The Saint Lawrence River flows out of the lake. The Saint Lawrence River. Center for French Culture
The night from August 10 to 11 is special for Italians, on this night every Italian looks up to the sky in the hope of seeing a star fall. On this night, the sufferings of St. Lawrence are remembered, and the rain of stars is, as it were, the tears of the saint, which he shed during terrible bodily tortures. Eternally wandering in the sky, the stars descend to earth only once a year - on the day of the death of St. Lawrence. This night is a special magical atmosphere.
The celebration of St. Lawrence Day is one of the Spanish summer holidays. He gives people work and bread, so everyone tries to grab a flower from the statue of the saint, which is being carried on a wagon during a solemn procession. Those who succeed, according to the Spaniards, will avoid problems with employment throughout the year.
Story
Translated from Latin, Lawrence of Rome means "crowned with laurel." He was born around 225 in Osk, Roman Spain, and was an archdeacon of the Roman Christian community. He was executed during the persecutions arranged by Emperor Valerian. Saint Lawrence is revered by both Orthodox believers and catholic church, his memory is celebrated on August 10.
Cyprian of Carthage (died September 14, 258), in his 80th letter, mentions the torment of Pope Sixtus II, who, along with 4 more deacons, during the reign of Emperor Valerian, was beheaded at a service in the cemetery of Calixtus. Saint Lawrence is not mentioned here yet. It is only at the end of the fourth century that Lawrence is mentioned as archdeacon of Pope Sixtus II, who was executed shortly after the Pope. The legend about him, growing in Lately goes back to the Christian poet in Spain - Prudentius, Damasus I and especially Ambrose. This legend is partly historically unreliable. According to him, Pope Sixtus II talked with Archdeacon Lawrence and urged him to endure the martyrdom awaiting him. Emperor Valerian, who intended to seize the church's treasures, gave Lawrence three days to deliver them. The same one, having divided the treasures of the church among the needy, on the third day appeared before the king along with all the poor, the blind and the lame, Valerian considered himself ridiculed, and gave the order to burn the saint on a red-hot grate. St. Lawrence, during the torture, turning to the executioner, as if said: “The roast is already ready, turn it over and eat it!”.
This legend was used by Liber Pontificalis - History of the Popes in biographies (first edition 530-532). According to her, Lawrence, along with four clerics, accepted martyrdom shortly after Sixtus II, this happened on August 10, 258. A later legend tells additionally, for example, that he was healed, and Pope Sixtus II met him on the way, heading to the local council in Tolerdo, and took him with him to Rome. Since the tradition arose rather late, Lawrence supposedly died not during the reign of Valerian, but already under Diocletian. It follows from this that a later tradition would have combined Sixtus II and St. Lawrence in time. But in fact, Lawrence already in the IV century. attributed to the most revered and famous martyrs. The feast established in his honor already existed until 354 and, following the feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, was the second most significant of the year in the ancient Roman liturgy, establishing the center of the circle of its own holidays.
From the 4th century The name of Saint Lawrence is included in the canon of the Mass or Saints of the canon. The place where he is buried was one of the most popular places for pilgrimage in Rome. The Basilica of Santo Lorenzo fuori le mura, which was built by Constantine the Great and rebuilt many times, is still one of the seven main churches in Rome. In addition to it, there are about thirty more churches dedicated to St. Lawrence. His veneration from Rome spread throughout the West. There is also a translation into Greek of his Life. Despite its historical inaccuracy, it proves that the saint actually existed.
The veneration of St. Lawrence experienced a new upsurge after Otto I defeated the Hungarians at the Battle of the Lechfeld near Augsburg on August 10, 955, the day Lawrence is remembered, because this victory was attributed to the saint.
Later, on August 10, 1557, Philip II of Spain defeated the French and, in memory of this, built Royal Palace. Due to the fact that St. Lawrence was of Spanish origin, his veneration also intensified in Spain and new legends began to appear. For example, the legend of his descent from paradise to purgatory every Friday and the release of one soul from there. Also, people call the stars (“Perseids”) that fall from the sky on August 11 “Tears of St. Lawrence”. He was depicted in the form of a deacon with a grate, a gospel and a Crucifix, distributing alms, as well as with a palm branch of a martyr.
Saint Lawrence is considered the patron saint of sinners in purgatory, students, pupils, the poor, managers, librarians, because he, while in the rank of deacon, was in charge of church books. As well as professions associated with fire: firefighters, brewers, cooks, glassblowers, vineyards, innkeepers.
