Pervomayskoye: Kivennapa and Kivanebb

Kivennapa was renamed Pervomayskoye in 1948. A small fort called Kivanebb stood in the area of Linnamäki Hill. A 2020 article describes the school museum at the educational center; a memorial was erected on the grounds of the old cemetery in 1993.

As early as the beginning of the 16th century, a small Swedish timber-and-earth fort called Kivanebb stood in the area of the hill of the same name, Linnamäki. In 1554, the wooden Kivennapa (Kivanebb) fortress was given a stone foundation. Two years later, during a Russian campaign against Vyborg, its Swedish-Finnish garrison was forced to retreat and burn down the fortress. It was never rebuilt.

The hill’s location is also part of this history: its highest point was 117 meters above sea level and afforded a view toward the old Russian-Swedish border. The fortress stood at the intersection of important trade and military routes and was of great importance to Vyborg’s security. Kivennapa was renamed Pervomayskoye in 1948; the renaming was confirmed by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated October 1, 1948.

A 2020 article describes the school museum at the Pervomayskoye educational center. Its exhibition topics include the town’s history, the Siege of Leningrad, World War II, and the assault on the “Karelian Wall” defensive line. The museum also has a diorama depicting an episode of the assault. It was created by local artist Nikolai Kazantsev.

Another memorial site was established in the summer of 1993 on the grounds of the old cemetery of the Kivennapa community. Former residents of the community initiated the memorial, and the local administration supported the project. It is dedicated to the ancestors of the old Karelian people buried there and to those who fell defending their homeland in past wars.

The Chapel of Saint Panteleimon the Great Martyr and Healer is located on the grounds of the hospital in Pervomayskoye. Together with the hill and the memorial, it adds a religious dimension to the town’s historical themes.

For a broader look at the travel destination of Leningrad Oblast, Vepsian Forest Nature Park offers a distinct regional perspective. It lies in the far east of the oblast and comprises seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection regulations. The park has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name.

The nature park’s special features include well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the Vepsian Forest and Ashtchozersky reserves. They are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are relatively numerous in the nature park; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park.

Discover more destinations: Ushaki, Sosnovy Bor, Olkhovka, Volosovo, Kotly, Kommunar, Murino, Lyugovichi.

What happened to Kivanebb Fortress?

In 1556, the Swedish-Finnish garrison retreated during a Russian campaign against Vyborg and burned down the fortress. It was never rebuilt.

Which topics does the article mention about the school museum?

The 2020 article mentions the town’s history, the Siege of Leningrad, World War II, and the assault on the “Karelian Wall” defensive line. It also describes a diorama by Nikolai Kazantsev depicting an episode of the assault.

Whom does the memorial in the old cemetery commemorate?

The memorial, erected in 1993, is dedicated to the ancestors of the old Karelian people buried there and to those who fell defending their homeland in past wars.

For the broader travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.