A church with a clear dedication and a place name with historical significance give Innolovo a well-defined cultural perspective. The church in the Hietamäki parish district is located in Innolovo and is dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul. The place name is also part of this local context: Innolovo is one of the surviving place names that recall the Finnish past of the Anninskoe community. Two distinct perspectives thus come together: the religious dedication and the history recalled by a name handed down through generations.
St Peter’s Day in Hietamäki
St Peter’s Day is celebrated on June 29 and is a special occasion for members of the Hietamäki church community. Past St Peter’s Day celebrations in Hietamäki included Finnish-language theatre performances, songs, games, and sporting competitions. These large-scale festivities belong to the past. The local tradition thus connects a religious feast day with a history of community celebrations.
One particular celebration is precisely dated: in 1889, more than a thousand people took part in the St Peter’s Day celebration in Hietamäki. June 29 marks the feast day; the activities mentioned were part of earlier celebrations, while the attendance figure refers to the 1889 event. Together, these details provide a timeline for St Peter’s Day: its significance to the community, the forms earlier celebrations took, and a specific historical example.
More to discover in Leningrad Oblast
At the broader destination level of Leningrad Oblast, nature and culture offer further points of interest. Vepsian Forest Nature Park lies in the far east of the oblast and includes seven nature reserves with particularly strict protection measures. The park has numerous lakes; the largest is Lake Lerinskoe, in the reserve of the same name. Among its special features are preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsian Forest” and “Ashozero” reserves. These forests are important for many organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity.
The park’s wildlife and culture also help shape its character: brown bears are found there in relatively large numbers, and the wolverine, extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded. The Vepsians, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the nature park. Landscape, strictly protected areas, and cultural heritage thus come together there.
Koporye Fortress offers another regional cultural attraction. It is a museum and a monument to Old Russian stone architecture. It has been preserved in its present form since the 16th century, while parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. Because of its unsafe condition, climbing the walls and towers is prohibited. The fortress can be visited without a guide using the Koporye Fortress Multimedia Guide, version 2.0; check whether this option is available before making your plans. The comparison highlights two distinct regional features: the natural habitats of Vepsian Forest and the architectural history of the fortress.
Discover more destinations: Kukkuzi.
Go to the main travel overview: Lomonosovskiy rayon.
