"The forest is the Vepsians, and the Vepsians are the forest."
Residents of the village of Sheltozero are protesting the construction of a tourist center in their beloved forest.
In an ancient Vepsian village in Karelia, plans are underway to build a tourist camp in a beloved pine forest near Lake Onega. Locals are categorically opposed: this forest is not only a perfect place for walking, berry and mushroom picking, but also a place where they celebrated the national Vepsian holiday, the "Tree of Life," in the summer. Heavy equipment has already been brought to the site, but the project's initiator is hesitant to cut down any trees.
A small people
The Veps are a small people. Most of them live in Karelia. Traditionally, the Veps settled along lakes, where they fished. They hunted and gathered in the forests. The forest and the lake are two central themes in Veps mythology. "The forest is the Veps, and the Veps are the forest," say the locals.
Enthusiasts and the republican government support the language and culture through grants. A Veps-language newspaper is published, themed exhibitions are held, and the local choir performs throughout Karelia and beyond. The village of Sheltozero has become a center of Vepsian culture—it houses an ethnographic museum and hosts the "Tree of Life" festival in the summer. The village is large for Karelia—local residents estimate the population to be around 1100 (857 according to the 2010 census). Many people come here in the summer to spend their dachas.
There's little work in the village: a few grocery stores, a school, a clinic, and a museum. There was once a logging company and a state farm here, but both closed with the collapse of the USSR. According to locals, there aren't even any cows in the village, only one bull.
Although Karelia is considered a forested region, there are few forests near the ancient villages: in the past, they were extensively cleared for fields, and the timber was transported for sale. Thus, the most accessible and well-preserved section of pine forest for village residents is located near Lake Onega. Now, they plan to cut it down to build a tourist center.
Background to the conflict
In January 2005, the local government formed the land plot, registered it with the cadastral register, and leased it to the Moscow-based company Fishko by the Veps Volost. Local deputies objected, collecting 502 signatures against the decision. The businessman then filed a lawsuit and won. In 2006, the local government was reorganized, and the Veps Volost was replaced by the Sheltozerskoye rural settlement. The allocated plot became part of the district. Until 2010, according to settlement head Irina Safonova, the plot was leased for a good price: 300,000 rubles went to the village budget and 300,000 rubles to the district budget. According to deputy Andrei Boshakov, the exact reasons for putting the plot up for auction are unknown; it's possible the district was heavily in debt. In 2010, the plot was put up for auction. The initial price for the 6 hectares of land was 6 million rubles, but in 2012 it was reduced to 3 million. The plot was purchased by entrepreneur Vyacheslav Gorbachev.
Later, the businessman wanted to purchase an additional four hectares and even the coastal area, but he was unable to do so. At the public hearing, everyone voted against it. The head of the settlement, Irina Safonova, with the help of various agencies, registered the land as a traditional nature management area, thereby banning the construction of permanent buildings.
At that time, we decided to protect the coastal strips and created a traditional nature management area and a cultural heritage zone. We surrounded Gorbachev's plot with our own protected zones. As a result, the land use regulations were changed to such a degree that no construction was permitted on this plot. This continued until 2020, when Gorbachev challenged the settlement's master plan in the Supreme Court. A decision was made to exempt Gorbachev's plot from our land use regulations. A blank spot emerged., says Irina Mikhailovna.
According to Irina Safonova, because the businessman had owned the land for a long time and had done nothing with it, a land use audit was conducted. However, the land could not be seized because it did not fall under any designated use. Deputy Boshakov notes that the owner had been regularly paying land taxes.
In 2023, the businessman's sons won grants from the Ministry of Economic Development to build two glamping sites: one in Sheltozero and the other near Uzheselga. Irina Safonova claims that local residents weren't informed of the grants, so they were unable to comment on the grants. The funds must be spent, so the businessman must prove the work is underway by the end of 2024.
Local residents only raised the alarm in early 2024, when Ekaterina Raevskaya saw an ad on social media seeking workers to build a tourist center in February. It then became clear that the businessman had serious plans for the site.
