Where does the Neva River flow from? Neva: tributaries. Major tributaries of the Neva

The Neva River is one of the most beautiful rivers Russia. It is familiar to most people thanks to the beautiful St. Petersburg, located on its banks. As is known from the school geography course, the Neva is one river, originating in Lake Ladoga, here is its source. In the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, the Neva Bay is located, where the Neva flows, there is its mouth.

Neva

The river flows through the territory of the Leningrad region and the city of St. Petersburg. Its length is 74 km, the length in a straight line from the source of the Neva to its mouth is 45 km. The depth averages from 8 to 11 m, the deepest mark is 24 m. The Neva carries its waters along a plain called the Neva Lowland. The banks descend steeply to the water, their height is 4-5 m, at the mouth of the river they are more gentle - 3-4 m. The place where the Neva flows is the Gulf of Finland, it starts, as already mentioned, in Lake Ladoga.

The width of the river is on average 600 m, the widest point reaches one kilometer. Compared to other low-lying water bodies, it is quite fast-flowing. The current speed is more than 1 m per second. The Neva River bends quite sharply in three places.

  • At the Ivanovsky rapids. Approximately three-kilometer section of the river with shallow depth, frequent shallows and a high flow rate of up to 4 m per second. It is located near the city of Otradnoe.
  • At Ust-Slavyanka - historic district St. Petersburg.
  • At the Smolny Institute. Given Historical building is a monument of the era of early classicism, built by the architect D. Quarenghi. Currently the residence of the governor.

The Neva, with a length of 75 km, is one of the largest, deepest and deep rivers Europe. Due to the uniform flow of water from Lake Ladoga(source) there are practically no spring floods on the river.

Neva Delta - St. Petersburg

The city of St. Petersburg was founded and built in a low-lying and swampy place. To drain the swamps, it was necessary to dig one hundred and one canals and a large number of ponds. The soil excavated during the digging of the canals was used to raise the level of the islands. Over time, many of them lost their significance, they were covered with earth. Now the number of islands has been reduced to 59.

The Neva Bay, where the Neva flows into, is located in the Gulf of Finland Baltic Sea. At its confluence, the river forms a branched delta with many islands, which are connected by channels. On these islands, in fact, St. Petersburg is located. Most famous islands- this is Zayachiy and Vasilyevsky. On the first one is the Peter and Paul Fortress, on the second one there are the famous St. Petersburg sphinxes and the stock exchange building.

Emperor Peter I had a dream to divide the largest of the islands, Vasilyevsky, at the mouth of the Neva with canals, to make it look like a corner of Amsterdam. The dreams of the ruler were not destined to come true. An associate of Emperor Peter I A. Menshikov squandered the funds available in the treasury. For a long time, people refused to settle on the island, since there were no roads here. Its mass settlement could be carried out only after the construction of bridges across the Neva.

The basin area of ​​the water artery of St. Petersburg is about 5 thousand km 2, including Onega and Ladoga lakes. It is distinguished by a complex structure of the hydrological network. The basin includes about 26.3 thousand lakes, 48.3 thousand rivers. 26 rivers and small rivers will flow directly into the Neva. Its main tributaries: on the right side - Izhora, Slavyanka, Mga, Tosna, Murzinka, on the left - Black River and Okhta.

Name etymology

There are several versions of the origin of the name of the river. The first, Finnish, from the word "neva", which translates as a treeless swamp. Translated from the Sami, the word "nёvё" means small, fast. The second version is based on the Swedish word "ny(en)" - new. There is also a Slavic hypothesis about the origin of the name Neva. From the annals it is known that Lake Ladoga, which is the source of the Neva, in the old days was called Nevo, which meant “new”. Apparently, the tribes that previously inhabited these lands were eyewitnesses to the release of water from the banks of the reservoir and the birth of the river.

St. Petersburg floods

The city is located in low-lying and swampy places, on islands connected by channels, rivers and canals. During strong autumn winds blowing from the southwest, water surges into the Gulf of Finland, where the Neva flows, and from there it flows along the river and channels into the city. Floods are frequent and sometimes have catastrophic consequences. Near St. Isaac's Square there is a stele with marks of all known floods. The highest mark is at the level of 4.21 m. This flood occurred in 1824 and was reflected in the work of A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman".

