Pitkjaranta: Memorial Sites, City Tour and Nature

Pitkjaranta offers memorial sites related to Soviet wartime history and a church as a stop on the city tour; the natural monument Uksinskaya Ozovaya Gryada is also located south of the city and outside Pitkjaranta. Those who also consider the Republic of Karelia as a broader travel destination will find further nature and cultural experiences there, each with its own focus. When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to distinguish between local places and the wider regional context.

Memorial Sites and City Tour

The monument to the Soviet liberators in Pitkyaranta consists of a 45 mm artillery gun on a trapezoidal concrete plinth. It was erected in 1979. In the centre of Pitkyaranta, a monument of glory at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier commemorates the thousands of Soviet soldiers who died in the fighting of 1939–1940, 1941 and 1944 in the Pitkyaranta area.

The soldier’s remains were reinterred in 1977 from a mass grave of Soviet soldiers who had fallen in fighting near Pusunasaari Island within the city of Pitkyaranta. The years refer to two separate events: 1977 for the reinterment and 1979 for the installation of the artillery gun.

The city tour of Pitkyaranta includes the Church of the Ascension of the Lord at 1 Voznesensky Lane. This adds a stop in a religious building to the memorial sites.

Natural Monument near Pitkjaranta

Outside Pitkjaranta, south of the city and near Lake Louhijärvi, lies the natural monument Uksinskaya Ozovaya Gryada. As a natural monument, it contrasts with the memorial sites and the city tour: here, the focus is on protected nature outside the city.

Nature and Culture of the Republic of Karelia

In the broader travel destination of the Republic of Karelia, an overview excursion in the Kivach Nature Reserve combines an outdoor walk to Kivach Waterfall with a visit to the dendrological collection and the Natural History Museum. The waterfall is on the Suna River in central Karelia. It is 10.7 metres high; after the Rhine Falls, it is Europe’s second-largest lowland waterfall.

A 1,000-metre circular trail runs through a wooded area on the banks of the Suna near the nature reserve’s excursion area. An excursion along the trail takes 1 to 1.5 hours. Check the current conditions and booking arrangements with the operator in advance.

The Kizhi Museum Reserve displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air, including chapels and houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns and drying racks. The Kizhi Pogost is an architectural ensemble featuring the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration. Visitors can also see the interior of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and visit peasant houses, where traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated.

The World Heritage site of the Onega and White Sea petroglyphs comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings in the Republic of Karelia. More than 1,200 figures are among the Onega petroglyphs in Pudozhsky District; most are found on the central capes of Pery Nos, Besov Nos and Kladovets. The White Sea petroglyphs mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes, along with equipment, and animal and human footprints. The Belomorsk petroglyphs lie in the lower reaches of the Vyg River near its mouth at the White Sea, 6–8 kilometres from Belomorsk, and comprise more than 2,000 different drawings.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Pitkjaranta, first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: the memorial sites and the city tour stop are suited to a locally focused itinerary. Kivach, Kizhi and the petroglyphs offer a broader view of the natural and cultural heritage of the Republic of Karelia.

Discover more destinations: Konchezero, Lachdenpochja, Mikli, Shyoltozero, Essoyla, Otrakkala, Uya, Velikaya Guba

To the broader travel overview: Republic of Karelia.