Lebyazhye was first mentioned in 1500 as Karkila. A variant of the current name first appears in 1504/1505 in reference to the nearby Lebyazhya river, likely being a translation of an original
Ingrian Joutsenoja, with
joutsen and
лебедь both meaning "swan". The name
Joutsenoja is attested in Swedish sources (
Joutzen oia) since 1616 as a village name. The Finnish name
Lepäsi comes from the Russian name, and was used by the
Ingrian Finns. The area was conquered by
Peter the Great in the early 18th century and was given by the Tsar to
Boris Sheremetev. The Sheremetev family built a manor house here in the 18th century. After the Sheremetevs, the estate was known as Lebyazhye. In 1864, the railway was open, and in the 1860s, Lebyazhye started to specialize as a settlement for
maritime pilots who brought the ships to Saint Petersburg. In the beginning of the 20th century, Lebyazhye was a popular summer holiday destination. Among notable people who owned houses there were
Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, an author,
Valentin Bianki, a biologist, and
Vitaly Bianki, his son and a future author.
Krasnaya Gorka fort was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century on the coast near the settlement. The fort played a key part in the
Siege of Leningrad as the center of the
Oranienbaum Bridgehead during
World War II. In the beginning of the 20th century, Lebyazhye was a part of
Petergofsky Uyezds of
Saint Petersburg Governorate, with the center in
Petergof. The governorate was renamed Petrograd in 1914 and Leningrad in 1924. On February 14, 1923 Petergofsky Uyezd was merged with
Detskoselsky Uyezd to form
Gatchinsky Uyezd, with the administrative center located in
Gatchina. On February 14, 1923 Gatchina was renamed Trotsk, and Gatchinsky Uyezd was renamed Trotsky Uyezd, after
Leon Trotsky. On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Oranienbaumsky District, with the administrative center in the town of
Oranienbaum, was established. The governorates were also abolished, and the district was a part of
Leningrad Okrug of
Leningrad Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Between August 1941 and January 1944, during
World War II, Lebyazhye was a part of the
Oranienbaum Bridgehead, which was protecting the city of Saint Petersburg. On February 23, 1948 the town of Oranienbaum was renamed Lomonosov to commemorate
Mikhail Lomonosov, and the district was renamed Lomonosovsky. On November 22, 1966 Lebyazhye was granted urban-type settlement status. ==Restricted access==