Gakkovo: Memorial Sites and Cultural History

• The monument to the Ingrian Finns and Izhorians is located in the cemetery in Gakkovo.
• It was opened in 1989 and commemorates people who fell victim to repression.
• The monument is described as the only one of its kind in Russia.
• A 2019 report describes a memorial service held on July 27.

The monument focuses on two population groups: the Ingrian Finns and the Izhorians. Its dedication makes the remembrance of the victims of repression its central theme. Its opening in 1989 gives this memorial site a specific historical context; the description of the monument calls it unique in Russia.

Gakkovo’s location on the Kurgalsky Peninsula is also important for understanding the place. The cemetery, monument, and peninsula form the local setting for the memorial history passed down here. The dedication refers not just to a single name, but to the two population groups mentioned and their shared fate under repression.

A 2019 report describes a memorial service held on July 27 at the cemetery in Gakkovo. It was dedicated to local residents, Ingrian Finns, and Izhorians who fell victim to repression.

Flowers were laid at an obelisk bearing the names of the victims during the service. The ceremony was led by Aarre Kuugappi, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. The choir of Narva’s Alexander Church sang religious songs. The report thus links the memorial site with a religious ceremony and the remembrance of victims by name.

A patriotic event was held near Gakkovo on September 10 to mark the opening of a monument to Ismail Matigulovich Zaidulin. Zaidulin died on August 26, 1944, in Gakkovo Bay.

The Vepsian Forest Nature Park is located in the far east of Leningrad Oblast. It encompasses seven nature reserves with especially strict protection regulations and numerous lakes. The largest lake is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. Other notable features of the park include old spruce and pine forests in the Vepsskiy Les and Ashchozyorskiy reserves. They are important for numerous organisms that depend on forests undisturbed by economic activity.

Brown bears are found in significant numbers in Vepsian Forest Nature Park; wolverines, which are extremely rare in the region, have also been recorded. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived there.

Koporye Fortress is a museum and a monument to ancient Russian stone architecture. Its current form has been preserved since the 16th century, while parts of the masonry date back to the 13th century. Because it is in a state of disrepair, visitors are not allowed to climb the walls and towers. The multimedia guide Koporskaya krepost 2.0 is available for visits without a guide; check its availability if you plan to use it.

Ecological routes run through seven protected areas of regional importance in Leningrad Oblast. They are intended for independent visits and are equipped with informational materials and various visitor facilities. Descriptions of the regional routes date from 2019; check current conditions before your trip.

The trails differ in their landscapes and modes of travel. The circular ecological trail near Toksovskiye Vysoty passes over sandy hills and through hollows, as well as through old spruce and pine forests. In the Gryada Vyaryamyanselkya protected area in Priozersk District, a cycling route passes through a landscape of lakes, bogs, and dry, old pine forest. The Ladva trail leads to glacially shaped terrain, middle-taiga vegetation, and the Vepsian village of Ladva; it also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District. Near the settlement of Kurba in Podporozhye District, an ecological trail runs alongside lakes in Vepsian Forest Nature Park. The options described therefore range from a circular trail and a cycling route to trails with cultural or scenic destinations.

When was the monument in the cemetery opened?

The monument to the Ingrian Finns and Izhorians who fell victim to repression was opened in 1989.

What happened at the memorial service on July 27?

A 2019 report describes flowers being laid at an obelisk bearing the names of the victims, Aarre Kuugappi leading the service, and religious songs sung by the choir of Narva’s Alexander Church.

What landscape does the cycling route in the Gryada Vyaryamyanselkya protected area pass through?

It passes through a landscape of lakes, bogs, and dry, old pine forest in Priozersk District.

Back to the main travel overview: Kingisepp District.