In St. Petersburg on the Neva, floods occur from September to December. They cause significant damage to the city. The last very dangerous flood, when the water mark on the Kronstadt footstock was 220 cm, happened in 2007. In 2011, the construction of a complex of protective structures in the Neva Bay was completed. It was activated during the surge on December 28, 2011. This helped to avoid a very dangerous flood, according to experts, the water level could have risen to 281 cm. If the dam had not been closed in time, the city would have suffered multi-billion dollar damage.

Cities on the Neva

In total, there are four cities on the banks of the Neva. First of all, this is St. Petersburg, located on the Neva Bay Gulf of Finland. In addition, Otradnoye, Kirovsk, Shlisselburg, located at the outlet of the Neva from Ladoga, stand on the river. Numerous small settlements are located on the banks.

Otradnoe

Before the revolution, the village of Otradnoye was a place country rest residents of the capital. Beautiful places, Fresh air And clean river attracted residents of the city in the summer. Now Otradnoye, with a population of 25.3 thousand people, is a fairly large industrial centre, which has its own Pella shipbuilding plant, Lyubimiy Krai Confectionery Association, Lenrechport, Nevsky Plant Electroshield OJSC, etc. The city, which received its status in 1970 as a result of the annexation of the Ivanovskoye and Ust-Tosno settlements, than five hundred years of history.

It is located 18 km from the Rybatskoye metro station, which is part of the territory of St. Petersburg.

Kirovsk

Kirovsk was founded in 1931 on the high left bank of the Neva as a city for the builders of the Kirov State District Power Plant. Distance from St. Petersburg - 35 km. This is currently industrial city with a population of 26 thousand people. Here is the plant "Ladoga", a house-building plant, a branch of the concern "Okeanpribor" and many others. The M18 highway passes through Kirovsk, connecting the city of St. Petersburg with Murmansk. The city bears the name of an outstanding figure Soviet Union Sergei Mironovich Kirov. It has a pier and railroad station Nevdubstroy.

Shlisselburg

The city of Shlisselburg was founded as a fortress. It was founded in 1323 by Prince Yury of Novgorod at the exit of the Neva from Ladoga on Orekhovy Island and was called "Oreshek". The fortress was wooden, after 25 years the Novgorodians laid stone walls. It played an important strategic role and opened the way to the sea for Novgorod.

More than once "Oreshek" withstood the siege of the Swedes, but in 1613 it was captured by them and received a new name - Noteburg, which in Swedish meant the city of nuts. After 89 years, the settlement was conquered by Peter I. He gave it its modern name.

On the left bank of the river, a settlement with the same name was formed, which in 1780 was given the status of the city of Shlisselburg. Now its population is 15 thousand people. The road H135 Shlisselburg - Kirovsk - Petersburg was laid to St. Petersburg. The distance to the northern capital is about 50 km.

The Gulf of Finland, into which the Neva flows, is located in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The bay washes the shores of Finland, Russia and Estonia. Cities such as St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Kotka and Tallinn, located along the coast of the Gulf of Finland, are connected by ferry service. They are a cultural and historical community. It is impossible not to mention the Gulf of Finland when answering the question of where the Neva River flows into, since these two reservoirs are extremely important for everything

Physical and geographical characteristics of the Neva

The Neva is one of the most important rivers in Russia, flowing through two regions Russian Federation: St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Despite its relatively short length, only 74 km, the Neva is extremely important for both the economy and the ecology of the Baltic region.

The catchment area of ​​the Neva is about 5000 square km, and the river itself is the only one flowing from Lake Ladoga. For both reservoirs, where the Neva originates from and where the river flows into, it is of great importance, how important it is for the cities that stand on its banks.

Etymology of region names

There are several most common versions of the etymology of the river's name. One of them is Finnish, another Swedish, and the third Proto-Indo-European. The most popular among scientists was the Finnish version, which raises the name of the river to the Finnish root, meaning "open treeless swamp."

As for the name of the Gulf of Finland, where the Neva flows into, then, perhaps, it is an example of consensus between the countries located on its shore. In all languages, this body of water is called Finnish. This is due to the fact that the Finnish people are one of the most ancient in this region.

Where the Neva originates deserves special mention. Until the 13th century, the lake was called Nebo, which reveals a connection between the name of this reservoir and modern name the Neva river. However, from the 13th century, the name of the lake, Ladoga, came into use.

