Maps of the cities of Karelia. Open left menu republic of karelia Shopping and shops

In the northwestern region of Russia there is an amazingly beautiful region - the Republic of Karelia. In addition to the natural beauty of forests, lakes, waterfalls, Karelia is famous for its ancient cities, temples and monasteries, as well as national parks.

Despite the fact that this region of northern nature does not have a warm climate, more and more tourists come here every year, each of whom is sure to find something interesting for himself.

Our article will help you plan an independent trip both by your own car and by public transport from St. Petersburg. And if you are going to have an organized rest, then you can choose and book a suitable tour.

How to get there:

• By car: from St. Petersburg along the ring road you need to get to the Vyborgskoye highway (exit Vyborg / Pargolovo). Further along the Vyborg highway to the traffic police post, turn right. We move through the villages of Yukki, Luppolovo, Vertemyagi to Agalatovo. Further along the A-129 highway to Priozersk. Further along the road to Sortavala, past the turn to Kuznechnoye, along the new road to the Hiitola detour, through Kurkiyoki, Ihala, Yakkima - to the city of Lakhdenpokhya.
• By bus: a regular bus from the Severny Bus Station (Murino) runs daily at 7.20, 9.20, 12.20 and 18.50. Travel time is approximately 4 hours, the fare is 550 rubles.
• By train: from Ladoga railway station by train 350A St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha to Yakkima station. Travel time 4 hours 32 minutes, fare - 1668 rubles. Then by regular bus to Lakhdenpokhya Bus Station.

Lakhdenpokhya is a small town in Karelia, where several interesting buildings have been preserved. Unfortunately, some of them are in a sad state, for example, the Lutheran church of 1850. Only the walls remain of the once beautiful building.

Another Lutheran church, built in 1935, also needs serious repairs. However, everyone can go inside and climb the bell tower, which offers beautiful views.

It will be interesting for guests of Lahdenpokhya to walk along the streets of the city, where there are old wooden Finnish houses, as well as to visit the Kurkijoki Local History Center, the exhibits of which tell about the history of the Northern Ladoga region.

Sortavala and Ruskeala

How to get there:

• By car: from St. Petersburg along the ring road you need to get to the Vyborgskoye highway (exit Vyborg / Pargolovo). Further along the Vyborg highway to the traffic police post, turn right. We move through the villages of Yukki, Luppolovo, Vertemyagi to Agalatovo. Further along the A-129 highway to Priozersk. Then follow the signs to Sortavala.
• By bus: a regular bus from the Severny Bus Station (Murino) runs daily. Travel time is approximately 5 hours, the fare is 689 rubles.
• By train: from Ladoga railway station by train 350A St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha to Sortavala station. Travel time 5 hours 33 minutes.

The city of Sortavala is a small European town that belonged to Finland until 1940. That is why on almost every street in the city you can find a lot of wooden and stone buildings in the Finnish style.

In addition to walking along the streets of the city, in Sortaval it is interesting to visit the Regional Museum of the Northern Ladoga Region, which contains various natural and industrial exhibits of the region, because the Sortaval region is famous for marble mining.

For tourists, Sortavala is also interesting because it is from this city that ships leave for the island of Valaam.

Not far from Sortavala is the famous Marble Canyon - Ruskeala. Marble has been mined in these places since the time when the Swedes owned the territory.

Ruskeala Park invites tourists to walk along several hiking trails, ride boats in quarries, and also bungee jump. And since April 1, 2017, a unique underground route through mines and adits has been operating.

On the way to Ruskeala Park, it is worth stopping by the ancient settlement of Paaso, the Ruskeala waterfalls, and after the park you can visit Europe's largest artiodactyl animal zoo - Zoo GreenPark.

How to get there:

• By car:
• By bus: Bus station No. 2 St. Petersburg, bus No. 965. Travel time 8 hours 23 minutes.
• By train: from Ladozhsky railway station in St. Petersburg by train Lastochka 806Ch St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk (journey time 4 hours 55 minutes), train 012A (journey time 7 hours 40 minutes, cost from 800 rubles) or 022Ch St. Petersburg - Murmansk ( travel time 6 hours 41 minutes, cost from 1241 rubles).