The businessman filed a defamation lawsuit against Ekaterina for her posts on the Sheltozero Flea Market and her attempts to unite the local community. The trial will begin in May. He also filed a police complaint against the mother of many children for extremism. The police and prosecutor subsequently visited the woman and issued two warnings. However, they found no extremism in her activities.
Opponents of the construction say 70% of the site is located within a water protection zone, as evidenced by the public cadastral map. Two streams flow to the right and left of the site, which are a spawning ground for salmon. By law, building near them is prohibited.
Whether he'll cut down the forest or not is still unclear. But, of course, we're against it. As a local resident, I'm also against it. I see an alternative solution at the government level: for the Karelian authorities to ban the construction, buy the site, and provide an alternative for the businessman., says the head of the settlement.
Deputy and lawyer Olga Tuzhikova sees numerous violations in the land allocation: the site is located in the territory of an indigenous minority, overlaps with sanitary protection zones of industrial enterprises (six production facilities are located nearby), is in a coastal water protection zone, and borders a cultural heritage site. All of this imposes certain restrictions on land use. For example, heavy machinery cannot operate there. Olga finds it strange that the Ministry of Economic Development ignored these circumstances when awarding the businessman a grant.
Tuzhikova also believes a meeting should be organized with local residents so that Vyacheslav Gorbachev can present his tourist center project with all the planned facilities in the forest, including a pier and wastewater treatment facilities. So far, such a meeting has not taken place.
"We have nothing else..."
Local residents are against the logging. Everyone says how important this place is to them, the only pine forest located near the village. Ninety-two people signed a collective petition to the prosecutor's office, but according to Ekaterina Raevskaya, the small number of signatures is due to the lack of time. The general sentiment is that the pine forest must be preserved and logging is unacceptable.
Andrey Viktorovich Boshakov, local deputy, council chairman and entrepreneur.
As a local resident, I'm certainly against this logging, but if you look at all the documents, there's no justification for leaving the forest. The property is privately owned. The local government was able to impose some restrictions, so the logging will be spotty, not permanent. The best option would be for him ( to the entrepreneur - ed.) They offered him an alternative site further from the village, and he would have accepted it. But is this possible if he'd already won a grant to build on this very site?
Ekaterina Ivanovna, Nadezhda Ivanovna and Nadezhda Ivanovna, native Vepsians and classmates:
The location they chose is astonishing. I'd like to know who gave the go-ahead. We need to push for an alternative site, so it's separated from this shore. It's also astonishing that they're creating benefits for some people, while those who live in this area are being robbed of the most beautiful place, where there are mushrooms and berries, where people sunbathe and relax. Not every family can afford to go south, and we have children, both small and large. They spend the entire summer in this coastal area where the construction will take place. Just imagine if they guard their property with dogs? They've already warned you not to go here; this is private property. And what will happen then? No one takes the opinion of this small ethnic group into account: not the local government, not the regional government, not anyone. We were born here, we've lived our entire adult lives. We already have 10 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, where will they go?
It is clear that the environmental topic always comes up in conversations with locals.
Ekaterina Raevskaya, mother of four children, housewife:
They want to cut out our lungs, what little we have left. When I saw those marks, tears came to my eyes. The lake is nearby, and when the merciless northern winds blow, the forest is the only thing that stops them. When they cut down this forest, the wind will start blowing off roofs. It's clean here; we always clean up here ourselves. We do this with the kids: we go and pick up trash. The spawning river: trout, salmon, grayling. This is our little piece where we can come and relax. We have nothing else!
Elena Anatolyevna, a local resident and Vepsian:
This is a very large area, where we pick mushrooms and berries. I'm Vepsian, but I don't speak the language, I just understand it. There are very few Vepsians left. We weren't taught the language, but recently they started teaching the children. Here is the Massovka glade, where Vepsian festivals were held in the summer. However, for the last two years, festivals haven't been held there; the stage has been moved to the administration building. Maybe they knew there were plans for construction and moved it there. But this is perfect: the lake and the forest are close by, and we breathe fresh air. And what about there? The uniqueness of this place lies in the pristine pine forest and the wide sandy beach. As soon as they cut down the pine forest, there will be gusty winds! The whole village is against it, unanimously.
