The church was constructed in 1907-1924 to replace an older wooden one dating back to 1777. Closed in 1950s, currently plundered and abandoned.
As for the place, now it looks completely wild and forlorn, with ruins of two very old houses on the southern side of the road. I even drove past them despite all my attempts to see any landmarks at night.
Nikola-Renya village doesn’t exist any longer. It was situated 6 km eastwards (I think, a bit more: count 6,5km by your mileage indicator and begin looking around, otherwise you will run a risk of missing your destination) of Lyubegoshchi village, along Sandovo-Lyubegoshchi-Vesyegonsk road and on the right side of Renya river, more correctly, a stream. The toponym is compound: its first part is derived from the St. Nicolas side-altar of a previous wooden Assumption church that had been existing 1777 to 1915, the second is hydronym.
In the village vicinity a group of 44 Vepsian mounds dating back to XI–XII centuries has been preserved.
I have to warn all travelers that at night neither church nor ruins of houses are seen, so you will have either rely on your navigator or gaze around. Your turn is here 58°35’51.51”N 36°55’03.22”E, the church is 100m away from the road.
Road conditions can be an issue. If you drive from Saint-Petersburg via Ustyuzhna and Sandovo, the local dirt road is quite good up to the boundary with Vesyegonsk district, except for sporadic puddles and fallen trees (I was there right after a thunderstorm), but right after crossing the districts boundary city cars can find themselves in trouble. My advice is that you shouldn’t try to make a deed like that in spring, autumn and rainy weather, even more to say, the previous year the road was washed out somewhere.
A field
where the church is situated is used for grazing, no indications of hay mowing
were detected, so grass is high, dew is everywhere. Keep high boots
ready.
Night. f8, shutter speed 2s, CPL-filter, standard lens.
