In the north-west of the Russian Federation is one of the most beautiful and beloved places of the heart of the Russians - the Republic of Karelia, whose capital is the city of Petrozavodsk, which is also the administrative center of the Prionezhsky district. April 6, 2015 Petrozavodsk was awarded the highest title - City of Military Glory.
History of the city
The capital of Karelia owes its birth to Peter I, who in 1703 laid a beautiful city near the mouth of the Lososinki River, on the shores
of Lake Onega . Prince Alexander Menshikov supervised the great construction of the new settlement. The first city-forming enterprise is the state-owned plant, which belongs to the group of metallurgical enterprises of Russia, the so-called Olonets mining plants. Such enterprises formed the basis of the heavy industry of Karelia at that time.
So, on August 29, 1703, the Shuisk arms factory appeared, later renamed Petrovsky. Already at the end of 1703, the plant gives the first test products. And since the beginning of 1704, his blast furnaces have been operating at full capacity. Thus, the local arms factory becomes famous throughout Russia. By order of Empress Catherine II in 1772, a decree was signed on the construction of a cannon-foundry, later renamed Alexandrovsky.
The company produced not only weapons technology. The production of art casting and metal processing was established. Gradually, the Alexandrovsky plant gains weight throughout the Russian metallurgical sphere. Over time, Petrozavodsk (Karelia) becomes the center of the Olonets region and receives the status of a city, and in 1784 it becomes a provincial city.
Modern Petrozavodsk
Today's capital of Karelia is a cozy and hospitable city, which always causes great interest among tourists and just curious travelers. Architectural and historical monuments are very carefully preserved by local residents, they represent the pride and centuries-old traditions of the city.
On local streets and squares, memorial and commemorative plaques on historical buildings in which prominent personalities of different times did not escape the curious gaze of a tourist. And there are more than a hundred of them in the city.
Historic Sites of Petrozavodsk
What is the attractive capital of Karelia? The sights of the city, and there are many of them, are always of interest to tourists not only from Russia, but also from all corners of the globe. The Round Square, the Karelian Museum of Local Lore, the Governor's Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition hall of the Kizhi Museum are just a small list of interesting tourist routes that Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, is famous for.
Round square
Undoubtedly, Lenin Square is the historical center of modern Petrozavodsk. It was in this place after the signing of the decree of Catherine II on assigning Petrozavodsk the status of a city that was the administrative center of the new city, previously called the Round Square. Anikita Sergeevich Yartsov ... The construction of a big city is connected with the name of this person.
A mining engineer by training, A. S. Yartsov supervised the construction of the future Alexandrovsky plant. All further territorial development of the city under the name Petrozavodsk (Karelia) is associated with his name. A. S. Yartsov outlined the location of the Round Square, on the circumference of which he located the administrative buildings.
To the 100th anniversary of the Alexander Plant in the middle of the Round Square, a monument was erected to Peter I, which stood until the 1917 Revolution. Now on the square of the same name stands a granite monument of V.I. Lenin.
Kirov Square
In the 30s, the Republic of Karelia did not stand aside from the historical events of Russia. The capital of the northern edge of the country, along with everyone, knew the "charms" of Stalinist repression.
In 1936, after the death of S. M. Kirov, the sculptor Matvey Manizer erected a monument to him, and the square was renamed Kirov Square. Now this place can rightfully be called the area of ​​art. According to the project of S. G. Brodsky in 1953-1955, drama and musical theaters were built in the classical style. Eight columns and an arch above them form the main part of the theater. The arch presents sculptures made by S. T. Konenkov. Various types of natural stone were used on these structures: granite, marble and others.
The National Theater was built in 1965 also by the design of S. G. Brodsky. Not only in Petrozavodsk the master left his historical mark, but other cities of Karelia are decorated with its architectural structures. From the side of Kirov Square you can see the hero of the Kalevala epic Ilmarinen, who created the magic mill of fate.
The third theater on this square is the puppet theater. The light building framing the square is a museum of fine arts, which the Republic of Karelia is proud of. The capital of the region has a museum, which contains one of the most ancient collections of icons of the 15-18th centuries, including more than two thousand samples. The museum is proud of its collection of great Russian artists such as Polenov, Ivanov, Levitan and Kramskoy. Here you can also get acquainted with the work of Karelian masters. In 1789, a male gymnasium was located in this building.
Onega Embankment
Favorite place for walking for citizens and visitors is Onega embankment. June 25, 1994, on the Day of the city of Petrozavodsk, its opening took place.
There is a good tradition: almost all the cities of Karelia have their twin cities. This brings together friendly nations and is an example of peace and good neighborliness. Regular friendly visits enrich people on a spiritual, cultural, and historical level. Here it is - the Republic of Karelia. The capital of the northern region of Russia was no exception. Petrozavodsk in 1965-2011 established twinning relations with eighteen cities of the world.
