and joint diseases.

Green belt of Fennoscandia.

The concept of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia (ZPF) was born in the early 90s as a project for the harmonious combination of the interests of society and nature. The initial idea involved the development of a unified environmental policy on both sides of the Russian-Finnish border. This policy means a combination effective management forest resources while preserving the unique natural and cultural heritage.

The created FZP is a strip with the largest for of Eastern Europe preserved massifs of virgin (indigenous) coniferous forests along the Russian-Finnish border. It unites into a single whole both unique natural complexes (virgin forests, rare and endemic species of flora and fauna, key habitats of migratory birds, etc.) and cultural monuments (wooden architecture, rune-singing villages, etc.) of the North-West of Russia and Finland. The green belt has a global ecological, historical and cultural significance and deserves to be assigned the status of a "UNESCO World Heritage Site"; work on nominating it to the list of world heritage sites is currently underway. The core of the ZPF is the already existing and planned protected natural areas (SPNA) - 15 from the Russian side with total area 9.7 thousand km 2 and 36 in Finland with a total area of ​​9.5 thousand km 2. The creation of the ZPF will contribute to the development of international integration in the field of conservation of natural (in particular, habitats and biodiversity of boreal forests) and cultural heritage of Northern Europe, as well as their sustainable use (sustainable forest management, development of small business related to non-forest resources and ecological tourism, revival and preservation of cultural traditions, crafts, folklore holidays).

The Green Belt of Fennoscandia should become a network of protected areas, organically linked to areas of economic activity. It is intended to be a stimulus for the development of its constituent territories, attracting additional investment in the local economy.

Karelia is traditionally called the forest and lakes region. The modern topography of the area was formed under the influence of a glacier, the melting of which began thirteen thousand years ago. The ice sheets were gradually decreasing, and the melt water filled the depressions in the rocks. Thus, many lakes and rivers were formed in Karelia.

Virgin forest

Karelian forests are the real treasure of the region. For a number of reasons, forestry activities have most miraculously bypassed them. This applies to the massifs located along the Finnish border. Thanks to this, the islands of virgin nature have been preserved. Karelian forests boast pines that are five hundred years old.

There are about three hundred thousand hectares in Karelia woodlands are in the status of national parks and reserves. Virgin trees form the basis of the Pasvik and Kostomukshsky nature reserves and the Paanajarvsky national park.

Green wealth: interesting facts

For more fertile soils settled green moss pine forests, which are represented tall trees... In such dense forest the undergrowth is very rare and consists of juniper and mountain ash. The shrub layer is made up of lingonberries and blueberries, but the soil is covered with mosses. As for herbaceous plants, there are very few of them.

Lichen pine forests grow on the depleted soils of the slopes and tops of the rocks. Trees in these places are quite rare, and undergrowth is practically absent. The soil covers are represented by lichens, reindeer lichen, green mosses, bearberry, lingonberry.

The richer soils are characterized by spruce forests. The most common are green movers, consisting almost only of spruce trees, sometimes aspen and birch can be found. On the outskirts of the bogs there are sphagnum spruce forests and long-moss trees. But for the valleys of streams, marsh grass with mosses and frail alder and meadowsweet are characteristic.

Mixed forests

In the place of clearings and fires, once primary forests are replaced by secondary mixed forest areas, where aspen, birch, alder grow, there is also a rich underbrush and a herbaceous layer. But among hardwoods, conifers are quite common. As a rule, this is a spruce. Exactly at mixed forests in the south of Karelia there are rare elm, linden, maple.

Swamps

About thirty percent of the entire territory of the republic is occupied by swamps and wetlands, which form a characteristic landscape. They alternate with woodlands. Swamps are divided into the following types:

1. Lowland, the vegetation of which is represented by shrubs, reeds and sedges.
2. Riding horses that feed on precipitation. Blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries, and wild rosemary grow here.
3. Transitional marshes are an interesting combination of the first two types.

All swamps are very diverse in appearance. In fact, these are reservoirs covered with intricate weaving of mosses. There are also boggy pine areas with small birches, between which dark puddles with duckweed gleam.

Beauty of Karelia

Karelia is a land of extraordinary beauty. Here marshes overgrown with moss alternate with virgin forests, mountains give way to plains and hills with amazing landscapes, the calm surface of the lake turns into seething streams of rivers and a rocky seashore.

Almost 85% of the territory is Karelian forests. Conifers predominate, but there are also small-leaved species. The leader is the very hardy Karelian pine. It occupies 2/3 of all forest areas. Growing up in such harsh conditions, according to the local population, it has unique healing properties, nourishing others with energy, relieves fatigue and irritability.

Local forests are famous for the Karelian birch. In fact, this is a very small and nondescript tree. However, it has gained worldwide fame for its very durable and hard wood, which resembles marble due to its intricate design.

Karelian forests are also rich in medicinal and food herbs and shrubs. There are blueberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cloudberries, cranberries and lingonberries. It would be unfair not to remember about mushrooms, of which there are a great many in Karelia. The earliest of them appear in June, and already in September the period for picking mushrooms for salting begins - there are waves, bruises, milk mushrooms.

Varieties of trees

Pine trees grow in the Karelian expanses, the age of which is at least 300-350 years. However, there are also older specimens. Their height reaches 20-25 or even 35 meters. Pine needles produce phytoncides that can kill germs. Moreover, it is very valuable breed, its timber is good for shipbuilding and just for construction work. And from the sap of the tree, rosin and turpentine are extracted.

