Luga district of the Leningrad region is located in the southern part of the territorial unit and was formed in 1927. Under Nicholas II, it was a province, and it was in that year that the construction of the Luga landfill began. Due to significant events taking place in the country at that time, construction was completed only in 1923. The total area under the landfill is 96 thousand hectares. Today it is the oldest artillery range of the Russian army.
Historical reference
Before construction began, military exercises were held in different places of the region, under the Red Strugs and Luga. But after Nicholas II visited the environs of the Luga province, an officer school, previously located in Krasnoye Selo, was immediately transferred here and construction began.
By 1911, about 160 buildings were erected at the Luga training ground. The construction of the Officers' Assembly was pompous, where the highest military personnel had a rest, meetings of distinguished guests were held. Naturally, after the revolution, the assembly was abolished, a wave of armament of the people began. When it became clear that this was a wrong decision, in 1923 the construction of the landfill was activated.
Neighborhood
The whole area in the landfill area is picturesque, with many high hills. Here, vast territories are occupied under a pine forest, with white mosses and sand ridges. In the forest there are many birds, unusually beautiful grasses and sand ridges. There are several small lakes on the territory, but also many swamps.
In this area is relatively deserted and clean. If you call in from the Luga, then before entering the training ground there is a barrier with a soldier. However, from Serebryansky’s side you can easily enter the territory.
Korpovsky caves
In addition to the most beautiful forests near the Luga landfill, the Obla River flows. On its banks there are Korpov caves. In the Leningrad region, these caves are considered the most inaccessible.
Inside the caves and around it is relatively clean, since it is enough just to get lost here. These dungeons, like most in the region, are created by human hands and are the result of sand mining. Extraction was carried out for the Dark Gate glass factory, but only stories and the foundation from some buildings remained from it.
During the Second World War, partisans hid at the Luga training ground, in Korpovsky caves, even the inscription from 1941 was preserved, although there are no chronicles or written evidence of this.
Inside the caves there is always a stable temperature (about +6 degrees), on the walls - frost and bats. Tourists are advised to carry matches or a flashlight, rope, knife, shovel and whistle in case of emergency.
In some places the caves are flooded, so it is better to bring rubber boots with you, although the water level is ankle-deep. There is constant condensation on the ceiling and walls.
In the system of Korpov caves there are 5 "active":
- Korpovskaya alone is the most popular and largest dungeon. The entrance to it is on a cliff of a river. You can enter the cave through a narrow hole. Inside, the height of the arches is about 2 meters, many galleries and dead ends. There are several rooms and an underwater lake.
- Korpovskaya three. The entrance to it is located 50 meters from the first dungeon. This is a small grotto with a very narrow hole. The entrance to the cave is littered.
- No. 2. This is the “Star Hall”, located 5 meters from the entrance to Korpovskiy 1.
- Korpovskaya 4 and 5. Both dungeons are located on the opposite bank of the river. All approaches are overgrown with bushes; there are no paths and paths in the district. Therefore, you will not meet tourists here.
According to local residents, there were many caves near the river, but over time they collapsed and disappeared. Some caves were specially filled, as there was a threat of their collapse.
It is not recommended to visit the caves on their own, as their condition is unstable and they gradually collapse, a collapse can occur at any time. Inside, in no case can you knock and turn on loud music, scream.
How to get there
How to get by car to the Luga landfill? From St. Petersburg to Luga - 147 kilometers. Entering the territory is recommended from the village of Serebryansky. You will have to drive about 20 kilometers along a badly broken road.
GPS coordinates: N 58 ° 44 '32.219' 'E 29 ° 49' 12.601 ''.
How to get to the Luga training ground by public transport for lovers of hiking and cycling? From Baltiysky train station by train to Luga-1. The route is quite popular, the train leaves regularly, but it is better to check the schedule. Travel time is about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Mushroom picking
But what else is the Luga region famous for? Naturally, mushrooms. The quiet hunting season in the Leningrad Region begins in August and lasts until the end of September. Luga landfill and mushrooms, one might say, are synonymous words. Here you can find about 200 species. These are the most delicious boletus and boletus, mushrooms, chanterelles, honey agarics and butter.
Do not forget the mushroom picker set, and be sure to check that the phone is charged and there is money on the balance. The territory is large, and anything can happen; getting lost at the training ground is not difficult. It is recommended to take a compass, if possible it is better to put an electronic GPS in the bag, which will work without an Internet connection.
In no case do not dig out the mushrooms with mycelium, this approach can lead to the fact that after a few years the forests will remain without mushrooms. And remember: if there is any doubt as to whether the mushroom is edible, then it’s better not to take it, this is the basic rule of any mushroom picker.
Fauna
As lovers of the forests of the Luga region say, they have a lot of different animals. Naturally wild boars and foxes. There are raccoon dogs, beavers and even bears. There are wolves and moose in the forest thickets. Both those and other representatives of the wildlife are quite aggressive, and a meeting with them will not lead to anything good.
Last news
Not so long ago (September 7, 2017), exercises were held on the territory of the Luga artillery range. During tank firing, one of the shells ricocheted off the ground. The shell hit the shelter, where at that time there were 6 people. All conscripts were injured, and one of them died without recovering.
On September 19, the All-Russian military exercises West-2017 took place at the training ground. Not without incident on this day. The KA-52 helicopter did not reach the target, fired air-to-ground missiles. As a result of severe injuries in two spectators, 2 vehicles burned out.
Another problem of the district and the landfill itself is unauthorized landfills. You can read a lot of tips about what mushrooms grow here, how to get to the Luga landfill by bicycle. But few people write that it is often difficult to call into the forest because of the huge amount of garbage. The issue of its removal is acute in the village; local authorities cannot solve it in any way. The scale of the dump every day is becoming increasingly large. Local residents claim that they see a lot of trucks that calmly bring garbage to the outskirts of the forest and throw it away.