The Channel of the Staraya Ladoga yesterday and today

One of the grandiose structures that Russia owes to Tsar Peter the First 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 not only. For two hundred years cargo ships were traveling along the canal . Today it is a place where people from the Leningrad region like to rest and fish. Many of them have cottages in the SNT "19 km Staroladozhsky Canal."

Geographical information

Who of the Russians does not know the legendary Ladoga Lake? 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 in the territory of which its final floodgates are located. The canal connects two rivers - the Neva and the Volkhov. Its length is 117 kilometers. Parallel to Staroladozhsky is the Novaya Ladoga canal.

Background of construction

As is known, in 1703 the emperor of Russia Peter was the first to begin construction of the city in the Neva Delta, which in the future was assigned the role of the capital. The idea was grandiose, but the embodiment of it was seriously hampered by the peculiarities of the area chosen for building. It was surrounded by numerous marshes and small rivers, so the supply of materials could be carried out only in winter, when the reservoirs were covered with thick ice. As for Lake Ladoga, it was characterized by violent "morals" and destroyed not one hundred ships together with people and valuable cargoes. In addition, those vessels that went along the Vyshnevolotsky waterway from the Volga to the Baltic, simply were not designed for travel on the lake because of their low precipitation. The storms that raged on Ladozhsky differed little from the sea ones and twisted such ships like chips.

And the future capital had to be built. And for this, among other things, it was necessary to establish a trade communication with Europe. Optimal decision Peter the First considered the creation of a canal that would bypass the lake and connect the Baltic Sea with the Nordic countries. Initially it was called the channel of the 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 about the beginning of construction.

Construction of the canal at Petra

Six months after the above-mentioned decree, the third largest construction of the era of Peter the Great began (the first and second - it is St. Petersburg and Kronstadt).

According to the project, the Staraya Ladoga canal was to have a width of 25 kilometers and a length of 111 kilometers, originating in the vicinity of Novaya Ladoga and "finishing" in Shlisselburg. It was initially planned to not equip it with gateways.

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

Peter I personally took part in the embodiment of his idea. He owns the first outline of the canal. In addition, the tsar himself personally transported the earth to the future dam on wheelbarrows on the first day of construction.

From 1719 to 1723, Major-General Skornyakov-Pisarev led the work, attracting a large number of people to construction: serfs, civilians and soldiers (total - 60 thousand people). Many of them died, unable to withstand the severe climate and harsh working conditions. This, as well as the Northern War, hampered the case, which Peter planned to complete in two years.

In 1773, arriving at the scene and assessing the situation, the Emperor was extremely dissatisfied with the pace of work. Skornyakov-Pisarev and his assistants-the master Germans-were arrested, and Petr appointed another lieutenant-general-Burchart-Christopher von Minich-as the construction supervisor.

Business has gone more live - the Staroladozhsky channel grew as on yeast. Minikh attracted to the earthworks of the military, which accelerated the process; And also proposed to add to the project floodgates, which were supposed to protect the channel from water fluctuations in Lake Ladoga.

His corrections to the plans of Peter was made by the Persian war, where most of the servicemen who participated in the construction were transferred, but this situation did not change radically.

By October 1724 the part of the canal connecting Novaya Ladoga with the village of Dubno was ready. On this site, Peter the First even managed to ride, 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. With her, the building was frozen for a while, but Minikh, who was rooting for the project no less than the deceased sovereign, made sure that the work was resumed. Since 1728, the Staraya Ladoga canal continued to be built at a rapid pace.

The last section remained, but it turned out to be the most difficult because of the stony ground. On a small stretch connecting the rivers of Kobonu and Neva, it took 2 years.

The construction of the canal was completed in October 1730.

Discovery of the Staraya Ladoga Canal

It so happened that the discovery of the child of Peter the Great happened not to his successor and his wife Catherine the First, but to their niece, Anna Ioannovna, who replaced Catherine at the "post".

The grand opening ceremony took place on March 19, 1730. During her empress Anna personally shattered the last wall (jumper) in the city of Shlisselburg.

The canal, which became the largest hydro-construction of the Old World, began to be visited by ships.

First years of operation

At first, the water transportation of cargo was carried out by the method of horse traction. The road along the Staraya Ladoga canal was constantly filled with horses (or, more rarely, barge haulers), which, with the help of twines, pulled ships.

Servicing the process involved the military, as well as volunteers from the civilian.

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

The transport value of the Staraya Ladoga (then the Petrovsky) canal was difficult to overestimate. In addition, he was given the status of a military strategic object.

Destruction and rebirth

Ten years the construction of Peter the Great worked smoothly. But the lack of proper supervision, care and maintenance played a negative role. The canal began to collapse. Gateways, slopes collapsed, water became scarce, it was strongly littered.

