Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a
federal subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...
of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
(an
oblast
An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdo ...
). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position. The oblast was named after the city of
Leningrad. In 1991, the city restored its original name,
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, but the oblast retains the name of Leningrad. The capital and largest city is
Gatchina
The town of Gatchina ( rus, Га́тчина, , ˈɡatːɕɪnə, links=y) serves as the administrative center of the Gatchinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies south-south-west of St. Petersburg, along the E95 highway which ...
.
The oblast overlaps the historic region of
Ingria
Ingria is a historical region in what is now northwestern European Russia. It lies along the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordered by Lake Ladoga on the Karelian Isthmus in the north and by the River Narva on the border with Esto ...
and is bordered by
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
(
Kymenlaakso
Kymenlaakso ( sv, Kymmenedalen; " Kymi/Kymmene Valley") is a region in Finland. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Päijät-Häme, South Savo and South Karelia and Russia (Leningrad Oblast). Its name means literally ''The Valley of River Kym ...
and
South Karelia) in the northwest and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
(
Ida-Viru County) in the west, as well as five federal subjects of Russia: the
Republic of Karelia in the northeast,
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,44 ...
in the east,
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast (russian: Новгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Novgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, includin ...
in the south,
Pskov Oblast in the southwest, and the federal city of
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
in the west.
The first governor of Leningrad Oblast was
Vadim Gustov
Vadim Gustov (russian: Вадим Анатольевич Густов; born 26 December 1948) is a Russian politician who served as first deputy prime minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999 and a regional leader.
Early life and education
Gustov ...
(in 1996–1998). The current governor, since 2012, is
Aleksandr Drozdenko.
The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,716,868 (
2010 Census);
up from 1,669,205 recorded in the
2002 Census.
Leningrad Oblast is highly industrialized.
Geography
Leningrad Oblast is located around the
Gulf of Finland and south of two great freshwater lakes,
Lake Ladoga and
Lake Onega
Lake Onega (; also known as Onego, rus, Оне́жское о́зеро, r=Onezhskoe ozero, p=ɐˈnʲɛʂskəɪ ˈozʲɪrə; fi, Ääninen, Äänisjärvi; vep, Änine, Änižjärv) is a lake in northwestern Russia, on the territory of the Repu ...
. The oblast includes the
Karelian Isthmus and some islands, including
Gogland
Gogland or Hogland (russian: Гогланд, transliteration from original sv, Hogland; fi, Suursaari) is an island in the Gulf of Finland in the eastern Baltic Sea, about 180 km west from Saint Petersburg and 35 km from the coas ...
in the Gulf of Finland and
Konevets in Lake Ladoga.
Much of the area of the oblast belongs to the drainage basin of the
Neva, which is the only outflow of Lake Ladoga. The Neva, which flows to the Gulf of Finland (the city of Saint Petersburg is located in its
river delta
A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle, created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more ra ...
) is relatively short, but its drainage basin is very large, including Lake Onega and
Lake Ilmen. The
Svir and the
Volkhov
Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously known as ''Zvan ...
flow from Lake Onega and Lake Ilmen, respectively, to Lake Ladoga. Other major tributaries of Lake Ladoga include the
Vuoksi
The Vuoksi (russian: Вуокса, historically: "Uzerva"; fi, Vuoksi; sv, Vuoksen) is a river running through the northernmost part of the Karelian Isthmus from Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland to Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. The ri ...
and the
Syas. Rivers in the western part of the oblast flow to the Gulf of Finland; the two biggest rivers there are the
Luga and the
Narva, which forms the border of Russia and Estonia. Small areas in the east of the oblast lie within the river basin of the
Chagodoshcha, a tributary of the
Mologa
Mologa (russian: Моло́га) was a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, formerly situated at the confluence of the rivers Mologa and Volga, but now submerged under the waters of the Rybinsk Reservoir.
Mologa existed at least since the 12th cen ...
, and of the
Suda, both within the
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...
basin. A
ridgeline
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
in
Tikhvinsky District
Tikhvinsky District (russian: Ти́хвинский райо́н) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #52-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the oblast and b ...
in the eastern oblast forms part of the divide between the Baltic Sea and Caspian Sea basins.
The terrain of Leningrad Oblast is relatively flat and mostly covered with forest and swamps. An exception is the rocky
Karelian Isthmus, which contains a lake district, as well as the
Vepsian Upland in the east. The biggest lakes on the isthmus are
Lake Vuoksa,
Lake Sukhodolskoye, and
Lake Otradnoye.
Leningrad Oblast contains two federally protected natural areas, the
Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve
The Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve (russian: Нижнесвирский заповедник, lit. ''Lower Svir Zapovednik'') is a 416 km² (131 sq mi) zapovednik in Lodeynopolsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, established on June 11, 19 ...
and
Mshinskoye Boloto Zakaznik
Mshinskoye Boloto Zakaznik (russian: заказник Мшинское болото) is a federal zakaznik, a nature protected area, in the northwest of Russia, located in Gatchinsky and Luzhsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast, in the basin of the ...
