Staraya Ladoga channel yesterday and today

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

One of the grandiose structures that Russia owes to Tsar Peter the Great is the Staraya Ladoga Canal. At one time, he played a huge role in the development of the state, ensuring uninterrupted trade with Europe and beyond. For two hundred years, cargo ships sailed along the canal. Today it is a place where residents of the Leningrad region like to relax and fish. Many of them have dachas in the SNT "19 km of the Staraya Ladoga Canal".

Geographic reference

Which Russian does not know the legendary Lake Ladoga? After all, it became a saving bridge for thousands of Leningraders during the blockade. It is along the coast of this lake that the Staraya Ladoga Canal stretches. Shlisselburg and Novaya Ladoga are the cities where its final gateways are located. The canal connects two rivers - the Neva and the Volkhov. Its length is 117 kilometers. Parallel to the Staraya Ladoga Canal, the Novoladozhsky Canal runs.

Construction background

As you know, in 1703 the Emperor of Russia Peter was the first to start building a city in the Neva delta, which in the future was assigned the role of the capital. The idea was great, but the executionit was seriously hampered by the peculiarities of the area chosen for development. It was surrounded by numerous swamps and shallow rivers, so the supply of materials could only be carried out in winter, when the reservoirs were covered with thick ice. As for Lake Ladoga, it was notable for its violent “temper” and destroyed more than one hundred ships along with people and valuable cargo. In addition, those ships that went along the Vyshnevolotsk waterway from the Volga to the B altic were simply not designed to travel on the lake due to their low draft. The storms that raged on Ladoga differed little from those of the sea and turned such ships like chips.

And the future capital had to be built. And for this, among other things, it was necessary to establish trade links with Europe. Peter the Great considered the creation of a canal that would bypass the lake and connect the B altic with the northern European countries as the optimal solution. Initially, it was called the Canal of Emperor Peter the Great, then Petrovsky, Ladoga, and today it is known as the Staraya Ladoga Canal. Its history began in 1718 with the decree of Peter I on the start of construction.

Construction of the canal under Petra

Six months after the aforementioned decree, the third largest construction project of the era of Peter the Great began in Russia (the first and second are St. Petersburg and Kronstadt).

According to the project, the Staraya Ladoga Canal was supposed to have a width of 25 kilometers and a length of 111 kilometers, starting in the vicinity of Novaya Ladoga and "finishing" in Shlisselburg. Its gateways were originally planneddo not equip.

Construction promised to be difficult and very costly. The sovereign even introduced a special “channel” tax throughout Russia, amounting to 70 kopecks from each peasant household and 5 kopecks from each ruble earned by merchants.

Peter I personally took part in the realization of his idea. He owns the first sketches of the channel. In addition, the king personally transported earth on wheelbarrows to the future dam on the first day of construction.

From 1719 to 1723, the work was led by Major General Skornyakov-Pisarev, who attracted a huge number of people to the construction: serfs, civilians and soldiers (60 thousand people in total). Many of them died, unable to withstand the harsh climate and difficult working conditions. This, as well as the Northern War, slowed down the work that Peter planned to complete in two years.

In 1773, having arrived at the scene and assessed the situation, the sovereign was extremely dissatisfied with the pace of work. Skornyakov-Pisarev and his assistants - German artisans - were arrested, and Peter appointed another lieutenant general, Burkhart-Christopher von Munnich, as the supervisor of the construction.

Things went faster - the Staraya Ladoga Canal grew by leaps and bounds. Minich involved the military in earthworks, which accelerated the process; and also suggested adding locks to the project, which were supposed to protect the canal from water fluctuations in Lake Ladoga.

The Persian war made its own adjustments to Peter's plans, where most of the servicemen who participated in the construction were transferred, but this did not fundamentally change the situation.

KOctober 1724 was ready part of the canal connecting Novaya Ladoga with the village of Dubno. Peter the Great even managed to ride along this section, and this visit to the canal was his last.

Construction under Catherine the First

The deceased Peter on the throne was replaced by Catherine the First. Under her rule, construction was frozen for some time, but Minich, who was rooting for the project no less than the late sovereign, ensured that work was resumed. Since 1728, the construction of the Staraya Ladoga Canal continued at an accelerated pace.

There was the last section, but it turned out to be the most difficult because of the rocky ground. It took 2 years to complete a short section connecting the Kobona and Neva rivers.

The canal was completed in October 1730.

Opening of the Staraya Ladoga Canal

It just so happened that it was not his successor and wife Catherine the Great who opened the brainchild of Peter the Great, but their niece Anna Ioannovna, who replaced Catherine at the “post”.

The solemn opening ceremony took place on March 19, 1730. In the course of it, Empress Anna personally destroyed the last wall (lintel) on the territory of the city of Shlisselburg with a shovel.

Ships began to sail along the canal, which became the largest hydraulic structure in the Old World.

First years of operation

At first, water transportation of goods was carried out by horse traction. The road along the Old Ladoga Canal was constantly filled with horses (or, less often, barge haulers), who pulled ships with the help of twine.

Maintenancethe process was carried out by the military, as well as civilian volunteers.

The launch of the new facility very quickly transformed the surrounding areas. A powerful impetus to development was given to trade, fishing, agriculture, and handicrafts. The population grew steadily, towns, villages and cities were built.

The transport significance of the Staroladoga (then still Petrovsky) canal could hardly be overestimated. In addition, he was given the status of a military strategic facility.

