Somino: Church of the Apostles and Village Festival

Somino combines village traditions with a specific local religious history: the main village festival is dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul, as is the church in the village. These two points of reference offer travelers a clear thematic starting point. You can get to know Somino through its festival tradition or focus on the church’s architectural history. The wider travel destination of Boksitogorskiy rayon offers additional historical and landscape-related themes that are distinct from these.

A village festival with a procession

Since 1993, the festival of the Apostles Peter and Paul has been celebrated as the main village festival, at the initiative of Somino’s parish priest, Archpriest Gennady Belovolov. It includes a large procession through the village and public festivities. The procession and the celebrations are both part of the festival; its religious occasion and the village festivities are the two distinct aspects of the tradition.

The tradition was revived in 1993. If the festival is a deciding factor for your trip, check the dates and program for the year you plan to visit in advance.

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Somino was built in the 1840s and dedicated to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The church and the village festival therefore share the same religious reference. Their historical contexts, however, are different: the church is part of the architectural history of the 19th century, while the festival tradition was revived in 1993. Those interested in culture and local history will find two distinct perspectives on Somino: a building with a specific construction period and a festival whose present-day tradition stems from a revival.

More to explore in the wider travel destination of Boksitogorskiy rayon

In the wider travel destination of Boksitogorskiy rayon, the “Astracha, 1941” museum tells the story of events near Tikhvin in November and December 1941. At its heart are the true stories of a Russian boy and a German boy. The interactive exhibition continuously displays a wartime chronicle on four screens; visitors can also interact with authentic wartime objects. Its historical setting and personal stories offer a different focus from Somino’s local history: here, the wartime period takes center stage, rather than the festival tradition or the church’s architectural history.

The landscape-related themes in the wider travel destination of Boksitogorskiy rayon also differ from these cultural highlights. Some mined-out quarries in Boksitogorskiy Rayon have filled with water to form artificial lakes; fish species are found in the district’s quarries. These include trout, muksun, perch, roach, bream and catfish. Taken together, these details present a different picture of the destination: alongside local history and a historical exhibition, there are also lakes formed by quarries and the fish species found there.

Choose the right focus for your trip

The church and village festival are Somino’s specific themes; the museum and quarries are part of Boksitogorskiy rayon. First, consider whether village traditions and church history or the additional historical and landscape-related themes should shape your stay. Then search for a holiday apartment in Somino or in the places you actually plan to visit.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Vyritsa, Sosnovy Bor, Kirovsk, Lake Ladoga, Karvala, Sosnovo, Pulkovo, Otradnoye

To the wider travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.