, both created to protect the forest and swamp landscapes of northwestern Russia.
Flora
The most taxonomically diverse vascular plant families are
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
,
Cyperaceae,
Poaceae and
Rosaceae. By far the most diverse genus is ''
Carex
''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...
'' (68 species). The diversity in genera ''
Hieracium
''Hieracium'' (),
known by the common name hawkweed and classically as (from ancient Greek ιεράξ, 'hawk'),
is a genus of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, and closely related to dandelion (''Taraxacum''), chicory (''Cichorium''), ...
'' (with ''Pilosella''), ''
Ranunculus'' (with ''Batrachium''), ''
Alchemilla
''Alchemilla'' is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Rosaceae, with the common name lady's mantle applied generically as well as specifically to ''Alchemilla mollis'' when referred to as a garden plant. The plant used as a herb ...
'', ''
Galium
''Galium'' is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Some species are informally known as bedstraw.
There are over 600 spe ...
'', ''
Potamogeton'', ''
Salix
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
'', ''
Veronica'', ''
Viola
; german: Bratsche
, alt=Viola shown from the front and the side
, image=Bratsche.jpg
, caption=
, background=string
, hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
, range=
, related=
*Violin family ...
'', ''
Juncus'', ''
Artemisia'', ''
Potentilla'', ''
Rumex'', ''
Festuca
''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ever ...
'', ''
Epilobium
''Epilobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, containing about 197 species. The genus has a worldwide distribution. It is most prevalent in the subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, whereas in the subtropics an ...
'', ''
Poa'', ''
Trifolium'', ''
Campanula'', ''
Vicia
''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other ...
'', ''
Lathyrus
''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants
in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...
'', ''
Geranium'' is also considerable. The territory has no endemic plant taxa. Vascular plant species of Leningrad Oblast listed in the red data book of Russia are ''
Botrychium simplex'', ''
Cephalanthera rubra'', ''
Cypripedium calceolus'', ''
Epipogium aphyllum'', ''
Lobelia dortmanna'', ''
Myrica gale
''Myrica gale'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceae, native to parts of Japan, North Korea, Russia, mainland Europe, the British Isles and parts of northern North America, in Canada and the United States. Common names include ...
'', ''
Ophrys insectifera
''Ophrys insectifera'', the fly orchid, is a species of orchid and the type species of the genus ''Ophrys''. It is remarkable as an example of the use of sexually deceptive pollination and floral mimicry, as well as a highly selective and highly ...
'', ''
Orchis militaris'', ''
Pulsatilla pratensis'', ''
Pulsatilla vernalis''.
History
Pre-Leningrad Oblast
The territory of present-day Leningrad Oblast was populated shortly after the end of the
Weichselian glaciation
The Weichselian glaciation was the last glacial period and its associated glaciation in northern parts of Europe. In the Alpine region it corresponds to the Würm glaciation. It was characterized by a large ice sheet (the Fenno-Scandian ice sheet) ...
and now hosts numerous archaeological remnants.
[Лапшин В. А. "Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 1: Западные районы". Leningrad, 1990.][Лапшин В. А. "Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 2: Восточные и северные районы". Saint-Petersburg: Изд. СПбГУ, 1995. .][Лебедев Г. С. "Археологические памятники Ленинградской области". Leningrad: Лениздат, 1977.
] The
Volga trade route
In the Middle Ages, the Volga trade route connected Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia with the Caspian Sea and the Sasanian Empire, via the Volga River. The Rus used this route to trade with Muslim countries on the southern shores of the ...
and
trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks
The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empir ...
crossed the territory.
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River ne ...
, the first capital of legendary
Rurik, founded in the 8th-9th century, is situated in the east of the oblast, on the
Volkhov River.
In the 12th-15th centuries, the territory was divided between the
Kingdom of Sweden and
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of mod ...
(see
Swedish-Novgorodian Wars) and populated mostly by various
Baltic Finns people such as
Karelians (northwest),
Izhorians
The Izhorians (russian: Ижо́ра; ижо́рцы; fi, inkerikot; et, isurid; sg. ''ižoralain'', ''inkeroin'', ''ižora'', ''ingermans'', ''ingers'', ''ingrian'', pl. ''ižoralaizet''), along with the Votes, are a Finnic indigenous peopl ...
and
Votes (west),
Vepsians
Veps, or Vepsians ( Veps: ''vepsläižed''), are a Finnic people who speak the Veps language, which belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages.
According to the 2002 census, there were 8,240 Veps in Russia. Of the 281 Veps in Ukraine ...
(east), as well as
Ilmen Slavs of Novgorod (south). During the
Russo-Swedish Wars
Wars between Russia and Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> ...
of the 15th-17th centuries, the border moved back and forth over the land.
