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. The length of the coastline is 1071 km., Of which 460 km., Occupying part of the western coast, from the border from the Polutornoy stream to the source of the Neva, the entire southern coast and part of the eastern coast to the village of Pogranichnye Konduzhi belong to Russia, the rest 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 with 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 the famous Imatra waterfall, flows into Lake Ladoga partly 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, and each of these rivers, together with the rest of the southern rivers, when it flows into the lake, is connected or crossed by old and new bypasses the Ladoga 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 the entire Novgorod and some parts of the Pskov, Vitebsk, Tver and Arkhangelsk regions. The 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 are 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 limited 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 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, further, to Pitkerando, it turns into reddish, to the south of Pitkerando, the granite is completely hidden from the surface. land, and the soil is sandy-clay, filled with boulders of various 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 mooring of ships, while in the southern part of the lake there are almost no such places, as a result of which ships here, with strong winds, forced to settle in an 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, of which the last two 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. To the south of this 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 shallows protruding 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 there are significant hillocks and hills in places, deepenings and depressions in places. 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 lake water horizon constantly, as it were, 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, the shallow southern part of the lake is covered with thin ice, 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 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, and at great depths of the northern part it 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 severe winters, with ordinary frosts, only the outskirts, 20-30 kilometers from the coast, are covered with ice. It is quite 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, near Shlisselburg , moreover, two ice drifts occur on it: the river proper, which does not last long, and the very long Ladoga ice drift, which almost never passes immediately.

Lake Ladoga is a lake in Karelia (northern and eastern coast) and Leningrad region(western, southern and southeastern coast), the largest freshwater lake in Europe. Refers to the Baltic Sea basin of the Atlantic Ocean. The area of ​​the lake without islands is from 17.6 thousand km 2 (with islands 18.1 thousand km 2); the volume of water mass - 908 km 3; length from south to north - 219 km, maximum width - 138 km. The depth varies unevenly: in the northern part it ranges from 70 to 230 m, in the southern part - from 20 to 70 m. On the shores of Lake Ladoga, there are the cities of Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga, Shlisselburg in the Leningrad Region, Sortavala, Pitkyaranta, Lahdenpokhya in Karelia. 35 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, and only one - the Neva - originates. In the southern half of the lake there are three large bays: Svirskaya, Volkhovskaya and Shlisselburgskaya bays. Climate The climate over Lake Ladoga is temperate, transitional from temperate continental to temperate maritime. This type of climate is explained by the geographical location and atmospheric circulation characteristic of the Leningrad region. This is due to the relatively small amount of solar heat entering the earth's surface and into the atmosphere. Due to the small amount of solar heat, moisture evaporates slowly. There are an average of 62 sunny days per year. Therefore, during most of the year, days with cloudy, overcast weather and diffused lighting prevail. The length of the day varies from 5 hours 51 minutes at the winter solstice to 18 hours 50 minutes at the summer solstice. The so-called "white nights" are observed over the lake, coming on May 25-26, when the sun drops below the horizon by no more than 9 °, and the evening twilight practically merges with the morning. The white nights end on July 16-17. In total, the duration of the white nights is more than 50 days. The amplitude of the average monthly sums of direct solar radiation to a horizontal surface in a clear sky is from 25 MJ/m 2 in December to 686 MJ/m 2 in June. Cloudiness reduces on average per year the arrival of total solar radiation by 21%, and direct solar radiation - by 60%. The average annual total radiation is 3156 MJ/m 2 . The number of hours of sunshine is 1628 per year.

The lake itself has a significant impact on climatic conditions. This is characterized by the smoothing of extreme values ​​of climatic characteristics, as a result of which the continental air masses, passing over the surface of the lake, acquire the character of maritime air masses. The average air temperature in the area of ​​Lake Ladoga is +3.2 °C. The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is ?8.8 °C, the warmest (July) is +16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 475 mm. The smallest monthly amount of precipitation falls in February - March (24 mm), the largest - in September (58 mm). During the year, western and southwestern winds prevail in most of Lake Ladoga. The average monthly wind speed in the open part of the lake and on most of the islands from October to January - February is 6-9 m/s, in other months 4-7 m/s. On the coast, the average monthly wind speed varies from 3 to 5 m/s. Calms are rarely observed. In October, storm winds with a speed of more than 20 m/s are often observed on Lake Ladoga, the maximum wind speed reaches 34 m/s. Breezes are observed along the entire coast in summer on windless sunny days and clear nights. The lake breeze starts at about 9 am and lasts until 8 pm, its speed is 2-6 m/s; it extends 9-15 km inland. Fogs are observed most often in spring, late summer and autumn.

Shores, bottom topography and hydrography of the lake The area of ​​the lake without islands is from 17.6 thousand km 2 (with islands 18.1 thousand km 2); length from south to north - 219 km, maximum width - 138 km. The volume of the water mass of the lake is 908 km 3. This is 12 times more than is annually poured into it by rivers and carried out by the Neva River. Seasonal fluctuations in the water level in the lake are small due to the large area of ​​the water surface of this reservoir and due to the relatively small annual variation in the amount of water entering it. The latter is due to the presence of large lakes within the watershed of Lake Ladoga and the presence of hydropower facilities on all major tributaries, which together provide a fairly uniform inflow of water throughout the year. The coastline of the lake is more than 1000 km. The northern shores, starting from Priozersk in the west to Pitkäranta in the east, are mostly high, rocky, heavily indented, form numerous peninsulas and narrow bays (fjords and skerries), as well as small islands separated by straits. The southern shores are low, slightly indented, flooded due to the neotectonic submeridional skew of the lake. The coast here is replete with shoals, rocky reefs and banks. In the southern half of the lake there are three large bays: Svirskaya, Volkhovskaya and Shlisselburgskaya bays. The eastern shore is not very indented, two bays protrude into it - Lunkulanlahti and Uksunlahti, fenced off from the side of the lake by one of the largest islands of Ladoga - Mantsinsaari. There are wide sandy beaches here. The west coast is even less indented. It is overgrown with dense mixed forest and shrubs, coming close to the water's edge, along which there are scatterings of boulders. Ridges of stones often go far from the capes into the lake, forming dangerous underwater shoals.

The relief of the bottom of Lake Ladoga is characterized by an increase in depth from south to north. The depth varies unevenly: in the northern part it ranges from 70 to 230 m, in the south - from 20 to 70 m. The average depth of the lake is 50 m, the greatest is 233 m (to the north of Valaam Island). The bottom of the northern part is uneven, furrowed with depressions, while the southern part is calmer and more smooth. Lake Ladoga ranks eighth among the deepest lakes in Russia. Transparency near the western coast of Lake Ladoga is 2-2.5 m, near the eastern coast 1-2 m, in the mouth areas 0.3-0.9 m, and towards the center of the lake it increases to 4.5 m. The lowest transparency was observed in the Volkhov Bay (0.5-1 m), and the largest - to the west of the Valaam Islands (8-9 in summer, over 10 m in winter). There are constant disturbances on the lake. During severe storms, the water in it "boils", and the waves are almost completely covered with foam. In the water regime, surge phenomena are characteristic (fluctuations in the water level by 50-70 cm annually, up to a maximum of 3 m), seiches (up to 3-4 m), wave height during storms up to 6 m. The lake freezes in December (coastal part) - February (central part), opens in April - May. The central part is covered with solid ice only in very severe winters. Due to the long and strong winter cooling, the water in the lake is very cold even in summer; it warms up only in the thin upper layer and in the coastal strip. The temperature regime differs in the central deep part of the lake and on the coast. The water temperature on the surface in August is up to 24 °C in the south, 18-20 °C in the center, near the bottom about 4 °C, in winter under ice 0-2 °C. The water is fresh and clean (except for areas polluted by industrial waste), minerals and salts are dissolved in negligible amounts. Water belongs to the hydrocarbonate class (low content of calcium and magnesium salts, slightly more nickel, aluminum).

