A route for people who are hungry for new experiences and special shots. If the well-known trails are already worn out, then you should definitely come to us!
Well, let's get our guns ready and hit the road. We will visit four farmsteads, a wooden church and a Lutheran church.
Not only should you take water on the road, but also a snack. Sandwiches, some sweet pastries, coffee - and you're ready!
The first point of our photo-trip is "St. Petersburg Kizhi" or the Church in the name of the Holy Virgin Protection with 25 domed cupolas. The church is an exact copy of Peter the Great's favorite church, which was located on the territory of the present Vologda region and burned to the ground in a fire in 1963.
Let's start the raid on the forgotten heritage of the Leningrad region. It is somewhat abandoned and neglected, but it has a huge potential for the realization of the most daring creative ideas. Volkovitskaya Tower next to the estate of the same name looks more like a defensive structure than the mill, as which it was conceived. However, it was indeed used for military purposes - during World War II, the tower functioned as a beacon until the Germans occupied the territory. In the postwar period, the estate was used as a sanatorium, hospital and even a hostel. After a fire in the 90s, the manor could no longer be restored. Make sure you capture it before you build a fashionable mansion on this site.
A lyrical retreat on our current route is the Lutheran Kirch, which was restored in 1991 and built in the best Estonian traditions. Once upon a time, Finns and Russians lived side by side in the village of Gubanitsa, while Lutherans outnumbered Orthodox Christians. But the Soviet power was equally disgraceful to all religions, so from 1938 the temple served first as a prison, then a sawmill. Only in 1989 the church was finally returned to believers. We train to find the best views of the representative of Gothic architecture.
We return to the current topic of abandoned estates today. Before us is another old Gothic masterpiece, this time in English. The color scheme in the form of contrasting white drags on the unbuilt walls of red brick is still striking with its boldness. The estate faithfully keeps the tragic story of its caring master George Wrangel. In 1918 rebellious revolutionaries shot Wrangel right in his own house. His wife and children miraculously managed to escape to Petrograd. After the revolution, there was a village school on the estate for a long time. After she moved, the manor was ransacked.
Let's hope that we will be lucky to find a once luxurious estate where the cream of St. Petersburg society flocked to the balls, in the beautiful rays of the setting sun. It is hard to believe, but the Gostelitsa estate is separated from the glossy and polished Peterhof by some 20 with small kilometers. The gentleman's house, famous for its famous owners, from Razumovsky to Karl Siemens, was destroyed by Soviet artillery that hit the enemy during the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad. The palace was no longer restored after that. Curiously, it is still possible to trace the layout of the manor house in Gostelitsy. And despite the ruins, the Trinity Church has been restored here, which is still active today.
After a long walk, have dinner at a local cafe and head out to relax.
Today in the frame are "sea" sights of Kronstadt and dachas of Kurortny district of St. Petersburg.
It's a great trip, isn't it? And for it to be dynamic, come to the Gazpromneft filling station, take water and a snack.
The most accessible fort, but it is no less enticing. It is easy to reach by yourself or with a tour, including water. From the fort you can make excellent footage a little less convenient in terms of accessibility of the fort "Alexander I".
Let's take a picture of an unnamed acting lighthouse, which differs from its brethren by the fact that it is made of wood. The light from the lighthouse lantern can be seen up to 30 km away.
And again an object to our soul - a building, or rather what is left of it, which was once considered an embodiment of engineering genius. This is the project of Peter the Great himself, which was completed 33 years later under Elizabeth Petrovna. According to the author's idea, all the water from the dock was moved to the lower level of the basin in just a day, while in Europe it took more than a month to drain water for ship repair. Interestingly, the technical system built in the middle of the XVIII century, functioned until 2008. At the moment the dock is abandoned. Note: according to eyewitnesses, you can get to the territory of the dock through the yard of the house on Kommunisticheskaya Street, 5.
