Belomorsky District: Petroglyphs and Coast of the White Sea

In Belomorsky District, archaeological traces, historic sites, and the White Sea coast shape different aspects of a stay. The petroglyphs in particular bring Stone Age imagery to life; the local history museum in Belomorsk and Sumsky Ostrog add further historical perspectives. This makes it possible to plan a stay that combines rock art, history, and nature.

Petroglyphs: Motifs and Scale

The rock art of the White Sea includes eleven groups in Belomorsky District, with a total of 3,411 figures. The petroglyphs mostly depict hunting and sailing scenes, together with related equipment, as well as human and animal footprints. The motifs combine depicted activities with traces of living creatures, so the collection can be understood not only by its size but also by its subject matter. The rock art has significant artistic qualities and bears witness to Stone Age creativity. It is also considered a landmark of Belomorsky District.

In the wider travel destination of the Republic of Karelia, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Onega and White Sea Petroglyphs comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings. This total represents the regional context; the 3,411 figures refer to the groups in Belomorsky District. This allows the local collection and the larger World Heritage ensemble to be viewed at different scales.

Museum and Historic Sites

The Belomorsk Local History Museum, “Belomorskiye Petroglyphs,” was founded on November 2, 1961. In January 2023, the updated interactive exhibition “Skazaniya Pomorskogo berega” opened there. If you plan to visit this exhibition, check before your visit whether it is still on display.

In 2023, the “Petroglif” information center was established on the basis of the Belomorsk Central District Library. It was created as an information, educational, and research space, as well as an institution supporting intellectual development and a permanent part of tourism activities. Check practical opening arrangements before your visit. Check practical opening arrangements before your visit.

Sumsky Ostrog in Sumsky Posad was built by the Solovetsky Monastery in 1582–1583 to defend the Karelian Pomorye against Swedish raids. This historic fortification provides a different point of reference in time from the petroglyphs and broadens the perspective on the district’s history.

Coast, Protected Area, and Route

The Soroksky State Nature Reserve covers a stretch of the Pomor Coast and adjoining areas of the White Sea, including islands. Its aims include protecting unique waterbird gathering sites in Onega Bay, as well as the biological resources of the sea and the mainland and island areas of the reserve.

The forest section of the “Kamennaya kniga Belogo morya” route also runs from Vyigostrov to Zalavruga along an ecological trail to the petroglyph groups “Erpin Pudas III,” “Erpin Pudas IV,” and “Zalavruga.” The route description is intended for children aged 10 to 17. Here, the forest trail and the named groups of rock art are the shared focus.

Choose a Holiday Rental to Suit Your Travel Interests

When choosing a holiday rental, you can first decide whether the rock art groups, historic sites, or coastal landscape will shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Olonets District, Segezhsky District, Pryazhinskiy District, Prionezhsky District, Loukhskiy District, Belomorskiy District, Sortavala City, Pitkyarantsky District.

Go to the wider travel overview: Republic of Karelia.