The Ladoga Skerries National Park is located on the territory of the Sortavalsky, Lakhdenpohsky and Pitkäran regions in the Republic of Karelia. Protected areas are located on the northwestern and northern shores of Lake Ladoga. The park was specially created to preserve the unique natural complex of lake skerries. The total area is more than 120 thousand hectares, including more than 50 thousand hectares of water.
About the park
The Ladoga Skerries National Park covers the territory from an island called Kilpola in the area of the village of Berezovo to the city of Pitkäranta. So he stretched from west to east.
The skerries themselves are a complex consisting of 650 steep cliffs and rocky islands. It also includes the coast of the lake, rugged by the elements and time.
Among the largest islands, the following should be distinguished: Kukhka, Kilpola, Lauvatsari, Sorolansari, Riekkalansari, Putsari.
Skerries
Skerries, for the sake of which the Ladoga Skerries National Park was built, is an archipelago composed of small rocky islands. Between themselves they are divided by narrow straits covering a significant part of the coastal sea strip. Separately, each island in the archipelago is also called a skerry.
It is believed that they arose due to glacial erosion in that part of the mainland that was flooded by the sea. Therefore, only the highest land areas appear on the surface in the form of small islands and even separate rocks.
Rocky Island Features
The regulation on the Ladoga Skerries National Park was signed by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev in 2017. The event itself was timed to the Year of Ecology in the country (information on this is contained on the website of the federal government). This news has become a real gift for all Karelian ecologists who have sought to appropriate status for this section of Ladoga over the past three decades. Since then, close attention has been focused on the Ladoga Skerries National Park in the region.
This is a unique natural complex, which is located on the territory of the republic. The territory of the Ladoga Skerries Park is an area of Lake Ladoga and part of the land. In these places, a huge number of mosses, vascular plants, algae, lichens, mushrooms, conifers of natural origin. In nat. the Ladoga Skerries park can be found various animals listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. For example, ringed seals.
There are several dozens of cultural heritage sites of the Republic of Karelia in the park, some of which are objects of federal significance. These include burial grounds, camps, ancient settlements of the VI-IV centuries BC. As well as the historical center of Sortavala, which is distinguished by stone and wooden buildings dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Appearance story
The first mention of the intention to distinguish this specially protected area appeared in 1990. The regulation on the Ladoga Skerries National Park was part of the decree establishing a network of protected areas in the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In particular, it noted that new protected areas should be created, first of all, in the Ladoga area. Ecologists from the Karelian environmental organization "SPOK" tell in detail about this, which have done a lot for the appearance of this national park.
In 1994, the government of the Republic of Karelia approved the initiative to create a national park in an area of 84 thousand hectares. Within these limits, all economic activity was already significantly limited. The following year, they introduced the idea to increase the park to 123 thousand hectares, and it was immediately supported.
In 1999, the TACIS project joined this initiative. In Sortavala, the municipal enterprise Ladoga Skerries was organized, which was directly subordinate to the local administration. It was responsible for preparing for the organization of the park. The European Union made its contribution to financing these territories, which allocated three and a half million euros for the arrangement.
In 2001, the allocation of land for summer cooperatives was suspended on lands that were supposed to be reserved. Previously, this practice already existed. Moreover, according to local ecologists, summer cottages were sold for several more years in violation of the law. The situation was complicated when the Ladoga Skerries enterprise closed. After that, all the work actually stalled.
They returned to the project of the national park only in 2007. The creation of the Ladoga Skerries was included in the development planning scheme of the Republic of Karelia. Moreover, the estimated area of a specially protected natural area was increased to 220 thousand hectares. Then they decided that the future park will become national, and not natural, as previously assumed.
Over the next ten years, the territory of the likely security zone has been shrinking all the time. In particular, agricultural land was excluded, terminated lease agreements for forest plots, which were provided for timber harvesting, as well as territories that were considered hunting grounds.
Ultimately, the area of the park amounted to 122 thousand hectares.
Conflicts
It is worth noting that the appearance of this national park was accompanied by repeated conflicts. In particular, the idea of organizing a specially protected natural area was hostile to the local residents of Ladoga. They even organized an initiative group, which opposed. People were indignant that when creating the Ladoga Skerries, no one wanted to take their opinion into account.
Most of the dissatisfied were in Sortavala. Local residents voiced their position at a public hearing held in 2011. Then the majority voted against the inclusion of the Sortavala region in the park (only six people spoke in favor, 603 were against). Also in support of this position collected about ten thousand signatures. What caused such unrest?
In particular, residents feared that after the appearance of the national park, their rights would begin to substantially infringe. For example, it will not be possible to drive to your country house by car, and you will not succeed at all in getting to your favorite vacation spots. As a result, another part of the land was removed from the park.
Visiting Rules
Of course, with the advent of the national park, the tourist flow of those who come on holiday to Karelia has changed a lot. The best photos from the Ladoga Skerries attract lovers of northern nature from all over Russia who are eager to visit here today.