The capital of Karelia, the city of Petrozavodsk, is the largest city of the Republic. It has its own airport, two water stations, and a railway station. It is from here that tourists go on a trip to the island of Kizhi.

It is pleasant to walk along the streets of the city. Here you can find many architectural monuments, as well as various museums. For connoisseurs of history, the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia is open. The Maritime Museum reminds residents and guests of Petrozavodsk of the times of Peter the Great, when a shipyard was built on the territory of the city. In addition, the city has the Museum of Industrial History of Petrozavodsk at the Tractor Plant, the Postal Museum of the Republic of Karelia, and the Museum of Precambrian Geology, the period of ancient fossils.

Particular attention deserves Onega embankment, which is not only a great place for walking, but also a kind of museum of modern art.

Petrozavodsk is home to the stone Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, built under the guidance of an Italian architect.
Not far from the capital of Karelia is the village of Marcial Waters - the first balneological and mud resort in Russia, founded by Peter I.

How to get there:

• By car: along the M18 highway to Petrozavodsk. Then follow the signs to Kondopoga.
• By bus: Bus station No. 2 St. Petersburg, bus No. 965 to Petrozavodsk. Next, transfer to bus number 133E Petrozavodsk-Kondopoga. Travel time 10 hours 31 minutes.
• By train: from Ladozhsky railway station in St. Petersburg by train 022CH St. Petersburg - Murmansk to Kondopoga station (travel time 8 hours 4 minutes).

Kondopoga is the second largest city in Karelia after Petrozavodsk. Excavations on the territory of the city showed that the first human settlement in these places was formed around 1495.

On the territory of the city there is a wooden Assumption Church. In addition, in Kondopoga you can find several carillons, compositions of bells. Every hour they make a melodic ringing.

Near Kondopoga is the village of Kivach, famous for its waterfall of the same name, the highest flat waterfall in Europe. Another natural attraction of these places is Mount Sampo, which holds many legends and secrets. The mountain offers a beautiful view of the lake and the forest.

Also in Kondopoga it is interesting to visit the oldest hydroelectric power station in Russia and the Konchezersky iron-smelting plant, built by the order of Peter I.

How to get there:

• By car: along the M18 highway connecting St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
• By bus: Bus station No. 2 St. Petersburg, bus No. 965. Travel time 5 hours 15 minutes. The fare is 617 rubles.

Olonets is one of the oldest cities in Karelia and Northern Russia. The uniqueness of this city lies in the preserved planning of the 18th century and in an unusual landscape - Olonets is located on a flat area between two rivers.

There are many churches and cathedrals in the city. In the center of Olonets, the rivers formed a small island, on which the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk, built in 1752, is located.

It is also interesting to visit the Church of Frol and Lavr - a vivid example of wooden Novgorod architecture of the 17th century, the Church of the Holy Cross of the Church of Ingria, the Assumption Church. Not far from the city is the village of Interposelok, where you can visit the Vazheozersky Monastery, founded in the 16th century.

Connoisseurs of ethnographic collections should visit the first museum of local lore in Karelia - the N.T.Prilukin Museum of Karelian Livviks. Also, the Olonets art gallery has been opened in the city, where paintings by artists of Karelia are collected.

Medvezhyegorsk

How to get there:

• By car: along the M18 highway connecting St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
• By train: from Ladozhsky railway station in St. Petersburg by train 022CH St. Petersburg - Murmansk to Medvezhya Gora station (travel time 9 hours 56 minutes).

The history of a rather young city of Medvezhyegorsk began during the First World War with the construction of a railway connecting the Barents Sea and St. Petersburg. Later, the famous White Sea-Baltic Canal passed here. That is why the railway station Medvezhya Gora and the Museum of the History of Railway Transport are of particular interest to the guests of the city.

