Luga District

Subject / Topography/Administrative - territorial division
LUGA DISTRICT, municipal entity. Population: 44,600. Area: 5993.1 sq. km. Located in the south of Leningrad Oblast. In the west, it borders Slantsy District, in the north, Volosovo, Gatchina, and Tosno Districts of Leningrad Oblast; in the east, Novgorod Oblast; and in the south-west, Plyussa District of Pskov Oblast. Established in 1927 with the establishment of Leningrad Oblast. In 1959, L. D. received some areas of the cancelled Oredezh District, and in 1961, the eastern areas of Osmino District. The district comprises 349 rural localities united into 13 rural settlements, as well as Tolmachovo urban settlement and Luga Town, the district center. The railroads from St. Petersburg to Pskov, Vitebsk, and Novgorod extend across the district; the key motor road is the Kiev Highway. The district is also connected with motor roads to neighboring adm. entities, and has a developed network of intra-district roads. The Luga River is partly navigable, and has several piers. The district’s territory began to be populated in the Mesolithic Age. A Slav population appeared there in the 2nd half of the 1st millennium AD. Since long ago, the Luga and Oredezh rivers have been important transport routes. The information about Luga Land’s subjection to the princes’ authority and establishment of pogosts is dated 947. In the 13th – 14th and 16th – 17th cc. the region suffered foreign invasions from the West. From the 17th till the early 18th century, the land was a frontier zone. In the 18th century, due to the reforms of Peter I and Catherine II, fast development of the region began. Numerous nobilitycountry estates appeared there, enterprises were set up, and road construction was expanding. The town of Luga was founded and growing, to become a uyezd center. In 1858, a route of the Warsaw Railway was laid across Luga Uyezd, which promoted a more intense development of the land. It became a favorite place of leisure for the capital’s residents. In the 20th century, the region got the status of a health and resort area. The Luga Land played an important role during the Civil War and WW2 as a line of defense at approaches to Petrograd/Leningrad. The territory of today’s L. D. contains numerous archeological and architectural monuments of different epochs. They are Mesolithic and Neolithic sites, medieval burials, and settlement sites. There are survivor ancient wooden churches:the Church of St. George the Victorious in Osmino Settlement, the Church of Assumption of Our Lady in Gorodets village, the Church of the Holy Face (1850-53) in Syabero village; and stone churches: the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of Our Lady in Romanschina village, the Church of St. Nicholas’s (1887) in Rel village, the Church of Ascension in Samro village. Also, parts of the estate complexes dated 18th - early 20th cc. have been retained in the villages of Ilzho, Muraveino, Zapolye, and Skreblovo (lost in 2003.) There are many monuments and obelisks related to events of the Civil War and WW2. The district has 19 culture centers, 10 social clubs, 35 libraries, 3 music schools and one art school, local lore museum, exhibition hall, Smena cinema center, Luga-film studio, and abt. 140 amateur theatrical teams. The “Luzhskaya Pravda” newspaper is published, and the “Luga Speaking” radio station and “KTV-Luga” TV studio are active. Regional and international festivals and competitions are held. Yegorov, Sergey Borisovich
Catherine II, Empress
Peter I, Emperor
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Gorodets Village
Topographical landmarks/Luga River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Luga Town
Historical Toponyms/Oredezh District
Topographical landmarks/Oredezh River, the
Historical Toponyms/Osmino District
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Rel Village
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Romanshchina Village
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Samro Village
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Syabero Village
Leningrad Oblast, the/Luga District/Tolmachevo Urban Village
Зерцалов В., Баскаченко И. Луга. Л.: Лениздат, 1964.
Даринский А.В. Ленинградская область. Л., 1975., С.259-274
Культура Ленинградской области на рубеже тысячелетий. СПб., 2003, С.74-75
Лужский район: Ист.-краеведч.альм. Вып. 1.-Луга. 2002., С.74-75
Мурашова Н.В., Мыслина Л.П. Дворянские усадьбы Санкт-Петербургской губернии. Лужский район. СПб., 2001., С.74-75
Администрация Лужского муниципального района. URL: http://www.adm.luga.ru, С.74-75
Зерцалов В.И. Луга: Путеводитель Л., 1972., С.74-75
Ancient settlements (selishche)
Fortified ancient settlements
Ilzho, a country estate
"Luga film gathering", a film festival
Luga - Film, a film studio
"Luzhskaya pravda" ("Luga Truth"), a newspaper
Muraveino, a country estate
Skreblovo, a country estate
The Church of St. George the Victorius, Great Martyr (Osmino Village, Luga District)
The Church of the Ascension of Christ (Samro Village, Luga District)
The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Gorodets Village, Luga District)
The Church of the Holy Face (Syabero Village, Luga Town)
The Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God (romanshchina Village, Luga District)
Zapolye, a country estate