There is such a charming region in Russia, the attractiveness of which is given by the magnificent mirror-like surface of countless lakes. Some information about it wonderful place can be found in this article. Here we will talk about the diversity of the landscape of this region, about where Lake Ladoga is located. A description will also be given.

This area occupies the northwestern part great Russia. It is discreet and at the same time surprisingly attractive and diverse. Taiga landscapes give way to swamps rich in cloudberries, lingonberries and cranberries. The more elevated areas are decorated with spruce forests and small-leaved forests.

This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. The length is 219 km, and the largest width is 138 km. The eastern and northern parts of it belong to Karelia, and the southern and southeastern shores belong to the Leningrad region. The water capacity of this lake is 908 km³.

Previously, the Littorin Sea was connected to the lake by a wide strait, and the river. Mga flowed to the east and also flowed into it.

Where it is now, the land rose rapidly, and thus the lake, after time, turned into a reservoir of a closed type. The water level began to increase, its waters flooded the river valley. Mga and broke into the Tosna valley. 4000 years ago, a strait appeared between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, which is now the valley of the river. Neva. The relief has practically not changed over the last approximately 2.5 thousand years.

The northern section of Lake Ladoga is located on the Baltic Crystalline Shield, and the southern section is on the East European Platform.

From the history of Lake Ladoga

The described lake is present on one of the very first geographical maps the state of Moscow, which was compiled in 1544 by Sebastian Munster (German cartographer). A more detailed map was presented in 1812 at the Admiralty Department.

Ladoga has always been a territory of great strategic importance for Russia. In the 9th century, an important water route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed here. There is also documentary evidence of the existence of Nevo (the name of Lake Ladoga in the old days) - an Old Russian chronicle dated 1228. And the first capital before Kievan Rus was at the confluence of the river Ladoga. Volkhov. Petrovsky time is also associated with this lake. Lake Ladoga also witnessed the battles of the Northern War.

Where Lake Ladoga is located, a huge number of significant historical events. Do not list everything. But it is important to note that Lake Ladoga is the "Road of Life" during the Second World War. Most of the coast of the lake during this difficult time for the country was under the German-Finnish occupation. The people of Leningrad were cut off from the whole world. Only the southwestern part of the lake was open for communication with the Soviet troops (1941-1943). This route started from the port of Osinovets on Lake Ladoga and ended at the docks of Leningrad.

Over the entire period of the existence of this road, more than 1.5 million tons of cargo was transported and transported along it, which allowed the surviving residents of Leningrad to hold out until the blockade was lifted. Also, about 900 thousand people were evacuated along this road.

Much of the history is kept in this great lake. Today, at the place where the most important "Road of Life" ran, there are 102 memorial pillars and 7 monuments. All of them are included in the "Green Belt of Glory". This is a memory of the past very difficult times.

In the European part of Russia, in the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad region.

The ancient name of the lake is Lake Nevo (Nestor's chronicle of the 12th century), and in the old Scandinavian sagas and agreements with the Hanseatic cities, the lake is called Aldoga. The modern name of the lake appeared at the beginning of the 13th century, there are several versions of its origin, but none of them has been unambiguously confirmed.

Ladoga is the largest freshwater lake in Europe, the largest lake in Karelia and the Leningrad Region, and the 3rd lake in Russia (after the Caspian Sea and Baikal) in terms of water surface area. The area of ​​Lake Ladoga with islands is 18.3 thousand km 2, the water surface is 17.9 thousand km 2, the volume is 838 km 3, the length is 219 km, the maximum width is 125 km, the length of the coastline is 1570 km, maximum depth 230 m in the northern part of the basin between the Valaam and Western archipelagos of the islands, the height of the water surface above sea level is 5.1 m. shield. Its northern shores are composed of crystalline rocks, high and strongly dissected; peninsulas continue as chains of islands, forming a skerry type of coast. To the south, the coast becomes low and flat, bordered by narrow beaches with boulders, overgrown with near-water vegetation in small bays. The southern part of the coast consists of three large shallow bays: the Svirskaya Bay and the Volkhovskaya Bay, into which the largest tributaries flow, and the Petrokrepost Bay with the source of the Neva. There are more than 660 islands in Lake Ladoga, the largest are Riekkalansari (55 km 2), Mantinsari (39 km 2), Kilpole (32 km 2), Tulolansari (30 km 2) and Valaam (28 km 2). Lake Ladoga is the main reservoir of the European system of great lakes, including lakes Saima (Finland), Onega and Ilmen. The waters of this system flow down the Neva into The Gulf of Finland Baltic Sea. The catchment area of ​​Lake Ladoga is 282.7 thousand km 2, including the catchment areas of these three lakes and many more small ones, with a small own catchment equal to 48.3 thousand km 2 (17%).

