Penovsky District

Large bodies of water and historic sites shape the landscape of Penovsky District. The Volga and the Western Dvina flow through the district, which is also home to more than 130 lakes. Churches dating from different centuries and the Voroshilovsky Local History Museum also provide distinctive cultural landmarks.

Lakes, rivers, and islands

The largest lakes include Vselug, Okhvat, Sterzh, Peno, Vitbino, and Soblago. Most of the more than 130 lakes are of glacial-moraine origin. The names of the individual bodies of water and their geological origins are both part of the landscape of Penovsky District. Novo-Solovetsky Island lies in Lake Vselug and is one of the district’s natural monuments. Malosolovetsky Island is also located in Lake Vselug.

The Volga flows through the northeastern part of the district. The Western Dvina rises in the western part of Penovsky District, in the small lake Dvinets, six kilometers from Soblago railway station. Its source and the river’s course thus connect two distinct geographical features of the area: the origin of the Western Dvina and the course of the Volga in the northeast.

Churches and historic sites

Settlements and a pagan sanctuary have existed since ancient times at Shirkov Pogost on Lake Vselug. By the end of the 19th century, Shirkov Pogost had become one of the area’s important religious centers. The Church of St. John the Baptist at Shirkovsky Pogost is a wooden architectural monument dating from 1694.

Other churches represent different periods of construction: the Trinity Church in the village of Otolovo dates from the 18th century. The Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Mother of God at Vetozhetka Pogost dates from the early 19th century. In Vseluki stands the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, built in 1835. Grouping the churches by period helps distinguish several historical eras in the district.

The Voroshilovsky Local History Museum

The Voroshilovsky Local History Museum offers a picture of life in a village in Tver Oblast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its extensive collection includes objects from peasant daily life, as well as items related to pottery, shoemaking, and carpentry. Alongside village history, the museum therefore focuses on several traditional crafts.

The museum was founded on May 5, 1969, by Ivan Ivanovich Smirnov (1940–1998). Visits are by prior arrangement. The museum offers guided tours covering the history of the Voroshilovo area from ancient times, the region’s folk crafts and trades, and life and culture in a peasant home. These three topics highlight different themes: early history, regional crafts, and peasant daily life. A folk ensemble has also been associated with the museum since its founding.

The ecological nature trail

The ecological nature trail is a purpose-built, 2.5-kilometer walking route designed for educational excursions. Its length provides a concrete guide when planning a walk. Check for any route changes before your visit.

A biographical connection to Tver Oblast

Yelizaveta Ivanovna Chaikina (1918–1941) was born in the village of Runo in Penovsky District. Her story is also connected to Tver Oblast: during World War II, she was secretary of the underground Penovsky District Committee of the Komsomol and one of the organizers of a partisan unit. After her capture, she refused to reveal the unit’s location and was shot on November 23, 1941.

Discover more destinations: Kositskoye, Vseluki, Kalininsky District, Konakovsky District, Sandovsky District, Bologoye, Tver, Spirovsky District.

Back to the main travel overview: Tver Oblast.