Discover Murino: Church, Park and Art

• The Church of St. Catherine is a stone, single-nave church in the neoclassical style.
• Shagin House at 4 Borovaya Street is one of Murino’s oldest surviving wooden houses.
• Murinsky Park was established in 1973 and reopened in November 2015 after extensive renovation.
• The town’s artworks include a group of small bronze figures and several independent monuments and art installations.

The Church of St. Catherine offers a glimpse into Murino’s architectural history in the late 18th century: it was designed and built during this period under the direction of Nikolai Lvov. The design is attributed to N. A. Lvov. A stone, single-nave church in the neoclassical style, it differs markedly in material and construction from Shagin House, a log building made of wood.

The church’s history can also be placed in context. In 1988, it was fully restored and returned to the faithful. Metropolitan Alexius of Leningrad and Novgorod consecrated it on December 6, 1988. It was the first church in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg to be consecrated with the full episcopal rite during the Soviet era. These dates relate to its restoration in the 20th century, not to its original construction.

Shagin House is located at 4 Borovaya Street and is one of Murino’s oldest surviving wooden houses. The wealthy peasant Nikolai Shagin had the log building constructed in the 19th century, while serfdom was still in force. The church and the house thus represent different building styles and centuries. The recorded history of the house does not state whether the interior is open to the public.

Murinsky Park was established in 1973 on the initiative of the Murino village council. It was ceremonially reopened in November 2015 after extensive renovation. The park has sports facilities and children’s playgrounds; festive and sporting events are also held there. If a particular event is important to your visit, check the dates in advance.

Another trace of history in the park is the holy spring “Rodnik,” known to local residents for more than three centuries. This long-standing local awareness gives the spring a different historical context from the park itself: it predates the park’s establishment in 1973.

The sculpture group “Bears for Medvezhka” was unveiled on Oboronnaya Street in Medvezhy Stan in 2015, on the settlement’s day. A bear-breeding station stood at this location in the second half of the 18th century. This artwork thus brings together a more recent unveiling and an older local connection.

Eleven small bronze figures by sculptor Denis Tretyakov, a graduate of the Ilya Repin Academy of Arts, stand on Yekaterininskaya Street. A different motif is explored in the art installation “Mendeleev’s Dream” on the boulevard named after Mendeleev: it is inspired by the story of his fateful dream. The depiction shows Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev on a high pedestal, seemingly floating and surrounded by chemical elements.

Memorial sites and technological history are also part of Murino’s character. The “Aviatoram Baltiki” monument at 19 Aviatorov-Baltiki Avenue commemorates the efforts of the defenders of besieged Leningrad. A monument in the form of an actual L-39 “Albatros” training aircraft also stands on Aviatorov-Baltiki Street. The historic water tower in Medvezhy Stan was commissioned in 1907 and supplied water to the Izhor Regiment. These sites relate to different themes: remembrance, aviation and the former water supply.

Discover more destinations: Lessogorski, Slanzy, Sosnovo, Vazhiny, Gorlovshchina, Losevo, Roshchino, Kobona.

When was the Church of St. Catherine restored?

It was fully restored and returned to the faithful in 1988. Metropolitan Alexius consecrated it on December 6 of that year.

What was the function of the water tower in Medvezhy Stan?

The tower, commissioned in 1907, supplied water to the Izhor Regiment.

What facilities are available in Murinsky Park?

The park has sports facilities and children’s playgrounds. Festive and sporting events are also held there.

Go to the regional travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.