Staraya Ladoga Fortress

Photo: Dionisius1976, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

⚓ Sea and Fortresses

A fortress in a village that is older than Novgorod and Kiev as a settlement.

Staraya Ladoga emerged around 753 — this is the earliest date obtained from tree rings of logs. It was founded by people from Scandinavia and Gotland, and later the village changed hands many times between Slavs and Varangians. In one chronicle, Ladoga is called the residence of Rurik — according to this version, he ruled here before founding Novgorod. Scholars argue whether Ladoga should be considered the first capital of Rus, but that it is one of the country's oldest settlements is indisputable. The first fortress, according to legend, was built by Oleg the Prophet, and the current stone walls and towers stand on the cape where the Ladozhka River flows into the Volkhov.

Tip: Inside the fortress there is a museum and the Church of St George with 12th-century frescoes. Climb the wall: the view of the Volkhov is magnificent.

Coordinates: 59.99770, 32.29820 · 🗺️ Yandex Maps

Walks in Peterhof / Day trips

🛶 Ladoga: Oreshek and Staraya Ladoga

To the origins of Rus: a fortress at the source of the Neva and a village older than almost all Russian towns.

2 days

📱 Open in the guide app (map, audio, offline)