Vazhiny: The Wooden Church of the Resurrection

Vazhiny brings together a local architectural landmark and a broader theme: the wooden Church of the Resurrection represents the long history of wooden construction, and a regional excursion route exploring wooden architecture passes through Vazhiny. Nearby, but a destination in its own right, is the church in Kurpovo, with its unusual floor plan. This makes it possible to get to know the area through specific architectural differences.

Circular in Vazhiny, decagonal in Kurpovo

The wooden Church of the Resurrection in Vazhiny is an architectural monument dating from 1630 and has a circular form. In nearby Kurpovo stands the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, the only known wooden church with a decagonal floor plan. Here, “decagonal” refers to a ten-sided basic shape. The comparison makes the difference clear: the church in Vazhiny is circular, while the church in Kurpovo has a decagonal floor plan. These are two separate churches in two different places, which can be considered distinct examples of wooden architecture.

Wooden architecture as a regional theme

The regional excursion route exploring wooden architecture in Podporozhye District runs from Podporozhye through Vazhiny, Soginitsy, Zaozerye, Volnavolok, and Posad to Pidma. The route is listed as taking five to six hours. Check whether it is currently offered before making plans. Its course shows that wooden architecture is not limited to a single building, but can be explored as a theme across several stops.

Nature and culture in Leningrad Oblast

Other nature and culture themes can be found in the broader destination of Leningrad Oblast. In the easternmost part of the oblast lies Vepsian Forest Nature Park, which comprises seven reserves with particularly strict protection rules. The park includes numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name. Old spruce and pine forests have been preserved in the “Vepssky Les” and “Ashchozersky” reserves. They are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity.

The wildlife and cultural life of the nature park also give the region its distinctive character. Brown bears are found there in larger numbers; the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. This does not guarantee an encounter with the animals. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park.

The Ladva Trail leads through glacially shaped terrain and middle-taiga vegetation to the Vepsian village of Ladva. It also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District. This regional route thus brings together landscapes, plant life, and a Vepsian village—a different focus from comparing the churches in Vazhiny and Kurpovo.

Koporye Fortress and architectural history

Another cultural and historical destination in Leningrad Oblast is Koporye Fortress, a museum and monument of Old Russian stone architecture. It has survived in its present form since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. The walls and towers must not be climbed because they are in a state of disrepair. Visitors can explore without a guide using the “Koporskaya krepost 2.0” multimedia guide; check its availability before making plans.

When looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide what you want to focus on: should Vazhiny, with its church and regional wooden architecture theme, be the main attraction, or would you also like to include nature and culture across the wider Leningrad Oblast? This distinction helps define the character of your trip and, in turn, the right location for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Roshchino, Nurma, Kalishchi, Toksovo, Sosnovy Bor, Ropsha, Turovo, Vaskelovo

Back to the regional travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.