Staro-Panovo

Did Catherine the Great really gift an entire village as a present? We’re standing at the edge of Staro-Panovo, a historic district with roots stretching back to the 18th century. Staro-Panovo was once part of the sprawling Ligovo manor. Catherine II supposedly gifted this estate to her favorite, Count Grigory Orlov. The manor encompassed several villages, including one called Panovskaya, the ancestor of today’s Staro-Panovo. Now, imagine the lavish lifestyle of the Russian aristocracy in the 1700s. They strolled along the banks of the Dudergofka River, a waterway originally known by the ancient Karelian name “Liga,” which also gave the larger area its name, Ligovo. Fast forward to 2016, and Staro-Panovo gained a new landmark: the Staro-Panovsky Bridge. This reinforced concrete bridge carries Krasnaya Street over the Dudergofka River, linking the village to the Tallinskoye Highway. It replaced an older bridge, whose construction date remains a mystery. The older bridge received its official name, Staro-Panovsky Bridge, relatively recently, in 2010. Just five years later, it was dismantled and replaced with the current structure we see today. So, as you admire Staro-Panovo and its modern bridge, remember the whispers of history. From imperial gifts to modern engineering, Staro-Panovo carries the echoes of centuries past.