Suysar': Historic Villages and Old Houses

Suysar' is a destination for anyone looking to discover historic village layouts and old houses. The villages of Suysar on the mainland and Suysar on the island have preserved their old settlement layouts and distinctive historic buildings. As a result, the village scenery is shaped not only by the architecture of individual houses, but also by the longstanding connections between the different parts of the villages.

Village history and historical connections

In Suysar, visitors can see old village houses. The village is part of the “Zaozerye” historical and cultural area, offering another way to view the place in its cultural context. Anyone interested in a village’s history can focus on its houses and settlement layout, while keeping the two village areas distinct: Suysar on the mainland and Suysar on the island.

On Suysar Island, near the destination, is the grave of radio operator Lyubov Tumanova (1920–1943). She was a member of the underground party committee in Petrozavodsk, and her grave is listed as a historical monument. This connects the history of the area to a specific person and her work.

Walking and Lake Onega

The walking route from Yalguba to Suysar is 11.2 kilometres long. This makes the walking distance a practical part of planning your trip. A visit to Suysar also includes a walk along the Lake Onega waterfront promenade. This lets you combine a visit to the destination with a stroll along the promenade as part of an outing.

When planning your trip, you can choose different points of focus: the preserved village layout and old houses, the walk from Yalguba, or a stroll along the Lake Onega promenade. Deciding which of these experiences to focus on can help you choose a suitable holiday rental for your trip, without treating the individual options or destinations as interchangeable.

More ways to explore the Republic of Karelia

The wider destination of the Republic of Karelia also offers other ways to experience nature and history. An overview tour of Kivach Nature Reserve includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall, as well as visits to the arboretum and the nature museum. A 1,000-metre circular trail runs through woodland along the Suna River near the excursion area; the tour lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Kivach Waterfall is on the Suna River in central Karelia and has a drop of 10.7 metres.

The Kizhi Open-Air Museum offers another perspective on the region: it displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture, including chapels, houses, mills, granaries, and threshing barns. The Kizhi Pogost includes the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration. Visitors can see the interior of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and visit peasant houses, where traditional rural crafts are demonstrated. Here, wooden architecture and crafts take centre stage, while Karelia’s petroglyphs offer a very different way to explore the past.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Onega and White Sea Petroglyphs comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings. The Onega Petroglyphs comprise more than 1,200 figures in Pudozhsky District, most of them located on the capes of Pery Nos, Besov Nos, and Kladovets. The White Sea Petroglyphs mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes, along with related equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. The Republic of Karelia thus brings together distinct themes: historic village layouts, wooden architecture, and prehistoric rock art.

Discover more destinations: Zaozerye, Namoyeva, Polovina.

Back to the regional travel overview: Prionezhskiy District.