Annually, an average of 83 km 3 of water enters Lake Ladoga, 70% of which is lake water masses flowing along the river. Svir from Lake Onega, along the river. Vuokse from the lake. Saimaa and along the river. Volkhov from the lake. Ilmen. The flow of each of them is regulated by hydropower plants and is about 20 km 3 /year. Another 16% is the inflow of 16 small rivers and 14% is precipitation falling on the reservoir. 9% of the water in the expenditure part of the water balance evaporates, the rest of the water is the runoff of the river. Not you. The water exchange time is about 10 years. The average range of intra-annual changes in the water level in Lake Ladoga is 69 cm (from 21 in the dry year of 1940 to 126 cm in the high-water year of 1962).

The main tributaries of Lake Ladoga (large and medium rivers)

In spring, after the south coast bays are cleared of ice in late April - the first half of May, coastal shallow waters are intensively heated by already warm air and solar radiation, as well as relatively warm water from the floods of small rivers. The water temperature in the southern region of the water area usually becomes above 4°C by May 15, and on the surface of the deep-water region it is 2.5–3°C. A thermal bar () appears between warm and cold water masses. With further heating of the water, the thermal bar moves to the center slowly along the northern steep slope (0.05–0.1 km/day) and faster over the southern gentle slope at a speed of 1.3–1.5 km/day. It prevents mixing of river water masses with the actual main water mass. Therefore, the Volkhov flood waters and the Svir waters move northward along east coast, and the least mineralized Saimaa waters from the mouth of the river. Vuoksy along the western coast to the south and further to the Neva. The thermal bar disappears at the end of June - the first decade of July near the Valaam archipelago, when the surface layer of water 20–40 m thick warms up to 10–15°C. Under the layer of the temperature jump below, the water in summer from a depth of 30–40 m to the bottom heats up only up to 5°С. During autumn cooling, its upper layer cools down, the temperature jump layer sinks until October, and then disappears at a temperature close to 4°C. The time of the disappearance of the thermal bar is variable, because when windy weather sets in in summer, drift currents and waves mix the river water masses and the main lake water mass in the upper layer, renewing its chemical composition and leveling the distribution of plankton over the water area. In summer, this water mass dominates in the flow of the Neva, and during the freeze-up period, the most mineralized Volkhov waters are added to it. With a wind of 18 m/s near the Valaam Islands, the wave height reached 5.8 m, surges on the windward sections of the coast raise water by 0.2–0.5 m. Shallow water freezes in October, and the ice cover edge gradually shifts to the deepest central region until mid-January, when in frosty winters a complete freeze-up occurs, lasting until the end of February. In winters with frequent thaws, the lake partially freezes, and 20–40% of its surface above the greatest depths remains open. In such winters, the heat reserve of the main water mass is minimal, and its spring-summer heating is longer.

The mineralization of the main water mass is small (64 mg/l), the Svir one is even less, the Vuoksa one is half as much, and the Volkhov one is 1.5 times more. Over the last 30 years of the XX century. the salinity of the lake waters increased by 16% due to natural causes and sewage pollution. The composition of water is hydrocarbonate-sulfate-calcium, clear water, due to which the development of plankton is possible to a depth of 8–12 m. In the Volkhov Bay, the transparency of polluted water is half as much. The oxygen content in the Ladoga water is high, and even supersaturation with oxygen released during the reproduction of microalgae was observed in its surface layer. Self-purification of water masses is facilitated by coastal thickets of higher aquatic vegetation (more than 100 species), mainly reed, occupying about 5% of the area of ​​shallow waters. In total, about 600 species of aquatic plants and 400 species of aquatic animals have been found in Lake Ladoga, many of which feed on phytoplankton, bacteria and other organic particles that pollute the water. The ichthyofauna is very diverse (53 species and varieties), consists of salmon, lake trout, lake whitefish, char, zander, vendace, etc., the total biomass is estimated at 140 kg/ha. Atlantic sturgeon and Volkhov whitefish are listed in the Red Book of Russia. The most fish-producing are shallow waters up to a depth of 10–15 m. southern region, where fishing is carried out, and the northern skerries are the least productive. Deeper than 40–50 m there are no commercial concentrations of fish.

