Culture & social life

The Tikhvin region possesses a large multi-industry economic structure, which base is formed by manufacturing activity enterprises. The agriculture, small business and consumer’s market are rapidly developed.

Machine-building, forest, consumer goods industries and agriculture have a historical background in Tikhvin. Some branches of large-scale food store chains and trading networks belonging to Russian and western banks, commercial firms and telecommunication carriers are represented in the town. There is the furniture plant Swedwood (IKEA company), the Russian-German company involved in production of knitted garments COMAZO in Tikhvin. Municipal services, social and transportation infrastructure are actively developed alongside with the industry in the town. New apartment houses are being built; medium and small businesses are being developed.

In addition, Tikhvin remains an ecologically clean town due to pine forests surrounding it and the solicitous attitude of inhabitants to the environment.

Tikhvin receives participants of the annual Russian competition of the children’s artistic work «Tikhvinsky Lel», which is said to be one of the most major programs in the Leningrad region aimed at encouragement of young men of great abilities.

One of the key cultural events occurring in the town is related to an open international festival of wind & jazz music «September in Tikhvin», which has been annually held here since 2000. Famous jazz musicians and jazz bands from Russia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain and many other countries took part in festival programs in different years.

The Orthodox culture festival «Prazdnichnye zvony», which joins keepers of Russian heritages of North-Western and Central parts of Russia is permanently held on the dates when the apparition of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God and the Town Day are celebrated.

The Tikhvin Memorial Museum of History, Architecture & Art demonstrates the history of the site, its cloisters and churches. Nowadays, its collection numbers more than 30 000 collector’s pieces and is represented by various collections, the most valuable of which are archeological and ethnography collections, collection of icon painting and rare antique books. One of the main sights of the town is deemed to be The Memorial House of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, in which the famous composer spent his childhood.

Tikhvin is twinned with Imatra (Finland) and Hérouville-Saint-Clair (Normandy region in northern France). Within the bound of brotherhood relations some programs in the sphere of cultural life, sport, education, information technologies, business, exchanges of schoolchildren, students, teachers, doctors, sportsmen and musical bands are arranged. Weeks devoted to French & Finnish culture are annually included in the cultural program of the town. Partnership with other foreign countries, such as Sweden, Italy, Poland, Germany is expanded simultaneously with the development of brotherhood relations.

The town of Tikhvin regarded as an ancient city with rich history, traditions, customs, handicrafts and cultural life is among 13 Russian cities a member of the Hanse (Hanseatic League) of the modern age, which aim is to keep cultural & historical heritage and development of tourism.