Ladoga Canal

The Ladoga Canal (Russian: Лaдожский канал, romanized: Ladozhsky Canal) is a historical water transport route, now situated in Leningrad Oblast, linking the Neva and the Svir River so as to bypass the stormy waters of Lake Ladoga which lies immediately to the northwest.

One part of the Vyshny Volochyok Waterway (1709) linking the Volga river to the Baltic Sea, passed through Lake Ladoga.

The Ladoga section of the route was one of the most difficult and dangerous because the lake is prone to winds and storms which destroyed hundreds of cargo ships.

The task of completing the canal was taken from private hands and entrusted to Burkhard Christoph von Münnich who liberally utilized soldier labour.

[citation needed] A 29-kilometre (18 mi) long section between the Volkhov River and the village of Chornoe was completed and opened to traffic in 1726.