The central part of the territory is known as the historical region of
Ingria
Ingria is a historical region in what is now northwestern European Russia. It lies along the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordered by Lake Ladoga on the Karelian Isthmus in the north and by the River Narva on the border with Esto ...
(or the land of Izhora) and in the 17th century, after most of the present-day territory of Leningrad Oblast was captured by Sweden with the
Treaty of Stolbovo
The Treaty of Stolbovo () was a peace treaty that ended the Ingrian War (), which had been fought between the Swedish Empire and the Russian Tsardom between 1610 and 1617.
History
After nearly two months of negotiations, representatives from Sw ...
of 1617, became subject to substantial Finnish Lutheran population influx from
Finnish Karelia (which included
Karelian Isthmus, the northwestern part of present-day Leningrad Oblast) and
Savonia. Having faced religious pressure from Lutheran pastors and Swedish authorities, the local Orthodox population of Russian and Finnic ancestry massively fled from Ingria to neighbour Russian provinces, so
Ingrian Finns
The Ingrians ( fi, inkeriläiset, ; russian: Ингерманландцы, translit=Ingermanlandts'i), sometimes called Ingrian Finns, are the Finnish population of Ingria (now the central part of Leningrad Oblast in Russia), descending from Lu ...
soon became the dominant ethnic group.
During the
Great Northern War (1700–1721) the territory of what is now Leningrad Oblast was conquered from Sweden by Russia under
Peter the Great, who founded
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
amidst the land in 1703, which soon became the capital of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. In 1708, most of the territory was organized into
Ingermanland Governorate under Governor General
Alexander Menshikov. It was renamed Saint Petersburg Governorate in 1710 (the borders of that governorate, however, differed very significantly from those of the present-day oblast and included much of the areas of current Novgorod, Pskov, and Vologda Oblasts). In 1721, the territorial concessions of Sweden were confirmed with the
Treaty of Nystad.
The life of the countryside was greatly influenced by the vicinity of the imperial capital, which became a growing market for its agricultural production as well as the main consumer of its mineral and forest resources. In 1719–1810,
Ladoga Canal was dug between the
Svir River
The Svir (, Veps: , Karelian/ Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows westwards from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two larges ...
and the
Neva River as part of the Volga-Baltic waterway to bypass stormy waters of
Lake Ladoga. Since the advent of rail transport in the late 19th century, the areas in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg had been popular summer resort destinations (
dacha
A dacha ( rus, дача, p=ˈdatɕə, a=ru-dacha.ogg) is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of post-Soviet countries, including Russia. A cottage (, ') or shack serving as a family's main or only home, or an outbu ...
s) for its residents. However, while Saint Petersburg itself was populated mostly by Russians from the very beginning, it was not until the 20th century that its surrounding population was Russified.
In 1914, with the beginning of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Saint Petersburg was renamed Petrograd and the governorate was accordingly renamed Petrograd Governorate. After the
Russian Revolution, in 1918, the capital was transferred from Petrograd to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, farther from the borders of the country. In 1919, during the
Russian Civil War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Russian Civil War
, partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I
, image =
, caption = Clockwise from top left:
{{flatlist,
*Soldiers ...
, the Northwestern
White Army advancing from Estonia and led by
Nikolai Yudenich tried to capture Petrograd and even managed to reach its southern outskirts, but the attack against the Red Army under
Leon Trotsky ultimately failed, and Yudenich retreated. The border with Estonia was established in the
Russian-Estonian Treaty of Tartu of 1920.
Finland-backed Ingrian Finns of
North Ingria
The Republic of North Ingria ( fi, Pohjois-Inkerin tasavalta), Ingrian: ''Pohja-inkeriläin respublikka)'' or Republic of Kirjasalo ( fi, Kirjasalon tasavalta, Ingrian: ''Kirjsalon respublikka'') was a short-lived, small state for the Ingrian Fi ...
attempted to secede in 1918–1920, but were incorporated back with the
Russian-Finnish Treaty of Tartu, which settled the border between Finland and Soviet Russia. In 1924, Petrograd was renamed Leningrad, and Petrograd Governorate was again renamed accordingly (Leningrad Governorate).
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast was established on 1 August 1927, by the resolutions of the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee "On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast" and "On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast"
[''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', pp. 33–34] by merging
Cherepovets, Leningrad,
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
,
Novgorod, and
Pskov Governorates. The territory of the oblast corresponded to the modern territories of the present-day Leningrad Oblast (with the exception of the
Karelian Isthmus and the territories along the border with Estonia),
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast (russian: Новгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Novgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, includin ...
,
Pskov Oblast, parts of
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,44 ...
