Located on the Karelian Isthmus near the village of Copper Plant of the Vsevolozhsk District of the Leningrad Region, this lake is of artificial origin. The idea to build a dam on the Black River for the needs of a smelter belongs to the Russian manufacturer A.V. Olkhin - the owner of several enterprises in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, who lived in the XVIII - early XIX century. Copper Lake (also called Mednosavodsk Spill), having an area of 139 hectares, was built in the second half of the 18th century and still exists today.
In the prewar years, near the lake there was a line of the 22nd Karelian fortified area, also called the "Stalin Line". On one of the islands located on Lake Copper, there is still one of the machine-gun pillboxes. The nearby territory today is planted with gardens, there is a recreation center of the same name , the construction of a cottage village is underway.
Rest on Copper
The area around the lake is quite picturesque, on the shore there are several sandy beaches, which makes it an extremely popular place for summer holidays for residents of the northern capital.
For the most part, this artificial reservoir is shallow, with a dark color due to the influx of swamp-rich organic waters. A perfectly logical question arises for tourists arriving at Lake Copper: is it possible to swim in such water? The answer will be yes. Copper-brown water brought here by forest streams has a beneficial effect on the skin condition. In extreme cases, you can go to the east coast of the lake, where along
the Black River bed,
the water is cleaner and the bottom is quite deep.
In the period 1998 - 2005 the youth festival “Copper Lake” was held here. Venues for events were located directly in the open air. The main emphasis was placed on current trends in Russian music, and therefore musicians from almost all over Russia came here.
Due to the wide media coverage, the event, which initially gathered a small number of visitors, quickly began to gain popularity. So, in 2005, this music event was attended by over 35 thousand people. However, subsequently the venue of the festival was moved to the airfield in Kasimovo, as the former "ceased to comply with technical and aesthetic requirements."
Airsoft training ground
To the north of Lake Mednoye is the famous training ground for fans of airsoft. Until the mid-nineties, this zone was a specially protected area, since there was an army shooting range, as well as many objects related to the Karelian fortified area. Since 2005, the vicinity of Medny has been adapted to the needs of the Squadron I airsoft team, and the first competitions were held at the same time.
The landfill, located in a clean pine forest, with thick windbreaks, ravines, swamps and streams, is located on the site of the former fierce battles of the Great Patriotic War. And therefore, the remains of trenches and dugouts, showered trenches are preserved here. In addition to fans of airsoft, the shooting range is used by hunters. It should be noted that the entrance to the Copper Lake training ground is guarded, and therefore only possible with legal firearms, with a ticket and a hunting ticket, with the notification of the commander of the military unit and with the permission of the district department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Copper Lake: how to get there?
You can get to the Copper Lake and back by public transport. From the metro station "Prospekt Enlightenment" to the lake there are buses No. 435, No. 439 and No. 567. However, this method is not very convenient, since buses do not always run regularly. Therefore, it is better to get there by personal transport.
To do this, you need to move along the Vyborg highway in the direction of Sertolovo. Having passed the Black River, it is necessary to continue moving to the sign "Elizabeth", after which you should turn right. Having passed the Copper Lake, you need to get to the Y-shaped fork (on the rise), where you turn left. Then follow the signs marked on the trees with a kiper ribbon.