Traditions
It is believed that on the night of St. Lawrence all wishes come true, those who remember the suffering of the martyr. When a star falls, one must say: “Star, my star, I wish that ...”, and during the year this desire must be fulfilled. According to folk tradition the stars that fall on this day are called the lights of St. Lawrence, because the sparks that came from the red-hot grate on which the martyr was killed flew up into the sky. Although it is not known exactly how Lawrence died: according to some sources, he was burned alive, according to others, he was beheaded, like Pope Sixtus II. The body of the saint was buried in Rome on Tiburtina Street, and some time later, Emperor Constantine I built a small chapel in his honor on his grave.
Saint Lawrence River(fleuve Saint-Laurent fr, Saint Lawrence River en) is a large water artery in North America that flows through the United States and Canada and connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. At the mouth, the width of the river reaches 130 kilometers. The length of the river is 1197 km. The basin area is 1.030 million km².
River features
Sheer cliffs and valleys, meeting with water, form one of the largest fjords in the world - the Saguenay fjord, stretching for almost 100 kilometers. It flows into the St. Lawrence River from the north. powerful river Saguenay, forming an estuary where the ocean tide meets the river current.
According to hydrobiologists, there are two underwater world. Cold and salty ocean water flows through underwater channels at a depth of 400 meters, then breaks out and mixes with fresh water rec.
Beyond Montreal, further inland, for 160 kilometers, the river meets with many rapids. Behind them, for 60 kilometers, the river becomes calmer, making it possible to navigate through an area dotted with islands called the Thousand Islands (the number of islands is estimated to be about two thousand).
Historical and cultural significance
The river bears the name given to it by Jacques Cartier. In addition to the river, this name was also given to the bay into which it flows. After Champlain's travels, the valley of the St. Lawrence River became the center of the French colonization of the region: part of the territory was formed here New France- the province of Quebec with the cities of Montreal, Quebec, Levi and Trois-Rivieres. During Seven Years' War these lands were taken by the British. Despite this, the region continues to be the center French and cultures in North America. The river became the first clear path for fur traders and colonists, and today for huge ocean freighters.
Economic importance
The river basin is one of the most densely populated and developed in Canada; both agriculture is developed here: meat and dairy cattle breeding, grain growing (wheat), and industry. About 20 million people live in the river basin, including about 4 million in Montreal.
Flora and fauna
Beluga whales, fin whales and blue whales can be found on the river. The combination of plants, animals and birds living along the banks of the river is one of the most colorful on earth. The river is home to hundreds of species of fish, more than 20 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 12 species of aquatic mammals. About 300 species of birds nest in the swamps and along the coast.
River navigation
As early as 1680, the colonists thought of expanding the riverbed so that ocean-going ships could pass beyond Montreal along the canals, bypassing the stormy rapids. In 1959, this dream came true and the St. Lawrence Deep Waterway was opened, 293 km long. It is famous as one of the outstanding engineering structures in the world. To build this canal between Montreal and Lake Ontario, seven new locks were installed. More than 150 million cubic meters of earth and stones were excavated, thousands of tons of concrete were poured. Jacques Lestrane, author of the book sea route- the untold story of the fourth North American coast "(Eng.), quoted one captain long-distance navigation who said:
“There is no river like this in the whole world. Although the journey is not such an easy thing, but the splendor of this river, the roar Niagara Falls and an endless series of lakes and islands make it extremely attractive ".
Ocean-going vessels heading down the widened river to Duluth Superior, located in the United States part of Lake Superior, are lifted up to 180 meters above sea level, the height of a 60-story skyscraper. All travel from Atlantic Ocean inland is 3,700 kilometers. Ocean-going ships brought economic prosperity to the cities along the river. The book The Great Lakes - The St. Lawrence River System (English) gives this description:
"On the border of the two states is the industrial heart of Canada and the United States, the population there is more than 100 million people, the river is the largest source of industrial wealth in the Western world".
