Konchezero Between Lakes and a Factory Settlement

• The settlement lies between the lake of the same name and Pertozero.
• The Konchezero Ironworks operated from 1706 to 1905.
• The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1865–1866 for the ironworks’ population.

Preserved stone factory buildings stand in the center of Konchezero. They were built in the classicist style according to the principles of 17th-century industrial architecture. The Church of the Holy Trinity is another historic building in the settlement. The mining administration had it built in 1865–1866 specifically for the ironworks’ population.

There is also a workshop chapel beside the factory buildings on the street, designed as a pavilion and dating from the second half of the 19th century. The factory buildings, church, and chapel reveal different aspects of the factory settlement’s history: industrial facilities as well as buildings connected with the lives of its population.

The works operated from 1706 to 1905. Ore was extracted from lakes and swamps. The pig iron produced there was transported by water to the Petrovsky Works in Petrozavodsk. The history of the works therefore encompasses both the extraction of raw materials and the transportation of the finished iron.

Water also served a specific purpose: it was channeled from Pertozero through a preserved tunnel to the blades of a water-powered wheel. The connection between the lake and the works is therefore part of both Konchezero’s geographical setting and its industrial history.

The isthmus, about 50 meters wide, between the lake of the same name and Pertozero is a precise landmark for locating Konchezero. Pertozero is more than just a name on a map of the settlement: water was channeled from it through the preserved tunnel to the ironworks’ wheel. In this way, the landscape and industrial history intersect, without implying any additional route or visitor offering.

The wider destination of the Republic of Karelia offers other distinct cultural and natural attractions. Kivach Waterfall lies on the Suna River in central Karelia; its drop is 10.7 meters. A general excursion in Kivach Nature Reserve includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall, as well as a visit to the arboretum and the nature museum. A 1,000-meter circular trail passes through a forested area on the bank of the Suna, near the excursion area; the excursion lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Check the conditions and booking details with the operator before planning this excursion.

The Kizhi Museum Reserve displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air, including chapels, houses, mills, and granaries. Visitors can also explore the interior of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses. The UNESCO World Heritage site of the Onega and White Sea petroglyphs includes 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings in the Republic of Karelia. These regional attractions stand on their own and are not features of Konchezero.

Discover more destinations: Vyartsilya, Kurkiyeki, Lakhdenpokhya, Ustye Tuloksy, Vilga, Yalguba, Kalevala, Pedaselga.

Between which lakes is Konchezero located?

The settlement lies on an isthmus about 50 meters wide between the lake of the same name and Pertozero.

When did the Konchezero Ironworks operate?

The ironworks operated from 1706 to 1905.

What role did Pertozero play for the works?

A preserved tunnel channeled water from Pertozero to the blades of a water-powered wheel.

For the wider travel overview: Republic of Karelia.