A concrete memorial erected in 1962 stands at the mass grave in Lekhta. The sculptural group depicts a grieving, kneeling woman; beside her rises a stele with two lowered flags. The grave itself is designed as a podium and bordered by parapets of polished gabbro-diabase. A helmet stands next to the stele. The figure, flags, helmet, and stone framing give the memorial site a clearly structured design.
Most of those buried there were soldiers and officers of the 32nd Separate Ski Brigade, which was stationed in Lekhta from 1942 to 1944. The mass grave thus brings together two periods: the brigade’s wartime deployment and the construction of the memorial in 1962. Those interested in historic memorial sites will find a tangible way to engage with the site, both through the memorial’s design and the history of those buried there.
Republic of Karelia: Nature, Wooden Architecture, and Rock Art
Looking beyond Lekhta to the wider travel destination of the Republic of Karelia reveals a range of attractions: a waterfall and forest, traditional wooden architecture, and prehistoric rock art. These themes offer different starting points for planning a trip without needing to be combined into a single excursion route.
The Kivach Waterfall and Its Trails
In the Kivach Nature Reserve, a sightseeing excursion includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall, a visit to the dendrological collection, and a visit to the natural history museum. A 1,000-meter circular trail also runs through a forest near the Suna’s riverbank, close to the excursion area. An excursion along this trail takes 1 to 1.5 hours. The trail length and the stated excursion duration are two separate points of reference for planning.
Kivach Waterfall is on the Suna River in central Karelia and has a drop of 10.7 meters. After the Rhine Falls, it is Europe’s second-largest lowland waterfall. Check with the operator in advance for excursion terms and booking. This allows you to combine the nature experience with a visit to the collection and museum, while the waterfall itself is also notable for its height and its place among Europe’s lowland waterfalls.
Wooden Architecture at the Kizhi Museum Reserve
The Kizhi Museum Reserve displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air. These include old chapels and houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns, and drying racks. Visitors can see inside the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses. The focus is therefore not only on individual buildings, but also on different architectural forms and demonstrations of traditional crafts.
Another regional example of wooden architecture is the Kizhi Pogost: the architectural ensemble includes the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration. Together, these examples show the range of wooden architecture found in the Republic of Karelia—from various historic building types at the museum reserve to an ensemble featuring a particularly distinctive church design.
Petroglyphs on the White Sea and Lake Onega
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Petroglyphs of Lake Onega and the White Sea comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings in the Republic of Karelia. The Lake Onega petroglyphs include more than 1,200 figures in Pudozhsky District. Most are located on the three central 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 motifs therefore differ considerably: on the one hand are figures on the named capes, and on the other, mainly scenes and tracks depicting various activities and living creatures.
The Belomorsk petroglyphs are another rock art complex. They are located in the lower reaches of the Vyg, near its mouth at the White Sea, 6 to 8 kilometers from Belomorsk, and comprise more than 2,000 different carvings. To understand the region’s rock art, it is therefore worth looking at the different groups and their respective motifs rather than treating all the depictions as a single body of imagery.
Forest Landscapes and Protected Areas
The protected areas of the Republic of Karelia also have different focuses. Kalevalsky National Park was established to protect a large area of natural forest. Vodlozersky National Park spans the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast and is one of the largest wilderness reserves in the world. Paanajärvi National Park is in northwestern Karelia, in Louhi District; its landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, pristine quiet, and plentiful fishing opportunities attract visitors. The region’s natural appeal thus ranges from protected forests to a variety of landscapes, plants, and wildlife.
For the wider travel overview: Belomorsky District.
