A glacial remnant hill about 30 metres high and a museum with household items from the 18th and 19th centuries show two different sides of Demyanskiy District. Landscapes, early settlement history, local collections and memorial sites offer a range of focal points for planning your trip.
Landscapes and Early History
Valdaysky National Park is a large protected area in the European part of Russia. It extends across the districts of Valdaysky, Demyanskiy and Okulovsky. In the district, Knyazhna Gora is located near Peski: the hill, about 30 metres high, is a glacial remnant and an archaeological monument of federal significance. From the 6th to the 9th century, the ancient settlement centre of Demon na Yavoni was located there. At this site, the landform and history come together.
Lake Velyo is the largest lake in Valdaysky National Park and lies 40 kilometres northeast of Demyansk. Its description is defined by three expansive lake areas, numerous bays and islands, and a north-to-south span of 17 kilometres. The lake and Knyazhna Gora represent different aspects of nature: here, a vast waterscape; there, a single hill with an archaeological connection.
Museums and Local Ways of Life
The Centre for the History and Culture of Demyanskiy District is located in Demyansk, in the former home of merchant G. M. Smetanin. The building is an architectural monument dating from the late 19th century. In its halls, you can explore several themes in local and everyday history: a local history hall covers the history of Demyansk and displays the manual processing of flax, as well as birch-bark objects. Another hall focuses on peasant life and includes household items from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The “Military History of Demyansk” hall contains information about the divisions, aviation heroes and partisans who defended Demyansk during the Great Patriotic War, as well as exhibits from that period. The centre offers group and individual tours, along with themed tours of its halls. Check the current arrangements before your visit.
A different focus awaits at the Centre for the Study of the Legacy of V. P. Wrasski in Nikolskoye. It is dedicated to Vladimir Pavlovich Wrasski, an ichthyologist and local nobleman, and the founder of Russia’s first fish farm. The centre displays materials about his family history and biography, his work on artificial fish breeding, and the subsequent history of the facility. The two centres therefore differ markedly: one explores local history and everyday objects, while the other focuses on an individual and the history of fish farming.
Memorial Sites in Demyansk and Lychkovo
A monument in Lychkovo commemorates the children who lost their lives during the Great Patriotic War. It was ceremonially unveiled in the station square in 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the Victory. The Centre for the Study of the History of Lychkovo village also preserves the memory of the village’s wartime history and of the children from Leningrad who died on 18 July 1941 when a train was bombed at Lychkovo station. Another monument commemorates the soldiers of the 245th Rifle Division of the 11th Army of the Northwestern Front, who liberated Lychkovo from the German occupying forces on 20 February 1943.
Demyansk also has several sites with different historical associations. The monument to the artillerymen of the Northwestern Front consists of a 1937-model 45 mm anti-tank gun on a high pedestal. The Northwestern Front memorial complex symbolises the Demyansk Pocket and the subsequent bridgehead, around which the Front’s troops fought heavy battles for a year and a half. The stone chapel in Demyansk was built in 1884 in memory of Alexander II.
Two military history excursion routes lead to the best-known military memorial sites in Demyanskiy District: Demyansk–Lychkovo and Demyansk–Tsemena–Korpovo. The names indicate different route options. If you are planning a guided tour, confirm current dates and arrangements in advance.
Discover more destinations: Malovisherskiy District, Marevskiy District, Novgorodsky District, Borovichsky District, Chudovsky District, Valdaysky District, Khvoyninskiy District, Novgorodskiy District.
For the main travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.
