Sinyavino: Memorials and History

Memorial history of the Sinyavinskie Heights

The Sinyavinskie Heights lie in the municipality of Sinyavino and rise up to 50 metres above sea level. From 1941 to 1943, fierce and costly battles were fought there to break through the Siege of Leningrad. The conflict was thus tied to the area around the heights and to those years.

In the 1950s and 1960s, individual memorials at soldiers’ graves and memorial stones commemorating the troops and units that fought there were erected on the Sinyavinskie Heights at the initiative of veterans of the battles in the southern Priladozhye region. Local authorities and young people from Leningrad supported this development. At the centre of the “Sinyavinskie Heights” memorial is the Wall of Remembrance (“Stena Pamyati”). It was created in 1985 based on a design by architect B. K. Amandzholov. Two avenues lead to the central part of the memorial; the Alley of Glory features 64 memorial plaques bearing the names of fallen heroes.

Another memorial stele in the municipality of Sinyavino was erected in 1968. It commemorates the Heroes of the Soviet Union S. B. Baimagambetov and V. I. Yermak, who fell in the battles for the Sinyavinskie Heights between 1941 and 1944. The stele focuses remembrance on two named heroes; the Alley of Glory brings together names on 64 plaques.

If the municipality’s memorial history is to shape your stay, you can search specifically for a holiday rental in Sinyavino.

Other distinct examples in Leningrad Oblast

As a natural attraction in Leningrad Oblast, the Vepsian Forest Nature Park offers a perspective of its own. It lies in the far east of the oblast and comprises seven nature reserves with particularly strict conservation rules. Numerous lakes define the park; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. The preserved old-growth spruce and pine forests in the “Vepssky Les” and “Ashchozersky” reserves are especially valuable. They are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park. Brown bears are found there in relatively large numbers; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded.

Another regional example is Koporye Fortress in Leningrad Oblast. It is a museum and a monument to ancient Russian stone architecture. It has been preserved in its present form since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. Because it is in a state of disrepair, climbing the walls and towers is prohibited. The multimedia guide “Koporskaya krepost 2.0” allows visitors to explore without a guide; check whether this option is available before making plans.

Discover more destinations: Otradnoye, Polyany, Lessogorski, Rappolovo, Staraya Sloboda, Staraya Ladoga, Annino, Im. Morozova.

View the regional travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.