Lake Ladoga serves as a source of water supply for St. Petersburg, a waterway to the White Sea-Baltic and Volga-Baltic navigable canals. In 1976–1983 the anthropogenic impact on the lake has sharply increased due to the development of industry and agriculture in the territory of its own catchment area of ​​Lake Ladoga and its coast. In order to reduce pollution of lake waters in 1986, north of the mouth of the river. In Vuoksa, a large Priozersky Pulp and Paper Mill was closed, after which there was a tendency to reduce the content of polluting organic substances and phosphorus in the water, which causes water blooms - the reproduction of blue-green algae. Started in 1957, regular studies of the water regime, the chemical composition of water and the ecological state of lake water masses are being carried out.

On the shores of Lake Ladoga are the cities of Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga, Shlisselburg in the Leningrad Region, Sortavala, Pitkyaranta, Lahdenpokhya in the Republic of Karelia.

Large freshwater lakes are now a rarity on planet earth, they can be easily counted, such lakes are mainly located on the territory of our state of Russia. The wide and spacious expanse of the lake surprises a person who finds himself on its shores for the first time, there are a lot of coniferous forests that come close to the shore Lake Ladoga. In pine forests you can find a large number of stone boulders overgrown with moss, these stones may have been brought by the water element that once hit the ground. There are a lot of islands on the lake, mostly of a rocky type, on the banks there are a large number of Orthodox shrines, temples and monasteries. Wild animals that live near the lake use it as a source of drink, approaching the shore and quenching their thirst.

Features of Lake Ladoga.

We have the largest lake in our area. Ladoga, it is half the size European state Switzerland. The distance from the northern part of the lake to the southern reaches 230 kilometers, and the width from east to west is 80-85 kilometers, and the depth in some places reaches 200 meters. And this is only approximate data, since the mud layer at the bottom can be different and the depth is correspondingly greater, but even with such data one can judge the majesty Ladoga created by nature itself. Compared to Lake Ladoga almost three times more fresh water than in Onega lake, although they are comparable in size, it's all about the depth of the lakes.

Shores of Lake Ladoga have a different appearance and profile, the northwestern part of the coast has a rocky appearance with many bays, which are considered deep. Here the shores have beautiful cliffs rising tens of meters above the surface of the water, on which pines grow. locals bays in this part of the lake are called - lips, and rocky islets - skerries, in total there are more than six hundred such islands on the lake. There are also large islands on the lake:

• Valaam Island
• Konevets Island
• Lunkulansaari
• Kilpola
• Riek-kalansaari
• Mantsins saari

The most famous is Valaam island where Orthodox monasteries and churches are located. Other names belong to the Finnish-Ugric group, and the names are derived from the Finnish language.

Valaam archipelago.

Coniferous forests reign on the islands of Lake Ladoga, islands of skerries are rocky, and rise high above the water. Traveling on the lake on a ship, swimming up to them, from afar they resemble hedgehogs, and pine trees look like needles. Basically, most of the islands are located in the northern part of the lake, in the center of the lake there is Valaam archipelago with many islands.

Valaam Island is the largest on Lake Ladoga in Valaam archipelago, ancient monasteries and temples were founded here back in the 14th century by Novgorod people, its size is about 60 square kilometers or in another way, 6 by 10 kilometers, and the depth of the bays near the island reaches 150 meters. Located in the north of the island Monastery bay, the passage into which by water can be made through a narrow and elongated strait between high rocks. On the shores of the bay is the famous holy monastery of the monks. On other islands Valaam archipelago, of which there are a little more than fifty, there are monastic sketes, where the elder monks lived and live, acquiring the Holy Spirit.

One of the centers of Orthodoxy Valaam Monastery became in the 15th century, having gained fame for the exploits of hermit monks, everyone who needed God's guidance and help in curing various ailments strove here. These places began to be called "Northern Athos", it is possible to get here in the summer by ship, and in the winter on ice. Visited this Holy place forever remained the heart here, giving amazing reviews not only about the beauty of the island, but also about the spiritual ascent of the novices of the monks living here. famous people who have been here figures of Russian culture devoted part of their work Valaam, in painting, in poetry, in music, in them they tried to convey a piece of that splendor and grace that they felt in these places.

