NIKOLSKOYE and Alexander Nevsky "Prayer before Battle on Neva River" Park. Leningrad Region, Russia

Walking through the town of Nikolskoye in Russia's Leningrad region

The town developed from the village of Nikolskoye, which was founded in 1710 on the bank of Tosna river about 30 kilometers southeast of St. Petersburg by decree of Russian Emperor Peter the Great (Peter I).

This village was established to settle stonemasons who were brought from various provinces of the Russian Empire to help build the new capital city of St. Petersburg.

The village was named Nikolskoye (meaning "Nicholas's") after Saint Nicholas, whose icon the stonemasons brought with them and placed in a wooden chapel. Saint Nicholas was considered the patron saint of hardworking people.

Between 1906-1909, on lands belonging to village peasants, the Frank brothers - Jewish merchants from Vitebsk - established a glass factory. The complex included management housing, worker accommodations, and a school for employees' children.

In June 1958, Nikolskoye was officially designated as an urban-type settlement. During this period, several major industrial enterprises were constructed in the area.

Today, Nikolskoye has a population of approximately 22,000 residents. The town hosts multiple manufacturing facilities, including:

Brick production plants, ceramic tile and pipe factories, expanded clay aggregate facilities, pyrotechnics manufacturers, chemical processing plants, machine-building factories.

Until the 1990s, the "Sokol" (Falcon) gunpowder factory operated southeast of the town's residential sector.

Meanwhile, In 1240 — centuries before Russian stonemasons established Nikolskoye — the banks of the Tosna River witnessed a pivotal historical moment. According to the Novgorod Chronicles, Alexander Nevsky, Grand Prince of Novgorod, and his warriors paused here for prayer before the Battle of the Neva.

Fought near the confluence of the Izhora and Neva Rivers, this clash between Novgorodian and Swedish forces marked a key episode in the Russo-Swedish struggle for dominance in the eastern Baltic region (12th–14th centuries).

Now this historic site is commemorated by Alexander Nevsky Park, preserving the memory of Nevsky’s legacy and the battle that earned him his famous name ("Nevsky" = "of the Neva").

About Leningrad region:
The Leningrad region is the area surrounding St. Petersburg (called Leningrad in Soviet times). It could be called the St. Petersburg region now, but while the city of Leningrad was renamed back to 'St. Petersburg' in 1991, the Leningrad region kept its name.

Here on the "All of Russia" channel, I explore places not just inside but also travel all over Russia outside Moscow.

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