People propose what they consider to be compromise solutions, hoping for the opportunity to talk to the businessman and look for some solutions to the problem.
Olga Vasilievna, a local resident:
Gorbachev and I had a conversation in mid-April, a calm and peaceful one. He was running from tree to tree in this little forest, and I asked if they were planning to cut down the forest. Yes, we will. I offered my plot of land and said, "If you want, take my house, but don't cut down this forest. Leave it to us, the Vepsians." He responded very kindly. He told me he'd given the plot to his sons, that the land should be worked and profitable, and that he'd won a grant. He explained everything clearly. He even said he was planning to meet with the locals and talk. But so far, that hasn't happened.
And, of course, locals say that construction in the forest is detrimental to local Vepsian traditions. They say the small people aren't treated with respect anyway, and now they want to take the forest away.
Anatoly Pavlovich Khvorov, pensioner:
I'm Vepsian by nationality and have lived here my whole life. When I was little, speaking Vepsian was forbidden; it wasn't taught in school. There are practically no native speakers left now, well, maybe the elderly speak it in shops. They teach children in schools, but if you don't use the language, it's quickly forgotten. I fought for this shore since 2004, but they eventually sold it. I was the manager of the Sheltozero administration at the time, and I said I wouldn't sign that document. They took me and fired me. Why didn't I want to sell the property? Besides the fact that our grandparents pick mushrooms and berries here, young people also come here for recreation. I'm 74 years old, but I remember how, as a little boy, I used to run here to festivities and celebrations. There were rides and competitions. We sang and danced at these celebrations. This is our place, very important to us. Besides, the forest protects us from the north wind. I've been fighting since 2011 for this small ethnic group to be allowed to hunt in these territories. And what have we achieved? We can only hunt birds. Bear, elk, and wild boar are banned. And what will happen when hordes of tourists come here? They won't just live in cabins; they want to hunt and fish. And where will we hunt? And now we'll cut everything down, destroy it, prove you're nobody. Basically, that's what they want to prove: that we're nobody. The Veps are the forest, and the forest is the Veps.
Olga and Elena, local residents, sisters:
Why should I want the forest to be destroyed? This is our past, our grandparents lived here, we spent our entire childhood here. Our children grew up here. I already have a grandson, we go for walks to the lake every day, in any weather. Winter, summer, and spring. And how are we supposed to go to this lake now? They won't let us. We pick berries, there are plenty of blueberries here. And in the winter, we ski. We're always here, this is our life. Our ancestors left this treasure. Our grandfather and grandmother went fishing. The whole family would go, with neighbors and a samovar, and relax. Why should Muscovites and St. Petersburgers be allowed to relax here, but we can't?
Locals say there are many nearby properties the businessman could use. The most frequently mentioned one is "Trout Landing," which even has utilities, electricity, and a boat dock.
We don't understand how a grant can be awarded without taking into account the will of the people. The ideal solution is to give him another plot, — says Ekaterina Raevskaya.
“There was no intention of discriminating against anyone…”
Vyacheslav Gorbachev is a father of many children and an entrepreneur. He's not originally from Karelia, but now lives in Petrozavodsk. His two adult sons are involved in the tourism business. He wasn't in the village when we arrived, but he agreed to tell his side of the story over the phone. A businessman has his own truth.
Vyacheslav emphasized that the plot was not formed specifically for him, but back in 2005. He claims he was persuaded to buy the land.