There are many sights in the city, and the nature in these places of Karelia is especially beautiful and surrounded by many legends and secrets. One of these places of power is the abandoned village of Pegrema. Also, for nature lovers, the Vodlozersky National Park will be of interest. Hiking and water tourist trails are laid here, on the way of which there are monuments of wooden architecture, parking lots and burial places of ancient people.

In Medvezhyegorsk, there is a City Museum in the former building of the Office of the White Sea Canal of the NKVD of the USSR, where you can see various household items of the ancient population of these places, get acquainted with the exposition "A small town in a big war", which tells about the events of the Great Patriotic War, and also learn the history of the construction of the White Sea Canal.

Another museum dedicated to the history of the White Sea-Baltic Canal is located in the town of Povenets. It is also interesting to visit the Sandarmokh tract and the memorial cemetery of the victims of the construction of the White Sea Canal.

How to get there:

• By car: along the M18 highway connecting St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
• By train: from Ladozhsky railway station in St. Petersburg by train 022CH St. Petersburg - Murmansk to Kem station (travel time 15 hours 7 minutes).

The ancient northern city of Kem is located on the banks of the river of the same name. The buildings of the city are mostly small wooden houses, which are vivid examples of the traditional architecture of the North.

The Assumption Cathedral is located in the center of the city. The wooden temple is over 300 years old, and it was built without a single nail. Not far from the Cathedral is the Museum of Pomorie, the exhibits of which give a complete picture of the life of the local population - Pomors.

There are also many interesting places in the vicinity of Kemi. For example, in the village of Krivoy Porog there is an impressive Krivoporozhskaya hydroelectric power station.

26 kilometers from the city of Kem in Lake Onega there are 2 unusual islands - German and Russian. On the islands, the places of vital activity of ancient peoples have been preserved.

In the village of Rabocheostrovsk on Popov Island, there is an equally interesting attraction - the scenery from the filming of P. Lungin's film "The Island": a wooden church, a sunken barge, piers made of planks, stone shores - all this was left after filming.

Entertainment

troll park

The address: Kulikovo village, Lahdenpokhsky district, Republic of Karelia.
Site: www.mishkina-skazka.ru
Telephone: +7 911 231 90 61
Price: 450 rubles - adults, 350 rubles - children. Local (Karelia, Priozersky district) - a discount upon presentation of a passport.
How to get there:
From St. Petersburg by car- along the highway (A-121) St. Petersburg-Priozersk-Sortavala, go to the border of the Leningrad region with Karelia. After 200 m. turn left, to Hiytola (Kulikovo). After 4 km climb up the hill, at the top of the hill on the right are pink stones, to the right into the forest. If you have reached the railway crossing, then you have already passed 700 meters.
From Sortoval by car- along the highway Sortavala-SPb (A-121), not reaching 200 m to the border of Karelia and the Leningrad region, turn right, to Hiytola, then as described above.
By bus- from the metro station "Devyatkino" (Severny bus station) at 9:20 a bus St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk departs. Buy a ticket to Kulikovo and at 12 hours 40 minutes the bus will arrive in the village. Kulikovo, which is 5 minutes from the Troll Park.
By train- from Ladoga Station at 14:48 the train St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha leaves. Take a ticket to Hiytol (note that it does not run every day - check the schedule on the carrier's website).
GPS coordinates: 61°11’01.0″N 29°46’51.4″E , 61.183600, 29.780945

A fabulous Troll Park has opened in the enchanted Karelian forest on the ruins of a Finnish farm. More than 50 figures from 40 cm to 4 meters are presented in the open air. Mysteriously, the Trolls were taken by surprise by the dawn and they froze in unusual poses. What do we know about these mysterious creatures? Some say that the Trolls steal children and kidnap beautiful girls. Others say that the Trolls love wealth and hunt for gold and precious stones. Are they good or evil? Creepy scary or cute? Can they harm us, or are the tales of the Trolls just inventions of the Scandinavian elders? Here you will find answers to these questions.

