Volga–Baltic Waterway
| Volga–Baltic Waterway | |
|---|---|
Volga–Baltic Waterway | |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 229 miles (369 km) |
| Maximum boat length | 689 ft 0 in (210.0 m) |
| Maximum boat beam | 57.75 ft 0 in (17.6 m) |
| Maximum boat draft | 4 m |
| Locks | 7 |
| 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 (Russian: Волгобалт, romanized: Volgobalt), formerly known as the Mariinsk Canal System (Russian: Мариинская водная система, romanized: Mariinskaya vodnaya sistema), is a series of canals and rivers in Russia which link the Volga with the Baltic Sea via the Neva. Like the Volga–Don Canal, it is part of the Unified Deep Water System of European Russia which connects the biggest lake on Earth, the Caspian Sea, to the World Ocean. Its overall length between Cherepovets and Lake Onega is 368 kilometres (229 mi).
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.