Kirishi is a city in the eastern part of Russia and lies southeast of St. Petersburg. It is the administrative center of Kirishsky District in Leningrad Oblast and has the Volkhov River flowing through it. The town has approximately 52,000 people in it as of 2022.
The city has roots that trace back to ancient times, as it was along a trade route, thus bringing many people through the area. The earliest people who established a town there were Slavic tribes who utilized agriculture and urban planning to establish the town.
The first mention of Kirishi was in documents dating to 1693, and at the time the town was known as Soltsy. It was a small village of Novgorodians who worked as carpenters and weavers and repaired ships when they came through on the Volkhov River. Throughout the years, the town would become part of various districts as power would change from ruler to ruler. In 1931, the town name changed to its current name of Kirishi. It was destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt in the 1960s with an oil refinery, thermal power plant, and other industrial facilities. The advent of these industries drew more people to the town, and in 1965, the town received city status.
There are many monuments and memorials throughout Kirishi. Below is a list of a few of them.
- Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
- Monument Tank T-34 to Defenders of Kirishi
- Monument Echo of War
- Memorial to Destroyed Villages
- Kirishi Museum of History and Local Lore