• trail over 500 meters
• more than 50 figures (trolls, mermaids, sirens, nagas, dragons)
• a mini-farm with little piglets and rabbits, goats and chickens, you can pet them and feed them.
• hammocks
• children's trolling (rope riding)
• wild musical instruments
• master classes for children and adults
• secret troll trail
• interactive games (large slingshots, pillow fight on a log)
• colored crystal and treasure hunt (found crystal - as a gift)

Zoo Greenpark Karelia

The address: Sortavala, pos. Kirkkolahti
Telephone:+7 921 622-97-93
Site: http://www.zoogreenpark.ru/
Working mode: autumn-winter from 10:00 - 18:00 (ticket office until 17:00), from 05/01/17 from 10:00-19:00 (ticket office until 18:00)
Price: 400 rubles adult ticket.
How to get there: In the city of Sortavala, you need to drive in the direction of Petrozavodsk, following the main road. After the town of Sortavala, after about 10 km there will be a large crossroads, where you need to turn left following the sign to the village of Vartsila and pass under the railway bridge. In this direction, drive 31.5 km, then on the right there will be a sign for the recreation center "Black Stones", turn, drive 10 km, follow the signs, there will be three of them. Coordinates 61° 59′ 27.38″ N, 30° 46′ 22.97″ E

The Greenpark Zoo not far from Sortavala will impress both adults and children. This is Europe's largest artiodactyl animal zoo, located on an area of ​​30 hectares on the territory of the Black Stones recreation center.

The inhabitants of the zoo are not only various types of deer and bulls, ponies, roe deer, fallow deer, but also many other interesting species, including those listed in the Red Book. In addition, in the zoo you can get acquainted with ostriches, different species and breeds of birds, as well as foxes, raccoons and other animals.

For kids, a petting zoo is open on the territory, where there are no nets and fences, and animals can be stroked and fed. Dwarf sheep, deer, Cameroon goats, rabbits, Shetlen ponies and other animals live in the children's zoo.

The zoo organizes guided tours, but tourists are also offered independent walks. Throughout the territory there are route signs, and at each paddock there are signs with the name of the species and a brief description of its features and habitat.

Famous islands of Karelia

How to get there:

• From St. Petersburg by boat as part of excursion groups.
• From Priozersk on a meteor: travel time 1 hour, cost about 2000 rubles. There and back again.
• From Sortavala on a meteor - travel time 50 minutes. In summer, meteors go daily at 9.00, 11.00, 13.15 and 16.00 hours. The round-trip fare includes a walking tour: Mon-Fri and Sunday - 2300 rubles per person, Saturday - 2570 rubles per person.
• From Pitkyaranta, meteors leave from the pier of the Long Beach recreation center. Travel time 1 hour. The round-trip fare includes a walking tour: Mon-Fri and Sunday - 2460 rubles per person, Saturday - 2750 rubles per person.

Valaam Island is a unique place with its unique nature, climate, architecture and people. Pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come here every year to touch these holy places.

There are many spiritual places on the island. Of course, the main temple of the island is the Transfiguration Monastery, the construction of which dates back to the 14th century. On the territory of the monastery there is the Valaam Church, Archaeological and Natural Museum-Reserve, which tells about the history of the island.

The island itself is very green, walking along it you can visit the sketes: Konevsky Igumen Skete, Voskresensky (Red) Skete, Gethsemane Yellow Skete, Nikolsky Skete, St. Vladimir Skete. Another skete is located on the island of Putsaari. A visit to the skete is possible only with the blessing of the abbot.

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve is a unique open-air museum of wooden architecture. There are about 76 buildings collected here, which will take more than one day to inspect.

Of course, the most grandiose building of the island is the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The temple can be seen from anywhere on the island. Like all structures in Kizhi, the temple was built without a single nail. Especially beautiful look 22 domes made by hand from pine.

In addition to churches and temples, there are other buildings on the island: mills, peasant houses, baths, barns. In the interiors of these buildings, the life and traditions of the ancient northern settlements are maximally preserved.

The museums of the Kizhi Island contain unique collections of ancient Russian icons, paintings, weaving, and wood carvings. Also among the exhibits you can find various archival documents and drawings that give an idea of ​​how the main buildings of the island were built and restored.