And currently Valaam island, became a place of pilgrimage and tourism, after returning under the control of the monastery and monastic lands, Russian Canonical Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. In the years Soviet power atheistic orientation, Balaam survived in prayer and standing, the Holy Spirit never left these places, and the trials that fell only strengthened faith and Holy Orthodoxy.

Fortress Oreshek.

Many rivers and streams flow in, but only one river flows out - the Neva, which is small in length and flows into to the Baltic Sea near city ​​of St. Petersburg(Leningrad). The strategic importance of the place where the Neva River begins has long been known, and in the 14th century a powerful force appeared at the source of the river. fortification – Oreshek fortress, it was erected by Novgorod builders, thereby establishing themselves in these places and on Lake Ladoga. This structure protected the borders of the Novgorod Principality from raids by the Swedish armies, there were a lot of sieges and attacks on the fortress, therefore, after each fortress was improved and completed, already in the 16th century the power of this stronghold was maximum, the walls towered around the entire perimeter of the island. Since that time, little has changed, and now we can see this unique structure as it was in those distant times.

For a short period of time in the 17th century, this fortress fell under the rule of the Swedes, but thanks to Peter the Great, Russian troops finally recaptured this place from the Swedes, and the Emperor gave a new name to the fortress - Shlisselburg, or Key City, testifying to the protection of the water entrance to the Neva. Later, starting from the time of Catherine II until the overthrow of the royal power as a result of the revolution of 1917, the fortress was redesigned into a prison, which contained prisoners especially dangerous for the state. Only with the advent of Soviet power, the fortress got rid of the prison on its territory. And in the years Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, faithfully served the wars defending the Motherland from the Nazi invaders, for three years the garrison successfully repulsed attempts to capture the fortress by enemy troops. The fortress played a special role in the protection of the "Road of Life" during the blockade of Leningrad, it allowed relatively unhindered delivery of goods both by water - in summer, and by ice - in winter.

Southern part of Ladoga.

In the southern part Lake Ladoga there is a unique small island, it is of man-made origin, during the reign of Peter the Great, stone blocks were brought here, since the shoal that existed here interfered with navigation on the waters Lake Ladoga, and many ships belly ran aground. A little later on Suho Island- that's what they called it, they built a lighthouse, which, by the way, functions to this day, making navigation in these places safe.

Coast of the Northeast Lake Ladoga, are distinguished by the presence of sandy areas among the rocky coast. And from the mouth Svir river in a northerly direction there is a flat area with sand dunes almost 60 kilometers long, a large number of coniferous trees on the shore make these places insanely beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Southern part of Lake Ladoga has a gentle coast, and in some places it is overgrown with reeds and reeds, the depth here is small, and the cover of the coast itself is small stone boulders with pebbles.

Staraya Ladoga, city and fortress.

At all times, Lake Ladoga was actively used as part of the trade route going from the North to Constantinople, together with the flow into the lake Volkhov river settlement was founded Ladoga . History says that in the 12th century a stone fortress was already erected here, which has survived to this day, its name Ladoga fortress. Another fact from history: until the 18th century, the lake was called Nevo . And only at this time the lake received its current Ladoga name thanks to Ladoga fortress.

Mentioned in chronicles locality and a fortress (today Staraya Ladoga), known since 922, built near the confluence of the Volkhov River on the right bank. This place is known in connection with the death Prince Oleg bitten by a poisonous snake that crawled into the remains of his war horse, according to the legend, he was told that he would gain death from his horse. And even the killing of his horse did not save Oleg from fate, in these places the grave of Prince Oleg is located.

For many, many years majestic stone walls and towers have been rising on the banks of the Volkhov Ladoga fortress, history has left a memory of the head of the construction of their Novgorod man Pavel as mentioned earlier at the beginning of the 12th century. On the territory of the fortress, several churches were built that have survived to this day, and one of which is known as the Church of George was built under Yaroslav the Wise.

Ever since it was built Ladoga fortress until the end of the Great Northern War Peter the Great, the fortress repulsed the raids of the conquerors. And the northern borders of the Russian land had serious protection by the garrison Ladoga fortress . Noting the diligence of the defenders, Boris Godunov presented the bell to the city as a token of gratitude from the tsar and all Russian lands. After Peter the Great, the border shifted to the north, and Ladoga fortress lost its defensive significance, although it always remained a powerful rear in military clashes with its northern neighbors.

Winter on Ladoga.