A completely unique long-lived pine tree grows in the Marcial waters, which is about four hundred years old. She is listed rarest trees... There is even a legend that the pine tree was planted by those close to Peter I, but if we take into account its age, then, most likely, it grew long before that period.

In addition, Siberian and common spruce grows in Karelia. In local conditions, it lives for two or three hundred years, and some specimens live up to half a century, while reaching 35 meters in height. The diameter of such a tree is about a meter. Spruce wood is very light, almost white, very soft and light. It is used to make better paper... Spruce is also called a musical plant. It got this name not by accident. Smooth and almost perfect trunks are used for the production of musical instruments.

In the Karelian forests, a serpentine spruce was found, which is a natural monument. It is of great interest for growing in parks.

Larches, common in Karelia, are classified as conifers, but they drop needles every year. This tree is considered a long-liver, since it lives up to 400-500 years (the height reaches 40 meters). Larch grows very quickly, and is valued not only for its hardwood, but also as a park culture.

In dry spruce and pine forests a lot of juniper, which is coniferous evergreen shrub... It is interesting not only as an ornamental plant, but also as a medicinal breed, since its berries contain substances used in folk medicine.

Birches are widespread in Karelia. Here, this tree is sometimes also called the pioneer, since it is the first to occupy any free place... Birch lives for a relatively short time - from 80 to 100 years. In forests, its height reaches twenty-five meters.

Sometimes gentle, but often gray, dank land of endless taiga and innumerable lakes. Rocks, swamps, rivers, streams. Mosquitoes, midges, berries, mushrooms, fishing. Off-road, abandoned villages, fields overgrown with grass, carved out of the living body of the forest, most often for a clean one. Crazy sunsets and sunrises. Unforgettable white nights. Seagulls over level water and white steamers.
This is all Karelia. The land is hard, but beautiful. With my soul.
Who lives by its own laws and rules.

Karelia is located in the north-west of the country and is part of the North-West federal district... This is a republic within Russia: it has its own coat of arms, flag and anthem. About 50% of the territory of the Karelian Territory is covered with forest, and a quarter is covered with water. Karelia is the "land of lakes", there are more than 61,000 lakes, 27,000 rivers and 29 reservoirs. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Onega, and the largest rivers are Vodla, Vyg, Kovda, Kem, Sunna and Shuya.

On the Ladvinskaya Plain

Karelia is crossed by the "Blue Road" - an international tourist route connecting Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The main types of recreation in the region: sightseeing tours (Kizhi - Valaam - Solovki - Kivach Waterfall - Marcial Waters - Ruskeala marble canyon), active recreation (quad bike safari, rafting on rapids, hunting and fishing, hiking, skiing, cycling, jeep tours), children's and youth recreation in camps, event and holiday tours, recreation in cottages and tourist complexes.

waterfall "Yukaknkoski"

Vedlozero

The capital is Petrozavodsk. Big cities and tourist centers: Kondopoga, Kem, Kostomuksha, Sortavala, Medvezhyegorsk, Belomorsk, Pudozh, Olonets. The population is about 691 thousand people.

The fauna of Karelia is relatively young; it was formed after the Ice Age. In total, 63 species of mammals live on the territory of the republic, many of which, for example, the Ladoga ringed seal, the flying squirrel and the brown long-eared eagle, are listed in the Red Book. On the rivers of Karelia, you can see the huts of European and Canadian beavers.

The Canadian beaver, as well as the muskrat, the American mink are acclimatized representatives of the fauna of North America. Raccoon dog also not a native inhabitant of Karelia, she comes from Of the Far East... Since the late 1960s, wild boars have begun to appear, and roe deer have entered the southern regions. There are bear, lynx, badger and wolf.

From year to year, geese flying to the north stop to rest in the fields of the Olonets plain in Karelia

There are 285 bird species in Karelia, of which 36 species are included in the Red Book of Karelia. The most common birds are finches. There is upland game - hazel grouse, black grouse, ptarmigan, capercaillie. Every spring geese fly to Karelia from warm countries. Birds of prey are widespread: owls, hawks, golden eagles, swamp harriers. There are also 40 pairs of rare white-tailed eagles. Among waterfowl: ducks, loons, sandpipers, many gulls and the largest of the diving ducks in Karelia - the common eider, valuable for its warm down.

Just like the fauna vegetable world Karelia was formed relatively recently - 10-15 thousand years ago. Coniferous forests prevail, to the north - pine, to the south - both pine and spruce. The main conifers are Scots pine and Scots spruce. Finnish spruce and Siberian spruce are less common, and Siberian larch is extremely rare. Small-leaved species are widespread in the forests of Karelia, these are: downy birch, warty birch, aspen, gray alder, some types of willow.

Karelia is the land of berries, it grows in a variety of lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries grow in the forests - both wild and feral, sometimes moving from village gardens. Strawberries and currants grow abundantly in the south of the republic. In the forests, juniper is common, bird cherry and buckthorn are not uncommon. Occasionally, red viburnum is found.

Museum-reserve "Kizhi"

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia. This is a unique historical, cultural and natural complex, which is a particularly valuable object of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia. The basis of the museum collection is the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost - an object of the World Cultural and natural heritage UNESCO.

