Staraya Ladoga. Oleg the Prophetic Hill and the Volkhov River

Leningrad region, Staraya Ladoga. Oleg the Prophetic Hill and the Volkhov River. "Where did the Russian Land Come from" (A Tale of Bygone Years)

One of the most ancient settlements in the lower reaches of the Volkhov River is fraught with mysteries of Russian history. According to some scientists, the first capital of Northern Russia was here and it is in Staraya Ladoga that we need to look for the origins of the culture of our state.

The fortress was first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years under the year 862. Until the beginning of the XVIII century, Ladoga was an outpost in the north-west of Russia, and its defensive importance was lost after the storming of the fortress of Noteburg (Oreshek) and the foundation of St. Petersburg. Trading functions were transferred to Novaya Ladoga, founded by Peter I in 1704. In the 19th century, this place was very popular among painters, and the first museum exhibitions on the territory of the fortress opened in 1971. Today, its territory belongs to the historical and architectural reserve of federal significance.