Baskakovo: Guide to Culture and Nature

• Baskakovo is home to a preserved or newly established military burial site.
• The spring of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is near Brylyovo and about seven kilometers from the Church of the Transfiguration in Baskakovo.
• Smolensk Oblast is home to attractions including the Gnyozdovo archaeological complex and Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park.

The military burial site is in Baskakovo. The spring of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is a nearby point of interest: it is near Brylyovo. The distance of about seven kilometers is measured from the Church of the Transfiguration in Baskakovo.

The Gnyozdovo archaeological complex preserves about 2,500 burial mounds and a settlement. It is the largest archaeological monument complex in Russia and Europe from the period when the Old Russian state was emerging. As an archaeological monument of federal significance, it is under state protection. The preserved burial mounds and settlement offer different insights into this archaeological context.

Another historical point of interest in Smolensk Oblast is the Khmelita estate. It has belonged to the Griboyedov family since 1680 and is the centerpiece of the A. S. Griboyedov “Khmelita” State Historical, Cultural and Natural Museum-Reserve. Visitors exploring the region’s culture can consider an archaeological complex and a historically significant estate as distinct subjects to visit.

Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park was established on April 15, 1992, in the Demidovskiy and Dukhovshchinskiy districts of Smolensk Oblast. Its purpose is to protect unique natural complexes for recreational, educational, scientific, and cultural purposes.

The “K istokam” nature trail is a loop that begins in the village of Stary Dvor. A track for mobile apps such as Geotreker or MAPS.ME helps visitors follow the route independently. Two viewpoints were set up along the trail in 2023–2024, at Lakes Svyatets and Sapsho.

The “Poozerye bez baryerov” nature trail was created in 2017 for people with health-related limitations. It begins near the “Baklanovo” Eco-Center building. In Boroviki, a barefoot trail offers a different kind of walking experience: it consists of 14 sections, each six meters long, with different natural surfaces to walk on barefoot. At the end, you can wash your feet and, if you wish, stroll through the Aptekarskiy sad. The trails thus differ in their stated audiences, format, and design.

At the “Stargrad” ethnographic village, a guided tour introduces visitors to the way of life of the ancient Slavs and shows everyday objects, weapons, and clothing. Visits are available only as part of a guided group. The extended tour program includes workshops and other activities: the “Babiy kut” workshop focuses on traditional women’s crafts, where participants can make souvenirs themselves. At “Polevaya kuznya,” they can mint coins and make chain mail. The “Srednevekovyy tir” area includes shooting with bows and slingshots, as well as throwing axes and sulitsa spears.

The extended program also includes an on-the-water activity in the Viking oak boat “Fornkor”: participants can sail and row on one of the deepest lakes in the national park. The program also includes a lunch of historical dishes based on old recipes from maritime and field kitchens, prepared in cauldrons over an open fire. These offerings are part of the extended tour program; visits remain limited to a guided group. The program is subject to prior arrangement.

Discover more destinations: Bibirevo, Demidov, Rudnya, Krotovo, Vskhody, Roslavl, Gorodnya, Przhevalskoye.

What is located in Baskakovo itself?

Baskakovo is home to a military burial site that has been preserved or newly established. The spring of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is nearby, near Brylyovo.

What makes the Gnyozdovo complex special?

It preserves about 2,500 burial mounds and a settlement. The archaeological complex is the largest of its kind in Russia and Europe from the period when the Old Russian state was emerging, and it is under state protection as a monument of federal significance.

Can you visit “Stargrad” without a group?

No. Visits are available only as part of a guided group. The extended tour program is subject to prior arrangement.

Go to the regional travel overview: Smolensk Oblast.