In such a deplorable state of affairs accused Minich. By decision of the court, Lieutenant-General was sent into exile in Siberia.

To correct the situation in 1759-1762 tried AP Hannibal (aka - arap of Peter the Great), but without success. And only returned from exile by decree of Catherine II Minnich managed to save the channel from total destruction. He secured the allocation of funds from the treasury to clear the channel and overhaul the buildings that fell into disrepair.

Interested in the success of the operation, Catherine personally conducted the inspection of the channel, and on her initiative he received a new entrance. A little later one more entrance appeared in Shlisselburg. All this increased the capacity of the waterway, and vessels began to walk more actively. In addition to freight, here also began to carry out passenger transportation on special boats - trehkotah. Navigation lasted from one hundred to two hundred days a year.

The appearance of a "successor"

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

The construction of the latter began in 1861, and ended already in 1865. Initially, the channel bore the name of Alexander II, who initiated this project, and then began to be called Novoladozhsky.

It was this structure, with more powerful and modern locks, which had a width of 50-60 meters, assumed the main "blow". A Staroladozhsky (aka Petrovsky) canal, navigation on which stopped after the drought of 1826, was on the "second cast." On it "carried out" rafts, barges with hay, and also the empty vessels returning from Petersburg.

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

The Staraya Ladoga canal today

What is the Staraya Ladoga channel today? His photos are depressing ... He is practically dry and overgrown with reeds and grass. The grandiose project of Peter the Great has a rather pathetic appearance - on most sections its width does not exceed a meter. The part of the channel that passes through the territory of Shlisselburg looks best - there are not many thickets there, and even here and there you can swim in a small boat. The bottom of the reservoir is covered by a thick layer of silt, and there is practically no flowing current.

And nevertheless, the hydroconstruction continues to be heard in the region. For example, in the media it is often possible to meet information about accidents on the Staroladozhsky channel, when unsuccessful drivers fly off the track and fall directly into the water. Many of these incidents, alas, end in fatalities.

But not only because of such deplorable reasons local residents remember the channel. Firstly, on its coast is a horticultural non-profit partnership, which is called - "19 km Staroladozhsky channel"; and secondly, Here you can have a good fish!

Garden community

Many years ago the land around the canal was chosen by amateur gardeners. The state allocated land to people here, and they happily settled them, building houses and growing fruits and vegetables. One such facility is the SNT "19 km of the Staraya Ladoga Canal". It is located in a picturesque area, surrounded on all sides by forests, where in summer there are many mushrooms, and in winter you can ski. Birch, pine and spruce grow on the sites of gardeners.

The plot of land in the SNT "19 km Staroladozhsky Canal", reviews about which are mostly positive, is the dream of many city residents who want to get the opportunity to periodically rest from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis in the bosom of nature.

The paved road leads to the partnership, there is a pumping station on the site, irrigation water can be taken from wells.

Staroladozhsky Canal: fishing and its features

Today, when navigation on the Staroladozhsky Canal has been completely abandoned, it has not lost its value in terms of fishing. Of course, it is not possible at all sites (some have been severely paralyzed, and you can not get to others because of garden associations or reeds), but here and there the places are quite "grain".

It is best to fish on a canal from a motor boat. But in the vicinity of Novaya Ladoga there are many sections where it is convenient to throw a float fishing rod or spinning and from the shore. They are found in Staraya Ladoga carp, perch, tench, bream, roach, ruff, ide, bream, rotan, pike perch, pike and some other kinds of fish. There are such shredded places that allow you to go into the water and "hunt" for prey almost barehanded. The fishermen will be pleased with the catches of the mouth of the unplanned tributaries of the canal.

Fishing is possible at any time of the year. Correctly picking up gear and bait, you can count on success.

Staroladozhsky - an object under the protection of UNESCO

Not everyone knows that the Staroladozhsky Canal, which celebrated its 285th anniversary last year, is cared for by UNESCO. The organization has included this site in the World Heritage List, since it is of historical value.

Unfortunately, this has not affected the fate of the channel. As mentioned above, he slowly dies. Water every year is less, and debris on the banks more and more. And even in the plans of the state there is no large-scale reconstruction of Staroladozhsky. If they are restored and will be, only those plots that are located on the territory of Shlisselburg and Novaya Ladoga.

Man-made miracle

In the world there are not so many creations of human hands that shock imagination. Petrovsky channel (aka Staroladozhsky) is one of them. To our contemporaries, spoiled by technological progress, it is extremely difficult to imagine how people in the early 18th century, without special machines and other equipment, were able to build such a machine. Today it seems like a real fantasy. But in fact, there was no magic. Just thousands of builders sacrificed their lives for the sake of realizing the dream of Peter the Great and made almost impossible.

These victims are due to their existence and the channel itself, and the city for which everything was created and which was destined to become the brilliant capital of the Russian Empire.