Probably, the new name was formed from the name of the city of Ladoga. It is worth mentioning here that the city of Ladoga, in turn, got its name from one of the tributaries of the Volkhov River. Thus, most of the regional hydronyms go back to the ancient Finno-Ugric and Proto-Indo-European roots.

Relief and hydrography

It is necessary to clarify that the place where the Neva flows into the Gulf of Finland is called the Neva Bay and is part of the Gulf of Finland. And he, in turn, is the extreme eastern tip of the Baltic Sea. Thus, the Neva River belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin.

The length of the river from its source, from the Shlisselburg Bay of Lake Ladoga, to the mouth in the Gulf of Finland is 74 km. However, in a straight line, this distance is reduced to 45 km. Distinctive feature The relief along which the Neva flows is its flatness. It is this fact that determines that the river has very low banks along its entire length. Also, the river is characterized by a smooth flow, the absence of sharp turns.

The narrowest point of the river is located opposite Cape Svyatki, at the beginning of the Ivanovsky rapids. In this place, the width of the river does not exceed 210 m. However, the Neva is considered relatively wide and deep river. Despite the presence of several bottlenecks, the average width of the river is about 400-600 m. And in the widest places it reaches 1250 m in width. Also, the Neva is full-flowing and, despite its relatively short length, it ranks sixth among European rivers in terms of runoff volume, second only to the Volga, Danube, Pechora, Northern Dvina and Kama.

Neva river basin. Scheme

Where the Neva flows into is determined very simply. Also, in one sentence, you can designate the place of the source of the Neva. However, the drainage basin of the Neva, which includes numerous rivers, lakes and reservoirs, deserves a little more attention.

The most significant are: Mga, Tosna, Izhora, Slavyanka, Murzinka, Okhta, as well as Black River. It is worth saying that the Neva has extensive deltas, which include the Big and Small Neva; Big, Middle and Small Nevka. In addition, the Moika, Karpovka, Smolenka and Pryazhka flow within the city of St. Petersburg.

Human influence

Artificial hydrological structures, such as Obvodny Griboyedov and Kryukov Canal, belong to the mouth of the Neva. During the existence of St. Petersburg, the hydrography of the Neva mouth has undergone significant changes as a result of active human activity.

The Neva River is very important for the economy of northwestern Russia. It serves as an important part of the transport corridor connecting the White and Baltic Seas, and is also an important part of the Volga-Baltic river route. Unfortunately, too intensive use of river resources has led to a significant deterioration environmental situation in the region.

The amount of cargo transported along the river negatively affects the fauna of this reservoir. In addition, numerous enterprises located within the city of St. Petersburg often discharge industrial waste into the river without pre-treatment.

Saint Petersburg is famous for its historical museums and cultural monuments, but its main attraction is considered to be the Neva - a river that amazes with its beauty, power and strength. This is a real water artery of the great Russian city, bringing to it a unique energy and a certain mystery.

General characteristics

It has a very long length, amounting to 74 kilometers from the source to the Gulf of Finland in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The river in St. Petersburg itself flows for only 30 kilometers.

It has a fairly large width, especially near the source (more than 1000 m), and its narrowest place, 200 meters wide, is located near Cape Svyatki at the Ivanovskiye Rapids. On average, the distance from one bank to another varies from 500 to 700 m. It is also believed that the Neva is a deep-water river. Her minimum depth is 4 meters, and the maximum in some places reaches 24 meters.

In winter, the Neva freezes completely. She is bound by ice chains from December until April. The general direction of its flow is from east to west. The river has steep, sometimes steep banks, average height which is within 10 meters.

Centuries-old history

Several thousand years ago, in the place where the Neva is located - a river that has witnessed many historical moments in the fate of Russia, the Tosna River used to flow. After the Ladoga reservoir was transformed into a closed lake, its waters rose, thereby exceeding the permissible level, and flooded the entire valley of the Mga River. Ivanovskiye rapids were formed on this very territory. Thus, a valley arose, where the Neva now flows. The Tosna River and subsequently transformed into its tributaries.

The development of the lands of this waterway and the settlement of them by people began in ancient times when the glaciers melted.

In the ninth century, the Neva was called Vodskaya Pyatina and belonged to Veliky Novgorod. She divided those lands into two banks that had different name, right - Karelian territory, and left - Izhora.