I didn't form this plot of land, and none of this was done for me. I didn't initiate the auction and have nothing to do with its formation. In 2010, no one participated in the auction. I'm now being accused of buying this plot for a ridiculous price, but the fact is, no one wanted to buy it back then. I was invited to participate in the auction as an investor who wanted to invest in the tourism business. Representatives of the local authorities and the Prionezhsky district brought me there, advertised it, and offered to buy it. I already had a plot of land in Uzheselga with certain problems, and I had no particular desire to participate in this venture. No roads, no electricity, nothing, the area was swampy. But the local authorities convinced me that the plot had potential. They said, "Well, Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, he'll clean it up later, and when he gets around to it, you can build a network of tourist centers." They praised the plot, without emphasizing the problematic nature of the land. They talked about a tourist mecca. In the long run... I thought that despite the uncertain outlook, there was potential. I bought it for about 4 million, if I'm not mistaken.
Vyacheslav notes that the cadastral value used to be lower, and the land's auction price has nothing to do with it. He explains that local authorities changed the cadastral value almost immediately after his purchase to force him to pay more in taxes (which amounted to 200 rubles a year). He then had to sue the local authorities.
After the sale, the local authorities invited archaeologists and officials and drew up a new master plan, which, like a dome, covered my property. I couldn't use it and went to court. I had to prove through the courts that this decision was unlawful and that I had the right to use these plots.
The entrepreneur emphasizes that he has no intention of offending anyone; he does not understand the village administration's position.
I had no intention of infringing on anyone. The land was idle, there were no taxes, the budget was empty. I was presented as a philanthropist who would solve some of the problems—both money for the budget and employment for the local population. And then I was shocked when they started fighting me. Maybe that was the original goal: to extort money from me, then block it and do everything they could to force me to give up the land?
His sons, Artem and Alexander, won business grants. He leased the land to them. The grant is intended to build 22 houses on the site, with a report due by the end of 2024. The businessmen are currently delaying construction because they want to reach an agreement with the local residents and authorities. Gorbachev said that, at the direction of the head of the Prionezhsky District, he is preparing a project presentation.
I'm not against talking to people; I'm already doing that. But right now, it seems to me, a small group of local residents is stoking this conflict. They claim to be locals, but they're not. Raevskaya came from the Pudozhsky District, Ksenia Gurkina isn't local either, and Katerina Kochubey is actually from Moscow. They have their own interests there: they rent out guest houses and raise horses. Indirectly, they're not interested in competition, especially not wanting anything to appear on the riverbank. Although, we're not affecting the riverbank at all. Moreover, we'll be building the road that was added to the cadastral register at our own expense. We'll do capital construction, which will benefit the people. But these people who are stirring things up—they don't pay any attention to this at all. They're constantly trying to paint me as some kind of usurper, as if I'm doing something arrogant to them. I don't think anyone in that group, or whoever's liking their posts, has actually done more than me or contributed to the budget. They're muddying the waters.
Gorbachev says the festival site is located outside his property, and two-thirds of his land is occupied by a swamp devoid of mushrooms and berries. He was informed of this by the local watchmen he hired. He maintains that no one actually gathers there.
Nobody's really gathering anyone there. I have the impression that people only learned about such a beautiful forest thanks to these activists, and started walking around it. I walked there from fall to spring, and there was no one else there. There were only people there, fishermen on snowmobiles, going to Lake Onega. As for anyone walking, there were footprints or ski tracks, no one else there, you know?
Gorbachev promises that the houses will blend beautifully into the landscape, the area will be landscaped, and there will be no restrictions on access or access. He finds the idea of choosing another site implausible, especially since his sons need to manage the grant money.
And by law, I did everything correctly, and the plot was purchased. But now all this talk, debate, and gossip is just shaking fists after a fight. The fight took place in 2005, when this plot was initially formed. That's when we should have decided with the deputies who formed it. And now, by law, I'm obligated to develop the plot, because its intended purpose is to build a recreation center. Not for local residents to pick mushrooms, not for local residents to stroll, but for the construction of a recreation center. And by law, I'm obligated to do this.
A prosecutor's office is currently conducting an investigation, and for now, the entrepreneur isn't cutting down any trees, although, as he himself says, there are no formal obstacles. Equipment is parked near the forest, and a guard is stationed in a trailer. Residents of Sheltozero want their own assessment to have the forest recognized as a protected area and any construction prohibited there.