Natural attractions of Karelia

Coordinates: 61.7551484, 31.4160496
How to get there by car: along the Sortavala-Petrozavodsk highway, turn to Lake Ruokojärvi. Then move all the time straight along the dirt road to the sign "White Bridges Waterfall". After that, you need to walk 2-2.5 km.

Not far from the village of Leppyasilta there is a picturesque waterfall White Bridges. Its height reaches 19 meters, which is almost 2 times higher than the famous Karelian Kivach waterfall. However, due to its inaccessibility (you need to walk about 2 kilometers along a forest road to the waterfall), tourists do not visit these places very often. The nature around the waterfall is very picturesque, you can often meet various forest animals here.

Coordinates: 65.762970, 31.074407
How to get there by car: along the M18 St. Petersburg-Murmansk highway to the village of Loukhi, then along the road 110 km to the west to the village of Pyaozersky.
Site: http://paanajarvi-park.com/

The national park is located around the picturesque lake Paanajärvi. Its territory is a unique natural complex consisting of mountain peaks, deep gorges, numerous lakes, swamps and rivers with noisy rapids and waterfalls. Several hiking, water-walking and snowmobile tourist routes of varying complexity and length have been laid on the territory of the park.

Coordinates: 62°29’9″N 33°40’26″E
How to get there by car: along the M18 St. Petersburg-Murmansk highway to the sign for the Girvas village (70 km after Petrozavodsk), then at the central intersection in the village, turn left and follow for 10-15 minutes to the bridge and the hydroelectric power station.

50 km from Kondopoga in the village of Girvas there is a unique natural object with a history of more than 3 billion years - the Girvas volcano. It is the oldest paleovolcano on earth. It is surprising that it was discovered quite recently - about 60 years ago. Now there is neither a mountain nor a crater. However, scientists have found a lot of evidence of the once former activity of the volcano: in the channel of the Suna River, you can see a one and a half meter magmatic "tongue", the lava field extends for a thousand square kilometers, and the river bank is formed by solidified magma.

Coordinates: 63.106814, 32.641242
How to get there by car: Drive through Sortavala or Petrozavodsk to the village of Gimoly or Sukkozero. Further on GPS coordinates to the nearest parking lot.

The most mysterious mountain of Karelia, Vottovaara, is located near the villages of Sukkozero and Gimoli. Scientists consider this place a unique geological monument, and residents of nearby villages consider it to be a concentration of evil forces. On the mountain there are numerous stone structures, the history of which is full of legends and secrets. It is believed that in ancient times there was a cult complex here. Trees also amaze with their bizarre shape.

All this gives rise to the emergence of a wide variety of legends from shamans living on this mountain to UFOs.

You can get acquainted with other no less interesting places in Karelia in our article Monasteries, petroglyphs, quarries and other sights of Lake Onega

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The Republic of Karelia in the north of Russia is attractive for tourists with monuments of archeology, history and culture, pristine nature and low population density. There are 13 cities and about 800 towns and villages in the republic. The population of Karelia is 618 thousand people. About 80% are city dwellers. A third of them live in the capital, Petrozavodsk.

Also, large cities and tourist centers include Kostomuksha, Kondopoga, Olonets, Sortavala. Some of them trace their history back to the Middle Ages, and such cities as Sortavala, Kem, Olonets, Petrozavodsk have the status of historical Russian cities. A well-known tourist route connecting Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway passes through several settlements of Karelia. It's called the Blue Road.

The largest cities in Karelia

List of the largest cities in the region by population.

1. Petrozavodsk

By decree of Peter the Great, it was founded in 1703. The capital and the only major city in Karelia. Located on Lake Onega. It has access to 5 seas thanks to a system of canals and rivers. There are many lakes and springs within the city. Onega embankment with a park of modern sculptures, Kamenny Bor, Krestovozdvizhensky and Alexander Nevsky cathedrals are attractive for tourists. It was given the status of a city of military glory and a historical city.

The population is 279 thousand people.