It has long been famous in winter for its winds and ice hummocks, when the ice floes crack under the force of the wind and rise, freezing in the cold, the height of such heaps in places reaches ten meters, and in the area of ​​​​the lighthouse of the artificial Sukho Island up to twenty meters. The lake freezes completely only in February. With the advent of heat, the ice begins to melt, but until summer, drifting ice floes can be found on the lake, some of which move along the Neva River to the Baltic Sea. Such an effect on river Neva called the second ice drift, the river itself is freed from ice in April.

Navigation along the Ladoga lake starts in May, according to the built waterways can be reached to the White Sea or to the Volga, they were erected during the years of Soviet power, thanks to shock construction projects, in which millions of people, both civilians and convicts, were involved, the construction was in charge of the gloomy Gulag organization.

And meridians 29°48 and 32°58` east longitude from Greenwich. With an oval shape, somewhat pointed to the north, the lake stretches almost along the meridian, in the direction of which it has the greatest length of 196.5 kilometers. The greatest width of the lake is almost in the middle of its length, at the parallel of 61 ° north latitude, and between the mouths of the Vuoksa and Olonka, 124 kilometers.

To the north, the shores of the lake quickly narrow and end with the Hien-Selke Bay, and to the south, the shores narrow slowly and end with the vast bays of Shlisselburg and Volkhov, separated by a wide ledge. Length coastline 1071 km., of which 460 km., occupying part of the western bank, from the border from the Polutorny stream to the source of the Neva, the entire South coast and part of the east to the village of Pogranichnye Konduzhi belong to Russia, the remaining 610 km. belong to Finland.

The surface of the lake, including the islands, is 15923 km2, of which 8881.1 km2 in Russia and in Finland 7041.6 km2 five times larger and ten times larger than the Saimaa, not to mention the rest of Western European lakes.

Lake Ladoga serves as a receiver of a huge amount of water, the only one of which is the high-water Neva, flowing from the southwestern corner of the lake in two branches, separated by Orekhov Island, and flowing into St. Petersburg. Of the tributaries directly flowing into Lake Ladoga, the following are remarkable: in the western part of the lake: the Vuoksa River, flowing from Lake Saimaa and forming famous waterfall Imatra, partly flows into Lake Ladoga directly at Kexholm, partly through Lake Suvanto by the Taipala River; in the northern part: Gellyulya, Laskila, Uksu, Tuloma, and Minola; in the eastern part: Vidlitsa, Tuloks, Olonka, Obzha, Svir with Oyat and Pasha and Voronega; in the southern part: Connecting with Tikhvinka, Volkhov, Kobona, Lava, Scheldikha and Naziya. The tributaries of the Volkhov, Syas and Svir serve as the beginning of three water systems: Vyshnevolotskaya, Tikhvinskaya and Mariinskaya, connecting Lake Ladoga with the Volga basin, each of these rivers, together with the rest southern rivers, when it flows into the lake, it is connected or crossed by the old and new Ladoga bypass canals, which stretch along the entire southern and often eastern shore of the lake, from the source of the Neva to the mouth of the Svir.

With the help of its numerous tributaries, Lake Ladoga captures, in addition to part of Finland, St. Petersburg and Olonets, almost all of Novgorod and some parts of Pskov, Vitebsk, Tver and Arkhangelsk regions. Ladoga basin includes a space of 250280.3 km2 Although Lake Ladoga, being between the basin and and, occupies a very advantageous position, and in terms of vastness, depth and excellent navigation conditions it itself constitutes an inland sea, but its navigation and trade and economic importance seem to be extremely insignificant, due to the Ladoga bypass canals, which made the construction of sea-type ships necessary for navigation in the lake completely redundant.

Bay, Lake Ladoga and rocks (photo by Oleg Semenenko)

Shores of Lake Ladoga. From the mouth of the Vuoksa to the source of the Neva, the coast consists of clayey and loamy deposits, bordered by sandy soil, with numerous boulders. Up to the mouth of Taipala, the coast is still quite elevated, but further to the south, a low-lying desert coast extends, partly sandy, partly covered with thick. The southern coast of the lake, between the source of the Neva and the mouth of the Svir, is low-lying, almost treeless and consists of clay and swampy; formed by sediments of the rivers flowing into the lake, it is bounded from the south by an elevated ridge of limestones of the Silurian system, which, in all likelihood, was once the shore of Lake Ladoga. At present, they are located at a distance of 3 to 30 kilometers from it, and only near the mouth of the Svir, limestones with their rocky cliffs cut into a wedge into the shore of the lake, to Cape Storozhensky, forming the outskirts of the peninsula, which protrudes far into the lake.