The most classic landmark of the port city on Kotlin Island. It would be a shame to miss it in my lens, though it is slightly outside the program of our trip. St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral, built in 1913 on the model of St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople, was conceived as a monument to fallen sailors. Under the Soviet regime the cathedral was closed, and in 1930 and have thrown from it domes and crosses, having hoisted instead of them red flags. In 2002 the cross was set up on the cathedral's bell tower again, and the restoration started in 11 years. Mode of operation: Daily from 09:00 to 19:00.
Let's finish our acquaintance with Kronstadt in a restaurant-bar "Stary Kotlin". We recommend the following items on the menu: tartar of baked sirloin with baked turnip, potato salad with marinated perch and shiitake mushrooms, duck breast with persimmon and dried cranberry sauce. To reserve a table, please call +7 (999) 044-04-94.
Stop by the "haunted house" in pseudo-Gothic style, built in 1870 by Maximilian Mesmacher as a gift to his brother Georg. In the spring of 2018, the facade of the building partially collapsed. The dacha is currently up for auction and its fate is unknown. You may have to leave your car by the road and walk to the dacha.
And the last photo model for today. Once the dacha of St. Petersburg urban planner Nikolai Markovich Salko, which before the revolution of 1917 fell into the ownership of a certain Aino Grandlund, who modestly named it in his honor. During the Winter War of 1939-1940s the villa was an object passing from hand to hand with Finland and Russia. After that it housed a hotel, some time ago administrative institutions, now it seems that the building is empty.
Let's discuss the experience over dinner in a picturesque place on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. The restaurant has an original circular fireplace in the centre of the restaurant, so regardless of the weather, we'll be warm and cosy outside the window. We recommend you pay special attention to the meat and fish dishes cooked in the grill oven Hosper. You can reserve a table by calling +7 (812) 433-23-12.
The final day of our journey. We will start with a photo hunt of the Trongzund fortress, finish with shots of St. Andrew's Church in the soft afternoon sunlight.
Let's go take pictures of Trongzund Fortress. Since Peter's time it has been rebuilt, armed and disarmed without end. As a result, the fortress has not been used in any war since the 18th century. Trongzund acquired its present appearance in the second half of the XVIII century. It was literally cut down in the coastal Karelian rocks. Important: do not forget the basic safety rules if you decide to look into casemate.
Moving to Vyborg. Here, a five-storey Art Nouveau-style house, or more precisely, a collapsing facade reminiscent of it, deserves our attention. Until the mid 80s it was one of the most remarkable houses in Vyborg. Its interiors were decorated with frescos, oak ceilings and handmade fireplaces. In 1988, the building was relocated for the purpose of major renovation. But perestroika and the severe 90s were also present, and no one needed the architectural monument. The real owner, the construction company, has not yet been able to prosecute.
Five minutes, and we, according to unofficial reports, have the oldest apartment building in Russia. Curiously, he's still doing his job right to this day.
In front of us once a school of the Franciscan monastery built in the 16th century. The walls of the school, surprisingly, have been preserved despite repeated reconstructions of the building for various purposes. Since 2003, the Church of St. Hyacinth has served as a site for exhibitions of the Vyborg Castle, and the city authorities still receive letters asking to return the church to the believers.
It's time for refreshment. Weather permitting, we'll do it on the cozy terrace. The atmosphere of the Middle Ages all around is impressive. As you can guess from the name, the main emphasis in the menu is on meat dishes, which have rightly gained recognition among the restaurant's guests. You can book a table by phone +7 (981) 760-01-08.
We move to the largest and the most powerful river of the Karelian Isthmus to see in person the church, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the only one in the world built on a tiny island. For a long time it was possible to reach the church only by ferry, but a few years ago a massive bridge was built, which is still heavily criticized to this day. The church is open only in summer, but in winter you can walk around.
We finish our photo journey at the restaurant, located on the territory of the equestrian club. On the menu there is indeed a huge choice of fish and meat dishes prepared by the restaurant's chef. A whole page of homemade desserts deserves special attention. You can reserve a table by phone +7 (812) 245-04-15.