The water bodies of the European part of Russia are connected into a single network suitable for navigation of cargo and passenger ships, yachts and boats. Between St. Petersburg and Moscow there are real "floating hotels" - well-equipped motor ships. The movement is possible due to the fact that in 1964 the Volga-Baltic Canal united lakes and rivers in northwestern Russia. Initially, the path was called Mariinsky, and in 1964 it got its modern name. River cruises along the Volga-Balt have become a fascinating and prestigious type of vacation for Russians and foreign tourists.
Mariinka - predecessor of the Volga-Balta
Attempts to connect the Volga basin and the Baltic Sea were made during the reign of Peter the Great, but only in 1810 the Mariinsky water network was opened for the movement of ships. This grandiose project of hydro builders of the Russian Empire was awarded the highest award at the Paris International Exhibition (1813). The beginning of the Mariinsky system was Rybinsk, then the movement was carried out along the Sheksna River, lake. White, r. Kovzhe, the Mariinsky Canal, which crossed the watershed of the Volga and Baltic basins. Further, the route continued along the river. Vytegra, lake Onega, p. Sviri, Lake Ladoga and r. Neve. The total length of the waterway was about 1100 km. In 1829, the Mariinsky Way was connected to the White Sea by canals, paved artificial channels were laid. The largest reconstruction of the system began in the 1960s, when the Volga-Baltic Canal was built. The map of the new highway in some places coincided with the Mariinsky, but part of its engineering structures remained on the sidelines. The waterway, which began near the city of Cherepovets, provided the connection of the basins of 5 seas: the Baltic, White, Azov, Black and Caspian.
Waterway between the Volga and the Baltic
Before the creation of a modern water transport system, dredging was carried out on the Neva and Svir rivers. In 1964, on the site of the 150-year-old Mariinsky, a new highway began to operate. A deeper Volga-Baltic Canal was built with fewer locks than in tsarist times and a modern control system. The engineering and hydraulic system was supplemented by 3 hydroelectric power stations, dozens of earth dams and other structures. The total length of the route from the Neva to the entrance to the Rybinsk Reservoir reached 857 km. Passenger transportation was launched by the Krasnogvardeets ship, which departed in the last days of June 1964 from Leningrad to Yaroslavl.
Modern Volga-Baltic Waterway
The route from St. Petersburg to the city of Cherepovets consistently includes: p. Nevu Lake Ladoga, r. Svir, lake Onega, Volga-Baltic Canal crossing the watershed between the Caspian and Baltic basins. The length of the artificial channel connecting the Rybinsk reservoir with Lake Onega exceeds 360 km. The elevation difference in the northern part of the watershed is 113 m, the Volga - 13.5 m. The Volga-Baltic Canal includes numerous hydraulic structures (hydroelectric facilities, locks, reservoirs), their construction led to a rise in the water level in some areas by tens of meters. The outlines of the shores have changed, new islands have appeared. At the bottom of the Sheksninsky or Cherepovets reservoir located on the territory of the Vologda Oblast, the old Mariinsky locks remained.
River cruise - a fascinating journey on a yacht, boat, boat
Cruises along the Volga-Baltic Canal are sailing along the Volga, Neva, other rivers, as well as lakes, canals. Comfortable passenger ships go along the main routes. The schedule of their movement includes stops so that travelers can see the sights on the banks of ponds and islands. After interesting excursions, tourists relax in cozy cabins, eat in restaurants offering guests to taste a variety of dishes. Passenger leisure is organized on cruise ships, “green parking lots” (picnics, bathing, sports and other entertainments) take place on the shore.
Features of the territory along which the Volga-Baltic waterway is laid
A map of a hilly plain interrupted by swampy depressions does not provide a complete picture of the amazing landscapes. On the banks stretch meadows and small forests with peat bogs. The climate is moderate, but its conditions in Lake Ladoga are slightly different. Here, northerly winds can cause storms, in November they create dangerous conditions for swimming. The current along the entire length of the channel is weak, the average height of the wind waves is 1.5 m. The most favorable months for travel are June and July. Summer in the north-west of Russia is moderately warm, less wind power and excitement in Ladoga. It is time for white nights, which allows you to admire the beauty of northern nature around the clock.
Pearls in the “necklace” of the Volga-Baltic Way
Ladoga and Onega lakes belong to the group of the largest natural reservoirs in Europe. The basins owe their origin to the glacier that arose more than 100 centuries ago. The maximum depth of Lake Ladoga is more than 230 m, Onega - 120 m. On the shores of the lakes you can see "lamb foreheads" - the so-called boulders processed with glacier tongues.
Picturesque forests and cliffs alternate with sandy beaches. Spruce and pine prevail, there are birch, aspen, elm, alder. Summer pleases with lush grass, a wealth of flowers and berries. The fauna numbers dozens of species of mammals and birds, among which there are many waterfowl. Commercial fish (whitefish, perch, carp and others) feel great in water bodies. An ecologically clean lake-forest land, remote from megacities and industrial giants, the Volga-Baltic Canal, as if created for travel and recreation. Ladoga and Onega are not the only natural pearls in the Volga-Balt necklace. White Lake, reservoirs contribute to maintaining the image of a popular recreational area. On the shores there are convenient boat marinas, parkings, cafes, playgrounds and gazebos for recreation.
Fascinating Volga-Baltic travels
The nature of the North-West of the Russian Federation pleases with magnificent views of the lake-forest, swamp and river region. The protected places attract hundreds of thousands of travelers. Tourists who travel from St. Petersburg to Moscow and in the opposite direction will see signs of a distant historical past in the very heart of Russia. So, by analogy with the Egyptian desert, inhabited in ancient times by hermits, followers of the early Christian teachings, the monasteries of Belozerya were called "Russian Thebaid."
Popular cruise destinations:
- one-day excursions to the island of Valaam on Lake Ladoga;
- visit to Kizhi island and the museum-reserve;
- excursions by boat on Lake Ladoga and Onega;
- travel along the Volga-Balt with a visit to the capital of Russia and other routes.
Contrasts of the Volga-Balt
City landscapes, moving away from St. Petersburg to the east and south, and from Moscow to the north, are gradually replaced by landscapes of the lake-forest region. Before the gaze of passengers on a cruise ship or yacht, ancient buildings, wonderful corners of nature float. When traveling along the Volga-Balt, you can visit St. Petersburg and its suburbs, see the sights of Moscow, monasteries, historical places - Uglich, Yaroslavl and others.
With trepidation, many travelers and pilgrims go to the island of Valaam in the waters of Lake Ladoga, where the famous monastery is located . Kizhi island rises above the water surface of Onega, the glory of which was created by the samples of Russian architecture of the 18th century. As you approach the capital, well-groomed smooth shores and grandiose concrete structures pass by, quiet splashes of river water are heard overboard the cruise ship. Tourists get an unforgettable experience from the contrasts of the northern nature and urban landscapes of the main cities of Russia in Moscow and St. Petersburg.