Sculptural creations of these twin cities lined up along Onega Embankment. American Duluth presented the steel structure “Fishermen”, “Tyubinskiy panel” the city received as a gift from German friends. In 1996, from the Swedish city of Umea, Petrozavodsk received the Tree of Desire as a gift. This is a modern interpretation of the ancient ebony legend with golden bells that fulfill wishes. In 1997, the song “Wave of Friendship” from the Finnish city of Varkaus appeared on the Onega Embankment. In addition, the embankment is decorated with sculptural compositions “Starry Sky” and “Mermaid and Woman”.
Geographic map of Karelia
Traveling outside Petrozavodsk, tourists meet with the unusually
beautiful landscapes of Karelia. Pristine rivers and lakes, framed by rocky shores and dense forests, from which are breathtaking.
Some areas of Karelia are striking in their diversity of natural landscape complexes. Many of them are of great tourist interest and more and more attract curious travelers.
Wooden miracle of Russia
Kizhi is one of 1369 islands in the north-eastern part of Lake Onega. He is considered the eighth wonder of the world and is poetically called the silver necklace of the North, the northern pearl. Here on a small island with a length of 5.5 kilometers there are two amazing churches, between which the bell tower is located.
Their beauty is amazing. This tiny piece of land not only shows us examples of wonderful Russian northern architecture, but also gives us the opportunity to feel the proximity of our ancestors. The miracle of the Kizhi island, the Transfiguration Church, is a contemporary of Petrodvorets and at the same time its complete opposite.
The entire Kizhi ensemble was built over 170 years by more than one generation of the most skilled craftsmen and artisans, whose names remained unknown. Instead of the gilded fountains of Petrodvorets, a mirror-flat surface of Lake Onega spreads here, reflecting the heavens in their infinite variety. Instead of a long facade decorated with intricate stucco molding, there are black boards of the northern shrine. The domes of the Transfiguration Church, like kokoshniks of Russian beauties, are covered with scales of silver ploughshare. Everyone who has visited these places in the northern region at least once will never forget them.
Plain waterfall Kivach
The tourist map of Karelia leads to another amazing place - Kivach waterfall. The Kivach Nature Reserve is called Karelia in miniature. This is one of the smallest nature reserves in Russia. Its territory is 11 thousand hectares. Here you can see everything that represents the flora, fauna and geology of this picturesque region.
The most striking detail of the local landscape is rightfully considered a waterfall, which travelers came to admire three hundred years ago. Kivach is located in the Kandapoga region. This is the northwest of Karelia, which is located 68 kilometers from the capital. The waterfall is called Kivach, and he gave the name to the entire reserve, founded at the beginning of the last century.
Scientists believe that the name of the waterfall comes from the Finnish “kiwi”, which means “stone”, or Karelian “kivas” - “snow mountain”. Indeed, the cascade white from foam looks like a snowy peak. Kivach is considered one of the largest plain waterfalls in Russia. Water falls from a height of eleven meters, forming several picturesque steps on the Suna River. It originates at the border with Finland and flows into Lake Onega, having walked along a winding road for almost 300 kilometers.
Suna flows through a stony bed through large and small lakes. In its channel - more than fifty rapids and waterfalls, but it was Kivach who always attracted travelers from time immemorial. One of the first memories of the waterfall dates back to the middle of the 16th century.
Kivach, a place of inspiration
However, the history of Kivach as a tourist center began in the 18th century, when the famous Russian poet Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin visited here, who was appointed here as governor. The beauty of the waterfall inspired Derzhavin to compose a poem that glorified this corner of Karelian nature throughout Russia. In those years when Kivach possessed pristine natural power, the most influential people of the state made trips to Karelia.
Even Emperor Alexander II came to admire the amazing waterfall. They say that doctors prescribed him the sound of falling water. For the convenience of the sovereign, comfortable wooden arbors and bridges were equipped on the banks of the Suna, which have not survived to this day. Even travelers can tell modern tourists about travelers of different times.
Huge boulders keep the memory of those who were so impressed with the beauty of Karelia that they spared neither energy nor time to carve their name. Ancient inscriptions can be seen walking along the right bank of the river, where a convenient hiking trail is laid. But the most impressive view of the rocks and the waterfall itself opens directly from the water.
You can approach the foot of the cascade on a rubber rowing boat. The deep canyon of the waterfall is formed by ancient rocks of volcanic origin. This saturated slate color stone is called diabase. It is very hard, almost twice as strong as granite. Therefore, it is often used for paving streets. In the reserve, diabase rocks frame the waterfall and divide it into two streams. Many years ago, Kivach was much larger than now, his noise was heard over five kilometers.
Welcome to Karelia!
The hospitable Karelia opens its doors to everyone who wants to come into contact with an amazingly beautiful land. The region Russia is proud of is the Republic of Karelia.