It is generally accepted that the river received the name "Neva" from the Swedes in the thirteenth century, when battles between the militia took place in these places. Nizhny Novgorod and Swedish troops. The first mention of the river as the "Neva" was found in a book that described the life of Alexander Nevsky.

In the eighteenth century, when the Neva returned to the Russian Empire, began the solemn construction of St. Petersburg, which later became the capital. But bridges were not built at that time, since Peter I considered them a direct barrier to navigation. They began to appear in the city only after the death of the king.

Opening bridges

It is known that many different structures were erected both near the river and above it. But the most important, of course, are the bridges. A large number of them have been built, and they are all different: some are for pedestrians, others are for cars, and still others are for railways. The oldest of them are Blagoveshchensky, built in 1850, and Foundry, built in 1879.

Many of the bridges are movable, and in 2004 a new non-drawable (cable-stayed) Bolshoi Obukhovsky Bridge was opened. In 2007, the northern capital celebrated the opening of another cable-stayed bridge, the twin brother of Bolshoi Obukhovsky.

Variety of attractions

Everyone knows the fact that the Neva is a river in St. Petersburg. The description of this waterway of the city introduces wonderful places along its channel, with the extraordinary beauty of the valleys located near its banks.

In addition to the beauties of nature, the Neva is famous for its splendor architectural masterpieces scattered along its shores. One of these ancient sights is the fortress with interesting name"Oreshek", located near Shlisselburg. Along the entire length of the Neva, on its banks, there are many temples and historical monuments, as well as churches and various monuments dedicated to various memorable dates.

In St. Petersburg itself, on the banks of the Neva, there are many cultural monuments, which have become real symbols northern capital Russian Federation. For example, the famous Hermitage is located there, which is one of the favorite places to visit for both residents and guests of St. Petersburg.

In 2006, a magnificent fountain was opened opposite Vasilyevsky Island. There are also many more interesting historical sights: "Aurora" - the famous cruiser, Summer garden, Smolny and many others.

Various islands and tributaries

26 small tributaries flow into the Neva, the main ones are Mga, Tosna, Izhora, Slavyanka, Okhta and Chernaya Rechka.

In its delta, it has about forty islands, the most significant and largest of which are: Dekabristov, Vasilyevsky, Petrogradsky and Krestovsky. The territory of the Zayachiy, Kamenny and Elaginsky islands is a little smaller, but at the same time they are no less famous.

The Neva is a river in St. Petersburg that does not have spits or any wide shallows, so ships can safely come close to its banks.

The only river that flows out of it is the Neva.

The total length of its granite embankments is 100 km!

Due to the fact that waters from the Gulf of Finland are rushing into the lower reaches of the river, disastrous floods often occur there. The most catastrophic was in November 1824, which was even mentioned by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in his poem called The Bronze Horseman.

Neva - a river in St. Petersburg - is loved by fishermen. This type of fishing is very developed here, since in its waters there is an interesting fish - smelt, which comes here from the Gulf of Finland and has become a kind of brand of the northern capital. If you're lucky, you can even catch salmon, but you need to know certain places. Pike, zander, ruff, roach, perch come across here.

Anyone who has never seen this waterway with their own eyes will not fully understand what the Neva (river in St. Petersburg) can be. Photos can only partially convey all its beauty, power and magnificence. This river amazes everyone with its grandeur.

The Neva is one of the most majestic, large and wide rivers in Russia. Its history stretches from ancient times. What is the depth of the river? The Neva in St. Petersburg has different depths in separate sections. Often the reservoir changes its width. Therefore, the Neva is the most unstable river in the world. Sometimes, because of such fluctuations, it becomes very difficult to resist the headwind.

River history

The depth of the Neva is constantly changing in the course of the history of the reservoir. For example, the river delta in the 19th century had 48 channels and channels, forming 101 islands. In the 20th century, they were reduced, as well as reservoirs. As a result, only 41 islands remained. IN old times on the site of the Neva there was a freshwater and closed Antsyl basin. And the river Tosna flowed nearby.

The depth of the Neva began to form along with the appearance of the reservoir. It all started with a watershed break. Ladoga waters reached the Gulf of Finland. And then, about 4500 years ago, the Neva was formed. The reservoir is classified as young. The final shape of the river took only 2500 years ago.