Transfiguration Church

37 meters of unprecedented beauty, 22 domes stretching to the sky!
Undoubtedly the most famous and outstanding building of the ensemble. The church is the tallest structure on the island. It can be seen from almost any point on land and water. The architecture is impressive. It does not fit in my head how it is possible to build such beauty without a modern tool, without nails ?! But the church really was created without a single nail in 1714. Just this year, the laying of the altar of the church took place. The history of the church says that it was erected on the site of an old one burnt down from a lightning strike.

Church of the Intercession

The second church of the ensemble - winter, in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God (holiday on October 14) - was built half a century after the Transfiguration. The church is crowned with nine chapters. In Russian wooden architecture, such a structure is unique. The existing four-domed iconostasis of the Intercession Church consists of original icons, many of which were painted especially for this church. The oldest of them dates back to the 16th century. In the Church of the Intercession, services are held throughout the summer and until the very Intercession. In 2003, the parish received the status of stavropegic and is under the patronage of Holy Patriarch and All Russia Alexy II.

Voitsky padun

It is located in Central Karelia on the Nizhny Vyg river, 2 km from the village of Nadvoitsy. The waterfall as such is no longer there, only its dry bed, framed by dark rocks, green forest and mighty boulders, remains. But once the waterfall was famous, legends and traditions were composed about it. Its fame grew significantly in the 18th century, when the Voitsky copper mine began work nearby.

One of the last famous people who visited the "active" waterfall was the writer M.M. Prishvin. He left a description of it, in which there are such words: "... Hum, chaos! It is difficult to concentrate, it is inconceivable to realize what I see? But pulls and pulls to look ... Obviously some mysterious forces affect the fall water, and at every moment all its particles are different: the waterfall lives some kind of infinitely complex life of its own ... "

Balaam. Bay "Rocky Coast"

Balaam. Bay "Rocky Coast". Passing from the pier of Bolshaya Nikonovskaya Bay to the south-west of the Valaam archipelago, we find ourselves in the area of ​​the picturesque bay "Rocky Coast" with unique nature Balaam and the surrounding Ladoga.

Balaam. Bolshaya Nikonovskaya Bay

Mountain Park "Ruskeala". The pearl of the Mountain Park is the Marble Canyon.

The Marble Canyon is a monument of industrial culture (mining) of the late 18th - early 20th centuries, officially included in the list of cultural heritage of Russia in 1998. and drifts, there are no more in Europe. From here were obtained blocks for facing many architectural creations of St. Petersburg, including the majestic St. Isaac's Cathedral.

This is the oldest of the Ruskeala quarries. Its length is 450 m, width is 60-100 m, depth is 30-50 m. It is flooded to the level of the upper underground horizon. The Finns flooded the quarry before the start of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-40. Most of the adits of the first third of the last century are under water. Only one of them is located above the water level.

Outwardly, the Marble Canyon makes a colossal impression: gray-white rocks break off into a turquoise lake with heavily indented shores, and go to a depth of many meters.

Some of the boulders hang above the water at a negative angle, and into the grottoes that have formed in the sheer cliffs, you can swim in a boat and admire the play of light on the marble ceiling. The grottoes look very beautiful, the white marble of the vaults and walls is wonderfully reflected in the calm water.

The combination of the nature of Karelia and human activities has given this career an amazingly picturesque look that attracts travel lovers not only from Karelia, but also from St. Petersburg, Moscow and other places.

Ruskeala waterfall "Akhvenkoski"

Ruskeala waterfall Akhvenkoski translated from Finnish as "Perch threshold". Locals sometimes call it “the waterfall at three bridges”. At this point, the winding river Tohmajoki crosses the road three times.
The Akhvenkoski waterfall gained particular fame thanks to the film The Dawns Here Are Quiet, shot in 1972.

Mannerheim Line

The Mannerheim Line (Finn. Mannerheim-linja) is a complex of fortifications between the Gulf of Finland and Ladoga, created in 1920-1930 on the Finnish part of the Karelian Isthmus to contain a possible offensive strike from the USSR 132-135 km long.

This line was the site of some of the most significant fighting in the 1940 Winter War and received a lot of international press coverage. Three lines of defense were planned between Vyborg and the border with the USSR. The one closest to the border was called "main", then there was "intermediate", near Vyborg "back".

The most powerful node of the main line was located in the Summakul region, the place of the greatest threat of a breakthrough. During the Winter War, the Finnish and after it the Western press called the complex of the main defensive line after the commander-in-chief Marshal Karl Mannerheim, on whose orders the plans for the defense of the Karelian Isthmus were developed back in 1918. On his own initiative, the largest structures of the defense complex were created.

The defensive power of the Mannerheim Line was greatly exaggerated by propaganda on both sides.

place of death 1217 regiment

From 24.00 6.02.42 until the outgoing day 7.02.42, the enemy defended the taken lines, simultaneously all continuous attacks of the defense sector. 1217 rifle regiment heroically, defending every inch of the earth with fire and counterattacks, he threw the enemy back to its original position. The enemy suffered heavy losses. But, having met strong resistance from the enemy, the units lay down and went on the defensive. Surrounded by 1217 joint ventures, without receiving reinforcement with manpower and ammunition, he died in fierce battles with the enemy, 28 people remained from the regiment.