2. Kondopoga

It is located 46 km from Petrozavodsk, on Lake Onega. First mentioned in 1495. In the 18th century deposits of marble and ore were discovered. In 1929, a hydroelectric power station was built. City status was granted in 1938. In 2001, the Ice Palace was opened - the only one in Karelia. In the vicinity is the Kivach waterfall and the Marcial Waters resort. The city sights include two carillons, for 18 and 23 bells.

The population is 30 thousand people.

3. Kostomuksha

The city is 30 km from the Russian-Finnish border. The history dates back to the 70s of the last century, when the development of a new ore deposit and the construction of the GOK began. In the status of a city - since 1983. The main attractions are the Kostomuksha Nature Reserve, the Kalevalsky National Park, ethnic villages famous for the art of rune singing. Every year the city hosts festivals of chamber and rock music, author's songs.

The population is 29 thousand people.

4. Segezha

City on the river of the same name, near Vygozero. The name translates as "light, pure." It was founded in 1914 as a small railway station on the Murmansk road. In 1943 it was given the status of a city. Since the 1930s, a plant producing paper containers has been operating in Segezha - a city-forming enterprise. Tourists are attracted by the waterfall "Voitsky Padun", an archeological monument - the village of Nadvoitsy, the Museum Center.

The population is 26 thousand people.

5. Sortavala

It was founded by the Swedes in 1632, although the settlement of the Karelians existed on this site as early as the 12th century. Until 1918 - Serdobol. Until 1940 - part of Finland. Located on Lake Ladoga. The only city in Karelia with surviving ancient buildings. In the list of historical cities. Of interest are the Ladoga Museum, the modern gallery of Kronid Gogolev, a wood carver, and the natural park Ruskeala. 40 km - the island of Valaam.

The population is 18 thousand people.

6. Medvezhyegorsk

City on the coast of Lake Onega. It was established in 1916 as a village near the railway under construction. Until 1938 it was called Medvezhya Gora. The railway station is still called that today. In the 1930s, the building management of the White Sea Canal was located here, 3 camps for prisoners were created. 15 km away is the Sandarmokh tract - the former place of execution of prisoners. The region is famous for its shungite deposits.

The population is 14 thousand people.

7. Kem

The name translates as "Big River". It was founded in the XIV century. It received city status in 1785. Located on the Kem River. Attractive for tourists by the Kemsky skerries - a group of rocky sea islands. Among the valuable monuments of architecture are the Assumption Cathedral, built 3 centuries ago from wood, and the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the beginning of the last century. The museum "Pomorye" was opened in the building of the former treasury.

The population is 11 thousand people.

8. Pitkyaranta

Until 1940 it was part of Finland. In the same year it was given the status of a city. The name translates as "Long Shore". Located on Lake Ladoga. Founded in the 15th century. It developed rapidly in the 19th century after the discovery of ore deposits. It is famous for the beauty of the Ladoga skerries, the Uksa esker ridge, the Yukankoski waterfall - the highest in Karelia. Of interest are fragments of the Mannerheim line, the local history museum.

The population is 10 thousand people.

9. Belomorsk

It is located on the White Sea coast, at the mouth of the Vyg River. The first mention is in 1419. In 1938 it was given the status of a city. Large railway junction and sea port. Part of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. Popular water tourism along the rivers Shuya, Okhta, Suma. The main attraction is the Neolithic petroglyphs. There are many monuments and memorials of the Soviet period in the city. Nearby are the Solovetsky Islands.

The population is 9600 people.

10. Suoyarvi

It was founded in the 16th century. It is located on the coast of the lake of the same name. The name translated from Finnish means "Swamp Lake". Until 1940 it was part of Finland. Railway junction. In the vicinity is the natural reserve Talvojärvi with an extensive network of lakes and swamps. Historical objects include the building of the railway station at the Kaipa station and the building of the House of Creativity built in the 1920s.

The population is 8900 people.

Karelia and its regions have long attracted tourists from all over the world. And tourists are attracted not only by the most beautiful landscapes and architectural monuments, but also by the fact that the tourist season in the Karelian region lasts all year round. Both an active tourist and a lover of a relaxing family holiday will find entertainment here.

