Lake Ilmen

Lake Ilmen
Volkhov
Catchment area	67,200 km2 (25,900 sq mi)[1]
Basin countries	Russia
Max. length	40 km (25 mi)
Max. width	32 km (20 mi)
Surface area	982 km2 (379 sq mi)[1]
Max. depth	10 m (33 ft)
Water volume	12 km3 (2.9 cu mi)
Surface elevation	18 m (59 ft)

Lake Ilmen (

, which is a major trade-center of the route, lies six kilometres (3.7 mi) below the lake's outflow.

According to Max Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary, the name of the lake originates from Finnic Ilmajärvi, which means "air lake". Thanks to Novgorodian colonisation, many lakes in Russia have names deriving from Lake Ilmen.^[2] Yuri Otkupshchikov has argued that the presence of the name "Ilmen" in Southern Russia can't be explained by Novgorodian colonisation alone, and proposed a Slavic etymology instead.^[3]

The average surface area is 982 square kilometres (379 sq mi) (it may vary between 733 square kilometres (283 sq mi) and 2,090 square kilometres (810 sq mi) depending on water level). The lake is fed by 52 inflowing rivers, the four main ones being the

built in the 1220s.

The basin of Lake Ilmen contains vast areas in Novgorod, Pskov, and Tver Oblasts of Russia, as well as minor areas in the north of Vitebsk Region in Belarus.

The water level is regulated by the

situated downstream the Volkhov River. Water temperature in July is 19-20 °C. The bathing season is about 90 days.

Lake Ilmen is navigable. Shipping lines are Veliky Novgorod – Staraya Russa and Veliky Novgorod – Shimsk. There is a fishery in the lake.

The lake area was the location of an important battle during World War II, the Demyansk Pocket.

References

Media related to Ilmen Lake at Wikimedia Commons