The bodies of the dead Soviet soldiers, according to the descriptions of an eyewitness, lay in 2-3 tiers, and with an artillery attack, parts of the bodies were scattered throughout the forest. In total, the encirclement from the division went missing - 1229 people died.

From the memoirs of Otto Koinvungas, a former private of the 8th Infantry Division of the Finns, Otto Koinvungas from Oulu: “The first thing we saw when we arrived at the front line was that a soldier was carrying a whole cart of corpses of Russian soldiers on horseback. In early January, the Russians launched an attack, but were defeated. On both sides of the road there were so many Russian soldiers, dead and frozen, that the dead, standing, supported each other. "

From Onega - to Ladoga. The Svir River.

Swir - big river in the north-east Leningrad region Russia, near its administrative border with the Republic of Karelia, an important link in the Volga-Baltic waterway... The Svir originates in Lake Onega and flows into Lake Ladoga. In the middle reaches of the Svir, there were rapids, but after the construction of a cascade of power plants on the river, the dams raised the water level, flooding the rapids and creating a deep-water path along the entire length of the river.

The Svir has two significant tributaries - the Pasha and Oyat rivers, used for timber rafting. Perch, bream, pike, roach, burbot, catfish, salmon, grayling, etc. are found in the river.
The many islands give the river its distinctiveness; the river flows in the lowlands, which in the past were occupied by glacial reservoirs. Perch, bream, pike, roach, burbot, catfish, salmon, grayling, etc. are found in the river.

WINTER IN KARELIA

Kivach waterfall in winter

Ice hummocks on Lake Onega

Russian and foreign tourists have long "laid eyes" on the Karelian region. And the point here is not only in its virgin nature and unique architectural monuments. The main reason is simple: the tourist season in the republic is not at all limited to three summer months- they go to Karelia continuously throughout the year. Fans of active tourism and those who love quiet travel with the whole family will find rest here to their liking.

Photos are not mine. A huge number of Yandex sites and pages have been used. Sorry for not naming anyone specifically.

To turn to the topic of the history of Karelia during the period of revolutionary and military events of the first half of the 20th century, I was forced not only by the desire to understand all the intricacies of politics of those times myself, but also by the stubborn ignorance and suppression of a whole layer of history under the conventional term that has been going on for a hundred years, on the one hand, Karelian independence ”, and on the other - the understanding that for a hundred years so many stereotypes, lies and distortions of facts have accumulated that there is simply nowhere to go. It seems that for a whole century we have not made one iota progress in understanding what was happening in Karelia on the eve of the revolution, at its height and during the civil war.

Kalevala (Ukhta). Our days. Photo: Andrey Tuomi

During recent years we are persistently imposed on a "round" historical date - the centenary of the Republic of Karelia - which we are preparing to celebrate widely and festively in 2020. A simplified and very conditional date is firmly sewn with a harsh red thread of history to the day of the formation of the Karelian labor commune, from which the chronology is conducted in the modern Republic of Karelia.

But is it all that simple and is it all so simple? Is this really the case? Was it really a hundred years ago, among the forests, lakes and swamps, suddenly, for no reason, a red, Soviet national formation, which walked, ripping apart its pants, into a bright communist future together with the whole country? And what came, after a hundred years, to the same taiga impasse, where did it come from, as the official history claims?

I do not pretend to be deeply scientific in my analysis, to the ultimate truth and rely only on what I know from open sources, and most importantly - from the stories of my ancestors and contemporaries who lived and live in Vienan Karjala. Based on the fact that every Karelian of the north tries to understand and comprehend, asking himself the questions - who we are, where did we come from, what will we leave behind?

Part one.

How many Karelia are there in the world?

When we say the word "Karelia", we rarely think about the fact that there are three completely different Karelia in the world, which are equally entitled to be called such. In addition to all of us understandable and well-known Karelia, in which we all have the good fortune to live, there is Finnish Karelia and Tver Karelia. In addition, within the Karelia in which we live, there is a division into northern and southern part, which we will talk about a little later. And if we are talking about the existing historical community, then territorially the most "old", primordial Karelian lands can be called simultaneously Finnish Karelia, Tver Karelia and Olonets Karelia, and the most ancient - the Karelian Isthmus, where from the Karelians, however, due to historical events different centuries, only one name remains.

What is the reason for such a heterogeneous settlement of the people has long been clarified and established. Protracted wars with the Swedes for the Karelian lands throughout the entire period of the Middle Ages, exhausting the forces of the Karelian ethnos, forced the people to the Great Exodus. The Orekhov Peace Treaty (1323) between Novgorod and Sweden, which divided in half not only the Karelian lands, but also the ethnos itself, played its most negative role in the division of the Karelians.

In that part of Karelia that was ceded to Novgorod, the Karelians did not change either their way of life or their habitat. But the part of the people who passed under the Swedish crown faced a difficult choice: either to die or to change their faith. In those distant times, when faith was dominant in all areas of social, political, interstate and interpersonal relations, when religion was the main "fuel tank" of any war, the concept of "freedom of conscience" did not exist in nature. A different belief was a sufficient and generally accepted motive for the physical destruction of people. Some part of the western Karelians professed Catholicism (and later - Lutheranism) and Swedish citizenship did not threaten them, but the Orthodox Karelians had no choice but to exodus to the southeast and northeast.

