Lebedevka’s local history can be traced through three names: Honkaniem(i), Lebedevka and the temporary name Sosnovka. These layers of names make Lebedevka an interesting destination for anyone wishing to focus a trip on historical place names and their origins. The wider destination of Leningrad Oblast broadens the perspective with distinct nature and cultural themes.

Former name and the origin of the name

Lebedevka was formerly called Honkaniem(i); Honkaniemi is the Finnish form. This older name should not be confused with Sosnovka, which appeared only in the later renaming sequence of 1948.

The name Lebedevka derives from the surname of Nikolai Lebedev. Nikolai Lebedev (1922–1944) was a motor torpedo boat commander and a Starshina 1st Class. He was killed during the landing on Piisaari Island, also known as North Beryozovy Island. Both the person and the place are important to the history of the name: the surname explains the origin of Lebedevka; Piisaari, or North Beryozovy, identifies the island where the historic event took place.

The renaming of 1948

In spring 1948, Lebedevka was renamed Sosnovka for “natural reasons.” Six months later, a renaming commission changed the name to Lebedevka. The town’s history therefore includes two distinct naming traces: the earlier name Honkaniem(i) and the brief sequence involving Sosnovka in 1948.

Nature and culture in Leningrad Oblast

The Vepsian Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of Leningrad Oblast, within the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast. It comprises seven protected areas with particularly strict conservation rules. The park has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the protected area of the same name. Its particular natural assets include preserved old spruce and pine forests in the park’s protected areas. These forests are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity.

The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park. The wildlife is also notable: brown bears are found in considerable numbers in the park, and the wolverine, which is extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. Their presence does not guarantee that visitors will be able to observe these animals during a visit.

As a regional example in Leningrad Oblast, the Ladva Trail leads through glacially shaped terrain and the vegetation of the middle taiga to the Vepsian village of Ladva; it also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District.

Another cultural attraction in Leningrad Oblast is Koporye Fortress, a museum and monument of 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. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because of their unsafe condition.

There are therefore different options for choosing a regional focus: forests and lakes in Vepsian Forest Nature Park, landscape and taiga along the Ladva Trail, or stone architecture in Koporye. Lebedevka’s own historical focus is its changing place names.

Discover more destinations: Shapki, Naziya, Staraya Sloboda, Priozersk, Gorbunki, Poroshkino, Lessogorski, Lodeynoye Pole

For the wider travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.