The Vikings went through it to the Greeks. Neva was mentioned in the Life of Alexander Nevsky. The coastal lands of the river often changed owners. In the 18th century, the reservoir became part of the Russian Empire. In 1912, the depth of the Neva (Petersburg), which now reaches up to 24 meters, was very small. And only after 50 years did it begin to increase in its magnitude. Especially at the source of the reservoir.

Description of the reservoir

The length of the Neva is 74 kilometers, of which 32 kilometers are located on the territory of St. Petersburg. The average width of the reservoir is from 200 to 400 m. And the most significant part reaches 1250 meters. This section of the river is located at the Nevsky Gates, in the delta. The narrowest width is 210 m, at the source of the Ivanovsky rapids and Cape Svyatka.

How deep is the Neva? It is different, depending on the area where part of the reservoir is located. For example, at the Ivanovsky rapids, the depth of the river reaches four meters, and at Liteiny Bridge- up to twenty-four meters. go deep immediately, but they are not very steep. Thanks to this, watercraft can come close to the shore and moor.

The area of ​​the Neva is 281 thousand square kilometers. On the territory of the reservoir there are 50,000 lakes and 60,000 rivers flow with a total length of 160 thousand kilometers. The Neva originates from the Shlisselburg Bay. Then the river, reaching the Gulf of Finland, forms a large delta. St. Petersburg is located at the mouth of the Neva. Thanks to the river, the city, which has many canals, received the name "Northern Venice".

Geographic characteristics

The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. The widest delta is in the area seaport. This value remains the same up to the area where the Ivanovskiye rapids end. And also where R. The Tesna flows into the Neva. Its narrowest place is at the beginning of the Ivanovsky rapids. There the width of the river is only 210 meters. The second bottleneck is between the Palace and Lieutenant Schmidt bridges. There, the width of the Neva is only 340 meters. If taken in general terms, then the average is from 400 to 600 meters.

The depth of the Neva in St. Petersburg varies depending on the location. On average, this value is from 8-11 meters. The deepest place is 24 meters. And the smallest indicator is four meters. The height of the banks is from 5 to 6 meters, and at the mouth - from 2 to 3 meters. There are practically no gentle banks that go smoothly under water on the Neva River.

Basins and tributaries

The area of ​​the river basin is approximately 5,000 square kilometers. But this is without including the Ladoga and Onega reservoirs in the value. If we take the value together with them, then the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Neva will be 281,000 square kilometers. The main right tributaries are the Black River and the Okhta. From the left side:

Bridges

Almost all bridges on the Neva are drawbridges. This action is carried out at night, for the passage of water vessels. There are thirteen on the Neva drawbridges, ten of which are raised daily. This is done according to a specific schedule. In 2004, the first and only fixed bridge was opened. It was named Bolshoi Obukhovsky. Its length is 2824 meters.

Modern Neva

Opened in 2004 new bridge to the ring road across the Neva. In 2007, the "twin" of the structure was put into operation. And in January of the same year, traffic was opened along it. The most great depth The Neva is twenty-four meters. And there are no large shallows in any place of the reservoir. Passenger services have been established on the Neva water transport. Most often, tourist boats float on the reservoir.

Today, one of the main purposes of the river is its suburbs. Approximately 95 percent of the water is taken from the Neva for these needs. It is carefully processed at five waterworks in the city.

Fishing on the Neva

Fishing is developed on the Neva. Smelt comes from the Gulf of Finland to spawn. And in the upper part of the Neva salmon is perfectly caught. Fishermen have chosen Kutuzov Embankment. In this place you can catch arctic char, eel, trout and asp. On the Quay named after Lieutenant Schmidt, you can catch:

  • sterlet;
  • grayling;
  • salmon;
  • pike;
  • burbot;

Also popular places the fishermen are the terrain Peter and Paul Fortress and Pirogovskaya embankment. Sometimes very large fish are caught. Pike come across up to 15 kilograms, and pike perch - up to 8 kg.

Starting from 1895-1910. ice on the Neva served as a winter crossing that connected Vasilyevsky Island with other districts of St. Petersburg. And in 1936, a reinforced concrete bridge was thrown across the river. He was named Volodarsky.