, most of
Murmansk Oblast, and the federal city of Saint Petersburg. The total area of the oblast was ;
[''Administrative-Territorial Division of Leningrad Oblast'', p. 10] more than four times larger than the modern entity. Administratively, the oblast was divided into nine
okrug
An ''okrug, ; russian: о́круг, ókrug; sr, округ, okrug, ; uk, о́круг, о́kruh; be, акруга, akruha; pl, okręg; ab, оқрҿс; mhr, йырвел, '' is a type of administrative division in some Slavic states. Th ...
s (
Borovichi
Borovichi (russian: Боровичи́) is the second largest town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Msta River in the northern spurs of the Valdai Hills, east of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the ...
,
Cherepovets,
Leningrad,
Lodeynoye Pole
Lodeynoye Pole (russian: Лоде́йное По́ле, lit. ''the field of boats'') is a town and the administrative center of Lodeynopolsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Svir River (Lake Ladoga's basin) ...
,
Luga,
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
,
Novgorod,
Pskov, and
Velikiye Luki), each of which was in turn subdivided into
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
s.
In 1929,
Velikiye Luki Okrug Veliky, or similar, may refer to:
*Veliky (rural locality) (''Velikaya'', ''Velikoye''), name of several rural localities in Russia
*Veliky (surname)
*Velikaya, a river in Pskov Oblast, Russia
*Velikaya (Chukotka), a river in Chukotka, Russia
See ...
was transferred to newly formed
Western Oblast
Western Oblast (russian: Западная область, ''Zapadnaya oblast'') was an ''oblast'' (a first-level administrative and municipal unit) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1937. Its seat was in the city ...
. Leningrad was administratively separated from Leningrad Oblast in December 1931. In 1935 five southernmost districts were made part of
Kalinin Oblast
Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inh ...
. In 1936 some parts of the territory of
Leningrad Suburban District of Leningrad was returned to Leningrad Oblast and divided into
Vsevolozhsky District,
Krasnoselsky District,
Pargolovsky District and
Slutsky District (renamed Pavlovsky District in 1944).
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,44 ...
, which has included the easternmost districts of Leningrad Oblast (former Cherepovets Governorate), was created in 1937.
Murmansk Oblast was split from Leningrad Oblast in 1938.
In the autumn of 1934, the
Forbidden Border Zone along the western border of the Soviet Union was established, where nobody could appear without special permission issued by the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
. It was officially only 7.5 km deep initially, but along the Estonian border it extended to as much as 90 km. The zone was to be cleansed of Finnic and other peoples who were considered "politically unreliable" by the regime.
Starting from the 1929, the Soviet authorities carried out
mass deportations of the
Ingrian Finnish population of the oblast, which constituted the majority in many rural localities as late as in the beginning of the 20th century, to the east, replacing them with people from other parts of the Soviet Union.
On 30 November 1939, the Soviet Union waged the
Winter War against neighbouring Finland and with the
Moscow Peace Treaty in 1940 gained some territories, including the
Karelian Isthmus. Their Karelian population was
hastily evacuated to inner Finland and later replaced with people from other parts of the Soviet Union. A small part of the territory (the municipalities of
Kanneljärvi,
Koivisto and
Rautu) was incorporated into Leningrad Oblast, the rest being included within the
Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic
The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (Karelo-Finnish SSR; fi, ; rus, Каре́ло-Фи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика, r=Karelo-Finskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Resp ...
.
In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, and shortly thereafter the territory became the site of the
Battle of Leningrad. The Wehrmacht captured the southwestern part of the oblast and reached
Tikhvin
Tikhvin (russian: Ти́хвин; Veps: ) is a town and the administrative center of Tikhvinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of St. Petersburg. Tikhvin ...
in the east, while Finnish troops
quickly recaptured the ceded territories in the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
, encircling Leningrad from the land. In 1944 Soviet offensives managed to expel the Wehrmacht and
put military pressure on Finland, which ceded the
Karelian Isthmus again in the
Moscow Armistice
The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of mo ...
of September 19, 1944. This time the newly acquired territories on the isthmus were incorporated into the Leningrad Oblast (
Vyborgsky and
Priozersky District
Priozersky District (russian: Приозерский район) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #50-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast and bor ...
s). In 1947 the territorial gains were confirmed with the
Paris Peace Treaty
The Paris Peace Treaties (french: Traités de Paris) were signed on 10 February 1947 following the end of World War II in 1945.
The Paris Peace Conference lasted from 29 July until 15 October 1946. The victorious wartime Allied powers (princi ...
.
Novgorod and
Pskov Oblasts were formed out of the southern parts of Leningrad Oblast in 1944. In January 1945 a small part of the
Estonian SSR to the east of the
River Narva with the town of
Jaanilinn
Ivangorod ( rus, Иванго́род, p=ɪvɐnˈɡorət; et, Jaanilinn; vot, Jaanilidna) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the east bank of the Narva river wh ...
