Reference on historical and cultural features of Pitkäranta region

Territory of Pitkäranta region it is located along the northeast coast of the largest in Europe Ladoga Lake. The region has good vehicle access from Petrozavodsk, St.-Petersburg, Sortavala. Distance from the border (Wärtsilä checkpoint) to Pitkäranta makes 115 km. The Blue Road international highway passes through the territory of the region.
The region's relief is quite irregular, with many ridges and canyon depressions stretching in different directions. Often canyons serve valleys for rivers and streams with rapids running to Ladoga. In the region there are granite and marble quarries, three beautiful falls yet little-known to tourists: the falls on Koulismajoki river, being one of the most beautiful falls of Karelia and located only 10 km from the Blue Road; the falls on Kojrinjoki river is interesting as a rare natural site and as a location of the first in Russia tin-smelting plant. Of great interest are Ladoga skerries representing an interlacing of hundreds of diverse islands, capes, gulfs and passages. In territory of the region there is Uksa esker ridge declared a geological monument - excursions for geologists are held there, as well as plantings of decorative pine mountain which only site in Karelia (0.6 hectares) is located on the right Ibank of Uksunkoki river 1.5 km to the north of the settlement of Uuksu.

Historical and Cultural Potential

Another historical object is related to Swedes - a monument to the centenary the last war between Sweden and Russia also established in the village of Uuksu. The monument reminds a small chapel though it is made as a concrete block faced with round boulders, with hip roof also topped with round boulder.

One hundred years later the territory became a part of Russia again, and in another hundred years it was included in the Grand Duchy of Finland and for one and a half centuries remained its under its administration. In 1940 this territory has been returned to Russia. Alternation of wars and people populating the territory, its extensive frontier position have led to the fact that very few cultural and historical objects remained here. In total these are 112 monuments of which more than half (59%) are monuments related to the Winter and Great Patriotic Wars, 28.5% are monuments of architecture, 12.5 % are monuments of archeology. Military historyl objects are presented in territory of the region by many military burial places and two memorial complexes:

• Heroes' Valley memorial zone related to tragedy of the Winter War of 1939-1940;
• Nietjärvi historical memorial complex representing a small part of Mannerheim Line (U-line) with a system of trenches, pillboxes, earth-and-timber emplacements, concrete shelters, minefields, antipersonnel and antitank obstacles. Stubborn battles were being fought here during the final stage of Svir-Petrozavodsk operation of Karelian Front in 1944;
• an important place became the opened in 2000 Cross of Grief monument symbolizing reconciliation and bringing closure to the tragedy of the last two wars that have roared over the territory of the region.

  On the abundance of historical objects related to military events, quite tragical at times, the region leaves all other regions of Karelia far behind.

Pitkäranta town is the region's administrative center located close to roads to Petrozavodsk and Suojärvi and two memorial historical zones Heroes' Valley and Nietjärvi, the Cross of Grief monument, and is a convenient point of departure to the island of Valaam. Local history museum is both a place of interest, and a cultural center. Based at the local Culture Palace there are folk groups, ballet and drama amateur theatres and a female academic chorus. Arts and crafts traditions revive.