Basin and islands 35 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga. the largest river, which flows into it, is the Svir River, which brings water into it from Lake Onega. Water also enters the lake through the Vuoksa River from Lake Saimaa, and through the Volkhov River from Lake Ilmen. The rivers Morie, Avloga, Burnaya, Kokkolanioki, Soskuanyoki, Iijoki, Airajoki, Tohmajoki, Janisjoki, Syuskyuyanioki, Uksunjoki, Tulemajoki, Miinalanjoki, Vidlitsa, Tuloxa, Olonka, Obzhanka, Voronezhka, Syas, Lava, Ryabinovka, Naziia and others also flow into it. . The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. The catchment area is 258,600 km2. Approximately 85% (3820 mm) of the incoming part of the water balance comes from the inflow of river waters, 13% (610 mm) - precipitation and 2% (90 mm) - the inflow of groundwater. About 92% (4170 mm) of the expenditure part of the balance goes to the Neva runoff, 8% (350 mm) - to evaporation from the water surface. The water level in the lake is not constant. Its fluctuations are clearly visible in a lighter stripe on the surface of the rocks that go into the water. There are about 660 islands on Lake Ladoga (more than 1 ha in area) with a total area of ​​435 km2. Of these, about 500 are concentrated in the northern part of the lake, in the so-called skerry region, as well as in the Valaam (about 50 islands, including the Bayevye islands), the Western archipelagos and the Mantsinsaari group of islands (about 40 islands). The largest islands are Riekkalansari (55.3 km2), Mantsinsaari (39.4 km2), Kilpola (32.1 km2), Tulolansari (30.3 km2) and Valaam (27.8 km2). The most famous on Lake Ladoga are the Valaam Islands - an archipelago of about 50 islands with an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 36 km 2, due to the location of the Valaam Monastery on the main island of the archipelago. Also known is the island of Konevets, on which the monastery is also located.

Flora and fauna The northern and eastern shores of Lake Ladoga belong to the middle taiga subzone, while the southern and western coasts belong to the southern taiga subzone. The middle taiga is characterized by blueberry spruce forests without undergrowth, with a dense forest stand and a continuous cover of shiny green mosses. In the subzone of the southern taiga, dark coniferous species with undergrowth dominate, where linden, maple, and elm are sometimes found, a grass layer appears with the participation of oak grasses, and the moss cover is less developed than in the middle taiga. The most characteristic type of forest is sorrel spruce forests. The islands of the lake are rocky, with high, up to 60-70 m, sometimes sheer shores, covered with forest, sometimes almost bare or with sparse vegetation. The southern and southwestern shores of the lake are overgrown with reeds and cattails for 150 km. There are shelters and nesting places for waterfowl. There are many nesting gulls on the islands, they grow blueberries, lingonberries, and larger ones have mushrooms. There are 120 species of higher aquatic plants in Lake Ladoga. A strip of reed thickets 5-10 m wide stretches along the coasts of the islands and the mainland. Various groups of macrophytes develop in bays deeply cut into the land. The width of the overgrowing strip in these places reaches 70-100 meters. There is almost no aquatic vegetation along the eastern and western shores of the lake. In the open waters of the lake, vegetation is poorly developed. This is hampered by great depth, low water temperature, a small amount of dissolved nutrient salts, coarse-grained bottom sediments, as well as frequent and strong waves. Therefore, the most diverse vegetation is found in the northern - skerry - region of Ladoga. 154 species of diatoms, 126 species of green algae and 76 species of blue-green algae are common in the lake. The deep Ladoga waters contain only 60-70 thousand microorganisms per cm 3, and in the surface layer - from 180 to 300 thousand, which indicates a weak self-cleaning ability of the lake.

In Lake Ladoga, 378 species and varieties of planktonic animals were identified. More than half of the species are rotifers. A quarter of the total number of species are protozoans, and 23 percent fall together on cladocerans and copepods. The most common zooplankton species in the lake are daphnia and cyclops. A large group of aquatic invertebrates lives at the bottom of the lake. In Ladoga, 385 species of them were found (mostly various crustaceans). The first place in the composition of the benthic fauna belongs to insect larvae, which account for more than half of all species of bottom animals - 202 species. Next come worms (66 species), water mites, or hydrocarines, molluscs, crustaceans, and others. The lake is rich in freshwater fish, which go to the rivers to spawn. 53 species and varieties of fish live in Lake Ladoga: Ladoga slingshot, salmon, trout, char, whitefish, vendace, smelt, bream, cheese, blue bream, silver bream, rudd, asp, catfish, pike perch, roach, perch, pike, burbot and others . Human impact on the reservoir reduces the number of valuable fish - salmon, trout, char, lake-river whitefish and others, and the Atlantic sturgeon and Volkhov whitefish are listed in the Red Book of Russia. The most productive areas include the shallow southern part of the lake with depths up to 15-20 m, where the main fishery is concentrated, and the least productive - the northern skerry area. Sturgeon passes through the lake from the Gulf of Finland along the Neva for spawning to the Volkhov and other rivers. Pike perch is found along the southern and southeastern shores of Lake Ladoga. Salmon lives in the lake, which goes to the rivers in autumn, where it spawns. Whitefish, Siberian sturgeon and other fish are bred in Lake Ladoga and Volkhov. In the Ladoga area, 256 species of birds belonging to 17 orders are regularly found. More than 50 species of birds were recorded here during the transit migration in spring and autumn. The migration links of the Ladoga region cover the space from Iceland to India and from South Africa to Novaya Zemlya. The most attractive territories for birds are the southern Ladoga region. Grebes, swans, geese, ducks, waders, gulls, terns, cranes and shepherds are encountered here on migration, as well as nesting nests of river ducks, tufted ducks, red-headed pochards, gulls, terns, curlews, common and medium-sized curlews, black-tailed godwit, herbalist, golden plover and other shorebirds, the common crane, white-tailed eagle, osprey, red-footed falcon, eagle owl, gray owl, short-eared owl and a number of other birds. The northern skerries are nesting sites for the gray-cheeked grebe, large and medium-sized mergansers, gulls (including barnacle gulls and grouse), terns (including arctic tern), waders and many other species; accumulations of arctic ducks and waders are observed on migration. The only representative of pinnipeds, the Ladoga ringed seal, lives in Lake Ladoga. The number of seals in the lake is estimated at 4000-5000 heads (according to 2000 data). The species is listed in the Red Book.

Lake Ladoga is located in the northwest of Russia.

Lake Ladoga has an ancient history, unique nature and a rich natural world.

Its shores, islands and water area are of great importance for the development of the region's economy and tourism. This is the largest European freshwater lake.

How did the lake

It is believed that for hundreds of millions of years there was a sea on the site of modern Lake Ladoga. Its modern appearance is the result of the movement of the glacial cover.

Researchers believe that the basin on which the lake arose began to free itself from ice about 14 thousand years ago. First, a periglacial lake arose, which had a drain into a glacial lake, on the site of which the Baltic Sea later arose.

Over the next several thousand years, the water level in the lake, the area of ​​​​its surface changed repeatedly. Later, as a result of a change in the profile of the bottom, the lake basin was oriented to the south.

Gradually formed the bed of the Neva in its present form. After the formation of this river, the water level in the reservoir, which belongs to the Baltic basin, decreased by 12-13 meters.