(now Ivangorod) was transferred to the
Russian SFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
and incorporated into Leningrad Oblast. Since then, the territory of Leningrad Oblast has not changed significantly, although some suburbs of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) have been excluded from the oblast and incorporated into the city. In October 1946 Leningrad gained from the oblast some former Finnish territories along the northern coast of the
Gulf of Finland divided into
Sestroretsky District and
Kurortny District
Kurortny District (russian: Куро́ртный райо́н) is a district of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus along the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. As of the 2010 Census, its populatio ...
, including the town of
Terijoki.
In 1953,
Pavlovsky District of the oblast was abolished, and parts of its territory including Pavlovsk were made subordinate to Leningrad. In 1954 the settlements
Levashovo,
Pargolovo and
Pesochny were also transferred to Leningrad. In 1956
Boksitogorsky District
Boksitogorsky District (russian: Бокситого́рский райо́н) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #78-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the o ...
of Leningrad Oblast gained a small territory of
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast (russian: Новгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Novgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, includin ...
.
Uritsk was transferred from the oblast to the city of Leningrad in 1963,
Krasnoye Selo
Krasnoye Selo (russian: Кра́сное Село́, lit. ''Red village''). Г. П. Смолицкая. "Топонимический словарь Центральной России". "Армада-Пресс", 2002 is a munic ...
and several settlements nearby—in 1973,
Lomonosov—in 1978.
After a referendum in 1991, the city of Leningrad was renamed back to Saint Petersburg, but Leningrad Oblast retained its name. On 13 June 1996, Leningrad Oblast, alongside
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inh ...
and
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy.
This agreement would be abolished on 18 April 2002.
First secretaries of the Leningrad Oblast CPSU Committee
In the period when they were the most important authority in the oblast (1927 to 1991), the following first secretaries were appointed,
*1927-1934
Sergey Mironovich Kirov, assassinated
*1934-1945
Andrey Andreyevich Zhdanov
*1945-1946
Alexey Alexandrovich Kuznetsov, subsequently executed
*1946-1949
Pyotr Sergeyevich Popkov, subsequently executed
*1949-1953
Vasily Mikhaylovich Andrianov
*1953-1957
Frol Romanovich Kozlov
*1957-1962
Ivan Vasilyevich Spiridonov
*1962-1970
Vasily Sergeyevich Tolstikov
*1970-1983
Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov
*1983-1985
Lev Nikolayevich Zaykov
*1985-1989
Yury Filippovich Solovyov
*1989-1991
Boris Veniaminovich Gidaspov
Governors
Since 1991,
governors were sometimes appointed, and sometimes elected,
*1991-1996
Alexander Semyonovich Belyakov, head of the administration, appointed;
*1996-1998
Vadim Anatolyevich Gustov, governor, elected;
*1998-2012
Valery Pavlovich Serdyukov, governor, elected, then appointed;
*2012-
Aleksandr Yuryevich Drozdenko, appointed.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, Leningrad Oblast is divided into seventeen
districts and one
town of oblast significance (
Sosnovy Bor). In terms of area, the largest administrative district is
Podporozhsky (), and the smallest is
Lomonosovsky ().
Lomonosovsky District is the only district in Russia that has its
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
(the town of
Lomonosov) located within a different
federal subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...
. While the district is a part of Leningrad Oblast, Lomonosov is located within the
federal city
The term federal city is a title for certain cities in Germany, Switzerland, and Russia.
Germany
In Germany, the former West German capital Bonn has been designated with the unique title of federal city (''Bundesstadt''). Since 28 April 1994, it ...
of
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
.
Demographics
''Population'':
;Vital statistics for 2012
*Births: 15 611 (9.0 per 1000)
*Deaths: 25 396 (14.7 per 1000)
;
Leningrad Oblast currently has the lowest fertility rate in all of Russia. While birth rates have risen considerably elsewhere, they have remained stuck at a very low level in Leningrad Oblast.
;Ethnic groups
According to the 2010 Census, the ethnic composition was:
*
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
92.7%
*
Ukrainian 2%
*
Belarusians 1.1%
*
Tatar 0.5%
*
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
0.4%
*
Uzbek 0.4%
*
Azerbaijani 0.3%
*
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
0.3%
*
Romani 0.2%
*
Tajik 0.2%
*
Moldovan 0.2%
*
Veps 0.1%
*others 1.6%
*114,747 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.
;Religion
According to a 2012 survey
55.1% of the population of Leningrad Oblast adheres to the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
, 4% are
unaffiliated generic
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
, 1% are
Muslims, 1% of the population adheres to the
Slavic native faith
The Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnovery
* bg, Родноверие, translit=Rоdnoverie
* bs, Rodnovjerje
* mk, Родноверие, translit=Rodnoverie
* cz, Rodnověří
* hr, Rodnovjerje
* pl, Rodzimowierstwo; Rodzima ...
(Rodnovery), 1% are
Old Believers. In addition, 20% of the population declared to be "
spiritual but not religious", 8% is
atheist, and 9.9% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.
