Located on the Karelian Isthmus, near the village of Copper Plant, Vsevolozhsk District, Leningrad Region, this lake is of artificial origin. The idea to build a dam on the Black River for the needs of a copper smelter belongs to the Russian manufacturer A. V. Olkhin - the owner of several enterprises in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, who lived in the 18th - early 19th centuries. Copper Lake (also called Mednozavodsky Razliv), with an area of 139 hectares, was built in the second half of the 18th century and still exists.
In the pre-war years, the line of the 22nd Karelian fortified area, also called the "Stalin Line", passed near the lake. On one of the islands, located on Copper Lake, there is still one of the machine-gun bunkers. The nearby territory is now planted with gardens, there is a recreation center of the same name, a cottage settlement is under construction.
Rest on Medny
The area around the lake is quite picturesque, there are several sandy beaches on the shore, which makes it an unusually popular place for summer holidaysresidents of the northern capital.
For the most part, this man-made reservoir is shallow, dark in color due to the input of organic-rich marsh waters. Quite a logical question that arises among tourists arriving at Copper Lake: is it possible to swim in such water? The answer will be in the affirmative. Copper-brown water, brought here by forest streams, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. In extreme cases, you can go to the eastern coast of the lake, where the water is cleaner along the Black River, and the bottom is deep enough.
Between 1998 and 2005 the youth festival "Copper Lake" was held here. Venues for events were located directly in the open air. The main emphasis was placed on modern trends in Russian music, and therefore musicians from almost all over Russia came here.
Thanks to extensive media coverage, the event, which initially attracted a small number of visitors, quickly began to gain popularity. Thus, in 2005 this musical event was attended by more than 35 thousand people. True, later the festival venue was moved to the airfield in Kasimovo, since the former one “ceased to meet the technical and aesthetic requirements.”
Airsoft range
To the north of Lake Mednoye there is a famous training ground for airsoft fans. Until the mid-nineties, this zone was a specially protected area, since herethere was an army shooting range, as well as many objects related to the Karelian fortified area. Since 2005, the surroundings of Medny have been adapted to the needs of the Squadron I strikeball team, at the same time the first competitions were held.
The landfill, located in a pure pine forest, with dense windbreaks, ravines, swamps and streams, is located on the site of former fierce battles during the Great Patriotic War. That is why the remains of trenches, dugouts, crumbling trenches have been preserved here. In addition to airsoft fans, the territory of the shooting range is used by hunting enthusiasts. It should be noted that the entrance to the Mednoe Lake training ground is guarded, and therefore it is possible only with legal firearms, with a permit and a hunting license, with the notification of the commander of the military unit and with the permission of the district department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Copper Lake: how to get there?
You can get to Copper Lake and back by public transport. Buses No. 435, No. 439 and No. 567 run from Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro station to the lake. However, this method is not very convenient, since buses do not always run regularly. Therefore, it is better to get there by personal transport.
To do this, you need to move along the Vyborg highway in the direction of Sertolovo. Having passed the Black River, it is necessary to continue moving until the sign "Elizavetinka", after which you should turn right. After passing Copper Lake, you need to get to the Y-shaped fork (on the rise), where you turn left. Then follow the signs marked on the trees with keeper tape.
