| Staraja Ladoga Старая Ладога | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms .png/61px-Coat_of_Arms_of_Staraya_Ladoga_(Leningrad_oblast).png) | ||
| State | Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| Inhabitants | 1.954 (2017 estimate) | |
| Prefix tel | 7 81363 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 187412 | |
| Time zone | UTC 3 | |
Position
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Staraja Ladoga (Старая Ладога) is a citizen of the Northwestern Russia inEastern Leningrad Oblast which was the first capital of the Russia. It was annexed by the Viking Rurik, from whom the tsars drew their bloodline.
To know
Background
Staraja Ladoga is believed to date back to 753, as a young port on the Volkhov River, but its rise to prominence began with the arrival of the Viking Rurik in 862, who would make it its capital. While he moved his residence to Veliky Novgorod in 864, the city quickly became one of the most important trading ports in theEastern Europe, along the trade route Baltic–Ladoga – Novgorod-Constantinople. While the capital of the Rus was transferred to Kiev shortly thereafter, Ladoga remained the main northern trading post on the Varangia-Greece trade route until the mid-10th century. The legacy of the Rurikids today stands out in the enormous ones kurgan, burial mounds on the outskirts of the city, one of which is believed to be the burial site of Rurik himself.
The second prominent period of Ladoga came under the dominion of the rich Republic of Novgorod in the 12th and 13th centuries, when, in addition to being an important commercial outpost, it became a great fortress city. Its huge Kremlin stone was built in 1114 under the supervision of Posadnik (governor) Pavel, and would become the first line of defense against the northern assaults on the Republic, resisting a great assault Swedish in 1164. In honor of the victory, the Republic financed the construction of the magnificent Church of San Giorgio the Conqueror. As the city continued to grow around the Kremlin, other magnificent 12th-century churches were built: the Church of the Assumption north of the city, la Church of San Nicola Operator of Miracles and the Church of San Clemente, the main cathedral of the city. While the Church of San Clemente now lies in ruins, the churches of San Giorgio and dell'Assunta are still tall and their interiors still bear exquisite, if faded, frescoes from the 12th century, including some made from the work of the first Russian master Andrei Rublev.
The city fell into a slow decline with the construction of new Kremlin further west. The fortress was rebuilt in the mid-15th century to accommodate the advent of firearms and saw further battles in the Russo-Swedish wars. In 1703, however, Tsar Peter the Great founded the city of Novaya Ladoga (New Ladoga) at the mouth of the Volkhov River on the Ladoga lake and deprived the original city of city status, giving it the name Staraja Ladoga (Old Ladoga).
Today Staraja Ladoga remains a quiet retreat away from the beaten tourist tracks. But as part of the resurgent nationalist pride in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, the village is witnessing a major restoration of its important historical sites, most notably the Kremlin, whose reconstruction is expected to finish in 2010. A natural stop for companies cruise along the Volkhov between theKiži Island and Novgorod, and as such it looks set to enjoy a new period of renaissance as a major travel destination of the Russia.
How to orient yourself
Staraja Ladoga: full screen map.
How to get
By car
Staraja Ladoga is located on the A-115 between Volkhov is Novaya Ladoga, which intersects with the M-18 from St.Pietroburgo (120 km), 7 km north of the village. Coming from Veliky Novgorod/Moscow, take the M-10 until you turn right onto the A-115. From Vologda, take the A-114 to the M-18 towards St. Petersburg, then turn left onto the A-115.
By hitchhiking
The A115 is good for hitchhiking, with transit traffic from the M10 to the M18 north, although relatively empty at night. Trying to ask for a ride on out-of-service buses might be a good choice.
From Volkhov a good lighted location is right under the new car bridge. From Yushkovo a location is good in daylight, but somewhat limited at night.
On the train
The nearest station is a Volkhov (Volkhovstroy-1). From St.Pietroburgo, you can get there by express train or by elektrichka (suburban train) from Ladogsky station. Some elektrichka (not express ones) also leave for Volkhovstroy from Moskovsky station.
