🏙️ Webcams Krasnoye Selo online — watch in real time

Krasnoye Selo: three centuries guarding history

Krasnoye Selo is not just a dot on the map of the Leningrad Region. It is a place where imperial maneuvers, the first flights of Russian aviation, and the quiet beauty of the Izhora Upland intertwine. The town is located 30 kilometers from St. Petersburg, on hills offering views of Dudergofka and Nameless Lake. If you want to see this corner of real Russia, Krasnoye Selo webcams online will let you touch its atmosphere from anywhere in the world.

From a paper mill to a military capital

It all began in 1709, when Peter I chose the valley of the Dudergofka River to build Russia's first paper mill. Palace peasants were relocated here from the Moscow Region's Krasnoye Selo — thus the settlement acquired its name. Until 1811, it was officially called "the palace village of Krasnoye" and was an appanage estate.

But real fame came later. Catherine II in 1765 brought guard units of the Petersburg Garrison here for summer camp training. Thus began the era of Krasnoye Selo maneuvers — grand military exercises that made this place a kind of "military capital" of the empire during the summer months.

The sky over Krasnoye Selo: from aerostats to airplanes

Krasnoye Selo entered aviation history twice. In 1909, Russia's first military aerostat center was founded here. On June 26 of the same year, aerostat engineer A. V. Gippenreiter lifted a hydrogen envelope with an observer on board above the field. The flight lasted about 45 minutes and gave rise to an entire school of aeronautics.

But the main miracle happened earlier. In 1882, near Krasnoye Selo on a military field, A. F. Mozhaysky became the first person in the world to lift a self-designed airplane into the air. This event foreshadowed the era of aviation and forever inscribed Krasnoye Selo in the annals of world technology.

Emperors, writers, and artists

The Krasnoye Selo camp saw many great figures. A. V. Suvorov commanded the Suzdal Infantry Regiment here during the 1765 maneuvers. Grand Duke Paul Petrovich participated as colonel of the Life-Guards Cuirassier Regiment. Nicholas II and members of the House of Romanov observed the exercises from the imperial tent.

Cultural figures also left their mark. M. Yu. Lermontov, while a cadet of the Life-Guards Hussar Regiment, participated in camp training in 1834–1836 and wrote the poem "Mongó" here. L. N. Tolstoy immortalized the Krasnoye Selo races in "Anna Karenina." Artists P. A. Fedotov and I. E. Repin captured military exercises on their canvases.

Nameless Lake and the Palace Park

The heart of the town is Nameless Lake, an artificial reservoir formed by damming the Dudergofka in 1709 to power the paper mill. Oval-shaped, almost 2 kilometers long and 400 meters wide, it was long considered the cleanest lake in the St. Petersburg area. Today it is a favorite spot for walks, and Krasnoye Selo webcams let you see it in any weather.

The Palace Park was founded in 1828 according to the plan of master gardener T. V. Gray. Over two centuries it has changed four names: "Palace Garden," "Palace Park," "Park named after V. I. Lenin," and finally, "Krasnoye Selo Park." Old linden and oak trees have been preserved here, under which, according to legend, the imperial family strolled.

Churches and memorials: memory in stone

The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1733–1735 to a design by I. Ya. Blank and rebuilt in 1854 by architect A. I. Rezanov. It is one of the oldest churches in the region, having survived the revolution and the war.

The Church of Alexander Nevsky is the only church in Russia built to a design by V. A. Kosyakov for the 1st Guards Infantry Division. It was consecrated on July 7, 1891. Its silhouette has become one of the symbols of the town.

Eight memorials to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War have been erected in Krasnoye Selo: "Feat of the Sailors of the Cruiser Aurora," "Explosion," "Assault," "Bow Cross," "To the Prisoners of Fascist Concentration Camps," "Mass Grave of Those Killed in the War," "To the Immortality of the Soldier," and the enigmatic sculpture "Grieving Mother," symbolizing the secret history of Soviet repressions.

Summer Theater and cultural life

In 1851, Nicholas I opened a summer theater in Krasnoye Selo, which quickly became the cultural center of the region. N. Samoilova, V. Komissarzhevskaya, A. Pavlova, and M. Kshesinskaya performed on its stage. Fyodor Chaliapin often gave concerts here. The racetrack, parks, military parades — Krasnoye Selo lived a full life.

Occupation and liberation

The Great Patriotic War did not spare the town. On September 12, 1941, Krasnoye Selo was occupied. For almost two and a half years it was in enemy hands, becoming part of the German defensive line on the approaches to Leningrad. On January 19, 1944, the town was liberated during the Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha operation. Today, memorials remind us of those bloody battles.

Krasnoye Selo today

Since 1925, Krasnoye Selo has held town status; since 1973, it has been a district of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). In 1996 it became a municipal formation, and in 1999 it received the name "town of Krasnoye Selo." Today it is a quiet suburb with a population of about 50,000 people, where historic buildings stand alongside modern development.

Krasnoye Selo webcams online show the town as it is now: quiet streets, green parks, reflections in Nameless Lake. It is an opportunity to see the place where Russian aviation was born and grand imperial maneuvers took place.

What the cameras show

This page collects all available Krasnoye Selo webcams. You can choose a broadcast with a view of the historic center, Nameless Lake, the Palace Park, or busy streets. Each camera operates in real time, allowing you to observe the town at any time of day. Simply select the point you are interested in and enjoy the view of Krasnoye Selo — a town with a three-hundred-year history that continues to live and develop.