The
Neva () is a
river in northwestern
Russia flowing from
Lake Ladoga through the western part of
Leningrad Oblast (historical region of
Ingria) and the city of
Saint Petersburg to the
Neva Bay of the
Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length, it is the third largest river in
Europe in terms of average discharge (after the
Volga and the
Danube).
Geography
The length of the Neva is
[ ]. of these are within the city boundaries of
Saint Petersburg, while the rest are within
Leningrad Oblast. It flows southwest from
Lake Ladoga, reaches its southernmost point near its confluence with the
Tosna River, and turns northwest into the
Gulf of Finland. Average width is , maximum width: . Average depth is , maximum depth: (it is in the middle part of the stream, not too far from
Liteyny Bridge ). The Neva basin includes Lake Ladoga and
Lake Onega, the two largest lakes in
Europe, and spans a large area of
Northwestern Russia and southern
Finland.
The supplying of power to the islands on the Neva Delta is carried out by cables on the floor of the river. The total length of underwater cable is approximately 100 kilometres with the high voltage cables being at the bottom of these 1.5 meter deep trenches.
Neva delta
Map of the Neva River,
with inset showing its location within Europe.
The islands in the Neva delta formed by both natural armlets and artificial canals are occupied by the historical part of Saint Petersburg. The largest armlets are
The most significant canals and small rivers are
Among the notable islands are
Tributaries
The Neva has 26 tributaries. The major ones are:
Cities and towns along the Neva
Geological history
Neva River is a young river which originated between 4,000 and 2,000
BP, as the
Lake Ladoga had
transgressed and broken through the threshold at Porogi in the lower reaches of the
River Izhora, which was a tributary of the
Gulf of Finland flowing through the lower portions of the present-day Neva valley. According to some newer data, it happened at 3,100
radiocarbon years BP (3,410-3,250 calendar years BP).
History
In the
Middle Ages the wide and navigable river had
great importance as a link between the
Baltics and the
Volga portages leading to the
Orient. The
confluence of the Neva and Izhora was the site of the famous, although badly documented
Battle of the Neva (1240) between the Swedes and the Russians.
Alexander Yaroslavich, Prince of
Novgorod, won this supposed battle, and took his title Nevsky (meaning "Of the Neva") from the event.
During the 16th century the mouth of the Neva was the site of the
Swedish fortress
Nyen, and the inlet to the Ladoga of the Russian fortress
Oreshek, later renamed
Shlisselburg. The Nyen fortress was destroyed by
Peter the Great, after that he founded the
Peter and Paul Fortress in 1703. Standing on the
Hare Island, the fortress is considered the first structure of present-day Saint Petersburg
. It was also Peter who ordered construction of the
Ladoga Canal linking the Neva with the
Volkhov and the
Svir Rivers several miles south of Lake Ladoga.
thumb|center|700px|The Neva River at Saint Petersburg, 1753.Navigation
The Neva is the most northwestern part of the
Volga-Baltic Waterway, the connection between the
Volga River and the
Baltic Sea. This waterway is navigable for even the largest inland vessels, and it is an important part of the inland shipping connection between Saint Petersburg and
Moscow. Many passenger vessels share this waterway with large transport ships.
From December to early April, the river becomes unnavigable due to freezing over
.
Historical references
- Emma Goldman has cited the Neva as a major part of her childhood.
See also
Sources