Indigenous and alien

The southeastern part of the Karelians originating from the ancestral lands settled in the Novgorod and, for the most part, in the Tver lands, and those that went to the northeast, mastered the lands of the north of the modern Republic of Karelia. From this we must draw the first and important conclusion, which will still play its role in all subsequent history: the Karelian population of the northern regions of our Karelia is not the original (indigenous) population of these places. Rebols, Kalevalu (Ukhtua), Voknavolok, Kestengu and hundreds of other villages and villages were mastered (or founded) and settled in exactly by those Karelians who came here from the territory of modern Finland, the Northern Ladoga area and the Karelian Isthmus. Naturally, they came not to the empty, but sparsely populated lands of the Lappi and made up what is now commonly called (in linguistic division) "the territory of the Karelian language proper."

It would seem that the Tver Karelians (who came to the lands of the Tver region like their brothers in the north of the Republic of Karelia), living in the very heart of Russia, are geographically closer to the Prionezh or Olonets Karelians. But this is only geographically, ethnically they are just closer to the Northern Karelians and to the Karelians of Finland. The language of the Tver Karelians is a dialect of the proper Karelian language, not the Ludik and Livvik languages. The simultaneous linguistic affinity of both Tver and Northern Karelians to the Finnish language just confirms that they all came out of the same “ ancestral nest". And both of these subethnos are not the original and indigenous population of their current habitats. That is, they have become such quite recently - having changed the status of the newcomer population to the status of a rooted one. That is, becoming an indigenous population. This is their serious difference from their fellow tribesmen of the Onega and the Olonets plain, where the local Karelians have been the indigenous population for many centuries.

Karelian identity

Another important historical conclusion that we can draw is that the part of the Karelians who, as a result of the Great Exodus, ended up on the territory of the modern northern regions of the republic, preserved their original Karelian identity for many centuries. I draw this conclusion not in order to belittle the merits of some Karelians and to raise the merits of others, but in order for us to understand the essential difference between all existing and existing groups of Karelians.

Judge for yourself: when we talk about the Karelians of Finland, we immediately make a reservation that this part of the ethnic group has almost completely assimilated with the Finns, having fallen under the influence of a more powerful (albeit also very diverse) culture, religion and way of life. Speaking about the Onega and Olonets Karelians, we make a reservation that this part of the ethnic group came under the strongest influence of Russian culture, language and way of life. We see exactly the same powerful influence of Russians in Tver Karelia. These things follow from the objective circumstances of the Karelians living in those places where there is a strong influence of other strong ethnic groups - Russian and Finnish.

But with the northern Karelians there was a historical conservation, when they left to the northeast, "taking" with them the language, culture and way of life and bringing all this to their new "promised land", where there was no influence of other powerful ethnic groups. The influence of the Lappi on the Karelians was very insignificant; rather, the northern Karelians assimilated the part of the Lappi people to whose lands they came.

Linguistic diversity

Today the situation with the Karelian language looks very diverse. It is more or less easy for the Karelian of the north of the republic to speak their native language with the northerners-Finns, he understands them, they understand him too. The Tver Karelians have a slightly unusual, but very understandable dialect for a northerner. The languages ​​of Ludiks and Livviks are understandable to the northerners (without language training) in the general context of the conversation, but the language of the northerners is much more difficult for the residents of Olonetsk and the Onega Karelians to understand.

Without going deep into the issues of linguistics and the secrets of the formation of dialects and dialects, we note that the linguistic diversity of Karelia is enough to draw conclusions about where it came from and why everything happened this way. Moreover, in addition to the linguistic difference, the "theory of different Karelia" there are more compelling justifications and confirmations.

Our kind of tunes

Let's take the pride of all Karelians and Finns - the epos “Kalevala”. More precisely, not the epic itself (for Kalevala is still a literary result of the creative work of collecting, generalizing and systematizing oral material collected by Elias Lennrot), but what has been preserved among the people for many centuries - Karelian runes.

If we pay attention to the territory where Lennrot collected practically all the song material for composing the epic (and this, according to various estimates, about or more than 90% of all runes), then we will find ourselves in a very small area of ​​the territory located in the present Kalevala region of Karelia. These are Voknavolok, Sudnozero, Voinitsa and Ukhtua. It is in this kind of "golden section" that what has been saved up by several dozen generations of Karelians has been preserved unchanged. Why did this happen?

Everything is very simply explained from the point of view of the influence of ethnic groups on each other. The northern Karelians who moved to the present Kalevala region, due to objective circumstances, left the influence of the Russians and Finns, preserving their original Karelian identity for several more centuries. That is, they were simply mothballed in the very form in which they left their lands during the Great Exodus.

At a time when the culture of the southern Karelians was mixing with the culture of the Russians, and the Finnish Karelians with the culture of the Finns, the northern Karelians quietly existed within their area, which was not influenced by other ethnic groups. This factor, as well as the Karelian tendency to traditionalism, conservatism and natural stubbornness (which was noted by all ethnographers) made it possible to preserve the culture, way of life and traditions of the people for many centuries, fencing it off from outside influence.