Historical events

On the southern part of its coast in the 8th century, the city of Ladoga was founded, which gave the name to the lake. It played an important role in the waterway of the Varangians from Scandinavia to Byzantium discovered in the next century. In the 13th century, the name Ladoga Lake became common. In 1617, after the defeat of Russia in the war with the Swedes, most of the lake coast and coastal fortresses and settlements were ceded to the Swedes.

At the beginning of the 18th century, as a result of the Northern War, which was victorious for Russia, the shores of the lake became completely Russian. After that, shipping channels were arranged. During the Great Patriotic War, most Ladoga coast occupied by German and Finnish troops. To maintain communication between Leningrad, blocked by the Nazis, and the unoccupied part of the Soviet state, from the autumn of 1941 to the spring of 1943, the "Road of Life" was organized.

Over one and a half million tons of food and other goods were delivered to the city for navigation by ships and cars on hard ice, over 1.3 million residents of the city were evacuated. An important role here was played by the ships of the Ladoga military flotilla, created at the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war.

Ladoga lake. road of life photo

A big mark in the history of Ladoga was left by the islands located on the lake. Valaam Island with its Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, founded in the 10th-11th centuries, gained worldwide fame. According to legend, the holy apostle Andrew the First-Called traveled the path from Kyiv and Novgorod. When he reached the island, he blessed it with a cross. Prominent Russian architects took part in the construction of the monastery buildings.

On the small island of Konevets in the XIV century, the Monk Arseniy founded the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.

Characteristics and environmental conditions

Together with the islands, the area of ​​Lake Ladoga is 18.3 thousand square meters. km. It stretches from north to south for 219 km, with a width of 125 km. The lake is located 4.84 m above sea level. The shores of the lake, stretching for more than a thousand kilometers, have a varied and rich relief. On the south coast, they are not high, they have many shallows, interspersed with rock reefs and small bays. On this side of the lake there are three large bays.

Lake Ladoga Valaam Island, Valaam Monastery photo

Its northern shores are predominantly rocky and high. There are many peninsulas, fjords and skerries, separated by straits of small islands. From the eastern side, two bays, fenced off by a large island, protrude into the coast. The coastal strip is relatively flat, with wide sandy beaches. Even more gentle is the western coast of Lake Ladoga. It is distinguished by a dense forest that comes directly to the water, formed by coniferous and deciduous trees, and a variety of shrubs. There are frequent accumulations of boulders along the coast, which can ridge into the water, creating a danger to navigation.

There are a huge number of islands on the lake, of which 660 have an area of ​​​​more than a hectare and occupy about 435 square meters. km. More than half a thousand are located in the area of ​​skerries in the north of the lake. Dozens of islands form archipelagos, the largest of which is Valaam with 50 islands. Most of the islands are distinguished by high cliffs and sheer shores. They may be heavily forested or sparsely vegetated.

In the region of Lake Ladoga, there is a specific climate, which has signs of temperate continental and temperate maritime. This is due to the features of the region, expressed in. relatively small amount of heat from the sun that enters the earth and the atmosphere. During the year, only two months in total are sunny. Overcast days with cloudiness and scattered light prevail throughout the year.

The average annual air temperature here is + 3.3 degrees. In February it is - 8.8, and in warm July +16.3. The lake freezes over from December to February. Its middle is covered with ice only at extremely low temperatures. In April-May it is freed from ice. Due to constant unrest, Lake Ladoga is not calm. Storms are not uncommon here, characterized by foam-covered waves reaching six meters in height. Sometimes there are phenomena of surge and surge of the water mass, leading to changes in the water level.

Flowing rivers, cities, ecology

The full flow of Lake Ladoga is provided by the many rivers flowing into it, which provide about 85% of its water balance. Among them, the largest are the Svir, which flows from Lake Onega, the Volkhov, which originates in Lake Ilmen, and Vuoksa, which connects Ladoga with Lake Saimaa. In total, 35 rivers and many streams carry their waters into the lake. Only the Neva, flowing out of it, flows into the Baltic Sea. It accounts for about 92% of the water flow from the lake.

city ​​Priozersk fortress Korela photo

On the shores of the lake there are such cities with Russian and Karelian names:

• Lakhdenpokhya
• Novaya Ladoga
• Pitkyaranta
• Priozersk
• Sortavala
• Shlisselburg.

These communities are centers of coastal economic life. The activities of their industrial enterprises are largely provided by lake navigation. The waterway from the Volga to the Baltic Sea passes through Ladoga. Millions of tons of cargo move across the lake every year. These are oil products and oil, building materials, chemical raw materials, etc. Tens of thousands of passengers are transported, including as part of tourist cruises.

Economic activity on the shores of the lake has led to environmental pollution. Many enterprises, instead of effectively cleaning production waste, dump it into the lake and the rivers flowing into it. Radiation and nuclear hazardous enterprises and test sites for testing radioactive components operate near the lake. As a result, contaminated areas have formed on some islands.

Ladoga skerries photo

In some parts of the water area, the content of dissolved heavy metals is seriously exceeded. Some coastal locations have high levels of toxicological and microbial contamination.

Animal world

Over 250 species of birds are found in the region of Lake Ladoga. A fifth of them annually in spring and autumn fly here in transit. According to ornithologists, Ladoga birds reach Novaya Zemlya and Iceland, South Africa and India. Among them:

• geese
• ducks
• swans
• seagulls
• waders
• cranes and others.

Many other birds, including those belonging to rare species, arrange their nests on the shores. On the southern coast, waterfowl nest in reed thickets. There are many freshwater fish in the lake. During the spawning period, she goes to spawn in the flowing rivers. In total, there are over fifty species of various fish, including such as:

• trout
• salmon
• zander
• perch
• pike and others.

About ten fish species are harvested, among which ripus, vendace and smelt predominate. Fishing is most effective in the south of the lake at depths of up to 20 m. For spawning in the Volkhov and other rivers flowing into the lake, sturgeon comes from the Baltic through Ladoga along the Neva. Here they catch pike perch near the southern shore. In Volkhov and near the coast of the lake, there are fish breeders of Siberian sturgeon, whitefish, trout, and other valuable fish.

Lake Ladoga and seagulls photo

However, the negative impact on nature reduces the population of valuable commercial fish, such as whitefish, trout, salmon, etc. Volkhov whitefish and Atlantic sturgeon were included in the Russian Red Book. In addition, this book contains a unique seal, which is called the Ladoga ringed seal. The number of these animals in the lake does not exceed five thousand individuals.

• annually on May 25-26, “white nights” can be observed over the lake, which last more than fifty days and end on July 16-17;
• in 2002, an atlas of Lake Ladoga was published with the participation of domestic and foreign experts;
• for the first time, the lake was marked in 1544 on a map made by the German scientist S. Munster;
• Since 2002, the state register of ships, aircraft and other underwater objects located at the bottom of the lake has been compiled;
• after the war, experiments were made on some islands with chemical warfare and radioactive substances, new types of weapons and explosives were developed
• in the 1970s, according to the then standards, the waters of the lake were the cleanest and were marked with the I class of quality, while today the moderately polluted water of the lake is assigned only the III class;
• among the deepest Russian lakes, Ladoga ranks eighth.

Lake Ladoga lies in the northwestern part of the Russian Plain. It lies between the parallels 59°51` and 61°46` N. sh. and meridians 29°48 and 32°58` E. e. Administratively, this is the territory of two regions of our Fatherland - the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia. It is considered the largest reserve of lake (and at the same time fresh) moisture in Europe and the second largest water mirror in Russia. Tourism object.

