Leningrad Region

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LENINGRAD REGION, a federal subject of the Russian Federation located in the North-Western Federal District. Formed 1 June 1927, it has existed with its present boundaries since 1945. In the north, Leningrad Region borders on Finland and the Republic of Karelia, in the east on Vologda Region, in the south on Novgorod and Pskov Regions and in the west on Estonia. It is washed by the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, Ladoga and Onega Lakes and Narva Reservoir. With the area of approximately 85.9 thousand square kilometres its population is 1.671 million people as of 2002. The territory of Leningrad Region stretches over 450 kilometres from the west to the east and for 320 kilometres from the North to the South. The region is located within an intermediate forest zone from the Scandinavian (Baltic) shield to the Russian Plateau. Its north-west parts (the Karelian Isthmus) are formed by crystalline granite-gneiss rocks and display a relatively dissected undulating relief with the remaining part of predominantly levelled bench terraces of a plateau-like character overlaid with accumulative relief forms mainly of the Pleistocene period. The relief clearly reveals three levels: the lowest is located along the Neva River valley, the Gulf of Finland coastline and the Ladoga Lake; the southern one stretching over the ledge of the Baltic-Ladoga escarpment (Ordovician Plateau known in the West as the Izhora Plateau and in the East as Putilovsky Plateau); to the very south and east extremities are spurs of the higher Valday Hills separated by the Valday Bench ("carbonic escarpment"). A greater part of the surface of Leningrad Region is covered by loose late glacial period deposits (17-12 thousand years ago) followed by glaciolacustrine, lacustrine and marine basins. Ancient rocks crop out only in river channel and escarpment slopes (except granite-gneiss mazy abruption northwards). The undulating moraine relief occurring otherwise over the water terraces is formed by fragmented detrital sandshale deposits with a large number of boulders of various size (both in the sections and on the surface). In places of temporary stagnation, there developed spur ridges of terminal moraines of the Vepsovo, Krestsy, Luzhsk and Neva stages which are quite distinguishable in the South of Leningrad Region. Water-glacial processes attending the melting created a number of characteristic relief elements in the form of kame hills, elongated esker ridges, bench-like and delta-shaped sand-and gravel formations (Lembolovo, Soykino, Kolshtuny and other hills). There are lacustrian and marine terraces on the elevation of up to 15 meters in the estuary part of the Neva basin and along the western and southern banks of the Ladoga Lake. With a few exceptions (the north-west and south-east of Leningrad Region ) all rivers belong to the Neva Basin - the Volkhov , Svir, Luga, Pashar, Oyat, Syas, Tosna, Plyussa and Vuoksa rivers (the length varies from 120 to 336 kilometers). The average drainage network density is 0.35 km/km2. The rivers are mainly fed by snow, which makes up some 40-50% of their influx, then by rain, making up around 30%, while 25% is made of groundwater discharge. The amount of water discharged is extensive and continues throughout the year. The moderate climate is exposed to the influence of humid and warm marine (Atlantic) and cold continental (Arctic) air masses with active cyclone activity. The seasonal cycle is distinct. Average annual temperatures fluctuate from 2 to 4.5 °C, with the summer reaching 35 °C and with winter minimal temperatures of as low as -51° C. The average precipitation amounts to 550-600 to 850 millimetres in the South of the Karelian Isthmus. The snowpack elevation reaches 80 centimetres covering the entire territory of Leningrad Region and continues for 4-5 months (from 127 to 161 days). The frost-free period lasts from 100 to 150 days. Ice cover over water is 20-90 centimetres thick and holds approximately 4 months. The prevailing soils are stony and sandy consisting of podsol and inclined to swampiness. The general bogginess makes up to 17% of the territory of Leningrad Region, of these swamps 79% are peat bogs. The forest vegetation which belongs to the South Taiga Sub-zone is represented by fir (mostly at river watersheds), pine (on sand and partly on swamps) and small-leaved birch and asp, sometimes alder forests. The primordial vegetation had undergone a severe transformation due to human activity. There are quite a number of secondary forests, shrubs and meadows. However there are remnants of relic larch, oak and lime groves. The average percentage of forest land fluctuates from 50% to 80%. Animals present are typical for the temperate zone and is an attraction for hunters. The landscapes of Leningrad Region are diverse: of notice are ridges covered with forests, undulating moraine landscapes covered with fir forests, kame and esker with pine woods, karst forest-free plateau-like landscapes, plainlands covered with fir and pine trees, flat land bogged fir-woods, pine-sphagnum