Canned Middle Ages

Moreover, the Karelians of the north of the republic, due to their traditionalism, spread part of their culture to the north of Finland, where the Karelians rushed along trade routes. During the historical period of time that passed from the period of the resettlement of the Karelians to the visit of their new lands by Lennrot (3-4 centuries), the inhabitants of the northern regions had not yet settled so firmly on these lands to finally turn into cattle breeders and farmers, but preferred the old latrine trade ...

Lennrot was sincerely surprised that the Karelians in Ukhtua and Voknavolok, having such vast lands, did not engage in agriculture, preferring trade, fishing and hunting to him. Unfortunately, he did not go further and did not come to the conclusion that in that historical period the Karelians simply did not have time to settle on the earth enough, to grow to it in order to begin its full-fledged development.

A similar conclusion was made by the Russian Orthodox priests who came here after the Karelians, who saw in this fact the natural laziness, stubbornness of the Karelians and their tendency to bargaining. They also did not pay attention to the fact that the Karelians conserved in the late Middle Ages retained the crafts inherent in the Middle Ages: hunting, fishing and exchange trade.

Even if we compare old photographs of Karelian villages, we will see not only some similarities in the architecture and layout of settlements in the south and north of Karelia, but also differences that immediately catch our eye: at the time of shooting, South Karelian villages look much more solid, habitable, cozy and rich than the villages of the north, which by that time were not yet fully formed. This is exactly how Ukhtua and Voinitsa look in Konrad Inkh's photographs, as if in the process of rooting. Almost in all the old photographs of the villages of Vienan Karjala, the main feature is striking: the absence of trees in them. The only exceptions are Karelian cemeteries, which in the photographs are distinguished by tall spruce forests and, less often, by pine forests.

(To be continued)

The Republic of Karelia is located in Northern Europe, on the border of Russia with Finland. It is called the center of wooden architecture, a mushroom storeroom and the most mysterious land in Russia. Many have been done here beautiful photos, but they are not able to convey the whole gamut of feelings that these places evoke in the traveler. Fabulous taiga forests, transparent lakes, virgin nature, an abundance of historical and architectural monuments - all this must be seen with your own eyes.

Mount Vottovaara

In the central part of the republic, 20 kilometers southeast of the village of Sukkozero, there is an interesting place - Mount Vottovaara, the highest peak of the West Karelian Upland (417 meters).

Locals call this place of power Death Mountain and consider it a portal to the other world - an anomalous effect on electrical equipment, nature, and the human body is noted here. The dead silence, as well as the oppressive sight of bent, windblown, and blackened trees after a fire, heighten the ominous feeling.

In 1978, a complex of ancient cult seids was discovered on the mountain - stones-boulders of a rolled shape, located in groups. At the same time, huge blocks lie on smaller ones, creating the impression of stones on legs.

Also on Vottovaar there is a mysterious staircase to the sky - 13 steps carved into the rock, ending in an abyss.

Mount Kivakkatunturi

Located in national park Paanajärvi, Louhi region. The height of the mountain is 499 meters, and the name is translated from Finnish as "stone woman" - at the top there are many seids, one of which resembles the head of an old woman.

The ascent to Kivakku is quite easy and takes 1-2 hours - in addition to the well-trodden path, wooden beams are laid for the convenience of tourists. When climbing, you can see around the characteristic features of the landscape of these places - hanging bogs and high-altitude lakes lying on the slopes of the mountain and testifying to the water content of the rock.

The beauty of Paanajärvi Park is clearly visible from the open top. This place becomes especially picturesque with the arrival of autumn, when the plants paint the mountain in yellow-crimson colors.

Mountain Park "Ruskeala" (Marble Canyon)

The basis of this tourist complex in the Sortavalsky region of Karelia is the former marble quarry. The blocks mined here were used for facing the palaces and cathedrals of St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia. Now these quarries have turned into man-made marble bowls filled with the purest water and cut through by a system of mines and adits, reminiscent of mysterious caves and grottoes.

The mountain park is 450 meters long and about 100 meters wide. It is equipped for tourists - pedestrian paths have been cleared, observation platforms have been created, there is a parking lot, boat rental. It is from the water that the most impressive views of the surrounding rocks, up to 20 meters high, open. Also, by boat, you can swim into the marble grotto and admire the bizarre reflection of the water in the translucent vaults.

Marble Canyon Caves

No less curious are the mines and adits of the quarry, where you can get with an excursion. Most of these caves were flooded, but there are also dry ones - the higher the air temperature on the surface, the more deathly cold is felt here.

For its unique acoustics, one of these grottoes was named Musical. However, the greatest interest is caused by the Proval cave, in the roof of which a hole 20 by 30 meters in size was formed. Another name for the Proval is the Hall of the Mountain King or the Ice Cave; it is best to go down into it in the cold season, when the 30-meter water column in the grotto is hidden under the ice. Drops flowing down from the arches formed numerous ice stalactites and stalagmites, the beauty of which is emphasized by the illumination.

Ruskeala waterfalls (Akhvenkoski waterfalls)

Not far from the Ruskeala village, where the Tohmajoki River is divided into several branches, there are 4 small waterfalls. Falling from rocky ledges 3-4 meters high, kvass-colored water foams and rumbles.

The area around is ennobled, there are wooden gazebos, a cafe, a souvenir shop. Once upon a time in these places filmed films "The Dawns Here Are Quiet", " Dark world”, Now on the river Tohmajoki, overcoming waterfalls, they carry out rafting on kayaks (kayaks).