How the lake was formed

Lake Ladoga was born during the last (Valdai) glaciation, which ended 12,000 years ago. The flow of water from a melting glacier and the simultaneous change in the level of the World Ocean led to the appearance of a coastline of modern outlines (before this process, part of the Ladoga water was in the sea, and the other half was the territory of its raised bottom). At the moment, the area of ​​​​this water mirror (that is, the space that does not include pieces of land) is 17,870 square kilometers (this is the second position in the list of Russian lakes after Baikal). The volume of the water mass of Nevo (as the hydrological object used to be called) is 838 cubic meters, the size of the sewage basin is 258,600 square kilometers. It became so thanks to 40 rivers and streams. "Pours out" lake water Neva. River and stream diet. A striking phenomenon is the depth of Lake Ladoga. But the fact is that in some northern fragments of the water area, the parameter is 230 meters.

Shores of Lake Ladoga

The depth of Lake Ladoga is not as remarkable as the greatest length. The distance between the Ladoga points, the furthest from each other, is 219 kilometers. On an ordinary (medium-speed) motor boat, this water surface must be crossed for 3.5 hours. The largest width is also impressive. It is identical to 125 kilometers, narrowing significantly in the north. But just there the most elongated bays. It is from the north that we will begin to explore the shores of Lake Ladoga, moving clockwise. Our journey starts from the Karelian village of Kiryavalahti, the geographical center of the Sortavala region of the republic. Its water edge is the northernmost point of the bizarre circle of the Ladoga reservoir, as well as the base of the Kiryavalahti Bay. The A-121 highway passes here literally 15 meters from the water's edge, which is very gentle and overgrown with black alder, pine and birch. Moving further along the marina, we find ourselves in the settlement of the same name, surrounded by dense taiga. There are no capes here, fishing platforms stand exactly between large stones. The depth increases suspiciously fast. The exit of the bay to the main body of water is marked by a panorama, first of two small islands, and to the southeast - by an archipelago already of 11 pieces of land, among which there are also impressive ones (we will talk about them in another chapter). From the village of Khijdenselga, the observer already sees the giants of the island world, and then he sees the main water area of ​​Lake Ladoga. Here the depth gauge shows already 70 meters or more. In this place (the mouth of Janisjoki) the Balovina is widely flooded in spring. Our further movement takes place along the edge outlined by approximately 1-2-meter stone pits. We go south and understand that we find ourselves on a patch, most of all curved by capes. From here, making its way among the most dense thickets, numerous lake bays begin to feed dozens of streams, and the Impilahti harbor already looks very much like a classic fjord. Further wandering to the southeast will make you see many more of these stream branches, leading inland for 6-8 kilometers. The whole bay of Impilahti is packed with tents during the season, rubber boats are visible everywhere ... Continuing the water trip along the banks of the Pityakarantsky urban settlement, the traveler finds himself in the very regional center.

The patches of coastal land are steep and rocky, the passengers of the ship will first be met by the island of Pusunsaari, partly occupied by the industrial zone. The adventure continues with the development of Uuksu, Salmi, Miinaloi and two of the largest islands - Mantsinsaarai and Lunkulnsaari. Opposite them, at a decent distance, the island of Valaam appears through binoculars. To the south, the shores of Lake Ladoga open up to us the same swampy and pine-covered Olonets region of the Karelian autonomy. On the border capes, the Vidlitsa River flows into Ladoga, and 25 kilometers from here we enjoy the riviera of the village of Ilyinsky (the mouth of the Olonka River). The shore goes into the water at an angle, but it is already sandy! The southeastern shores of Lake Ladoga are the long Svir Bay (lower reaches of the Svir) and the cape with the village of Storozhno. Here the “baths” end, the swampy low banks, densely covered with cattail, reeds and sedge, “take the initiative”. On the slopes, there is a dense herbage. We see the same thing up to the settlement Syasstroy, next to which is the confluence point of the Syasi. It feeds the Svir Canal, which repeats the coastal contours. Novaya Ladoga, a huge ledge of land and Petrokrepost Bay are the lowest landmarks on the map. Here, too, thick grass and swamps, and the water is much shallower. The area is remembered by the "finish" of the Neva, the town of Shlisselburg and the island-fortress. The beach for the common people begins already to the north of the Neva branch - muddy and earthy. Sometimes again pebbles.

And then the swimmers turn north again. In the south-west there are majestic rock walls, on the entire western coast there are many ruined Finnish farms and wide water meadows. To the north, rest on Ladoga will not allow you to let go of the camera. For example, beyond Priozersk there is a section of the water area that was dubbed the “country of islands”. On most of the skerries and islands there are no problems with firewood; in the west, the forest is closest to the water. Cape Kurkiemi is the first location where the Ladoga rocks appear in all their grandeur. From here the coast is very high. Murolahti Bay is a typical fjord. We see such landscapes up to the villages and islands of the Sortavala region, on the territory of which the coast is rocky, but already significantly lowered. It remains to add that, in addition to Priozersk, the western half of the lake shore includes Landepokhya and large "Sortavala" islands. The places are adored by tourists, as here picnic lovers find gently sloping shores, convenient for both bivouac and fishing. The landscapes here are the most idyllic. And quiet! As a result, we can say that the entire eastern half of the water area and the southern tip - the low-lying swampy coast - consists of clay and loam sediments, and in some places even sand. The western half (20 kilometers from the mouth of the Neva), on the contrary, is high stone ravines. You will learn why this happened in the text of the next section.

The relief of the bottom of Lake Ladoga

We repeat that the depth of Lake Ladoga is uneven, fluctuating from 20 meters (in the region of the eastern fjords) to 230 meters (the northern half of the water area, a little closer to the west). The reason for this is the origin of the surface itself, later covered by lake waters. Part of it was originally marine, and part - the Baltic crystalline shield. That is, an uplift formed by rocks that have crawled out of a crack in the East European Platform. This is where the deepest hole is. Further, the shelf of the already indicated platform is gradually gaining height. From the northern shores, its slope is several times steeper than from the southern. Indeed, between the two geological formations in prehistoric times there was water. We are talking about the deepest part of the lake basin. The northwestern corner and the entire west are composed of the oldest rock massifs of the Baltic Shield. The rest of the water spaces have changed their shape thousands of times due to the increase in the volume of Quaternary deposits and ongoing tectonic activity. 4 thousand years ago, the river bed of the Neva appeared. The current contours of the lake were born 2.5 thousand years ago. The most gentle and soft bottom of Lake Ladoga is located in the transgressive south and southeast. Here the water warms up faster. The Ladoga Islands are only the tops of underwater concepts with a complex relief. That is why in the center of the western riviera there are so many skerries and archipelagos with tiny pieces of land. And just between them there are dangerous whirlpools.

