The Flower of Life Memorial ©Mikhail Gruznov

Far less a route noted for it’s scenic beauty, the Road of Life (doroga zhizni) in Russia is of great historical importance. During World War II, Leningrad (now St. Petersberg) was blockaded from the rest of Russia by Finnish and German forces, ensuring no supplies could reach the city, and no one could leave. During this terribly dark period, some hope for those living in Leningrad came from it’s proximity (just under 50 km away) to Lake Ladoga. Supplies and evacuees travelled this route from Leningrad to the perimeter of the lake, and then crossed over the lake by boat in the summer time, or a specially constructed ice road in the winter when the lake froze over.

A memorial marker on the Road of Life marking 17km

Building this route was very dangerous; workers were under fire from the enemy forces from both land and  air, and the conditions of the ice road itself meant it could be a perilous task. Those building and working on the road to keep the precious communication channel open numbered over 20,000, all of whom showed great courage for the role they played. The route provided a vital life line for Leningrad, and many lives were saved with the supplies that could be brought in and the evacuation possibilities it offered.

These days, the road is a world heritage site; the route from St Petersberg to the Lake Ladoga is lined with 46 memorial markers (one for each km) and 7 different monuments. The Flower of Life is a memorial to the lives of thousands of children, and details the pages of a diary of a schoolgirl from Leningrad. On the shores of Lake Ladoga is The Broken Ring memorial complex, which is a statue in the shape of an anti-aircraft cannon. These were used to protect the road from air strikes during the siege, and all those who operated them played a hugely important role. There is also a Road of Life museum with many displays and artefacts to document the bravery of all those involved.

View of Lake Ladoga ©Alessio Re

Possibly verging on dark tourism, this driving route none the less has such an important story to tell about the history of this area, and wartime on a wider scale. The drive is lined with birch trees, and Lake Ladoga is truly beautiful when you arrive on it’s shores. It is in the top 15 largest freshwater reservoirs in the world and is home to many different types of plants and animals, including the Lake Ladoga Ringed Seal which is found exclusively in the waters of this lake.