Destruction and rebirth

For ten years the building of Peter the Great worked without interruption. But the lack of proper control, care and maintenance played a negative role. The channel began to collapse. Locks fell into disrepair, slopes collapsed, there was not enough water, it was heavily littered.

Minich was blamed for this deplorable state of affairs. By court decision, the lieutenant general was sent into exile in Siberia.

To correct the situation in 1759-1762, A. P. Hannibal tried (he is Peter the Great's black man), but to no avail. And only after returning from exile by decree of Catherine the Second, Minich managed to save the canal from complete destruction. He achieved the allocation of funds from the treasury to clear the channel and overhaul the structures that had fallen into disrepair.

Ekaterina, interested in the success of the operation, personally inspected the canal, and on her initiative, he received a new entrance. Somewhat later, another entrance appeared in Shlisselburg. All this increased the capacity of the water artery, and ships began to navigate it even more actively. Apart fromcargo, here also began to carry out passenger transportation on special boats - treshkot. Navigation lasted from one hundred to two hundred days a year.

The appearance of the "successor"

The Russian state developed, the scale of trade grew, and it became difficult for the Staraya Ladoga Canal to fulfill its "obligations". Therefore, at the beginning of the 19th century, it was decided to build another canal.

The construction of the latter began in 1861 and ended in 1865. Initially, the channel was named after Alexander II, who initiated this project, and then became known as Novoladozhsky.

It was this structure, with more powerful and modern locks, which had a width of 50-60 meters, that took the main "blow". And the Staroladoga (aka Petrovsky) Canal, navigation through which was stopped after the drought of 1826, turned out to be on the sidelines. Rafts, barges with hay, as well as empty ships returning from St. Petersburg were "guided" through it.

When at the beginning of the 20th century a railway was laid parallel to the canals, the demand for both water arteries dropped sharply.

Staraya Ladoga channel today

What is the Staraya Ladoga Canal today? His photos are depressing … It is almost dry and overgrown with reeds and grass. The grandiose project of Peter the Great has a rather pathetic appearance - in most areas its width does not exceed a meter. The part of the canal that runs through the territory of Shlisselburg looks best - there are not very many thickets there, and even in some placesyou can sail on a small boat. The bottom of the reservoir is covered with a thick layer of silt, and there is practically no running current.

Nevertheless, the hydroconstruction continues to be a buzzword in the region. So, for example, in the media you can often find information about an accident on the Staraya Ladoga Canal, when unfortunate drivers fly off the highway and fall directly into the water. Many of these incidents, alas, end in death.

But not only on such deplorable occasions, the locals remember the channel. Firstly, on its coast there is a horticultural non-profit partnership, which is called “19 km of the Staraya Ladoga Canal”; and secondly, you can go fishing here!

Garden Association

Many years ago, amateur gardeners chose the land in the vicinity of the canal. The state allocated plots to people here, and they settled them with pleasure, building houses and growing fruits and vegetables. One of such objects is SNT "19 km of the Staraya Ladoga Canal". It is located in a picturesque area, surrounded on all sides by forests, where in summer it is full of mushrooms, and in winter you can go skiing. Birches, pines and spruces also grow in gardeners' plots.

A plot of land in the SNT "19 km of the Staraya Ladoga Canal", reviews of which are mostly positive, is the dream of many city dwellers who want to get the opportunity to periodically relax from the bustle of the metropolis in the bosom of nature.

An asph alt road leads to the partnership, there is a pumping station at the facility itself, irrigation water can be taken from wells.

Staraya Ladoga Canal: fishing and its features

Today, when navigation on the Staraya Ladoga Canal is completely stopped, it has not lost its value in terms of fishing. Of course, it is far from possible in all areas (some are very dry, and you can’t get close to others because of garden partnerships or reed thickets), but in some places the places are quite “bread”.

The best way to fish on the canal is from a motorboat. But in the vicinity of Novaya Ladoga there are many areas where it is convenient to cast a float rod or spinning rod from the shore. Carp, perch, tench, silver bream, roach, ruff, ide, bream, rotan, pike perch, pike and some other types of fish are found in Staraya Ladoga. There are such crushed places here that allow you to enter the water and “hunt” prey with almost your bare hands. Fishermen will be pleased with the catch of the mouth of the non-alloyable tributaries of the channel.

Fishing is possible at any time of the year. By choosing the right tackle and bait, you can count on success.

Staraya Ladoga is a UNESCO protected site

Not everyone knows that the Staraya Ladoga Canal, which celebrated its 285th anniversary last year, is under the patronage of UNESCO. The organization has included this site in the World Heritage List because of its historical value.

Unfortunately, this has not affected the fate of the channel yet. As noted above, he is slowly dying. Every year there is less and less water, and more and more garbage on the banks. And even in the plans of the state there is no large-scale reconstruction of Staraya Ladoga. If they restore and will, then only thoseplots located on the territory of Shlisselburg and Novaya Ladoga.

Man-made miracle

There are not so many creations of human hands in the world that stagger the imagination. Petrovsky Canal (aka Staroladoga) is one of them. It is extremely difficult for our contemporaries, spoiled by technological progress, to imagine how people at the beginning of the 18th century, without special machines and other equipment, were able to build such a colossus. Today it seems like a real fantasy. But in reality there was no magic. It's just that thousands of builders sacrificed their lives in the name of realizing the dream of Peter the Great and did the almost impossible.

The canal itself owes its existence to these victims, and the city for which everything was started and which was destined to become the brilliant capital of the Russian Empire.