Kirovsk: Squares, Monuments and the Neva Embankment

• Peter the Great monument on Petrovsky Square was reconstructed using original sketches and engravings.
• A memorial plaque at 1 Teatralnaya Square honors D. S. Molodtsov and I. F. Shushin; another plaque on the building of the Dubrovskaya thermal power plant commemorates the liberation of GRES-8.
• The “Mesto vstrechi zakatov” public space opened in 2023. It covers 3,500 m² on the high bank of the Neva and extends the city’s culture and recreation park.

The memorial sites commemorate different things. The monument on Petrovsky Square is dedicated to Peter the Great and was reconstructed using original sketches and engravings. The plaque at 1 Teatralnaya Square honors Heroes of the Soviet Union D. S. Molodtsov and I. F. Shushin. Another plaque on the building of the Dubrovskaya thermal power plant commemorates the liberation of GRES-8. Together, these sites include one monument and two specific memorial themes.

Petrovsky Square also has two descents to the Neva. A 2019 report describes construction of a promenade between them, intended to connect the descents as a single ensemble. This information describes a plan during the construction phase.

“Mesto vstrechi zakatov” brings together a range of public facilities across 3,500 m² on the high bank of the Neva. The site extends the city’s culture and recreation park. The facilities listed there include a sports ground with a rubber-granule surface, an outdoor exercise area and a workout complex. There are also park swings, benches and a pair of binoculars. The offering therefore ranges from sports and exercise areas to seating and other public-space features.

As a broader regional context, Leningrad Oblast offers different themes from Kirovsk’s squares. The Vepsian Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of the oblast and includes seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection rules. The park has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name.

Protected features include stands of old spruce and pine forest preserved in the “Vepsskiy les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves. They are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are relatively abundant in the nature park; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. Culture is part of this regional picture too: the Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park.

Koporye Fortress is a museum and a monument of ancient Russian stone architecture. Its present form has survived since the 16th century, while parts of the masonry date back to the 13th century. Visitors can explore without a guide using the “Koporskaya krepost 2.0” multimedia guide. Check its availability before planning your visit. The walls and towers are in an emergency state and must not be climbed.

A description dated December 24, 2019, lists ecological routes in seven protected areas of regional importance. They were intended for independent visits and had informational materials and various visitor facilities. The description says they were operational; check current conditions before travelling.

The circular route in the “Toksovskiye vysoty” natural monument passes over sandy hills and the hollows between them, as well as through old spruce and pine forests. An ecological cycling trail in the “Gryada Vyaryamyansel'kya” protected area in Priozersk District runs through a landscape of lakes, marshes and dry old pine forest. The Ladva Trail leads to glacial landforms, 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 the Vepsian Forest Nature Park. For the route descriptions dated 2019 for “Toksovskiye vysoty,” the “Gryada Vyaryamyansel'kya” area and Kurba, check current trail conditions in advance.

Discover more destinations: Tsvelodubovo, Rappolovo, Tosno, Kotly, Ust-Luga, Vyra, Kobona, Berezhki.

How was the Peter the Great monument in Kirovsk reconstructed?

It was reconstructed using original sketches and engravings.

Who is the memorial plaque at Teatralnaya Square dedicated to?

The plaque at 1 Teatralnaya Square honors Heroes of the Soviet Union D. S. Molodtsov and I. F. Shushin.

What facilities does “Mesto vstrechi zakatov” include?

The listed facilities include a sports ground with a rubber-granule surface, exercise and workout areas, park swings, benches and a pair of binoculars.

For the broader travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.