Local ecologists note that a few years ago basically the so-called water-tourists came here, who stayed here for a very long time. Among them, there were certain traditions, there were standards of behavior in nature.
With the advent of the national park, a highway appeared that allows you to get to the border of the republic from St. Petersburg in just two hours. They began to use it actively, and as a result, the number of weekend tourists who came for a few days at a maximum to fish and fry barbecue increased significantly. For them, the administration of nat. Ladoga Skerries Park established special rules for behavior and stay in specially protected natural areas.
This helped, for example, to neutralize fires, which immediately became many times more. Moreover, in almost all cases, the human factor becomes determining. Visitors, as a rule, are far from the local nature and simply do not understand that a dry peat, even if it is thrown on the rocks, is enough small coal to flare up. As a result, an entire island can burn out in just a few hours.
In the rules of visiting nat. Ladoga Skerries Park provides for registration of visitors, however, it has a notification and voluntary nature. Theoretically, the local administration has the opportunity to introduce temporary restrictions on visits if the influx of tourists is too large. However, in local conditions it is very problematic to put into practice, since it is simply impossible to put a barrier on the water. In this, local ecologists see one of the main problems that arose after the appearance of the national park.
Currently, camp sites occupy almost all areas suitable for this along the length from Sortavala to Priozersk. They provide car parking services and provide boats for moving around Lake Ladoga.
How to get there
Now we will tell you in detail where the Ladoga Skerries are and how to get here.
There are several options. You can get there by personal transport or by bus from Petrozavodsk and even from St. Petersburg, as well as by rail.
For example, on the Sortavala - Kuznechnoye route several trains run at once. The nearest station to the national park is called "168 kilometer stop point".
If you decide to take the bus, then you should follow the A121 Sortavala highway.
Many people prefer to go to the Ladoga Skerries by car. This is one of the most profitable options, because the trip to the national park itself will give you many vivid and unforgettable experiences. But one must be prepared for the fact that the roads in Karelia are winding and there will be many ups and downs, as well as incredible miraculous landscapes created by nature. If you are chasing the best views in the area, then you can go kayaking or boat on Lake Ladoga itself, and in winter walk this distance on ice.
At the same time, it takes a long time to get to the skerries, whatever type of transport you choose. Therefore, it is recommended to come here for at least a couple of days. In the summer you can stay in tents, and for lovers of a comfortable stay there are bases with the ability to rent spinning rods and even water transport.
Here's how to get to the Ladoga Skerries.
What to see?
One of the most famous sights of this reserve is a rocky ledge of skerries called “Lamb foreheads”. The protrusions themselves are round in shape and due to the centuries-old impact of the glacier are as close to each other as possible. For their characteristic appearance, the locals nicknamed them "curly rocks." However, some researchers believe that the nature of their origin is tectonic, not glacial.
Another noteworthy place in the national park is the Reef Mountains. So here they call sheer rocky cliffs. For example, the Pecanriutta reef rises 92 meters above sea level, and Mount Kontiosuo is only three meters lower. On some rocks you can see the appearance of limestone. This contributes to the growth in these places of rare plant species that, as a rule, do not appear in this climate.
In the summer, tourists prefer to go kayaking on the Ladoga skerries. The fishing season is open from May to October. In Lake Ladoga, you can catch more than fifty species of fish. Including pikeperch, salmon, trout, bream, rudd, catfish, perch, pike, burbot.
In addition to fishing, ecological tourism thrives in the park. Guests have the opportunity to go pick mushrooms and berries, which are abundant here. However, you must be careful, as in these places there are a lot of snakes, including vipers. Of the noteworthy animals in the national park, first of all, it is worth paying attention to roe deer, snakes, ducks and beavers.
Excursions
Currently, from Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg to the national park organize three-day excursions, including railroad crossing, accommodation and meals. You can get tickets at agencies that specialize in domestic tourism. Although someone prefers to go to these amazingly beautiful places on their own.
At each camp "Ladoga skerries" offer sightseeing tours, including one day.
It is worth noting that according to the rules of visiting a national park on its territory it is strictly forbidden to leave any garbage after itself. Increased security measures are also required. In particular, do not go out in bad weather without life jackets.
Impressions of tourists
Reviews of Ladoga skerries most tourists who managed to relax here leave extremely positive. Many people note that these places will be immediately reminded of Scandinavian lovers by the Norwegian fjords, which are only very small in size.
Around the pine trees, stones, underwater rocks, wildlife, which is striking in its beauty and grandeur. But you need to be prepared that the water is cold even in summer - it warms up to a maximum of 18 degrees.
In the park you can find all the most wonderful and surprising, which pleases the tourist and traveler with the Karelian nature. Anyone who has visited this national park at least once certainly wants to come back here, and also advises his friends, relatives and acquaintances to visit it.