Lyudmila Goreglyad
Director of the Centre for the Development of Culture and Tourism of the Lipetsk Region
- Few people perceive the Lipetsk Region as a tourist destination ...
- And it’s too bad. Perhaps, few people know that Lipetsk is the first Russian balneological resort city. As in any resort city, there is an old park with mineral springs. Walking around the historical centre of the city, travellers may see ancient churches, mansions that belonged to noble families, and manors. The Olshanskaya Dam, Kurapovskie Rocks, Galichya Gora Nature Reserve, as well as the Meshchersky Arboretum and the Argamach Archaeological Park are among the city’s natural attractions.
I am sure that your readers will appreciate the picturesque Vorgol Rocks. After all, it is difficult even to imagine that beautiful rocks and stunning caves can be seen at the turn of a small river flowing along the flat Chernozemie (Black Earth area of central and southern Russia region).
Enthusiasts of ethnographic tourism can find many interesting attractions in the Lipetsk Region, too. There is a variety of unique folk crafts and many traditional practices that are remembered and carefully preserved in the region, such as exquisitely weaved Yelets lace and sonorous piano harmonica, nice Romanov toys, laconic Yuriev ceramics. People in the Lipetsk Region keep on crafting all of these things, but the things can only be seen once a year. For example, villagers of Volchie, the Dobrovsky District, create patterns made of coloured sand on the Trinity Sunday. This traditional practice is so important that it is included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the peoples of Russia. Come in June and enjoy this beauty.
- Is it true that the Kudykina Gora (East Overshoe) is in the Lipetsk Region?
- These words are known from ancient times in Russia, and it is logical that its roots are from our area. The Kudykina Gora is indeed among the largest tourist attractions in the Lipetsk Region. A real Town of all Trades located in a fortress - an exact copy of the Russian fortresses of the 4th-5th centuries - stretches over the area of 500 hectares. There are also healing springs, a safari park, as well as a hospitality centre and a hotel complex built in a modern Russian style. The main attraction of the park is the huge fabulous Dragon Gorynych (Firedrake), spewing flames. About 400,000 tourists a year come to the park to look at Firedrake. In winter, they also go skating and skiing, and in summer, they swim and raft down the river. They just come to enjoy the time!
Various quests and games are held in the park. The tourists can get to know about the preservation of traditions and folk crafts and also take an active part in creating some things on their own. This summer, Romanov Toy craft will also be presented in the park. The Romanov Toy department is part of the Centre for the Development of Culture and Tourism. For us, this is a new and interesting experience.
By the way, the Kudykina Gora will give all tourists a chance of enjoying a fairy tale at the “Fairy Tales of Central Russia” festival that will be held on August 26, 2023 as part of the “Rediscovering Russia - By The Whole Family!” project launched by the Russian Geographical Society. At 20 thematic sites, visitors will have a chance to learn about the history of the Lipetsk Region, its nature, cultural heritage, traditions and modern lifestyle through fairy tales. Various workshop sessions and educational events will be held during this event.
In general, we pay great attention to interactivity, the involvement of tourists. Participating in rituals and traditional practices, creating something with their own hands is interesting for adults and children. And this is offered not only at the Kudykina Gora. In Zadonsk, for example, there is a Yuriev Potter’s Hut where the lifestyle of a potters’ family of the 19th century is recreated. In Yelets, the tourists can try to weave lace and make felt boots, and they can try to make unique traditional toys at our Romanov Toy Centre.
- There are many interesting places worth visiting in the Lipetsk Region. Can you advise how to make a route not to miss anything?
It’s hard to see everything during one visit. As the tourists say: “We came to your area and got confused. We don’t know where to look first, the choice makes us dizzy!”. The region’s tourist portal the ‘Lipetsk Land’ https://liptur.ru/ provides quite detailed information about various locations, gastronomic attractions, food and accommodation facilities.
Specialists of our “Lipetsk Land” Tourist Information Centre are happy to tell the travellers about the attractions of the Lipetsk Region, help them make a travel itinerary or choose an excursion. They can advise them where to stay overnight, what restaurant and what festival to visit. The tourists can get this information at our new Tourist Information Centre in downtown Lipetsk or by calling toll-free tel. 8 8002008120 (36, Plekhanov St., Lipetsk).
This season we plan to launch two new projects for tourists. This is the ‘Manor Ring’ route, which includes estates, natural parks and the town of Yelets; and a children’s tour with a fabulous name ‘Gorynych, Romanets, and Yuriev Potters’. Working on the project, we wanted to show our Lipetsk Land to young tourists as a small realm of craftsmen - a fabulous area of handicraft on the map of the country. What can children get to know during this journey? They can learn to work using a potter’s wheel and cook porridge in a real Russian oven, as well as to decorate clay toys with paints and create designs of new ones. They can get an idea of the local cultural traditions and legends.
Photos courtesy of the Centre for the Development of Culture and Tourism (Lipetsk)