The Neva is characterized not only by the White Nights, but also by floods. In times, the flooding of the city was considered retribution and God's punishment. And the chronicles say that the water rose up to 25 feet. long time failed to establish the cause of such phenomena. The construction of canals began so that the water could go into the channels.

As a result, the depth of the Neva was constantly changing. decreased over time. The excavated soil was used for building foundations. In 1777, the Neva flooded very strongly, and after that the construction of channels began. But these channels did not greatly affect the water level and became mainly transport arteries.

Only at the end of the 19th century, scientists were able to establish the cause of the floods. It turned out that high waves The Baltic Sea enter the Neva and raise its level by two and a half meters. And when the wind is up to four meters. Therefore, the depth of the Neva depends on many factors. To protect St. Petersburg from catastrophic floods, in 1979 the construction of a dam began.

She passed through Kronstadt and connected the shores of the Gulf of Finland. But the construction was soon frozen for a while. There were not enough funds. And the dam began to be completed only in 2006. It went into operation in 2011. Now, even when the Neva rises to a critical four meters, the city of St. Petersburg remains under protection. The dam is designed to raise the water level up to five meters.

It is rather difficult to imagine the city of St. Petersburg without its magnificent sight - the Neva River. These two components will never be separated from each other, because we say Petersburg and imagine a stormy, recalcitrant, but so majestically beautiful Neva, which at first sight amazes with its strength, power and beauty. When the conversation turns to the Neva River itself, we immediately imagine St. Petersburg with its inexhaustible beauty of narrow streets, solemnity architectural structures, murmur numerous rivers and channels, and, of course, with its unique energy, which penetrates almost any person forever, filling his heart with love and joy.

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Yes, of course, the Neva River is inseparable from its city of St. Petersburg, it is one whole, combining solemnity and beauty, mystery and openness, joy and light, but such a pleasant sadness.

Geographic characteristics

It is important to know that the Neva has a rather large length. So, its length is 74 km, of which 32 km are located on the territory of St. Petersburg.

Neva is one the only river, which flows from Lake Ladoga itself, and it begins directly near the Petrokrepost. The Gulf of Finland takes the Neva into its inexhaustibly large embrace, where it flows, and this happens in the area of ​​the Neva Bay.

And the bottleneck is the beginning of the Ivanovsky rapids, which are located opposite Cape Svyatki. Here the Neva is 210 meters wide.

The average width of the Neva is considered to be a distance from 400 to 600 meters.

If we talk about the narrowest point of the Neva directly on the territory of St. Petersburg, then it can be considered the distance between the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge and the Palace Bridge. Here the Neva is 340 meters wide.

The Neva is a fairly deep river, because average depth it ranges from 8 to 11 meters. by the most deep place rightly consider the position opposite the street. Arsenalnaya, just above the Liteiny Bridge - 24 meters. The smallest depth is considered to be from 4 to 4.5 meters. This place is located directly on the Ivanovsky rapids.

The banks of the Neva are relatively not high - approximately 5-6 meters, and even less at the mouth - 2-3 meters. It is worth noting that virtually the entire Neva does not have flat, gently sloping banks that would smoothly go under water. On the contrary, all its banks have rather sharp cliffs to the water.

The Neva River was in some way a "witness" to the beginning of the construction and development of such cities as Otradnoye, Kirovsk, Shlisselburg and, of course, St. Petersburg. In addition, on its banks there are several small settlements. Neva is their “mother”, uniting and giving so much to their children-cities.

The Neva basin and its tributaries

The basin of the Neva itself has an area of ​​approximately 5 thousand km2, and if the area of ​​the basins of both Onega and Ladoga lakes is included, then it will be 281 thousand km2.

Twenty-six rivers and small streams flow directly into the Neva itself.

History of the Neva.

If we talk about the Neva Delta, then one interesting thing can be traced here. So, at the end of the 19th century, it consisted of forty-eight different rivers, as well as channels that formed one hundred and one islands. But after a certain amount of time, in view of the construction of the city, a large number of channels and reservoirs simply lost their significance, which was originally laid in them, and in the end they were ordered to fill up. The result of all this in the 20th century was a sharp reduction in water bodies on the territory of St. Petersburg by almost half. Namely, there are only 42 islands left.