Islands of Lake Ladoga

Where the bottom of Lake Ladoga is the deepest, we see Valaam, Putsaari, and an archipelago of 6 minor islands, which has not even been given a name (it limits the deepest zone from the south). It's a little cooler here, a lot of stones. From the east, a chain of smaller patches of land adjoins the well-known island tract. On the remaining fragments of its northern half, Lake Ladoga has the above-mentioned “country of islands” (Western archipelago, Ladoga skerries). This is the most difficult sailing area of ​​“our” water area, replete with skerries of a strongly protruding peninsula, fjords and inter-island straits with whirlpools. Those are formed due to conflicting currents and temperature contrasts. To the west of this group is the deepest depression, as well as to the southwest (beyond which stand the Bezlesy and Gorby archipelago). For this reason, the water in these harbors is almost always icy. The coast is replete with albeit not the highest, but still significant stone ravines. The largest landmasses are Sorolonsaari, Heposorolonsaari, Kuhka, Rahmansaari, Heinäsenmaa, Verkkosaari, Kärpänsaari, Kontiosari (Bear Bear), Karpisari, Kilpola and Montasaari. The princesses of the island, as well as the Tervu and Ihoyanverkul peninsulas, which have barely noticeable isthmuses connecting them to the mainland. To the north of Valaam (in the zone of slightly smaller, but still significant depths), we will find the largest isolated objects of the lake - about. Riekkapansaari and Fr. Tulolansaari. Orjatsaari and Sammatsaari adjoin them in the southwest. They end with a group called Mayasaaret. Between all these objects there is also a "trifle". On the eastern side, the northern Ladoga Lake has the giants of the 2nd position - Mantsinsaari and Lunkulonsaari. But to the north-west of them there are still many small islands at the exit of the most elongated fjords. The islands of the east are quite closely adjacent to the coast, have convenient shores and are well developed. One even has an industrial zone.

In its southern half, Lake Ladoga is no longer so saturated with archipelagos. In the Leningrad region, we visit the swampy island of Ptinov, then (in the Petrokrepost Bay) the Zelentsy Islands, then the Karedzhskaya Spit and the island of the same name behind it, as well as Fort Oreshek (this is at the mouth of the Neva). Finally, in the center of the western side, the passengers of the ship can only see Konevets. But it is still a little closer to the northern half.

On the entire Ladoga mirror there are 77 islands, some of which are groups of islands.

Flora and fauna

The biocenosis of the northern and eastern shores of the described water body belongs to the middle taiga zone, and the southern and western riviera belongs to its southern variety. That is, the vegetation in the first case is blueberry spruce forests (on thick mosses), and in the second case, pines, black alder, birch and fir. And all this stands on a very rich undergrowth. 120 higher plants live on the water itself, among which a variety of reeds (mostly cattail) dominate. Accordingly, in the Karelian part of the water area, visitors will see a seal and an otter. In Leningradskaya Ladoga - the same animals, but it is also a zone of large bird migration (256 species of birds rest here along the way). Among them, ospreys, cranes, white-tailed eagles and the ubiquitous curlew and red-footed falcon wormed their way into the swamps and lands. A beaver approaches the lake shores (at the mouths of the rivers). In the coastal forests, permanent inhabitants are the eagle owl, short-eared owl and gray owl.

In addition to planktonic animals and coastal near-water inhabitants (crayfish), there are many ichthyofauna in the local water. The fish of Lake Ladoga are trout, salmon, whitefish, char, vendace, bream, smelt, silver bream, cheese, blue bream, asp, catfish, burbot. Of course, there are plenty of more prosaic waterfowl here - pike, perch, roach and pike perch.

Sights of Lake Ladoga

Leisure in the indicated recreation usually comes down to picnics with overnight stays, as well as to any kind of fishing. But there are 7 sites where all this is combined with cultural, historical and extreme areas in tourism. We will tell about each of them.

Western Archipelago (Ladoga Skerries)

Such a vacation on Lake Ladoga is part of a yacht or boat mini-cruise (who has enough money for what). Usually tours "Secrets of the Ladoga Skerries" start either from the pier of Priozersk, or from the pier of Sortavala. By water, they enter here through Cape Taruniemi (through the yacht marina of the park-hotel "Dacha Vintera"). There are boats for rent. But ordinary people choose the overland route. By land, people get to the skerries from Shlisselburg and the Northern capital. On the highway St. Petersburg - Helsinki (A-121). You should turn towards the lake in the area of ​​the exit to Kurkieki. From Kurkieki itself, there is an “asphalt road” to the Terva peninsula, the center of the skerries. It has a western part, as if cut off by a strait. From the plane, you will never guess that it is also part of the peninsula. It is so indented by fjords and adjacent to so many islands that different fragments of the Myukrimyuksensaari tract are also perceived as islands. The isthmus is barely noticeable, but it is - in the area of ​​​​the northern fjord. On the way to Terva, there is an exit to a very inconspicuous road leading to the Vyatikka farm. From here, safe fairways also go to the fjord system. The watermen say it's very beautiful here. Part of the indicated labyrinth space (namely, 600 of its islands and part of the mainland) has the status of a national park. Therefore, follow the signs, trying to drive the car too close to the water. The fact is that there are water protection zones. It is better to drag a rubber boat 200 meters than to pay a fine. There are a lot of places for camping here - the territory is almost not inhabited, and there are no sandbanks here (noisy "mattress covers" that produce tons of garbage do not come here). At the same time, the water is crystal clear, and the pine trees along the banks are somehow too fabulously curved. It remains to tell about Terva itself - the "capital" of the peninsula, the bay of the same name, and the entire Ladoga Skerries Reserve. These are 12 wooden houses, as well as a new pier and recreation center Tervu Village. And there is everything for fishing, water and diving leisure.

Sortavala city

In the far north, Lake Ladoga washes the lands of the Sortavala region of Karelia. The regional center itself is separated from the main bay of the water area by the largest island of the lake - Riekkalansaari. The place name translates as "Greek Island". This means just a reference to the local Orthodox church - the oldest pagan Karelian on earth. The island has its own bay, inside which there are also islands, several small reservoirs and 8 Sortavala rural-type microdistricts. They look very colorful in photographs. A bridge leads here from the mainland (from the central city blocks). The strait between the island and the town is recognized as a lake. It is called Lappäjärvi. But in the center of Sortavala, tourists are waiting for the St. Nicholas Church, the Town Hall in pseudo-Gothic style and the spacious lakes Airanne and Tukhkolampi. There are equipped parks around the first two attractions. The embankment of internal lakes is partly a recreation area. Vakkosalmi Park contains activities for all ages. There is an ethnographic and local history museum of the Northern Ladoga region, which tells about the history of this region. From the nearest recreational corners - the estate "House of Composers" in Kirjavalahti (the settlement has already been mentioned above). Guest house, by the road.

Reserve "Valaam"

The water area of ​​Lake Ladoga is the place of five famous water routes, the most popular of which is associated with a visit to the complex indicated in the title. They come here on various ships from Sortavala, Shlisselburg and Priozersk (in which even one pier is called Valaam). The main point for sorties is the monastery of the same name. It is followed by Mount Eleon (the best local “view” to the center of the island), the Skete in the Name of All Saints (an authentic cult ensemble), the equally bright Resurrection Skete, as well as the exquisite and curious Resurrection Chapel.

Resort Priozersk

Fishing on Lake Ladoga is far from being the main type of recreation if you find yourself in the west of the "northern" water area. Albeit inconvenient, but equipped for swimming, the seaside, yacht pontoons luring you into an adventure, kiosks of tour operators, cafes and entertainment, trips to the Korela fortress, as well as an excursion to the Protestant church, once built by the Swedes. Here is the main brand of the agglomeration popular with tourists. It is also worth emphasizing the excitement regarding souvenir shops and the quaint Priozersky courtyard of the Valaam Monastery. And it includes temples of 3 religions, as well as the Church of All Saints, which has features that unite all three of these buildings. And it’s not far from Priozersk to go to picturesque lakes (because of this, the town has such a name). On the way - the Vuoksa embankment and a couple of restored noble estates.

Fortress Oreshek

The most famous historical holiday on Ladoga is a visit to the island citadel Oreshek (the Swedish name is Nöteborg). The fortification, built by the Novgorodians in the 14th century, was taken away from them first by the Muscovite state, and then by the Kingdom of Sweden. Recaptured from the last owners in 1702. Troops of Peter the Great. In plan, the fortification has the shape of an irregular triangle. There are 5 towers along the perimeter. Inner citadel in the northeast corner. Once along the powerful walls (outside) there were 7 more towers. Since 1723 it was used as a prison (the new name is Shlisselburg fortress). There is a portal pier. Entrance to the territory of the historical museum-reserve is paid. The name of the fortress from the island is Orekhovy.

