Today, when the crisis has made foreign tours inaccessible to many Russians, sightseeing trips to the vast expanses of our country come to the fore. For example, Kingisepp is an excellent choice. The sights of this city are numerous and interesting, so such a trip will bring a lot of pleasure to everyone who is interested in the history of Russia.
Fortress ruins
The city of Kingisepp, or, as our ancestors called it, Yam (later Yamburg), was founded in 1384. He repeatedly became the object of the claim of the Swedish crown and finally withdrew to Russia only in 1721 under the Nistadt Peace Treaty.
Like many settlements in the North-West of Russia, Yam arose around the fortress, which was located near the confluence of the Luga River into the Gulf of Finland. In the 16th century, it was dismantled and a new stone citadel was built. In the second half of the 17th century, the Swedes blew up the fortress, and it was not restored anymore, so today tourists can only see fragments of fortifications. However, judging by the reviews, even these fragments make a lasting impression.
Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
The church was built according to the project of the famous architect K. I. Brandt and consecrated in 1858 in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy to all who mourn” and in the name of St. Peter Metropolitan. For many years it was a regimental temple of the Kexholm Regiment. Today, only ruins remain from the church, next to which is an old cemetery.
Town Hall
The main question that worries those who decide whether to go to the banks of the Luga River is what can you see in Kingisepp? It will be difficult to see the sights of the city in one short trip. Therefore, you should choose the most interesting objects. Among them, a special place is occupied by the town hall, built in the Romanesque style in 1910. Due to revolutionary events and the civil war, construction was delayed until 1934, therefore, instead of city services, the Turkestan regiment was originally located there. During the war, the town hall was destroyed, and only 15 years later restoration work began, thanks to which one of its most beautiful architectural objects was returned to the city. For tourists coming to Kingisepp, her visit is an obligatory part of the excursion program. At the same time, reviews show that against the background of the town hall, great pictures are obtained for a tourist album.
Museum
Want to see all the attractions of Kingisepp? The guide can be purchased at the kiosk of the local museum, which was founded in 1960. Initially, the exposition was located in the church of St. Catherine, but after the building was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990, she was transferred to the old building of the commercial school. Visiting the museum, you can see exhibits telling about the history of Yamburg, as well as about what happened on the territory of Kingisepp district during the Second World War. In addition, the exhibition “Stop, a moment” is of great interest to visitors. It is designed as a photo salon of the early 20th century and there you can see old photographs depicting Kingisepp, sights and residents of Yamburg.
Bronze lion
What else can Kingisepp surprise? Attractions there come across at every step. At least that's what those who have already visited this city write in their reviews. For example, in a local park there is a magnificent monument in the form of a bronze lion. It was erected in honor of the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 K. I. Bistrov. Earlier in this place was a veteran's estate, where he was buried. The bronze lion rests its paw on a ball that represents statehood. Thus, the author of the monument decided to show that during his life General Bistrov served the Russian state and always stood on his defense.
A true detective story is associated with the bronze lion from the tombstone of General Bistrov. So, old-timers say that in 1919 they wanted to send him for re-melting, however, having dropped it from the pedestal, they could not load it on the car due to the heavy weight. So, the monument remained lying in a ditch until one of the employees of the People's Commissariat of Education saw it and ordered it to be returned to its place as a museum object. Later, the German invaders took him to Riga, but local workers buried the lion and after the war returned the sculptural composition to its rightful place.
St. Catherine
This temple is one of the most significant architectural structures of the city. It is distinguished by exceptional beauty and grandeur. That is why those who come to Kingisepp (Leningrad Region), whose sights are known even outside the borders of our country, first of all, seek to capture his blue domes as a keepsake.
The temple was built according to the design of Antonio Rinaldi in the Baroque style. Permission for the construction of a new stone church in the city of Yamburg was given by Catherine II herself, and soon a church appeared in the city, the interior and exterior decoration of which struck with grace and luxury. In 1934, the temple was closed, and the building began to be used as a military warehouse. The further fate of the church was even more tragic, since the temple was almost completely destroyed during the war. Only in 1965 the church was restored, and the first service there took place in 2000.
Exercirgauz
The main thing that attracts tourists to Kingisepp is the sights. For example, there you can see an ancient exercierhaus. This military construction was built to conduct military exercises in inclement weather, and the church of St. George. In 1904, the building was damaged by fire, and in 1918 a decision was made to close the temple. Later, the building was restored and placed in it by the Turkestan regiment of the Red Army, and since 1966 it has been used as the location of the Kingisepp children's and youth sports school.
Temple of the Trinity
This church on Parusinka was built with donations from a family of renowned patrons Stieglitz. He was badly damaged during the construction of the hydroelectric station on the Luga River. However, today the Trinity Church of the Life-Giving is returned to the RCP, and at the moment restoration work is underway there . The building is an excellent example of a religious building in the pseudo-ancient Russian style and is considered one of the most beautiful in Kingisepp district.
House of I. A. Sakharov
If you come to Kingisepp, the sights (photos of some of them are presented above) should be sought in the historical center of the city. For example, there you can see the "iron". The city residents gave such a name to the House of I. A. Sakharov. It has an interesting architecture, but had a bad fate. After all, during the war years the Gestapo was located there, in the dungeons of which more than a dozen city residents were tortured.
Now you know how Kingisepp might surprise you. Sights (reviews of them only admired) are also known to you, so just buy a ticket and go explore this interesting corner of Russian land.