The Neva is a majestic, wide and large river, in the turbulent waters of which a huge and rich story. Indeed, according to the latest data, very valuable data is still being found on the territory of the Neva River, which indicates that a very large number of parking lots were carried out in these places. ancient people, which are approximately 9 millennia.

Around this time, there was the Ancylus basin or lake, which was freshwater and closed, in addition, it then occupied exactly the territory where the Baltic Sea is now located. Of course, not the entire area, but only part of it.

The name Ancyloe Lake acquired due to the mollusk, which is freshwater, which in those days lived in its waters. Then the Neva did not exist yet, but already in the territory where it flows now, the Tosna River, which flowed into Lake Antsilovoe, and also the Mga River, which was a tributary of the Ladoga, carried their stormy streams. Thus, it becomes clear that the above rivers are much older than the Neva and have a long history.

The emergence of the Neva itself is connected with the breakthrough of the watershed, as a result of which the Ladoga waters rapidly flowed along the channel of the Tosna and reached the Gulf of Finland. It happened approximately 4000 - 4500 years ago. That is, the Neva can be classified as a relatively young river, if we compare it with the Mga, Slavyanka, Tosna and Izhora, which are twice as old as her.

The final shape of the Neva acquired only about 2500 years ago. That is, the view that we are seeing now took shape precisely at that time. Its formation took place before the eyes of a person who witnessed its birth and development.

Human development of these places began from the moment when the glacier melted, which gradually left these lands, and people began to develop new lands in its footsteps.

From the 8th to the 13th century, the Neva was a witness to the waterway "From the Varangians to the Greeks", which passed through it.

Since the 9th century, the Neva River was considered the property of Veliky Novgorod and was called at that time the Water Pyatina. In addition, those places that were located on the right side of the Neva were called Karelian land, and the territory on the left was called Izhora land.

The Neva was first mentioned in the Life of Alexander Nevsky, which dates back to the 13th century.

During that period there were constant battles with the Swedes. So, in July 1240, in the place where the Izhora River flows into the Neva, a battle took place between the Novgorod militia, commanded by Alexander Yaroslavich, and the Swedish troops. It was then that Alexander was awarded the honorary nickname Nevsky, by which he is known throughout the world.

In 1617, due to the defeat in the war with Sweden, the lands belonging to the Neva were given to the Swedish Ingermanland.

But after the victory in the Swedish war at the beginning of the 18th century, the Neva was included in the Russian Empire. And in 1703, at its mouth, the solemn foundation of the city of St. Petersburg took place, which in 1712 received the status of the capital.

The Neva became the starting point for the architects who built the new city. It combined not only beauty, majesty and power, but also carried the significance of a city-forming factor.

It is known that under Peter I, bridges were not built due to the fact that the sovereign considered them the main obstacle to navigation. And only after the death of the king, the so-called pontoon bridges begin to appear in the city, the essence of which was that you can cross to the other side of the river using a barge that was at anchor.

An interesting fact is that for fifteen years from 1895 to 1910, the ice of the Neva served as a kind of bridge over which electric tram lines were laid and which connected not only Vasilyevsky Island with Senatskaya Square, Vyborgskaya and Petersburg sides with Suvorovskaya Square, but also Mytnitskaya and Palace embankments. This was a kind of innovation that had many advantages, the main of which was the provision of amenities for the inhabitants of the city.

In 1936, one of the main events in the history of the city on the Neva took place - the opening of a reinforced concrete bridge across it, which was called Volodarsky.

The Neva River in the modern period.

In December 2004, the opening of the first stage of a new bridge across the Neva directly to the Ring Road took place. It was called the Big Obukhovsky cable-stayed bridge, which is non-movable. Further, in October 2007, the grand opening of the “twin bridge”, which was the second stage, takes place. And in January of the following year, traffic was already opened on it.

The Neva is a navigable river, because it does not have large shallows in any place, as well as spits. In addition, almost all of its shores are steep. This circumstance gives an excellent opportunity for ships to approach them at very short distances.

In addition, the Neva organized passenger traffic, in which a significant place is occupied by tourist ships.

One of the main purposes of the Neva today is the water supply of the whole of St. Petersburg, as well as its suburbs. After all, these needs take more than 96% of the water from the river, which is processed at five large waterworks.

The Neva is famous for fishing, which is done not only by avid fishermen who cannot imagine life without their hobby, but also by amateurs who decide to try their hand at this business.