Ladoga lake... The biggest fresh reservoir in Europe... And what do we know about it? You will see its basic characteristics below, you will find many interesting and useful data on our terrible and fine, mysterious and well familiar Nevo Lake.

The basic characteristics of the lake.

General characteristic

Ladoga lake – the largest reservoir of Europe and one of the most northern among great lakes of the world. It occupies the space of 18330 sq. km, from which 460 sq. km. fall at islands. Volume of water weight – 838 cubic kilometers.

The lake hollow is located near the connection of two largest geological structures of Europe – the Baltic crystal board and Russian platform. Northern part of Ladoga is on suburb of the Baltic crystal board fold down with crouan, gneisses, pegmatites, the micaceous slates covered everywhere with a cover of quaternary adjournment of small capacity. In process of advancement to the south capacity of friable quaternary adjournment increases, there is a gradual immersing of slopes of a crystal board under powerful thicknesses of sedimentary breeds of Russian platform. Coast of northwest and northern parts of Ladoga, combined by rocky breeds, are high and strongly cut up. The coast is covered by numerous islands. The combination of a considerable quantity of islands, channels and gulfs that are far pressing in a land forms original area of Ladoga lake. A relief of the bottom of northern part of lake is very complicated. It is characterised by alternation of the deep-water hollows which depth exceeds 100 metres with shallow sites. The maximum depth of this lake is 230 metres. Outside this area, both on the western coast, and on east the lake is notable for flat sites with rather narrow sandy beaches. In the direction of south the relief of coast and a bottom becomes more flat and equal.You can often meet sandy and stone bays, and also congestions of boulders. The southern part ofthe lake is formed by three shallow gulfs: a bay Petrokrepost with average depth of 4 metres, the Volkhov lip (8 m.) and the Svirsky lip (3 m.)

HISTORY

The Old Ladoga channel (the channel of Emperor Peter the Great) — the water transport way that connects the rivers Volkhov and Neva, constructed at the initiative of king-reformer Peter the Great.It has extent about 117 km. In 1861 - 1866 along coast of Ladoga lake near the channel of Emperor Peter the Great (because of its shallowing) has been dug new grandiose channel without sloop which has received a name of Emperor Alexander II Liberator. Opening and consecration of the channel, created just in 5 years, has taken place on September, 1st, 1866. This the channel now carries the name New Ladoga.

The Ladoga channel building has begun in 1719, at Peter I. [1] at that time rough economic development of Russia demanded considerable expansion of means of communication, especially water means. One of the sites of the Vyshnevolotsky waterway connecting Volga with Baltic sea, passed through Ladoga lake. This site was one of the most difficult and dangerous — frequent stormy wind became a cause of death of hundreds ships with cargo. In the decree from November, 18th, 1718 of Peter I it is told:

«What a great loss for all the time on Ladoga lake happens from thin courts, and that only one this summer about one thousand courts was gone ...».

In connection with the initiative of Peter the roundabout way building connecting Volkhov and Neva has begun. The length of the channel under the project made 111 kilometres, it began near the city New Ladoga and came to an end in Shlisselburg where Neva originates from Ladoga lake. Under the project it should be without sluices, depth of 2,1 m below level of Ladoga lake.

At the outset the building was strongly tightened in connection with negligent business management by the company of contractors and the head of works Grigory Skornjakov-Pisarev. In autumn of 1723 Peter personally inspected the building then has ordered to arrest Skornjakov-Pisarev and lock masters-Germans and to spend over them proceeding. After that the state took upon itself the channel building . And in the summer of 1725 it have been involved to the building as civilian workers (7 thousand persons), and soldiers of regular army (18 thousand persons).

The building of this channel was the second large hydraulic engineering building at the time of Peter.

In 1726 the site between Volkhov and village Chernoye of total length 29 kilometers has been finished , along the site courts began to pass. It has considerably accelerated work as now materials were delivered to the place by water.

On October, 22nd, 1730 the channel building had been finished, and in spring 1731 water crafts became to sail down the channel. Due to the fact that the channel differed from originally conceived, and had depth of less than 1 metre, in Shlisselburg and New Ladoga sluices for maintenance of depth necessary for navigation have been built. At that point in time the channel was the largest hydraulic engineering construction of Europe.

New Ladoga channel building

In 1826 navigation on the Ladoga channel has completely stopped because of a strong drought and consequently new granite sluices in Shliselburge have been constructed. In New Ladoga have established steam pumps (productivity of 310 m ³ a day) which pumped over water from Volkhov in the channel. The same year researches have been spent and some projects on channel deepening are made. But any master builder did not undertake performance of works. In this connection the department overland and waterways has made decision to construct the new channel, but already without sluices and with dimensions: width on a mirror of -36 m, on a bottom — 26 m, depth at the lowest level in the lake — 1,8 m.

The building began on May, 28th 1861, and on September, 1st, 1866 the channel has been opened for marine propulsion. The new channel was named New Ladoga, it is parallel with Old channel, closer to Ladoga lake. Extent - 110 km. Budget sum- 4,6 million rbl. It is sometimes mentioned that on this channel there was a gathering at a rate of 0,5 % from cargo cost.

With the advent of railways the basic attention in development of transport system has been transferred from a sailing charter to rail road. Now the Old Ladoga channel is unsuitable for navigation, it practically became overgrown. New Ladoga channel is used for sailing small displacement courts.

The convenient arrangement of Relaxation Camping «New Ligovo» allows to reach operatively to craft and fishing places through the channels connecting the New-Ladoga channel with Ladoga lake, and also to places of hunting towards the Old-Ladoga channel on picturesque internal lakes and reservoirs.