Economy
Industry
The oblast, particularly the areas adjacent to Saint Petersburg, is heavily industrialized. The major enterprises include the
oil refinery in Kirishi, the Ford car assembly plant, Hyundai Russia assembly plant and the Rexam PLC Beverage Can Europe and Asia packaging plant in Vsevolozhsk, the paper mill in Syssstroy, and the paper mill and the plant producing oil platforms in Vyborg, and the
Tikhvin industrial site in Tikhvin.
Agriculture
The main agricultural specializations of the oblast are cattle breeding with meat and milk production and poultry production. The main agricultural lands are in the east and in the southwest of the oblast.
Transportation
Saint-Petersburg is a major railway hub, and all railways running to it cross also Leningrad Oblast. They connect Saint-Petersburg with Moscow (
Saint Petersburg – Moscow Railway),
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
via
Vyborg,
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
via
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk (russian: Петрозаводск, p=pʲɪtrəzɐˈvotsk; Karelian, Vepsian and fi, Petroskoi) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population ...
,
Sortavala via
Priozersk,
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
via
Kingisepp,
Riga via
Pskov,
Vitebsk
Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...
via
Dno
Dno (russian: Дно) is a town and the administrative center of Dnovsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located at the intersection of the Pskov– Bologoye and St. Petersburg–Vitebsk railways, east of Pskov, the administrative cen ...
, and
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ...
. There is a network of railways at the
Karelian Isthmus, in particular, connecting Vyborg and Priozersk, as well as south of Saint-Petersburg. There also railway lines connecting
Veymarn with
Slantsy, Veymarn with
Petergof
Petergof (russian: Петерго́ф), known as Petrodvorets () from 1944 to 1997, is a municipal town in Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland.
The town host ...
via
Sosnovy Bor,
Mga with
Sonkovo
Sonkovo (russian: Сонко́во) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Sonkovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population:
History
Founded by the Russian Greek Orthodox Inkeriköt ( Izhorians) i ...
via
Kirishi
Kirishi (russian: Ки́риши, ) is a town and the administrative center of Kirishsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volkhov River, southeast of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously kno ...
,
Volkhov
Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously known as ''Zvan ...
with
Vologda via
Tikhvin
Tikhvin (russian: Ти́хвин; Veps: ) is a town and the administrative center of Tikhvinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of St. Petersburg. Tikhvin ...
and
Cherepovets, Volkhov with
Chudovo, and
Lodeynoye Pole
Lodeynoye Pole (russian: Лоде́йное По́ле, lit. ''the field of boats'') is a town and the administrative center of Lodeynopolsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Svir River (Lake Ladoga's basin) ...
with Sortavala via
Olonets
Olonets (russian: Оло́нец; krl, Anus, olo, Anuksenlinnu; fi, Aunus, Aunuksenkaupunki or Aunuksenlinna) is a town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Olonka River to t ...
. Most of them support intensive passenger and cargo traffic.
Paved roads well cover the western and the central parts of Leningrad Oblast. The
M10 highway connects Saint Petersburg with Moscow via Veliky Novgorod in the south and with the Finnish border, continuing across the border to Helsinki, in the north. It is split between European routes
E18 (Saint Petersburg to Finland) and
E105 (Saint Petersburg to Moscow), and much of it within the oblast is built as a dual carriageway.
R21 highway (also part of E105) runs from Saint Petersburg to Murmansk via Petrozavodsk, and
A180 (part of
E20) connects Saint Petersburg with
Ivangorod
Ivangorod ( rus, Иванго́род, p=ɪvɐnˈɡorət; et, Jaanilinn; vot, Jaanilidna) is a town in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the east bank of the Narva river which flows along the Estonia–Russia int ...
and continues across the Estonian border to Tallinn.
R23 connects Saint Petersburg with Pskov; it is a part of the
E95.
A114 runs to Vologda via Cherepovets. A
paid motorway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow and the new A121 from Saint-Petersburg to
Sortavala, around the Western coast of Ladoga are under construction. Roads are well served by bus traffic.
The
Luga, the
Svir, the
Volkhov
Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously known as ''Zvan ...
, and the
Neva are all navigable and heavily user for cargo transport, however, there is no scheduled passenger navigation within the oblast, except for seasonal leisure river cruises from Saint-Petersburg. The
Onega Canal
The Onega Canal (russian: Онежский канал) is a canal that runs along the southern banks of Lake Onega in Vytegorsky District of Vologda Oblast and Podporozhsky District of Leningrad Oblasts in Russia. It was built 1818–1820 and 1845 ...