Vidlitsko-Ilyinsky (Eastern) beaches

In addition to the delicious oily fish of Lake Ladoga, its guests are interested in places where there is sand and clean. Agree that in many cities and villages of the local federal district (and even more so the neighboring - Central) one cannot find such joy. Therefore, being in the girls of Vidlitsa, Tuloksy and Olonka (as well as between them), the "mattress" will be very happy. They will rush to strip off everything but their bathing suit. And many will get rid of it. There are places here ... The sand is fine and clean, although not white. You can get here on your own by taking a suburban bus to Olonets. And from the local regional center to the long bathing riviera, the Ilyinsky-Vidlitsa highway leads.

Svir Bay

Fishing on Ladoga and many other holiday pleasures are the "calling card" of the huge bay. His name is in the title. And it denotes the mouth of the river of the same name. The coast is the subject of a thousand published photographs. There is very little sand, but the water is the warmest in summer (the place is shallow). Too smooth entry into the water allows you to arrange water procedures with small children. Normal water, beautiful stones, bizarrely curved trees and an inner estuary in the mouth of the river - this is the landscape that a hiker who decides to stay here will find. And not far from the water is the famous megalith Pichin stone (its location is the extreme ledge of Storozhensky Cape). On a large boulder there are man-made furrows and depressions of various shapes. The object is recognized as a fragment of a megalithic mosaic that has always adorned pagan sanctuaries or ancient observatories. Hunters choose the described place for shooting swamp game. Here it is most of all because of suitable conditions.

Rest on Lake Ladoga

"Wild" rest on Ladoga is also possible in places not yet indicated by us. On a strip of beaches north of Shlisselburg. It is on the northern side of the Neva mouth (the village of Pavel Morozov), as well as between the village of Vaganova and the mouth of the river Morya (the land of the village of the Ladoga Lake station). You can really get to the second "bath" by train - the canvas is laid along the Road of Life highway. The width of the sandy surface on both beaches ranges from 25 to 50 meters. True, in the sand you can find fragments of pine branches and cones. There are no sun loungers, changing rooms or toilets. On the other hand, there is a bright red lighthouse, many “paddling pools” and a beautiful memorial in the north. He tells the guests of Ladoga about the attempts to save Leningraders from death. Approach paths are often more frequent. In one there is a pedunculate oak, rare for these places.

The conversation concerning the many campsites was "smeared" by us in all chapters. It remains to add to their list a bivouac at the sights Head of the Sea Devil. This is a beach fragment of the east coast (the mouth of Tuloxa). More officially, the location is called the Ladoga Dunes. This is the only place on Ladoga that resembles the shallows of Anapa. And the name relating to the sea monster was fixed because of the "hikers". It was they who christened the huge miracle stone in the place for bivouacs. There is, of course, a legend associated with this fact. But no one remembers her anymore.

Now let's note the water areas for alloys. They can be the lower reaches of all rivers and rivulets that end their journey in the reservoir described here. The kayak passes through all channels.

Organized recreation on Lake Ladoga is associated with commercial tours starting from St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod, as well as from Petrozavodsk. Trips have the ultimate goal of the 7 tracts described above or settling in camp sites, which we will discuss below. Many BOs have everything for fishing or yacht trips.

Comfortable and not very recreation centers are scattered around the entire circumference of the coast. If you start from Shlisselburg and move clockwise, then their order will be as follows:

• "World of Lighthouses";
• "Golden shore";
• "Dubrava park";
• "Captain Morgan";
• "Silver";
• "Berezovo";
• "Oceanpribor";
• "Drive Park Ladoga";
• "Petrel";
• "Kapelka";
• "Lippola";
• "U Dachny Rest";
• "Boyarinov Dvor"
• "Voronov outpost";
• "Khutor Suromyaki";
• "Annushkin berth";
• "Vyatikka";
• "Village Tervu";
• "Kiselevka";
• "Annilahti";
• "Lumivaara";
• "Rantala";
• "Khutor Salokulya";
• "Ladoga Skerries";
• "Sorola Village";
• "Iceberg";
• "Ladoga Marina";
• "Rauhala Vacation Homes";
• "Wonderful";
• "In Akulovka";
• "Camping Ripus farm";
• "Khutor Rukola";
• "Mikli Olgino";
• "Ladoga Estate";
• "Winter's Cottage";
• "Quiet";
• SPA;
• "Father Vasily";
• "Kirjavalahti";
• "House of Composers";
• "Seasons";
• "Grey stones";
• "First line";
• "Karelia Park";
• "Long coast";
• "Uksun-lahti";
• "Bryaus";
• "13th cordon";
• "Mantiansaari";
• "Svirskaya";
• "Foreland";
• "Manor Dubno".

Fishing on Lake Ladoga

Fishing on Ladoga is possible everywhere. You can’t just set up nets and catch more than two fishing rods during the spawning season. Know the fish of the Red Book. There's a lot of her here. The coolest places fishing fans recognize are quiet narrow bays, decorated with reeds and snags at the water's edge. Most of these are in the east. And there are no protected areas. But the service for lovers of "wet" (including underwater) hunting is arranged, on the contrary, already in the west. There is more BO. There are "baited" points in the southeast - near Syasstroy and in the Zagubskaya Bay. Fishing is widespread within the boundaries of all settlements, even in Shlisselburg. Pecks.

• Rest on Lake Ladoga will allow you to make many discoveries regarding this reservoir. Did you know that it was here that the first city of Ilmen Slovenes (future residents of the republican state formation Novgorod Land) appeared? It was called Ladoga, and later Lake Nevo was named after him Ladoga. Now it is a state-protected settlement in the village of Staraya Ladoga. Come.
• The first Valaam Monastery arose not at all on the island of the same name, but on Konevets.
• Did you guess that it was Fort Korela (Priozersk) that was the most northwestern outpost of Novgorod Land. And behind it were already the lands of the Karelians, whom the Swedish knightly orders tried to convert first to Catholicism, and after 200 years to Scandinavian Protestantism. And yet they became Orthodox. As a result, in modern Priozersk, guests will find churches, church churches, and Orthodox churches.
• The oldest lighthouse on the lake is Svirsky, not Shlisselburgsky. Built in 1908.
• 40 rivers and streams flow into Ladoga, and for some reason only one Neva flows out. And it's a matter of evasion.
• Together with the smallest pieces of land, the number of Ladoga islands is 666!
• During the WWII Ladoga ice passed the Road of Life. Leningraders were supplied with food along it and 1,000,000 people were taken out.

Lake Ladoga is an ideal location for several types of outdoor activities, a wonderful "polygon" for fishing, an indispensable recreational space for a family weekend tour and the focus of the country's historical and cultural values. 6 highways and a dozen primers lead to its shores. And nothing stops you from being here.

Basic moments

Lake Ladoga is an important link on the Volga-Baltic route. During the navigation period, passenger ships of the marine class ply its waters, but navigation here is limited due to sudden storms. The main shipping traffic runs through the bypass channels of the Volga-Balta.