Paanajärvi National Park

This corner of wild nature is located in the north-west of Karelia, in its most elevated part and occupies about 103 thousand hectares. The park owes its name to the unique Lake Paanajärvi, which has arisen in the fractures of rocks, the boundaries of the park run along the line of this lake and the Olanga River.

The landscapes here are picturesque and varied - mountain peaks alternate with gorges, turbulent rivers and noisy waterfalls coexist with the calm surface of lakes.

The highest point of the republic is located in the park - Mount Nourunen. Here you can also see the Kivakkakoski waterfall - one of the largest and most powerful in Karelia.

Daylight hours in winter are very short - from the end of August you can see the northern lights. But in summer the sun sets only for 2-3 hours - the time for white nights comes.

National Park "Kalevalsky"

This park was created in the far west of Karelia in 2006 to preserve one of the last in Europe massifs of old-growth pine forests. On the territory of 74 thousand hectares, pine trees occupy about 70%, the age of many trees reaches 400-450 years.

For thousands of years, these places have been an invariable habitat for various species of animals and plants, the virgin beauty of the forests fascinates even now. In the park you can see many large rivers with picturesque waterfalls, deep clean lakes.

There are also several villages here - Voknavolok is considered the cradle of Karelian and Finnish cultures, where the songs of the Kalevala epic were born, many historical and cultural monuments have been preserved in Sudnozero, and Panozero is considered one of the oldest settlements in the region.

The Kuzov archipelago

It is a group of 16 small islands in the White Sea, near the city of Kem. In order to preserve the unique landscape and the diversity of flora and fauna, a state landscape reserve"Body". Now there are special places for visiting tourists on 3 islands - Russian Kuzov, Nemetsky Kuzov and Chernetsky.

In addition to the beauties of the surrounding nature, the archipelago attracts with an abundance of seids, labyrinths, ancient settlements of people of the Mesolithic and Bronze Age, religious buildings. The islands are shrouded in many legends and are still a mystery to historians and archaeologists.

Girvas volcano crater

In the small village of Girvas, Kondopoga region of Karelia, there is the world's oldest preserved volcano crater, its age is about 2.5 billion years.

Previously, the full-flowing Suna River flowed here, but after the construction of the dam for the hydroelectric power station, its bed was drained, and the water was allowed to go along a different path, and now petrified lava flows are clearly visible in the half-empty canyon. The crater of the volcano itself does not protrude above the ground, but is a depression filled with water.

Kivach waterfall

Translated from Finnish, the name of the waterfall means "powerful", "impetuous". It is located on the Suna River and is the fourth largest flat waterfall in Europe. Kivach consists of four rapids with a total height of 10.7 meters, of which the sheer drop of water is 8 meters.

Due to the construction of a hydroelectric power station in this area, a large outflow of water occurred, which somewhat reduced the attractiveness of the waterfall. The best time Spring is considered to be a visit to this attraction, when Suna is gaining strength, feeding on melt water. In 1931, the State was created around the waterfall. nature reserve"Kivach".

Waterfall White Bridges (Yukankoski)

This waterfall, located on the Kulismayoki River in the Pitkyaranta region of the republic, is one of the highest and most beautiful in Karelia and reaches about 18 meters in height. In summer, the water in the river warms up well, which allows you to swim in it and stand under the cascading streams of water.

In 1999, a hydrological natural monument "White Bridges" was established on the territory adjacent to the waterfall, with an area of ​​87.9 hectares. Due to its location in the forest, away from the highway, Yukankoski is not very popular with travelers.

Marcial waters

This name bears a balneological and mud resort, as well as a village in the Kondopoga region. The resort was founded by Peter I in 1719 and is the first in Russia.

There are 4 wells here, from which flow mineral water, their main feature is the amount of iron, more than in other sources in Russia and abroad. In each source, the concentration of iron is different, and the waters also contain calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium.

Sapropelic silt sulphide mud, extracted from the bottom of Lake Gabozero, also has healing properties.

The resort is visited for the treatment of diseases of the blood, cardiovascular, digestive, genitourinary and musculoskeletal systems, respiratory organs. Here, according to the project of Peter I, the Church of St. Peter the Apostle was built, and opposite the temple is the building of the local history museum "Marcial Waters".

Valaam island

The name of the island is translated as "high land" - it is the largest of the islands of the Valaam archipelago, located in the north of Lake Ladoga.

Valaam attracts thousands of tourists every year - its rocky territory is 9.6 kilometers long and 7.8 kilometers wide. coniferous forests, large and small inland lakes, cut by numerous channels, bays and bays.

Here is the village of Valaam and a monument of Russian architecture - Valaam stavropegic male monastery with many sketes (buildings located in hard-to-reach places).

The island of good spirits

This island, located on Voronye Lake, is not marked on any geographical map, for which it is often called Karelian Shambhala. You can get on it while rafting down the Okhta River and only with the help of the guides' tips.

The place is a traveler's paradise and is famous for its convenient parking areas, excellent fishing and picturesque surroundings. However, most of all, people are attracted by the abundance of wooden crafts on the island - a real open-air museum, created by the hands of tourists. Some of the items are dated back to the 70s of the last century. According to legend, this place is inhabited by spirits that guard the island and infuse every craft, bringing good luck to its manufacturer.

