Somino has a distinctive cultural focus: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and its main village festival. Both are connected with the same apostles, but show two different sides of the village: architectural history and a revived festival tradition.

Church and Village Festival in Somino

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was built in the 1840s and dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Since 1993, the festival in honour of the apostles has been celebrated as the village’s main festival, following an initiative by Somino’s parish priest, Archpriest Gennady Belovolov. The festival includes a large procession through the village and folk festivities. The church thus represents a chapter of 19th-century architectural history, while the festival marks a revived local tradition.

These are distinct points of interest to consider when planning your trip: the church represents Somino’s architectural history, while the procession and folk festivities represent its festival tradition. If you are planning to travel specifically for the festivities, check the dates and programme for your chosen period.

More Things to Explore in Boksitogorsky District

In the wider destination of Boksitogorsky District, the “Astracha, 1941” Museum tells the story of events near Tikhvin in November and December 1941. At its heart are the true stories of a Russian boy and a German boy. The interactive exhibition presents a wartime chronicle continuously across four screens; visitors can interact with authentic wartime objects. The personal stories and ongoing chronicle offer different perspectives, bringing both a human dimension and a sense of historical context to the subject.

Another cultural and historical point of interest in Boksitogorsky District is the Somino Peter’s Fair. It is a revived tradition of the urban-type settlement of Efimovskoye, formerly a well-known merchant village. Its connection to the area’s trading history differs thematically from the museum’s account of wartime events. The Apostles’ Festival in Somino and the Somino Peter’s Fair are two distinct traditions: the former honours Peter and Paul and includes a procession and folk festivities; the fair is a tradition of the urban-type settlement of Efimovskoye. This settlement was formerly considered a well-known merchant village. When planning your trip, you can treat the religious village festival and the area’s trading history as separate themes, each with its own connection to a particular place.

The landscape of Boksitogorsky District offers another point of interest. Some depleted quarries have flooded, forming artificial lakes. Fish species found in the quarries include trout, muksun, perch, roach, bream and catfish. Thus, alongside church and regional history, the region’s attractions include a landscape shaped by past use and specific fish species found there.

Discover more destinations: Volochaevka, Polyany, Terebochevo, Svobodnoye, Gorlovshchina, Slavyanka, Yarkoye, Vaskelovo

For the wider travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.