The largest cities of Karelia that attract tourists are Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga.

Capital of the Republic Karelia is a city Petrozavodsk, located on the shores of the Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega. Lakes also flow on the territory of the city: Dennoe, Lamba, and Chetyrekhverstnoe. The main part of the inhabitants of this region lives in the capital, representatives of different nationalities: Russians, Vepsians and Karelians. The beginning of Petrozavodsk dates back to the time of Peter I, when, according to his decree, the construction of an arms factory was started on the banks of the Onega.

It is from Petrozavodsk that many tourist routes of the region originate. There are a lot of operating museums in this historical city: the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum-Reserve located on the island of Kizhi, the State Museum of Local Lore, which has been operating since 1871 in an old building - the provincial office, you can see the oldest collection of icons in Karelia, you can visit a private art gallery " House of the Doll" or Puppet Theatre.

Near the city there is a reserve "Kivach" with a flat waterfall of 11 meters and a unique balneological and mud resort "Marcial Waters", founded by Peter I. Currently, it has the status of a museum-reserve. The capital has a ski center for children, equestrian and water sports centers. Petrozavodsk has a lot of temples, parks and squares. The most famous throughout Russia is Petrovsky Park.

Relatively young industrial city Kondopoga located near the capital on the shores of the Kondopogoga Bay of Lake Onega. The first settlements in this place were in the 15th century, but Kondopoga acquired the status of a city only in 1938, after marble deposits were discovered here, which were sent for the construction of St. Petersburg.

The main pride of the city is the carillon bells brought from Holland. These belfries can be controlled by a computer, thanks to which all kinds of melodies are played. The most noticeable 14-meter carillon in the form of an arch was erected at the Ice Palace. It has 23 bells and weighs 500 kg.

vintage celebrity Kondopoga is also a modest Assumption Church of the Blessed Virgin, whose height is 42 meters. This "swan song" of wooden architecture was built in the era of completion of Russian wooden architecture. The church has an iconostasis and is decorated with paintings.

Vacationers are also attracted by the Kondopoga Museum of Local Lore, whose collection includes more than 2,000 items. Here are collected various items of Karelian life, documents about the history of the city, paintings and drawings by masters of large cities of Karelia, archaeological excavations and much more.

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Distinctive features. Karelia is a vast land of lakes, forests and swamps. In terms of area, the Republic of Karelia ranks fifth in the Russian Federation. Nature, mineral resources and historical monuments are the main assets of this northern region.

Despite its remote location and, it would seem, some loss, Karelia has been well known to Europeans since the Middle Ages. Viking leaders visited it with tourist visits, and later Karelia became part of the vast and rich Novgorod Republic.

Here is also the “Kemska volost”, which Ivan Vasilyevich from the famous comedy was easily ready to transfer to the Swedish king ... But in reality, a little later, these lands were transferred to the Solovetsky Monastery, which heroically repulsed all the attacks of the Swedes.

Tourists love to visit Karelia for several reasons. Firstly, there are sights here that are known not only in Russia, but also abroad. These are Valaam, Kizhi, the Solovetsky Monastery, included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. And here you can also look at ancient petroglyphs (images made on rocks), ride yachts on Lake Onega, admire the beautiful landscapes of nature reserves and natural parks.

The magnificent nature of Karelia, which gives not only peace and relaxation, but also healing, has long attracted people. It was here that Peter I founded the first resort in Russia - "Marcial Waters" (1718). Also in the 18th century, the oldest marble quarries in Russia were discovered here. Karelian marble was used in the creation of many architectural masterpieces of St. Petersburg, including St. Isaac's and Kazan's Cathedrals.

Today, the economy of Karelia is mainly the extraction and processing of natural resources: woodworking, pulp and paper industry, metallurgy, development of mineral deposits. The four northernmost districts of the republic have the status of territories of the Far North, which gives benefits to people living there.

Geographic location. Karelia is located in the northwestern part of Russia, on the border with Finland. To the south of it are the Leningrad and Vologda regions, to the east - the Arkhangelsk region. Part of the eastern territory of Karelia is washed by the harsh White Sea. In the north, the Murmansk region borders on Karelia.