The seating o obshchiy in the train class passazhirskiy they will be the best in price / comfort, however you may not have such luck, as there may not be trains with such seats. As of 2011, there were no seating trains for Volkhov at all. Places Platzkartwhile comfortable, they cost over 400 RUB in trains passazhirskiy and over 600 RUB in trains firmenniy while the suburban train will cost only 200 RUB. Pay attention, however, to the possible discounts for some trains when the kupe can be cheaper than platzkart, even on trains firmenniy. Both Ladogsky station and Volkhovstroy-1 station have terminals with extensive information on timetables, available seats and prices, however probably only in Russian. Volkovstroy-1 station has two different terminals for long-distance and suburban trains, each in the corresponding hall of the booking office. See also the timetables online. Trains reach Volkhovstroy-1 in 2 hours.
Timetables are also complicated: there are only 5 trains a day, the only morning train is the train firmenniy "Arktika" Moscow-Murmansk (one of the trains firmenniy economy class in Russia), departure 08:59, arrival 11:18. Other trains are in summer or run only during the day. In general, the train is cheaper if you plan to stay overnight in Volkhov or Staraja Ladoga.
The journey in elektrichka it will last about 2.5 hours. Express trains are a bit confusing - they're simple elektrichka, reach Volkhovstroy-1 without (St.Pietroburgo-Babaevo, departure 14:33, arrival 16:49, only Friday and Sunday) or 1 stop (St. Petersburg-Svir ', departure 18:42, arrival 20:42, daily, not marked as express). There are the same somewhat unsightly plastic seats as other suburban trains in the St. Petersburg region. However, express trains are a good variant if you want to take a look at the Volkhov GES - the first GES of the GOELRO plan - from the railway bridge over the Volkhov River.
You can also reach Volkhovstroy-1 station directly from Moscow with "Arktika" or "Kareliya" Moscow-Petrozavodsk (also a comfortable train firmenniy economy class) and, unlike Moscow-St. Petersburg overnight stays, you might even sleep well. "Kareliya", however, arrives in Volkhov early at 4:49 am, you may find bus no. 23 immediately after and enjoy the sunrise over the Volkhov River in quiet motion in Staraja Ladoga before services start running.
A couple of trains from Murmansk to Moscow or other destinations can also stop at Volhovstroy-2 station, although mostly in summer during the day and usually at night.
By bus
From Volkhovstroy station-1 a Volkhov, take bus # 23, marshrutka (actually bus too, but with a fixed fare for the ride) # K-23, or bus # 23A, which will take you there in about 50 minutes, costing about 25 RUB (2009). The bus tends to be well synchronized with elektrichkada arrival times St.Pietroburgo (Synchronized buses can be found on the timetable site, shown below). It's not very easy to tell when you've arrived in Staraja Ladoga if you've never been there before, so it's best to ask a local to find out when you arrived. You can also look out the window to see the Staraya Ladoga Kremlin on the right hand side, on the road from Volkhov, it will be in the middle of the village, the right stop will be right after.
From Volkhovstroy-2 station you will have to walk from the station and cross the Volkhov River to take bus # 23, as it does not cross the river. You can take it at the "Il'inskiy park" stop (right next to the park after the bridge, 20 minutes on foot, the stop is on the opposite side of the road from the side shows), or "Raiispolkom" (if you go with the 'local bus # 2, first stop after the bridge, the stop for Staraja Ladoga will be across the street). Better to find the bus timetable before trying this route, as the timetable is scarce with intervals of up to 2 hours, especially late in the evening, and may not be available at stops. You may also want to hitch a ride to the bus with one hand, especially if you can see the bus or even better there marshrutka outside the stop. Alternatively, take bus # 2 to Volkhovstroy-1 station where the timetable is available (you can also take any other rare direction from here, however please note that bus # 3 from Volkhovstroy-2 runs on the GES , and the # 5 place has a secondary terminus in Murmanskie Vorota, which has a longer and not scenic route). Or ask the locals when the bus will come by.
You can try to go by bus from St. Petersburg, although it may not be that convenient. There are no direct buses to Staraja Ladoga; although some itineraries can be confusing, the # 877 bus for Boksitogorsk it does not pass through the village, but runs along the right side of the Volkhov river passing through Babino. Some buses go to Volkhov, but there are even more to the "Yushkovo" stop, which is located at the intersection of the M18 and A115, which is also served by bus # 23. The trip takes just over 2 hours up to Yushkovo, the bus may be crowded and the road a little bumpy after crossing Neva. It is difficult to locate where the # 23 bus stop in Yushkovo in the direction of Staraja Ladoga is located, the stop is usually inside the ring around the kafe "Turist", closer to the river, and could be exactly the same where do you leave the bus from St. Petersburg, but it may change.
