Luga, Administrative town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia
Luga is a district town in Leningrad Oblast, roughly 140 kilometers south of Saint Petersburg along the river of the same name. The buildings range from Soviet apartment blocks to older wooden houses along quiet side streets.
Catherine the Great ordered the founding of the settlement in August 1777 as part of the administrative reform of her empire. During World War Two the town stood under German occupation and suffered heavy damage during fighting on the Leningrad Front.
The town takes its name from a Finno-Ugric word meaning swamp or river, reflecting the original landscape of the region. Saint Catherine Cathedral from the 18th century shapes the center with its plain Russian church architecture.
The town lies on the railway line between Saint Petersburg and Pskov with direct connections in both directions. The town center can be explored on foot, while the regional museum offers insights into local history.
The bridge over the river has marked the crossroads between north and south of the region for two centuries. The surrounding forests were a popular hunting ground for Russian nobles in the 19th century traveling between the two capitals.
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