Pra River in the village of Zavodskaya Sloboda

The Pra River in the village of Zavodskaya Sloboda is located in the center of the Meshchera National Park. The Paustovsky Trail begins here – one of the most interesting tourist routes in Meshchera. However, when you arrive here, take a walk through the village itself and come to the bend of the Pra River. From the high bank there are beautiful views of the river with brown water.

Currently, Zavodskaya Sloboda is one of the small villages in the middle of the National Park. Many houses here were bought by people who live in the Zavodskaya Sloboda only in summer, relaxing in the midst of beautiful nature and clean air. In some houses people live all year round. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Zavodskaya Sloboda was about 600 people, but according to the 2010 census, only 23 people live permanently in the village. However, the village does not look abandoned, it is flourishing today.

The village of Zavodskaya Sloboda was founded in the early 19th century by Countess Anna de Broglio. She owned the village of Grishino (near the town of Spas Klepiki), but agriculture did not generate income. Then she took out a loan to establish a factory for the production of metal tableware. At first, the machines were installed in the village of Grishino, but they had to be driven by horse traction.

Such work of the factory was not effective, and the Countess de Boglio decided to move it to the banks of the Pra River. A dam and hydraulic facilities were built here, which provided the drive of the machines. A settlement for workers was founded next to the factory, which was named Zavodskaya Sloboda. By the middle of the 19th century, the factory in Zavodskaya Sloboda had become the largest metalworking enterprise in the Ryazan region. The quality of the factory`s products from the Zavodskaya Sloboda was high and was sold throughout Russia.

Nowadays, there is nothing left of that factory in the Zavodskaya Sloboda. If you are not afraid of swimming in brown water, then there is a small sandy beach in the bend of the river. You can walk along the high bank of the river to see very beautiful landscapes and then walk to the bridge over the river Pra. Here begins the Paustovsky Trail, laid in the most protected area of the Meshchera National Park.