Eastern coast, from the mouth of the Svir to the lake. Karkun-lamba, at first low-lying and partly swampy, gradually rises and consists of clay and loamy soil, which turns into pure sand on the very coastline. The coast of the northwestern part of the lake is the complete opposite from the southeastern one. Here, the shores and those adjacent to them are elevated, rocky and consist mainly of granite, partly gneiss, syenite and other crystalline rocks, as well as various kinds of marbles.

From Kexholm to the north and further east to Impilax, the granite gradually changes from light gray and coarse-grained to bluish-gray and fine-grained, very strong and hard; land, and the soil is sandy-clay, filled with boulders different types, and granite is found only in low-lying capes protruding into the lake, consisting of fine-grained red granite.

Islands according to their composition and height they correspond to the coast near which they are located. Almost all the islands in the northern part of the lake are elevated, consisting mainly of granite and hard stone rocks, while the islands in the southern part are low-lying, partly swampy and surrounded by shoals and reefs. Due to the many islands and the significant indentation of the shores, the northern part of the lake is very rich in bays and bays closed from the winds, which are very convenient places for a quiet parking of ships, in the southern part of the lake there are almost no similar places with everything, as a result of which ships here, with strong winds, are forced to settle in open lake, mainly in the open and dangerous Koshkinsky roadstead.

Of the islands in the northern part of the lake, near the shores, the most remarkable are: the island of Kuko-sari, lying at the mouth of the Vuoksa River. In Kronober Bay: Kilpodan, Korpan and Teposari, the last two of which form the entrance to the bay, representing a vast bay, completely calm for ships. Sarolin Island, which is the left bank of the Yakimvar Bay, 12 km. sunk into the mainland and representing a safe bay in all sorts of ways.

Of the islands in the middle of the northern part of the lake stand out: Valaam group, consisting of 40 islands, which stretch along the parallel, at a distance of about 20 km. from the extreme islands of the northern skerries. The main and largest of this group is Valaam Island (26.2 km2), which has a very irregular shape, but with the closely adjacent Skitsky, Predtechensky and Nikonovsky islands, it appears as an equilateral triangle. In its northwestern part, on a rock, is the Valaam-Preobrazhensky Monastery, deep in the bay, with a convenient pier. To the east of Valaam stretch the islands: Baiovye and Krestovye. To the south-west of the island: Gange-pa with a lighthouse, Muarka, Yalaya and Rahma-sari, lying almost on the same parallel. To the south are the islands: Suri Verko-sari and Voschaty or Vasiya-sari. south of that last island lies Konevets (6.5 km2), on which the Konevsky-Rozhdestvensky Monastery is located.

Lake Ladoga (photo by Dmitry Savin)

Depth Lake Ladoga is generally very significant; distributed unevenly, depending on the height of the banks: the steeper and higher the banks adjacent to the water's edge, the greater the depth and vice versa. From the southern low-lying coast, the depth, starting from half a meter, slowly and gradually increases; having passed the reefs and shoals that protrude from this coast, it begins to increase rapidly, so that in the middle of the lake it is from 60 to 110 m, further to the north it increases to 140, and in some places reaches 200 meters. Thus, the Ladoga bottom has a very significant slope from south to north, and it consists of a series of more or less irregular ledges, on which in places there are significant hillocks and hills, in places there are depressions and depressions. So, between lines of equal depths of 60 and 80 m, there are bottom elevations, at which the depth is only 32 m, and in the northwestern part of the lake, between lines of equal depths of 10 and 140 m, there are depths of 200 or more m.

Water level and currents. The water level of Lake Ladoga is subject to constant fluctuations, depending on the totality of all meteorological circumstances in the entire lake basin, as a result of which the height of lake water, not only in different years, but also at different times of the same year, is very different. From time immemorial, there was a belief about the seven-year periodicity of changes in the water level of the lake, according to which the horizon of lake water constantly rises for 7 years, and constantly decreases over the next 7 years, was completely refuted by 14-year observations, which were produced on the island of Valaam and from which there was no correctness in changing the position of the water level.