Solovetsky Islands

This archipelago, which includes more than 100 islands, covers 347 square kilometers and is the largest in the White Sea. It is located at the entrance to Onega Bay and is included in the specially protected protected area.

Here is the Solovetsky Monastery with many churches, the Maritime Museum, the airport, Botanical Garden, ancient stone labyrinths and a whole system of canals through which you can go by boat.

The White Sea beluga whale, the white whale, lives near Cape Beluzhi. Beautiful nature and an abundance of historical and architectural monuments attract many excursion groups to these places.

Lake Pisanets

This body of water is located in the central part of the Republic of Karelia, and has a tectonic origin - the lake was formed as a result of a fracture of the earth's crust, which is clearly evidenced by the symmetry of its shores. The name of the lake is translated as "longest" - taking up to 200 meters in width, it stretches for 5 kilometers in length. In some places, the depth exceeds 200 meters.

There are parking areas on the northern shore of the reservoir, comfortable seats for fishing and launching boats. Moving south, the shores become higher, forming a gorge with rocks towering 100 meters above the water. The virgin nature, silence and the absence of nearby settlements make this place especially attractive for lovers of solitude.

White Sea

This inland sea, located in the north of the European part of Russia, belongs to the basin of the Northern Arctic Ocean and has an area of ​​90 square kilometers. Due to the cold, even in summer time water (up to 20 degrees), there is not too much flow of tourists in the White Sea, and nature in many places remains untouched.

Blueberries and mushrooms grow abundantly on the islands of the sea coast, in the water you can see jellyfish, fish, seals and belugas. A unique sight is the seabed after low tide - it is filled with a variety of living organisms.

Lake Ladoga (Ladoga)

It is located in Karelia and the Leningrad region and is the largest fresh water body in Europe - the length of the lake is 219, and the maximum width is 138 kilometers. The northern shores are high and rocky, with many bays, peninsulas, large and small islands; the southern coast is shallow, with an abundance of rocky reefs.

A large number of settlements, ports and recreation centers are located along Ladoga, numerous ships glide along the water surface. Numerous historical finds from various eras have been found at the bottom of the lake, and even now these places are popular among diving enthusiasts. Also, mirages and brontids occur here - a rumble coming from the lake, accompanied by boiling water or weak vibrations of the earth.

Lake Onega (Onego)

This lake is called the younger sister of the great Ladoga - it is the second largest fresh water body in Europe. On the territory of Onego there are more than 1,500 islands of different sizes, dozens of ports and marinas are located on the shores, the Onega Sailing Regatta is held annually.

The water in the lake is clean and transparent thanks to the shungite mineral, which is literally lined with the bottom. In addition to fish, there is a bivalve mollusk that grows nacreous pearl balls in its shell.

Taiga forests, rich in mushrooms and berries, the charm of northern nature, a huge number of historical monuments, architecture, folk art attract many tourists to these places.

Onega petroglyphs

On the eastern coast of Lake Onega in the Pudozh region of Karelia, there are ancient rock paintings dating back to the 4th-3rd millennia BC. They are collected in 24 scattered groups and cover an area of ​​20 kilometers; more than half of the petroglyphs are located at the capes of Peri Nos, Besov Nos and Kladovets.

In total, about 1100 images and signs are carved into the rocks, mainly drawings of birds (especially swans), forest animals, people and boats. Some petroglyphs are up to 4 meters in size.

Among the mystical figures - the mysterious triad "demon, catfish (burbot) and otter (lizard)." To neutralize this evil, around the 15th century, the monks of the Murom Holy Dormition Monastery knocked out a Christian cross over the image.

Kinerma village

The name of this old Karelian village, lost in the Pryazhinsky district, translates as “precious land”. The settlement, founded more than 400 years ago, has up to two dozen houses, half of which are architectural monuments. The buildings are located in a circle, in the center of which is the chapel of the Smolensk Mother of God and the old cemetery.

Quite recently, the fate of the village was in question, only 1 person lived here permanently. However, thanks to the efforts of local residents, it was possible to restore the buildings, improve the way of life, and attract tourists. For the preservation of its historical appearance, Kinerma was recognized as a complex monument of wooden folk architecture of the Karelian-Livviks. She also won the Most Beautiful Village in Russia competition.

Museum-reserve "Kizhi"

The bulk of this unique museum in the open air is located on the Kizhi island in Lake Onega. The heart of the collection is the Kizhi Pogost ensemble, which consists of a 22-head wooden Transfiguration Church, a smaller Pokrovskaya Church and a bell tower that unites them, now the complex is included in the List world heritage UNESCO.

The museum is constantly replenished with chapels, houses, icons, household items, outbuildings brought from the surrounding Karelian, Russian and Vepsian villages, it also presents a number of historical objects of Zaonezhie and Petrozavodsk.

Assumption Church

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in the city of Kondopoga, on the shores of Lake Onega. The church was built in 1774 in memory of the peasants who died during the Kizhi uprising (1769-1771).

With a height of 42 meters, it has become the tallest wooden church in Karelia. Interior decoration survived to this day and its modesty is in contrast to the rich modern temples.

A visit to the Assumption Church is not included in the list of mandatory routes, there is no invasion of tourists, but newlyweds get married and local residents baptize their children. It is worth coming here for the sake of the surrounding beauty and the special atmosphere of this place.