Since ancient times, Christian righteous have settled in these remote lands. Small sketes grew into monasteries, which became authoritative spiritual centers of Russia. During the dark period of repressions of the 20-30s of the last century, the cloisters were liquidated, and prisoners were kept within their walls. In the 90s, justice was restored, and the monasteries were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Today Priladozhye is one of the most popular tourist regions of the country. Reserves protecting the Karelian nature have been created here. Tourist bases and hotels have been built in cities and towns located around Lake Ladoga. The infrastructure is actively developing in the coastal cities - Shlisselburg, Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga, Sortaval, Pitkyaranta, from which the main excursion routes begin. Travelers get acquainted with the beauties of northern nature, original monuments of history and culture.

History of Lake Ladoga

Lake Ladoga is a relic of the last glaciation that covered the northern hemisphere of the planet by geological standards quite recently - about 10-12 thousand years ago. The vast valley, now the bottom of the lake, was filled with melt water, rivers and streams rushed into the lowland. Following the glacier retreating to the north, people came to the banks of the reservoir. Numerous traces of settlements were discovered during construction work, in archaeological science they are called the Ladoga sites. Among the artifacts of prehistoric times are stone arrowheads and spears, fragments of ceramic dishes with ornaments, human burials and food remains. The diet of the local inhabitants of the Neolithic era was dominated by lake fish, meat was obtained by hunting seals, forest game and waterfowl.

In the Scandinavian sagas and in the trade agreements of the merchants of the Hanseatic League, the lake is called Aldoga, which can mean “wavy”, but linguists offer other interpretations. These places were inhabited by Karelians, Vepsians, Chuds. In the languages ​​of these peoples, more ancient names of Lake Ladoga have been preserved, one of them is Veliky Nevo.

During the Middle Ages, Ladoga and the vast territories of Karelia were included in the sphere of influence of Veliky Novgorod. Novgorod trade and military sailboats sailed along the lake. From time immemorial, Sweden also claimed the Ladoga region. One of the episodes of this confrontation is reported by the Novgorod Chronicle. At the beginning of the summer of 1164, warships of the Swedish king entered the lake and headed for the walls of the coastal fortress of Ladoga, built at the mouth of the Volkhov River. The stronghold covered Novgorod from the north. In that battle, the Novgorod squad defeated the Swedes, keeping Karelia for Russia. But it was only at the beginning of the 18th century that Tsar Peter I, who ended the Russian-Swedish war with victory, managed to put an end to the dispute over the territory.

Storms often rage on Lake Ladoga, caused by strong gusty winds. It was this circumstance, which often led to shipwrecks, that forced Peter I to decide on the construction of bypass canals, which ensured safe transit navigation. The construction of canals continued in the following centuries. Thanks to these man-made water arteries, today the lake is connected with the southern and northern regions of Russia by busy navigation along the modern route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” - from the Baltic to Azov and the Black Sea coast.

Dramatic events of the Great Patriotic War took place on Ladoga. The famous Road of Life ran here, the only thread from the mainland to Leningrad besieged by the Nazi troops. Major battles took place in this area, aimed at breaking the blockade of the Northern capital.

Geography and natural resources

The coastline of Lake Ladoga is picturesque and diverse. The northern coast is composed of rocky ridges, smoothed by a glacier, among them huge boulders are scattered. This part of the lake landscape is strewn with islands, indented by narrow winding bays deeply protruding into the mainland, here they are called skerries. The islands and coasts are overgrown with birches, pines and firs, shrubs dominate the mossy undergrowth, berries and mushrooms grow in abundance. In the northern part, the water depth reaches 230 m.

The western coast is also rocky, but the slopes, adorned with mixed forests, are almost not indented by bays.

A characteristic feature of the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga is wide sandy beaches, high dunes overgrown with mast pines are washed up in the river mouths. Here is the island of Mantsinsaari, one of the largest on the lake.

The southern coast is low-lying and swampy, it is covered with dense thickets of reeds, there are nesting places for various waterfowl. The coastal part is dangerous for navigation, stone reefs and sandbars are hidden under shallow water.

Part of the lake coast is included in the northern and northeastern regions of the Leningrad region, the other part belongs to the territory of the Republic of Karelia.

35 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, the largest of them are Volkhov, Svir, Vuoksa. And only one Neva flows out of it, retaining the ancient Karelian name of Lake Nevo. This is probably where the concept of seine - a fishing net - comes from. Geologists managed to find out that this runoff to the Baltic was formed quite recently, in foreseeable historical times. Neva is about 2500 years old. Before the appearance of a breakthrough of rocks by the Neva outflow into the Gulf of Finland, the level of the lake was about 12 meters higher, all modern coastal regions were under water.

To the east of Vyborg, geologists discovered traces of the bed of an older river that carried away excess Ladoga waters. This glacial proto-river existed about 10 thousand years ago. Over time, the land, freed from the weight of billions of tons of ice, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the old channel gradually rose above the water level. Geologists note that the uplift of the granite shield on which Karelia is located continues to this day.

Historical and natural reserves have been created on Ladoga. Since 2017, by decree of the government of the Russian Federation, 650 rocky islets, clustered along the northern coast of the reservoir, have been classified as protected areas. Organized here national park"Ladoga Skerries" with a unique ecosystem - several thousand freshwater seals listed in the Red Book live here, they are known as Ladoga seals. Local waters are inhabited by rare species of fish, also protected by Russian law. Colonies of seagulls nest on the islands. The reserve is located on the territory of the Republic of Karelia, the park area exceeds 122 thousand hectares.

In the west, the skerry limits the large island of Kilpola, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island has its own lake - Vitsalampi, as well as smaller reservoirs. There are ancient Karelian settlements, camp sites and cafes, campsites and guest houses. There is a whole fleet of sailing yawls for walking along the skerries.

Climate and weather

The climate on Ladoga is transitional from temperate continental to maritime. Cloudy weather prevails, sunny days are rare. But from the end of May to mid-July, marvelous white nights are observed here. In March and September - periods of prolonged rains.

Hydrographers characterize Lake Ladoga as "cold-water". In the deepest place the water temperature does not exceed +4...+5 °C.

The shallow southern part of Lake Ladoga warms up well in summer. In this water area, the water temperature in June-August reaches +24 °C, and a short beach season opens here. But in most of the reservoir, even in the warmest time of the year, swimming is uncomfortable, the temperature of the water rarely exceeds +14 °C. The warmest period comes here in mid-August, when the air temperature reaches +22...+24 °С.

Lake Ladoga in winter

Sights of Lake Ladoga

An extensive list of attractions of Lake Ladoga is headed by the world-famous ancient monastery on the island of Valaam. According to legend, the first cross was erected here by the Apostle Andrew. Historians attribute the foundation of the monastery to the 11th century.

On the neighboring island of Putsaari, surrounded by a round dance of small islands, there is a secluded St. George Skete. This quiet monastery belongs to the Valaam Monastery, and tourists rarely come here.

20 km from the city of Lodeynoye Pole, on the wooded bank of the Svir River, there is the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. Fine examples of Moscow architecture of the 15th-17th centuries are worth seeing here. The interiors of the buildings of the monastery are decorated with ancient frescoes. Among the shrines kept here is a consecrated copy of the famous Shroud of Turin.

An interesting walk can be made in the historical center of the city of Sortavala, located on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga. Stone and wooden buildings of the century before last have been preserved here. There are more than 60 monuments of historical and cultural heritage of the indigenous population of Karelia in this region. Ancient settlements and necropolises date back to the 6th millennium BC. e.

The ruins of the Novgorod fortress can be seen in the ancient city of Staraya Ladoga. Fragments of walls made of river boulders on strong lime mortar have been preserved here. They can be seen near the church of St. George.

A kilometer from the village of Kokkorevo, the Broken Ring monument dedicated to the Road of Life was erected.