Opening and freezing. First of all, shallow water is covered with thin ice. southern part lakes, usually at the beginning of November, sometimes at the end of October, at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius. This thin ice or fat is carried by the current into the Neva, on which the autumn ice drift begins, which does not last long. In the lake itself, with increasing frost, the entire southern part of the lake is covered with ice, both near the coast itself and in the space between the reefs and shoals protruding from it. Further, to the north of the parallel of the Sukhsky lighthouse, under the influence of winds that easily break the ice that forms, the lake does not freeze for a long time, but on great depths the northern part freezes only in December, often in January, in other years the middle of the lake remains unfrozen all winter.

In general, the lake is covered with solid ice only in the most harsh winters, with ordinary frosts, only the outskirts are covered with ice, 20-30 kilometers from the coast. It is rather difficult to determine whether the middle of the lake is frozen or not, due to the remoteness of the middle of the lake from the shore. Fishermen performing under-ice seine fishing determine this with great accuracy by the current in the holes: if a current is observed in the holes corresponding to the direction of the wind, then the middle of the lake remains unfrozen, while the absence of a current shows that the entire lake is covered with solid ice.

The opening of Lake Ladoga, like freezing, also begins at the southern shore of the lake, usually at the end of March - the first half of April, simultaneously with the opening of the southern tributaries and warm water, which has a direct impact on the opening of the Neva, which always starts from the source, at Shlisselburg, and two ice drifts occur on it: the river proper, which does not last long, and the very long Ladoga ice, which almost never passes immediately.

Thanks to the beautiful unique natural views and rich history The sights of Lake Ladoga attract a large number of tourists every year. Lake Ladoga is the largest in Europe. It was along it that the Road of Life passed, which saved the people of Leningrad during the blockade.

• The lake is located in two subjects at once - in the republic and the Leningrad region.
• Lake Ladoga is the second largest lake in Russia after Lake Baikal and the largest in Europe.
• The maximum depth of the lake is 220 meters.
• 35 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, the largest of them are Svir, Vuoksa, Volkhov. Only one river flows out - the Neva.
• There are 660 islands on the lake, the most famous of them is Valaam, where monastery.
• Ladoga is a very restless lake, strong storms are frequent here, therefore, for navigation, first the Staroladoga and later the Novoladozhsky canals were built, stretching from Shlisselburg to Novaya Ladoga.
• From September 12, 1941 to March 1943, the Road of Life passed along Lake Ladoga - the only transport highway connecting besieged Leningrad with the country.

Lake Ladoga on the map

Lake Ladoga is restless and stormy, huge and deep. On its banks there are cities: Shlisselburg, Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga ( Leningrad region), Sortavala, Lahdenpokhya (Karelia). The sights of Lake Ladoga are beautiful nature, ancient fortified cities and monasteries, national natural parks, as well as the Road of Life memorial and the Green Belt of Glory.

It was once called the northern Venice because of the canals built here for navigation, as an alternative to the capricious and stormy Lake Ladoga. Now the Staraya Ladoga Canal, created according to the plan of Peter I, is abandoned, dried up and overgrown, the locks are dilapidated. The Novoladozhsky Canal, built under Alexander II to replace the shallowed Staroladoga Canal, continues to be used.

Shlisselburg is surrounded by Lake Ladoga and the Neva River flowing from it. During the Great Patriotic War, it was captured by the Germans (September 8, 1941) - the front passed along the Neva River, on the opposite bank were located Soviet troops. The time of the occupation of Shlisselburg was the blockade of Leningrad, which was broken with the liberation of the city - Operation Iskra. Not far from Shlisselburg there is a museum-reserve "Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad", dedicated to this event. There is a diorama and a panorama here, plunging into the atmosphere of January 1943.

About 300 meters from the shore of Shlisselburg, Orekhovy Island is located, on which the heroic is located. Built back in the distant 1323 by the Novgorodians, it has the most important strategic location- at the source of the Neva, at the entrance to Ladoga. It was captured by the Swedes, but after 90 years it was returned by the army of Peter I, who named it Shlisselburg (the key city from German).

Shlisselburg fortress was turned into terrible prison for political prisoners. The fortress on the island, located not far from St. Petersburg, was a convenient dungeon for the enemies of the emperor or empress. Here the overthrown infant sovereign John Antonovich languished for 8 years, until he was stabbed to death by the jailers in an attempt to free him. Here, members of the Narodnaya Volya, participants in the assassination attempt on Alexander II and Alexander III and other high officials served their sentences.