Semi-updated local and city bus schedules can be found at this link. However, it does not contain timetables for the Staraja Ladoga and Yushkovo stops, so for the timetable of buses # 23 going to Volkhov, look in the section Novaya Ladoga, add about 10-15 minutes to Yushkovo and about 25 minutes to Staraja Ladoga.
How to get around
Staraya Ladoga is a small village and is easily explored on foot with a pleasant stroll. Locals often opt for bikes, but there are no rentals available.
By public transport
Bus # 23 actually makes three stops in the village. The first from Volkhov it is not far from the Nikolsky Monastery, the second, after the Kremlin, in the small central square, the third on the right near the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (and the greatest view of the Volkhov River).
What see
- Staraja Ladoga reserve-museum (Музей-заповедник "Старая Ладога"), Волховский пр., 19, ☎ 7 81363 49070, fax: 7 81363 13524, @[email protected].
10:00-17:00. - Kremlin (Староладожская крепость). Visits: 10: 00-18: 00, ticket office 10: 00-17: 00.
10:00-17:00.- Church of San Giorgio (Церковь Святого Георгия).
- Dmitry Solunsky Church (Церковь Дмитрия Солунского).
- Convent of the Assumption (Успенский женский монастырь).
- Church of the Assumption (Церковь Успения Богородицы).
- Nikolsky monastery (Никольский мужской монастырь).
- Uspenskoye property (Усадьба "Успенское").
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (Церковь Рождества Иоанна Предтечи).
Events and parties
- Staraja Ladoga Military History Festival (Военно-исторический фестиваль Старая Ладога) (In the Kremlin). End of June. The fifth annual military history festival will see reenactments of early medieval battles.
What to do
- Neva Travel Company (Нева Тревел Компании), ул. Луначарского, 2, ☎ 7 81363 31450 , 7 906 228-10-60, @[email protected]. Offers speedboat trips between Staraja Ladoga and Novaya Ladoga.
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- Lad'ya Cafe (Кафе Ладья), ул. Советская, 6, ☎ 7 81363 49555. It is also possible to stay overnight.
- 1 Cafe Ancient Ladoga, Volkhovsky pr., 24, ☎ 7 952 364-888-3.
Main courses 100/200 RUB. Located in a slightly shabby 19th century wooden house with an old Russian style interior. For groups and on weekends, a fireplace is lit and popular music is played. Delicious homemade food, but no culinary delights, small portions. In any case, this is the best that can be found in Staraja Ladoga. - 2 Lyubava café-shop (Магазин-кафетерий Любава), Volkhovsky ave. Whatever the name of the place, it looks both from the outside and from the inside like a country bar. This is probably called a shop, because you can go from the street to buy mineral water and chocolates. Tour groups often dine here, while in their midst you can order food for the rest of the mortals. According to reviews, the food is sometimes delicious. But the appearance of the institution makes you highly doubt this.
Main courses 100/200 RUB. Located in a slightly shabby 19th century wooden house with an old Russian style interior. For groups and on weekends, a fireplace is lit and popular music is played. Delicious homemade food, but no culinary delights, small portions. In any case, this is the best that can be found in Staraja Ladoga.High prices
- 3 Prince Rurik Cafe (Кафе Князь Рюрик), Волховский пр., ☎ 7 81363 49023. 200-300 RUB. Sun-Thu 10: 00-23: 00, Fri-Sat 10: 00-01: 00. A large cafe with a good selection of food. Aimed at tourists, it suffers from poor service and high prices by rural Russian standards. Great place for alcohol too.
Where stay
Although it is certainly possible to come here for a day trip from St.Pietroburgo, there are a couple of options for accommodation in the capital of Rurik. Also Volkhov to the south it has a good number of hotels.
Average prices
- Ladya hotel, Sovetskaya street, 3, ☎ 7 81363 49555. Mini-hotel with 5 rooms, each equipped with bathroom, TV.
- 1 Staraya Ladoga Hotel (Старая Ладога), ул. Советская, 3, ☎ 7 81363 49529. Private rooms, shared bathrooms.
- Abyrvalg hotels, via Staroselskaya, 1A (Out of town in Issad village). Double: from 1,500 RUB. Very small rooms in wooden houses. There is a sauna, a bar.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Staraja Ladoga
Commons contains images or other files on Staraja Ladoga