The nature reserves of Lake Ladoga are also beckoning. Picturesque Ruskeala waterfalls foam in the mountain park near the village of Ruskeala. Key episodes of the touching film The Dawns Here Are Quiet (1972) were filmed here. The waterfalls are equipped with gazebos, there is a parking lot. You can buy souvenirs and smoked fish in the shop.

Monument "Broken Ring"

Beaches

The beaches are concentrated on the southern coast of Lake Ladoga. It is not deep here, the water is quite warm in summer, but the bottom is almost everywhere silty, although there are rocky and sandy areas. In other parts of the coastal reservoir, it is much deeper, the water warms up unimportantly over a short summer, and besides, it is cooled by ice bottom springs. Rivers carry a lot of silt and peat into the lake, and therefore the water in Ladoga is muddy. It will not be possible to dive with a mask and watch the underwater inhabitants - visibility under water is almost zero.

One of the most popular beaches you will find in the village of Kokkorevo. During the swimming season it is crowded, although there are no signs of service on the beach. There are no sun loungers, no changing cabins here, not to mention toilets. A bus runs from the Vaganovo railway station to the Torn Ring memorial, but it does not stop at Kokkorevo. You will have to walk to the beach for about half an hour. Vacationers come here by car, but there is no parking on the beach, cars are drawn in a long line along a narrow dirt forest road. Those who decide to swim here during the day have to put the car "in the tail" and go to the beach on foot for a kilometer and a half.

The ideal option is to come to Kokkorevo by bike. In this case, you can go further along the coast, find a secluded beach in the thickets of reeds, where it will be pleasant to swim and have a picnic. Just don't forget to take your rubbish away with you - environmentalists complain that during floods, plastic bottles and bags from spontaneous dumps are carried even into nature reserves.

The town of Osinovets also has a fairly large beach. A noticeable landmark will lead to it - the high tower of the lighthouse, painted in red and white stripes. Near the beach there is a cafe overlooking the lake. Snacks, hot dishes, drinks are offered.

Behind Osinovets is the village of Lake Ladoga. Here, at the foot of low hills covered with pine trees, you will find a sandy beach, rare for these parts. A hundred meters away is a pretty railway station, built in the form of a pointed Finnish house. Nearby is an old steam locomotive. It is better to come to this beach on weekdays, on weekends it is crowded.

Tourists praise the sandy beach on the lake cape near the village named after Morozov. From the railway station, you can walk to it in half an hour. The beach is clean, equipped with changing rooms, there is a toilet. But even here you need to take bedding, sandwiches, drinking water and other supplies with you.

The sandy beaches of the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga are very picturesque, but they are not suitable for swimming, the water here is too cold even at the height of summer.

Panorama of Lake Ladoga

Leisure

The Ladoga region provides a lot of opportunities for sports and outdoor activities - from river rafting to mountain climbing. Popular in the area hiking on mushroom and berry places. In winter, ski runs are laid along the coast, and skating rinks are arranged on the ice. But the most massive hobby of travelers on Lake Ladoga is fishing, and you can successfully fish here at any time of the year.

The most fishy places of Ladoga are in the southern part of the lake. It is not deep here, in warm water there is enough vegetable food for fish. Fishermen boast of notable catches. Among the trophies are large pike perches, burbots, catfish, and once a pike weighing half a centner was caught near Sortavala.

From December to early April, the time for winter fishing and seasonal entertainment reigns on Lake Ladoga. At first, lake water freezes only in shallow coastal waters. Here, already in the first ten days of December, fishermen begin to drill holes in the ice for mormyshkas, and tourists ride on the surface of Ladoga on skates and snowmobiles. However, local residents warn that it is still dangerous to approach closer to deep water in the center of the lake at this time. There, jets of bottom sources rise to the surface, storm winds rage over the water, and therefore a sufficiently strong ice cover is formed only in mid-January, when Karelian frosts hit. The cold does not frighten extreme fishermen and lovers of winter sports, because cozy camp sites with warm log cabins and hot Finnish baths await them on the shores.

Coastal ice becomes fragile and by the middle of spring, the surface of the lake finally thaws only in May.

For more than 20 years, the Ladoga-Trophy international rally has been held along the coast of the lake. In the competitions, which usually take place in June, everyone can take part, you just need to register. Athletes on standard and specially prepared off-road vehicles, quad bikes go to the ring track 1200 km long, planned around Lake Ladoga. Motorcyclists compete in other categories, and since 2016, cyclists have also taken part in the race. The start and finish of the competition is on St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg.

Experienced scuba divers can join the exciting project "Secrets of sunken ships". During the annual underwater expeditions, divers add to the list of objects found at the bottom of Lake Ladoga. Among them are old ships, aircraft from the Second World War.

Kayaking on Ladoga

What to buy

Residents of the Ladoga villages skillfully cook smoked fish. Smoked salmon is especially tasty, but these weighty fish are sold only as a whole at an average cost of 600 rubles / kg, so the price of a smoky hotel can reach up to 6,000 rubles. Local markets sell home-made preserves - salted and pickled mushrooms, dried fish. Here you can also buy wonderful lingonberry jam.

Popular souvenirs are crafts of Karelian artisans made of wood and stone, embroidery. Healing "Karelian balsam" and bags with collections of local medicinal herbs are in demand.

Where to stay

On the shores of Lake Ladoga, travelers can expect modern recreation centers, cozy hunting lodges, inexpensive hostels, camp sites, and cheap guest houses.

Within the Leningrad region, you can inexpensively stay at the Ladoga Lake tourist center

Nearby is the recreation center "Krenitsy". There is a restaurant and guarded parking. Rooms are equipped with kitchenettes. Accommodation will cost from 2400 rubles, breakfast is included in the price.

In Priozersk, the Uyut Hotel, designed for budget tourists, is popular. Food will be prepared in the shared kitchen. For a room you will need to pay from 1575 rubles.

In the Karelian city of Salmi, you can stay at Mantiasaari Cottages. Guests have at their disposal a two-storey log house with two or three bedrooms, a living room, an equipped kitchen and a private sauna. Fishing trips are offered, and snowmobile safaris in winter. The cost of living is from 1836 to 3475 rubles per day.

Comfortable luxury hotel complexes have also been built in the vicinity of Lake Ladoga. One of them is "Ladoga Estate", which is in the Karelian city of Niemelyanhovi, standing on the shores of the Ladoga Bay of the same name. It offers warm cottages and townhouses, the interiors are made in the style of northern modern. The complex has pleasure boats, moorings, a helipad. There are two restaurants, a lobby bar, a bath complex, a spa, billiards, slot machines, a bowling alley. An excursion program is offered, trips to the Ladoga skerries and islands, rental of boats and equipment for fishing and water sports is available. With the onset of cold weather, winter entertainment is organized for guests. Accommodation in the "Ladoga Estate" will cost from 21,800 rubles per day. Breakfast (buffet) is included in the payment.

How to get there

From the cities of Russia to the north-eastern shores of Lake Ladoga, it is most convenient to get through Petrozavodsk. The southwestern lakeside regions are accessible by transport coming from St. Petersburg. Buses regularly depart from St. Petersburg to Sortavala, Novaya Ladoga and Priozersk. Large camp sites and holiday homes send their own transport for guests. Travelers usually get to remote corners by their own cars. For such trips, an SUV is ideal.

During the summer navigation period, pleasure boats and Meteors depart daily from the pier in Priozersk to Valaam Island. In others settlements for a walk on Lake Ladoga and visiting the islands, you can hire a private boat.

Wealthy travelers can choose a multi-day boat cruise from St. Petersburg or Moscow. The cost of such a tour is from 8,000 rubles, the trip program includes a visit to the picturesque protected islands.