🏙️ Nizino webcams — watch the village online in real time

Nizino — a village on the Babigon Heights

Nizino is a large village in the Lomonosovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, located on the Babigon Heights near Peterhof. This place is known for its unique combination of natural landscapes and historical monuments created during the Russian Empire era. The village was first mentioned in 17th-century documents, but its real development came in the 18th-19th centuries, when a grand ensemble was created here to supply water to the fountains of Peterhof.

History of the village of Nizino

The area has been known since the 15th century under the name Popovaya Gora, which in Swedish land records was designated as Pappingondo (Popov Yard). After the liberation of these lands from Swedish rule, a second name appeared — Babiy Gon, allegedly a corruption of the Swedish term. In the 1750s, under Empress Elizabeth, the first fruit garden in the area was planted here. By 1913, the number of households had increased to 70. According to 1933 data, the Babigon Finnish National Village Council included 19 settlements with a total population of 1,511 people.

Attractions of Nizino

The village of Nizino is famous for its historical and architectural monuments. The main attractions include the 18th-century fountain water conduit, the Meadow Park covering more than 85 hectares, the Church of the Holy Martyr Tsarina Alexandra built in 1854, the 80-meter-high Babigon Hill, the Pink Pavilion of 1847, and the Belvedere of 1853-1856. Many of these sites can be seen via live webcams.

Meadow Park and the fountain water conduit

The fountain water conduit is an 18th-century architectural and hydraulic engineering monument originating in the Nizino settlement. The total length of the canals is 49 km, with 18 reservoir ponds along the way, holding more than 1.3 million cubic meters of water. The Meadow Park occupies an area of more than 85 hectares, of which nearly 18 are taken up by nine ponds: Bolshoy Zapasny (Nikolsky), Samsonovsky (Maly Zapasny), Orliny, Ruinny, Krugly, Melnichny, Sapyorny, Babigonsky, and Tserkovny. The water from these ponds is fed through the Peterhof Canal to supply the fountains and cascades of the Upper Garden and Lower Park of Peterhof.

Church of the Holy Martyr Tsarina Alexandra

The church was built in 1854 designed by architect A.I. Stackenschneider. The temple became the spiritual center of the Babigon Heights. The last Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Nicholas II, also loved to visit the church on the Babigony. Today the church is active and is one of the key attractions of the village.

Babigon Heights and the Belvedere

The 80-meter-high Babigon Hill is the dominant point of the area. It is home to the Belvedere, built in 1853-1856. After the October Revolution, the palace became a workers' rest home. During the Great Patriotic War, it was seriously damaged and sculptural groups were irretrievably lost. After restoration in 1953-1956, the rest home reopened. Currently, extensive restoration work is underway. From the upper gallery, you can see the Gulf of Finland, Kronstadt, and St. Petersburg. In the 19th century, a special lifting machine operated here — a prototype of the modern elevator.

Cultural life and tourism

The Center for Culture, Sports, and Youth Policy of the Nizino Rural Settlement carefully preserves the memory of the past of these amazing places. The village has a private bakery where bread is made according to old recipes — natural sourdough bread from the oven. The House of Culture has museum exhibits. A bus and walking tour "Journey through the expanses of the Babigon Heights" is being developed — a 5-hour program connecting the birthplace of architect Andrey Stackenschneider with the place where his ideas were realized on the Babigon Heights.

What the cameras show

Nizino live webcams allow you to observe the life of the village in real time. The cameras are installed at key points: views of the Babigon Heights, Meadow Park, the fountain water conduit, and the central streets. Broadcasts are available around the clock, allowing you to see both daytime activity and evening landscapes. To watch, simply select the camera you are interested in from the list below — and you will find yourself in the very heart of the Babigon Heights without leaving your home.