Kolpino

Kolpino sits on the Izhora River roughly 26 kilometers southeast of central Saint Petersburg and includes several large factories and production sites. The municipality spreads along both riverbanks and features wide streets lined with multistory residential blocks and factory buildings.

The Russian Admiralty founded Kolpino in 1722 as a settlement around an iron foundry that produced components for the naval fleet. Over the 19th century the place grew with additional metalworks and received official town status in 1912.

The Izhora Battalion Memorial commemorates a time when workers from nearby factories defended the municipality during the Second World War. Visitors today see a relief with stylized figures that recalls these events and is regularly honored by locals with flowers.

Kolpino railway station has linked the place to central Saint Petersburg by regular trains since 1847. Buses and minibuses also run between residential areas and take travelers to major hubs across the region.

The Izhora Plant, founded three centuries ago, still manufactures heavy machinery and metal components for different industries. Some of the old production halls stand beside newer buildings and show how factory architecture has changed over generations.