Memorial "Oath" in the ruins of St. John's Cathedral

The military glory of the fortress-hero Oreshek again earned during the Great Patriotic War. For almost 500 days the fortress garrison heroically defended the Road of Life and the right bank of the Neva. The Germans subjected the ancient fortress to constant artillery and mortar shelling, but they could not capture it. Oreshek was almost completely destroyed, after the war only a small part of its buildings were restored. Now there is a branch of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.

A small Karelian town on the banks of Ladoga is not far from tourist city Sortavala. Here you can go to the military museum "Filin Mountain", located in the rock and admire the Finnish churches.

It is located on the shore of Lake Ladoga and is divided into two parts by Lake Lyappäjärvi, connected by the Karelian Bridge. Sortavala is called a small architectural encyclopedia; about 200 buildings of various styles, built from the end of the 20th century to 1939 by Finnish architects, have been preserved here. The pride of the city is the Kronid Gogolev Museum, with its unique works - paintings carved from wood.

Near Sortavala there is a former marble quarry, and now mountain park Ruskeala is one of the most popular places Republic of Karelia. Ruskeala waterfalls are also located here - low, but very picturesque. From the pier of Sortavala, motor ships go to the island of Valaam.

In the northern part of the lake is the Valaam archipelago, which includes 50 islands. The largest of them is . The sights of Lake Ladoga on the island of Valaam attract many travelers every year. These are the Valaam Monastery, Gethsemane, Nikolsky, Vladimirsky, Ilyinsky and other sketes. As well as the stunning northern nature of the island, sung by many famous artists.

The city of Novaya Ladoga is located at the mouth of the Volkhov River. In 1702, Peter the Great ordered to enclose the land of the Nikolsko-Medvedsky Monastery with a moat, and to create the Novoladozhskaya shipyard at the place where the Volkhov flows into Lake Ladoga. Two years later, Novaya Ladoga was founded on this site.

The city is rich in attractions, including objects cultural heritage. This is the ensemble of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, the Memorial to the Heroes of Ladoga, Gostiny Dvor and so on.

Priozersk is a city between Lake Ladoga and Lake Vuoksa. It is located 145 kilometers from St. Petersburg. The area has many cultural treasures that attract tourists from all over the world. For example, old fortress, which has been subjected to assaults and attacks more than once. People interested in faith will find it interesting to visit the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Lutheran Church. Also in the city are monuments to Mowgli and Peter the Great.

The Korela fortress is a stone fortress located in the city of Priozersk, it played a significant role for the Karelian Isthmus. In the Middle Ages, Korela was the most northwestern city of Russia. At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries, this fortress was built in order to defend the state from the Swedes. Initially it was wooden, but after a fire in 1310, stone buildings appeared.

For a century (1611-1710) the fortress belonged to Sweden and was named Kexholm. It was possible to return it during the Northern War. Now it is in a partially destroyed state.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Road of Life was the only transport route to Leningrad. Food, medicines, weapons were transported to the city along it, people exhausted from hunger were evacuated from the city.

In winter, when Lake Ladoga froze, the road became icy, and cargo was transported to Leningrad on the famous lorries. Drivers, despite severe frosts, did not close the car door or even removed it in order to have time to jump out if the car went under the ice. This is clearly seen in the preserved photographs.

The monuments erected on the Road of Life are included in the Green Belt of Glory.

Green Belt of Glory

broken ring

The Green Belt of Glory is a memorial complex erected in 1965-1968 in memory of the people who defended Leningrad during its siege in 1941-1944. Its creation was initiated by Mikhail Dudin, a Soviet poet, and designed by a group of architects led by G.N. Buldakov. The belt is located exactly at the place where the enemy was stopped in those dark days.

The complex was built using the folk method: with the help of residents and Leningrad organizations. 200 kilometers - this is the length of this attraction, which consists of two blockade rings - Small and Large.

Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery is an Orthodox male monastery located on the island of Konevets and founded by Arseniy Konevsky (Rev.) with the aim of converting the Karelians to Christianity. Often it is called the twin of the Valaam Monastery, located on the island of Valaam. Every year, tourists who are interested in culture and religion, and simply believers flock here.

The lake is surrounded by many cities historical significance, however, the sights of Lake Ladoga are not limited only culturally important cities. So, on the territory of Ladoga there is now the Nizhne-Svirsky State nature reserve for waterfowl as a place for their nesting. Refers to wetlands. 256 species of various birds have been recorded on the territory.

In addition to them, a variety of plants, reptiles and even large mammals live here: brown bears, elk. Birds listed in the Red Book also live here: osprey, black stork, howl and other birds.