Rivers and Lakes

Volga River

The river forms a wide delta, receiveing the water of some 200 tributaries (long rivers, small streams and brooks). The Volga basin produces 25% of all Russia’s crops and one fifth of industrial fishing. The river contains 70 species of fish, including...

Rybinsk Sea

Rybinsk Sea is one of the biggest man-made water-reservoirs of the world. It stretches for 140 km, reaching a width of up to 60 km. This man-made sea became the next crossing of waterways. From here a route to the Baltic Sea through the Volga-Baltic system...

Moscow canal

Peter I had an idea to make a water way from Moscow to the Baltic Sea, as it could be quite reliable and cheap. For this purpose he used to go to the town of Dmitrov for researching the future water route. However, only one hundred years later the real...

Svir river

The Svir unites the two biggest lakes in Europe, Onega and Ladoga. It issues from the former and empties into the latter. The river, which is 224 km long, is a part of the White Sea-Baltic and Volga-Baltic Canal system. Two hydroelectric stations are...

Ladoga Lake

Ladoga Lake is the largest in Europe, twice as large as Onega. It is 18,000 km2 in area, with a maximum length of 219 km, an average width of 83 km and an average depth of 50 m. Its boundless space looks like a sea, as no shore is visible from its open...

White Lake

Traversing the White Lake should take only about 2 hours. Although this naturally formed lake is quite larger (1,380 kilometers) it is still technically considered part of the Volga-Baltic canal. Mention of the ancient White Lake has been frequent in...

Neva river

The Neva river which has its source in Lake Ladoga, is 72 km long and empties in the Gulf of Finland. The river’s name is derived from the Finnish word nevo “swampy’; it is a suitable description of the river estuary. The Neva which is the first claimed...

Lake Onega

The shape of Lake Onega reminds of a lobster with only one claw. Covering an area of 10,000 sq. km it is thus the second largest lake in Europe. The average depth is 30 meters, however, there are parts of the lake which are 120 meters deep. More than...

Sheksna River

The Sheksna, which connects the Rybinsk reservoir and the White Lake consists of three parts: the upper Sheksna (52 km long), the Sheksna reservoir (66 km long) and the Lower Sheksna (68 km long) The upper Sheksna and the Sheksna Reservoir are separated...

The Volga-Baltic Waterway

The Volga-Baltic Waterway from north to south consists of the Vytegra Canal, water distribution canal the Kovzha river, the White Lake and the Sheksna River. It connects the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. The canal has 8 locks, eight hydroelectric power stations...