Village of Nikola-Lenivets

The small village of Nikola-Lenivets is located on the high bank of the Ugra River on the territory of the Ugra National Park. It is impossible to count how many such tiny villages are scattered throughout Russia, but thousands of creative people from Russia and other countries of the world come to Nikola-Lenivets every year. They exchange experience and implement joint creative projects. 

The village of Nikola-Lenivets is located on the top of the hill, where the Trinity Church was built in 1802. It was closed in 1930. In Soviet times, one of the dairy farm workshops was located in the church. In the 1980s, the village was abandoned by people. The old people lived out their lives in their native village, milk production in the former church stopped.  

In the 1990s, summer cottages appeared on the site of abandoned houses. However, the revival of the village was hampered by the lack of good roads and "remoteness from civilization". In the early 2000s, the remoteness from civilization attracted artists Nikolai Polissky and Vasily Shchetinin to this place. Other artists came here to visit them.  

Since 2006, the village of Nikola-Lenivets has become the venue for the festival of creative people Arkhstanding. A huge territory of several hundred hectares has turned into the largest Russian art park Nikola-Lenivets. The festival is held at the end of July and more than 10 thousand people come to it. 

In a large area around the village from 2006 to 2023, architects and artists installed more than 100 art objects. In the village of Nikola-Lenivets itself, you can see two art objects: the Lighthouse and Nikolino Ear. The Lighthouse is located near a beautiful bend of the Ugra River. It became a symbol of the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park. On the high bank near the church in 2009, the Nikolino Ear art object was installed. Artists say that you can "listen to silence" in it.  

The stone structure of the Trinity Church in the village of Nikola-Lenivets has been perfectly preserved to this day, but inside the church is empty. Near the church there are several summer cottages and one large house of artists. Perhaps the Church Diocese of Kaluga is not restoring this church due to the absence of a parish. There are almost no permanent residents in the village.