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 Russian history and folklore ever since its shores were settled by Veps tribes in the 8th century. Ever since, it has steadily served as trade bridge between Russia’s North and South. In the 17th century, the lake has become known as the ‘tsar’s fishing grounds’, as government boats cruised around enforcing a fish tax on all fishermen but those from nearby monasteries.

The lake was incorporated into the Mariinskaya System in the 19th century, & subsequently into the Volga-Baltic canal. It was used to absorb the overflow of the Sheksna River, a role that influenced its natural currents & flooded portions of its shores. The circular shoreline formed over a period of thousands of years, suddenly disappeared, & decaying, submerged forests soon endangered the underwater ecosystem.

A host of rivers flows into the White Lake, contributing to its 1,400 square kilometer area. Only one river, the Sheksna, drains the lake. The lake bottom, for the most part, is uniformly flat & sandy, making for a consistent depth of five meters. Northern winds occasionally induce sizable daytime swells, while fogs can creep in and cover the lake during still nights. For most of the summer though, ships can count on smooth & easy sailing.

(This is exactly what we’re having now. We’ll be sailing over the White lake for 2 more hours. So you’ll have a chance to enjoy & admire calm & smooth waters of this beautiful lake.)