, shared with Vologda Oblast, serves as a bypass of
Lake Onega
Lake Onega (; also known as Onego, rus, Оне́жское о́зеро, r=Onezhskoe ozero, p=ɐˈnʲɛʂskəɪ ˈozʲɪrə; fi, Ääninen, Äänisjärvi; vep, Änine, Änižjärv) is a lake in northwestern Russia, on the territory of the Repu ...
from the south. Similarly, the
Ladoga Canal bypasses
Lake Ladoga from the east, from the Svir to the Neva. It is a part of the
Volga–Baltic Waterway. In contrast, the
Tikhvinskaya water system
The Tihvinskaya water system was one of the waterways connecting the Volga River with the Baltic Sea, and specifically the Mologa River with Syas River. In terms of the current administrative division of Russia, the waterway belongs to Vologda and ...
, connecting the
Syas and the
Mologa
Mologa (russian: Моло́га) was a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, formerly situated at the confluence of the rivers Mologa and Volga, but now submerged under the waters of the Rybinsk Reservoir.
Mologa existed at least since the 12th cen ...
, which provided access from the Ladoga to the river basin of the Volga, is disused. The trans-border
Saimaa Canal connects
Lake Saimaa in Finland with the Gulf of Finland, has special status, and is occasionally used for passenger navigation.
Ust-Luga
Ust-Luga (russian: Усть-Луга, lit. ''mouth of the Luga'', Votian: ''Laugasuu'', lit. ''mouth of the Luga'', fi, Laukaansuu) is a settlement and railway station in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, near the Estonian border ...
,
Vyborg,
Vysotsk, and
Primorsk are the major sea terminals on the Gulf of Finland.
There is a number of
airfields
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...
in Leningrad oblast that are now used only by the
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
. Scheduled and international flights are available exclusively from
Pulkovo airport in Saint-Petersburg.
Energy
The
Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant
Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (russian: Ленинградская атомная электростанция; Ленинградская АЭС ''Leningradskaya atomnaya elektrostantsiya; Leningradskaya AES'' ()) is a nuclear power plant loca ...
is located in the city of
Sosnovy Bor. There are four major hydroelectric plants in the oblast. The
Volkhov Hydroelectric Station
Volkhov hydroelectric plant (russian: Волховская ГЭС имени В. И. Ленина, Volkhovskaya GZS imeni V. I. Lenina), named after V.I. Lenin, is a hydroelectric station on the Volkhov River located in the town of Volkhov, Lenin ...
, on the Volkhov River, was constructed in 1921 and became the first major hydropower station in the Soviet Union. The others are the
Upper Svir Hydroelectric Station
Upper Svir Hydroelectric Station (russian: Верхнесвирская ГЭС) is a hydroelectric station on the Svir River located in the town of Podporozhye, Leningrad Oblast, in northwestern Russia. It was open on February 13, 1952 and has ...
and the
Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station
Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station (russian: Нижнесвирская ГЭС) is a hydroelectric station on the Svir River located in the urban-type settlement of Svirstroy, Leningrad Oblast, in northwestern Russia. It was open on December 19, ...
, both on the Svir River, and the
Narva Hydroelectric Station on the Narva River.
Science and technology
There are many science and high-tech institutions around Saint Petersburg, some of which are located in the oblast. For example, Gatchina is the site of the
and Sosnovy Bor hosts the Research Institute of Optical and Electronic Devices.
Culture and recreation
Architecture
Since prehistory, the Volkhov and the Neva Rivers were constituents of major trade routes, and archaeological sites dot their banks.
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River ne ...
has many pre-1700 sites, including two of about a couple of dozens standing
pre-Mongol churches in Russia. Both of them were built in the 1160s. The
Oreshek Fortress in
Shlisselburg and the
Koporye Fortress, both built in the 14th century, and the
Ivangorod Fortress
Ivangorod Fortress (russian: Ивангородская крепость, et, Jaanilinna linnus, vot, Jaanilidna) is a 15th century castle in Ivangorod, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located on the east bank of the Narva river which curren ...
, originally built in 1492, are excellent examples of Russian fortification art. Podporozhsky District contains the best samples of wooden ecclesiastical architecture in Leningrad Oblast, some of which are collectively referred to as ''Podporozhye Ring'': The Resurrection Church in the settlement of
Vazhiny
Vazhiny (russian: Важины) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Podporozhsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Svir River at the mouth of the Vazhinka River, several kilometers northwest o ...
, the Saint Nicholas Church in the village of
Soginitsy, the Sts Peter and Paul Chapel in the village of
Zaozerye, and the Saint Athanasy chapel in the village of
Posad
A posad (russian: посад, uk, посад) was a historical type of settlement in East Slavic lands since the Ancient Rus, often surrounded by ramparts and a moat, adjoining a town or a kremlin, but outside of it, or adjoining a monaster ...
. The two other notable wooden churches are located in the villages of
Gimreka and
Shcheleyki close to the Onega Lakeshore. The center of
Vyborg preserves many examples of medieval Swedish architecture, unique for Russia.
After Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703, many estates and residences were founded around the city. Some of them still stand and are listed as World Heritage sites, aggregated into the site of
. includes, among others, estates in
Gostilitsy
Gostilitsy (russian: Гости́лицы) is a village and the administrative center of Gostilitskoye Rural Settlement in Lomonosovsky District, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located several kilometers west of the town of Petergof. Gostilitsy is no ...
,
Ropsha, and
Taytsy.
Localities in the Karelian Isthmus preserve some fine inter-war Finnish architecture. The best-known example is the
Viipuri Municipal Library by
Alvar Aalto.
Twin regions
*
Aarhus Municipality
Aarhus Municipality ( da, Aarhus Kommune), known as Århus Municipality ( da, Århus Kommune) until 2011, is a municipality in Central Denmark Region, on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark.
The municipality covers an area ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
*
South Chungcheong Province
South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
*
Kyoto Prefecture,
Japan
*
Lombardy,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
*
Lower Silesian Voivodeship,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
*
Nordland,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
(from 1987)
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
Further reading
Nature
*Айрапетьянц А.Э., Стрелков П.П., Фокин И.М. ''Звери''.
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1987.
*Балашова Н.Б., Никитина В.Н. ''Водоросли''
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1989.
*''Биоразнообразие Ленинградской области (Водоросли. Грибы. Лишайники. Мохообразные. Беспозвоночные животные. Рыбы и рыбообразные)'' / Под. ред. Н.Б.Балашовой, А.А.Заварзина. - (Труды Санкт-Петербургского общества естествоиспытателей. Серия 6. Том 2.). – Saint-Petersburg: Изд-во СПб. университета, 1999.
*Бобров Р.В. ''Леса Ленинградской области''. Leningrad Лениздат, 1979.
*Бродский А.К., Львовский А.Л. ''Пауки, насекомые''
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1990.
*''Иллюстрированный определитель растений Ленинградской области'' / Под ред. А. Л. Буданцева, Г. П. Яковлева. Moscow: КМК, 2006.
*Кириллова М.А., Распопов И.М. ''Озера Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1971.
*''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 1. Особо охраняемые природные территории''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков, М. С. Боч
ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 1. Protected Areas Saint-Petersburg: Акционер и К, 1998.
*''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 2. Растения и грибы''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков
ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 2. Plants and Fungi Saint-Petersburg: Мир и Семья, 2000.
*''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 3. Животные''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков
ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 3. Animals Saint-Petersburg: Мир и Семья, 2002.
*''Леса Ленинградской области: современное состояние и пути их возможного развития''. Saint-Petersburg, 1998.
*Мальчевский А. С., Пукинский Ю. Б. ''Птицы Ленинградской области и сопредельных территорий. История, биология, охрана''. Т.1-2. Leningrad: Изд-во ЛГУ, 1983.
*Наумов Н.А. ''Флора грибов Ленинградской области. Том 1. Архимицеты и фикомицеты''
he Fungus Flora of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 1. Archimycetes, Phycomycetes Moscow—Leningrad: Изд-во АН СССР, 1954.
*Наумов Н.А. ''Флора грибов Ленинградской области. Том 2''
he Fungus Flora of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 2 Moscow—Leningrad: Наука, 1964.
*Неелов, А.В. ''Рыбы''
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1987.
*Покровская Г.В., Бычкова А.Т. ''Климат Ленинграда и его окрестностей''. Leningrad: Гидрометеоиздат, 1967.
*''Природа Ленинградской области и ее охрана'' / Ред. Т.И. Миронова, Э.И. Слепян. - Leningrad: Лениздат, 1983.
*Пукинский Ю. Б. ''Птицы''
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1988.
*Свидерская М.Д., Храбрый В.М. ''Сохраним для потомков: Особо охраняемые природные территории Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1985.
*Старобогатов Я.И. ''Раки, моллюски''
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1988.
*Филимонов Р.В., Удалов С.Г. ''Жуки-усачи Ленинградской области. Атлас-определитель''.
onghorn Beetles of the St. Petersburg Region: An Identification Atlas Saint-Petersburg: Петроглиф, 2001.
*''Флора Ленинградской области'' / Под ред. Б. К. Шишкина. Вып. 1–4. Leningrad: Изд. ЛГУ, 1955–1965.
*Хазанович К. К.
Геологические памятники Ленинградской области'. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1982.
*Черепанова Н.П., Пшедецкая Л.И. ''Грибы''.
�рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1990.
History
*Лапшин В. А. ''Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 1: Западные районы''. Leningrad, 1990.
*Лапшин В. А. ''Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 2: Восточные и северные районы''. Saint-Petersburg: Изд. СПбГУ, 1995.
*Лебедев Г. С. ''Археологические памятники Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1977.
External links
Official website of Leningrad OblastOfficial website of Leningrad OblastDetailed and historical maps
{{Use mdy dates, date=October 2014
Ingria
States and territories established in 1927
1927 establishments in the Soviet Union
Fennoscandia