peat bogs and grass-moss lowland swamps. Quite a unique occurrence is the characteristic contrasting landscape zones are known as remarkable sites and natural sanctuaries. The white nights are another curious peculiarity of the Leningrad Region. Almost the entire territory of Leningrad Region was at various times settled by man which has left numerous traces, including ancient excavations, reclamation works, fortresses and settlements, water diversions, roads etc. The region is inhabited unevenly, with the east most scarcely populated. Russians make up 90% of the total population. The descendants of the ancient Veps people settled in the basin of the Oyat River. Administratively Leningrad Region is divided into 30 municipal units including 17 districts: Boksitogorsky, Volosovsky , Volkhovsky, Vsevolozhsky, Vyborgsky, Gatchinsky, Kingiseppsky, Kirishsky, Lodeynopolsky, Lomonosovsky, Luzhsky, Podporozhsky, Priozersky, Slantsevsky, Tikhvinsky and Tosnensky. As of mid-2002 there were 20 cities of regional and 11 ones of district subordination in Leningrad Region. Approximately 66% of the population lives in cities, with that figure increasing to 85% in the regions near St. Petersburg. Kingisepp, Slantsy, Sosnovy Bor, Luga, Gatchina, Vyborg, Svetogorsk, Priozersk, Tosno, Otradnoe, Kirovsk, Shlisselburg, Tikhvin, Boksitogorsk, Pikalevo, Kirishi, Volkhov, Lodeynoe Pole and Podporozhye are considered the most industrially important cities. The industry in the Leningrad Region is made up of several sectors with engineering and metal-working industries as one of the highly developed ones, the non-ferrous metals industry (Pikalevsky Glinozem Production Association, Boksitogorsk, Pikalevo, Volkhov Aluminium Plant), the chemical industry (Kirishi, Kingisepp Fosforit Industrial Complex, Slantsy, Volkhov), the timber and wood working industry (Svetogorsk, Priozersk, Syasstroy) also have a high growth rate as well as the glass production and building materials industries. The light and food industries have a high development index. The leading role belongs to the enterprises of the fuel and electric power complex: with one of the largest oil-refining centers situated in Kirishi, Leningrad Nuclear Power-Station in Sosnovy Bor, a number of hydroelectric power stations including the State Commission on the Electrification of Russia plan pioneer - Volkhovsky Hydroelectric Power Station, a number of State District Electric Power Stations and Heat Stations. Also a number of transit gas and oil pipelines run through the territory of Leningrad Region, it accommodates a specially constructed oil pipeline with an outlet to the new port and fuel terminal in Primorsk. The territory of Leningrad Region is criss-crossed with numerous transport thruways of state significance including the Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow thoroughfare (also called the Scandinavian Highway), St. Petersburg - Tallin, St. Petersburg - Murmansk, St. Petersburg - Vologda, St. Petersburg - Kiev thoroughfares. There are quite a few local connections. Railroad lines link St. Petersburg with various Russian and international cities. As a result of the loss of some Baltic ports in the early 1990s, ports of the Leningrad Region became more significant. New port complexes are currently being constructed on the estuary of the Luga River and Primorsk, the port in Vyborg has been enlarged. Navigation continues on the Neva River, the Ladoga Lake and Svir River. There are several airports although these have barely been utilised in recent years. The agricultural sector focuses on the development of stock-breeding (predominantly with dairy and meat products), poultry farming and to a lesser extent arable farming. Approximately 2/3 of the crops consist of foodstuffs, large areas are sown with vegetables and potatoes. Leningrad Region has high recreational potential both for sanatorium and tourist resorts. Many of the places keep record of the life and creative work of their ancestors. Ancient and old structures and constructions have survived in Old Ladoga, Vyborg, Priozersk, Koporye, Ivangorod. Leningrad region displays an abundance of monuments dating from the 18th-19th centuries, as well as evidence of the heroic and tragic events of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45; among the most recently opened in a unique memorial complex "Green Belt of Glory".

References: Гришина Л. И., Файнштейн Л. А., Великанова Г. Я. Памятные места Ленинградской области. Л., 1973; Даринский А. В. Ленинградская область. Изд. 2-е, испр. и доп. Л., 1975; Природа Ленинградской области и ее охрана. Л., 1983; Исаченко Г. А. "Окно в Европу": История и ландшафты. СПб., 1998; Ленинградская область и районные центры: Атлас. [СПб.], 1998.

Y. P. Seliverstov. Гришина Л. И., Файнштейн Л. А., Великанова Г. Я. Памятные места Ленинградской области. Л., 1973
Даринский А. В. Ленинградская область. Изд. 2-е, испр. и доп. Л., 1975
Природа Ленинградской области и ее охрана. Л., 1983
Ленинградская область и районные центры: Атлас. [СПб.], 1998
Исаченко Г. А. "Окно в Европу": История и ландшафты. СПб., 1998 The Green Belt of Glory
1927
1969