Discover Boksitogorsky District

The “Astrakha, 1941” Museum focuses on the events near Tikhvin in November and December 1941, as well as the real-life stories of a Russian boy and a German boy. The exhibition thus connects the historical timeline of the war with individual life stories.

An interactive exhibition continuously presents a chronicle of the wartime years on four screens. Visitors can also interact with authentic objects from that period. The chronicle and the stories offer different perspectives: the screens record the course of events, while the two biographies bring individual human perspectives into focus.

Nature and Tradition in the District

The Ragusha is a regional complex natural monument in Boksitogorsky District, located near the village of Rudnaya Gorka. It provides a specific point of reference for exploring the area’s natural features. Another landscape feature is the district’s several former quarries, which have been flooded and now form artificial lakes. Fish species found in the quarries include trout, muksun, perch, roach, bream, and catfish. The district’s natural landscape thus ranges from a designated natural monument to bodies of water created by quarrying.

A revived tradition also forms part of the local character: the Somino Peter’s Fair is a tradition of the urban-type settlement of Efimovskoye, once a well-known merchant village. Its former character as a merchant village gives the fair tradition a distinct historical connection.

Nature and Culture in Leningrad Oblast

Beyond Boksitogorsky District, Leningrad Oblast offers its own natural and cultural attractions. The Vepsian Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of the oblast. It comprises seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection regulations and numerous lakes. The largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name.

The nature park’s special features include well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsskiy Les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves. These forests are important to numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are relatively numerous in the park; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park. Thus, the broader destination is shaped by both its protected landscapes and their cultural history.

Another cultural attraction in Leningrad Oblast is Koporye Fortress, a museum and monument of ancient Russian stone architecture. It has been preserved in its present form since the 16th century, while parts of its masonry date back to the 13th century. Visitors can explore without a guide using the “Koporskaya Krepost 2.0” multimedia guide. Check its availability when planning your visit. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because of their emergency condition.

Discover more destinations: Lomonosovsky District, Tikhvin District, Lomonosovsky District, Kingiseppsky District, Vsevolozhsky District, Lomonosovsky District, Priozersky District, Vyborg District.

See the overview of the wider destination: Leningrad Oblast.