The Republic of Karelia is part of the Northwestern Federal District.

Karelia is a country of lakes. There are 60 thousand of them here. The largest freshwater lake in Europe is Ladoga. It is located in the south of Karelia. Another large lake is Onega. Of the 27 thousand rivers of Karelia, the largest are Vodla, Kem, Onda, Unga, Chirga-Kem.

Mount Vottovaara is one of the most mystical places in Karelia. Photo by Maria Kuzovova

The relief of Karelia is predominantly flat, and the highest mountain in the republic (Nuorrunen) has a height of only 576 meters.

Population. In 2012, 636,932 people lived in Karelia. The population density here is low - 3.53 people. per sq. km. If we look at the dynamics of the population of this northern region, we will see that it peaked at the beginning of the 90s of the last century (approximately 791 thousand people). But when economic difficulties began after the collapse of the USSR, people began to move to where it was warmer and more money.

They live here mainly in cities. The share of the rural population is 22%. Unlike the central regions of the European part of Russia, in Karelia the birth rate is almost equal to the death rate. The natural decline in the population is -2.8 people. per 1000 inhabitants.

According to the national composition, the predominant part of the population is Russians (78.88%). Karelians are the second largest (7.08). By the way, about Karelians. This Finno-Ugric people, known from the annals of the Novgorodians, lives mainly in Russia (60,000 people), and a small part (12,000 people) lives in Finland.

Crime. Unfortunately, the Republic of Karelia occupies a very high place in the criminal rating of regions - 7th. For some reason, some residents of the republic do not want to earn honestly, and they are trying to raise money in ways that are alternative to honest ones. In the summary of the criminal chronicle of Karelia, one can find many cases of fraud, robbery, theft, and domestic murders. In general, it is difficult to find or imagine such a crime that would not have happened here. To be fair, it should be noted that the majority of crimes are committed not in Petrozavodsk, but in other settlements of the republic.

There is also ethnic crime here. One has only to recall the events of 2006 in Kondopoga, when the local people rebelled, unable to withstand the lawlessness of visiting Chechens. Only the arrival of additional forces of the Petrozavodsk OMON, and the flight from the city of a large number of "persons of Caucasian nationality" could calm the unrest.

Unemployment rate in the Republic of Karelia in 2012 was equal to 6.99%, which is higher than the national average. The average salary in Karelia is about 25 thousand rubles a month. For the NWFD region, this is an average level. Although in the southern regions (Pskov, Vologda) they get less, compared to some northern regions (Komi, Nenets Autonomous Okrug) - this is just ridiculous money. On the other hand, only 4 northern regions of the republic have the status of the territories of the Far North, and there are no large oil or gas fields where people would be paid big money.

Real estate value. In Petrozavodsk, prices for one-room apartments on the secondary market fluctuate between 1.4 and 2 million rubles. The price for "dvushki" starts from 1.8 million rubles. Prices for some three-room apartments in new elite houses can even reach 7 million rubles, but if you wish, you can also find very cheap options in the region of 2.5 million rubles. As for new buildings, one-room apartments are sold in them for 1.8-1.9 million rubles.

Climate. The location of Karelia in northern latitudes, between the Gulf of Finland and the White Sea, determines its climate. It is temperate continental, with a transition to the sea. Summer here is short and cool, even in July the temperature rarely breaks the mark of +20°C. In winter, frosts fluctuate around the mark of 10-12 degrees below zero. Spring comes late, in April-May. Most of the days of the year are cloudy, and the average annual rainfall is 550-600 mm.

Cities of the Republic of Karelia

(population - 269 thousand people) - the capital and largest city of Karelia, located on the shores of Lake Onega. The city got its name in honor of the arms factory founded here in 1703 by Peter I. Soon the small town turned into a powerful fortress. Now it is the most important commercial, industrial and scientific center in the north of Russia. Of the advantages, we note the infrastructure, ecology, nature. Of the minuses - a cold, rainy climate.