Staraya Ladoga - one of the oldest villages in Russia, "the first capital of Russia." Today it is a fairly large village located 120 kilometers from St. Petersburg. However, it surpasses many cities in the number of historical and architectural monuments.
In our article we will talk about the history and main attractions of Staraya and Novaya Ladoga.
Staraya Ladoga - a village with a thousand-year history
Today, Staraya Ladoga is just a village on the banks of the Volkhov River with a population of 2000 people. But once it was an important outpost city of Russia, which restrained the fierce attacks of ill-wishers. The main reason to visit Staraya Ladoga is the numerous natural, historical, cultural and architectural monuments dating from the 9th-19th centuries.
Almost all the sights of the village of Staraya Ladoga are interesting and unique in their own way. And there are so many of them! But tourists come here not only for the sake of monuments, but also in order to feel, to feel the spirit of antiquity, to enjoy incredibly picturesque landscapes.
To further captivate the reader with Staraya Ladoga, we offer you to familiarize yourself with the ten most interesting historical facts about this village:
- Staraya Ladoga is one of the oldest settlements in Russia (the first mention of it dates from the year 862);
- Until 1703, Staraya Ladoga had the status of a city and was simply called Ladoga;
- the city was one of the most important points on the trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks";
- according to one version, the old Russian prince Oleg was buried in Ladoga;
- Ladoga became the first city in Northern Europe, all of whose walls were built exclusively of stone;
- Already in the VIII century, Ladoga residents were trading with the help of money (glass beads acted in their role);
- in just one Ladoga bead in the X century, you could buy a slave;
- the architecture of the Staroladozh Fortress is unique to Russian architecture, a similar monument is no longer on the territory of all of Russia;
- The Old Ladoga stronghold is included in the hundred of the most beautiful places in the country;
- a real treasure of silver Arab coins was found in the village (the find was dated by historians in the 8th century).
New Ladoga and its history
If from Staraya Ladoga climb up the river, then after 15 kilometers you will get to New Ladoga. This small town was founded in 1704 by decree of Peter the Great to service the shipyard created two years earlier. Many Old Ladoga residents were ordered to move to a new city. During the Second World War, New Ladoga played a significant role in providing besieged Leningrad along the so-called Road of Life.
It is a sin not to drop into this small town if you are heading to Staraya Ladoga. There are plenty of attractions here. Novaya Ladoga is a beautifully planned city, ancient buildings and magnificent views of the Volkhov River and Lake Ladoga.
The main monuments and interesting places in New Ladoga:
- Nicholas Medvedsky Monastery.
- Seating yard.
- Staroladozhsky Canal.
- St. Nicholas Cathedral.
- Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
- Temple of Clement of Rome (dilapidated).
- St. George's Church.
- Novoladozh Museum of Local Lore.
- The memorial complex "Road of Life".
The list of attractions of Staraya Ladoga
However, we will return to the locality from which our story began - Staraya Ladoga. Inspection of the monuments of this village, as a rule, begins with a fortress.This is the main and most valuable attraction of Old Ladoga, which is under the protection of UNESCO. Inside the fortress there is an old church of the XII century, which is perfectly preserved.
A complete list of historical monuments and interesting places to visit in this unique village is as follows:
- Staroladozhskaya fortress.
- Assumption Monastery.
- Varyazhskaya street.
- Olegova's grave.
- Nikolsky Orthodox Monastery.
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
- House of the merchant Kalyazin.
- The estate "Assumption".
- Tanechkina and Staroladozhskaya caves.
- Gorchakovschinsky waterfall.
A map of the sights of Staraya Ladoga will help you navigate in the village (see photo below).
Old Ladoga Fortress
The main attraction of Staraya Ladoga is a fortress founded at the end of the 9th century. What we can see today was rebuilt from scratch in the 2000s.
The fortress is located on a narrow cape, in the place where the Ladozhka River flows into the Volkhov. Initially, it was wooden. During the reign of Prince Oleg, a powerful stronghold of stone was erected here. For a long time, the fortress defended the northern borders of Ancient Russia, then - Russia. It lost its defensive significance only at the beginning of the 18th century.
Assumption Monastery
To the north of the fortress is another important monument of the village - Staroladozhsky Holy Assumption Monastery. It was laid in the middle of the XII century.
Behind the walls of the monastery is the northernmost of the old Russian churches of the pre-Mongol period - the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He has been standing here since 1156! The temple is very miniature: its width is 14 meters and its height is 19 meters, however, it can accommodate several dozen people. The walls of the Assumption Church were generously painted, but to this day the painting has practically not been preserved.
It is known that from 1718 to 1725 it was in this monastery that the first wife of Peter the First, Evdokia Lopukhin, stayed, and received a haircut as a nun.
Varyazhskaya street
To visit Staraya Ladoga and not to walk along Varyazhskaya street is unacceptable. Indeed, according to historians, this is the oldest street in Russia! The earliest references to it date back to the 15th century.
Today, on Varyazhskaya Street, you can see old wooden houses on one floor, which once belonged to local merchants. It is quiet and very cozy. At the beginning of the ancient street there is a bronze sculpture of a falcon. It is this bird that is considered the symbol of Staraya Ladoga. All tourists make a wish near this sculpture and leave coins in the beak of the bronze falcon.
Gorchakovshchinsky waterfall
Very few people know about the Gorchakovschinsky Falls, but in vain, because this is the highest waterfall in the Leningrad Region. This is an amazing natural place where you can relax your thoughts and enjoy nature. It is located in the village of Gorchakovschina, on the opposite bank of the river from Staraya Ladoga.
The height of the waterfall is only four meters. It is located in a river canyon and falls into a shallow bowl with sandstone walls. It’s not long to go to the waterfall, a forest path leads directly to it from the village.
Tanechkina Cave
In the past, Tanechkina cave was the place of extraction of white quartz. It stretched seven kilometers in length. There are many passages and labyrinths in the cave, and in its central gallery there is a shallow lake.
Hundreds of bats live inside. This is the largest, but also the most dangerous cave of Staraya Ladoga. Collapses and flooding often occur here, however, it rarely stops cavers.
How to get to the sights of Staraya Ladoga?
The village is located in the Volkhov district of the Leningrad region, ten kilometers from the city of Volkhov and 120 km from St. Petersburg. How can I get to the sights of Staraya Ladoga? By car, this will be easiest to do. But you can also get there by public transport.
By car, you must move from St. Petersburg along the Murmansk highway (M18).Immediately after the village of Kiselnya, you need to turn off the highway to the right (sign for Volkhov). After another two kilometers, you should turn left. This road will lead to a crossroads on the banks of the Volkhov River. Here you need to turn left again and drive another four kilometers to Staraya Ladoga.
The second way to get to the village is by public transport. The city of Volkhov can be reached by electric train (from the Moscow or Ladoga station). In Volkhov you can change to a regular bus to Staraya Ladoga. After some 20 minutes, he will bring you to the old village.