Volga–Baltic Waterway
59°58′N 30°10′E / 59.967°N 30.167°E
Volga–Baltic Waterway | |
---|---|
Specifications | |
Length | 229[1] miles (369 km) |
Maximum boat length | 689[2] ft 0 in (210.0 m) |
Maximum boat beam | 57.75[3] ft 0 in (17.6 m) |
Maximum boat draft | 4 m[3] |
Locks | 7[4][3] |
Status | Open |
History | |
Former names | Mariinsk Canal System |
Construction began | 1960 |
Date of first use | 5 June 1964 |
Date completed | 1964 |
Geography | |
Start point | Rybinsk Reservoir, Russia |
End point | Gulf of Finland, Neva Bay, Russia |
The Volga–Baltic Waterway (Волгобалт), formerly known as the Mariinsk Canal System (Мариинская водная система), is a series of
Originally constructed in the early 19th century, the system was rebuilt for larger vessels in the 1960s, becoming a part of the Unified Deep Water System of European Russia.
The original name "Mariinsky" is the credit to Empress Maria Feodorovna, the second wife of Emperor Paul I of Russia.[5]
History
After
Under Alexander I of Russia, the waterway through Vychny Volochyok was complemented by the Tikhvin canal system (1811) and the Mariinsk canal system (1810), the latter becoming by far the most popular of the three.
The Mariinsk was an outstanding monument of early 19th-century
In 1829, the
Another connection was added in the 1930s, when the infamous
Tourism
Sinc the 1990s the Volga–Baltic Waterway has grown as a tour boat route to sail and/or motor along or around the Golden Ring of Russia.
Heavy power plant transit
In 2016, the core of
Volga–Baltic Canal improvement
In Soviet times, the Mariinsk canal system was constantly improved. Two locks were built on the
The modern route sometimes follows the route of the old Mariinsk system and sometimes diverges from it. Six of the canal's eight locks are along 35 km of the northern slope, descending 80 metres. Only 2 locks (which are parallel) are on the southern slope, for a rise of 13 metres, near
Current developments
The canal is used for oil and lumber export and for tourism. According to the Maritime Board (Morskaya Kollegiya) of the Russian government, 17.6 million tons of cargo were carried over the Volga–Baltic Waterway in 2004, close to its maximum capacity. The Lower
See also
References
- ^ "ВОЛГО-БАЛТИЙСКИЙ ВОДНЫЙ ПУТЬ • Большая российская энциклопедия – электронная версия".
- ^ Сроки работы шлюзов (Lock operation periods), from the site of the Russian Shipping Companies' Association. (in Russian)
- ^ a b c "Структура управления и построения ВВП".
- ^ "Волго-Балтийский водный путь".
- ^ СУДОХОДСТВО НА БЕЛОМ ОЗЕРЕ ДО И ПОСЛЕ ПРОРЫТИЯ БЕЛОЗЕРСКОГО ОБВОДНОГО КАНАЛА
- ^ a b "В Белоруссию привезли первый реактор для строящейся АЭС".
- ^ a b "Russia-made reactor vessel for Astravets NPP arrives in Belarus".
- ^ Морская коллегия: Речной транспорт Archived 2008-03-07 at the Wayback Machine (Maritime Board: River Transport) (in Russian)
External links
- Volga-Baltic waterway on Infoflot site (in Russian)