More than 150 ports along the Atlantic to Lake Superior waterway include Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie, Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Duluth Superior. Ships from various parts of the world annually deliver millions of tons of cargo along the St. Lawrence River. Using this river system has created tens of thousands of jobs and generates billions of dollars in revenue annually. In 2013, Canadian authorities allowed post-panamax class vessels to navigate the St. Lawrence River. From now on, navigation between Quebec and Montreal is possible for ships with a width of 44 meters (previously there was a limit of 32.1 m). This greatly enhances the capabilities of the Port of Montreal, which plays a significant role in the North American container shipping market. The decision was made following a study commissioned by the Port Authority and conducted jointly by Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and two pilot organizations, the Administration de Pilotage des Laurentides and the Corporation des Pilotes du St- Laurent central.
major disaster
During his next flight on May 29, 1914, a Canadian comfortable passenger liner The Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian coal carrier Storstad on the St. Lawrence River and sank 14 minutes later at a depth of more than 40 meters. He had on board 1477 people (420 crew members and 1057 passengers). Of this number of passengers and crew members, only 463 survived. The scale of the disaster and the death toll is barely inferior to the disaster of the Titanic and Lusitania.
The name "Lavrenty" ( Laurentius) - Latin, and means "crowned with laurel." According to biographical information that has come down to us from antiquity (although the “Acts” specially dedicated to him were already lost by the time of St. Augustine), the future martyr who bore this name was born in 225 in Spanish city Osca (now Huesca). From a young age he confessed Christ, and then, having gone to Rome, he became a disciple of the archdeacon of the Roman community (the eldest in the college of seven deacons) Sixtus. In 257, Sixtus was elected to the throne of St. Peter, and at the same time he ordained Lawrence as a deacon. Soon Lavrenty himself became an archdeacon of the Roman Church, he was entrusted with the supervision of the property of the Church and care for the needy.
But already in 258, the emperor Valerian began a large-scale persecution of Christians in Rome, one of the first victims of which was Pope Sixtus II: on August 6, he was beheaded along with four deacons. The legend, transmitted by Ambrose of Milan, says that Lawrence, having met Pope Sixtus led to execution, asked him: “Where are you, father, coming? Why do you leave your archdeacon, with whom you always offered the Bloodless Sacrifice? Take your son with you so that I can be your partner in shedding blood for Christ!” To which Pope Sixtus answered him: “I do not leave you, my son. I am an old man, and I am going to an easy death, and you will face more severe suffering. Know that three days after our death you will follow me. Now go, sell the church treasures and give them to persecuted and needy Christians.”
Almost immediately after the execution, Sixtus was taken into custody and thrown into prison and Lawrence. There, according to legend, he performed miracles, healed the sick and converted many prisoners to Christianity. 
The Roman prefect, summoning Lawrence for interrogation, demanded that he give the state the treasures of the Church. He apparently agreed, but asked for three days for execution, and in the meantime he distributed all the church property to the poor. On the third day, he came to the prefect along with a crowd of beggars, cripples, blind and sick, and declared: “Here are the true treasures of the Church” (in another version - “The Church is truly rich, richer than your emperor”). The enraged prefect ordered the archdeacon to be severely tortured, and when he refused to bow to pagan deities, he sentenced him to death by burning. Lawrence was roasted alive on an iron grate: hot coals were placed under it, and the servants pressed his body to it with horns. According to legend, during the execution, Lavrenty said to his tormentors: “Here, you baked one side, turn to the other and eat my body!”
The cult of the holy martyr Lawrence spread very quickly in the Church. Already Emperor Constantine the Great erected a basilica over his grave on the Verano field near the Tiburtine road. Lawrence was considered the heavenly patron Eternal City. The memory of the saint is revered in Western and Eastern Church on the same day, August 10th. 
In Catholic art, Lawrence is often depicted with a lattice - the instrument of his execution - and dressed in a dalmatic (liturgical attire of a deacon in the Latin Church). In painting, plots with the distribution of money to the poor and the healing of the blind are popular. Orthodox church art traditionally depicts him in the diaconal vestments of the Eastern Church and with a casket in his hand, which symbolizes the very treasures of the Roman community distributed to the poor.
The name of Lawrence (Lorenzo, Lawrence, etc.) has always been quite popular in the Christian world, many sacred and geographic features. About the veneration of St. Lawrence on Ancient Rus' testifies, in particular, a fresco with his image in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral.
According to Wikipedia
Nothing soothes the soul and eyes like a calm and measured flow of the river. Coastal beauty allows you to fully enjoy your vacation, and centuries-old history(after all, rivers "live" for hundreds of years) gives the place a mystery.
In the most famous water artery with rich history and undeniable economic importance - the St. Lawrence River . A reservoir of unique beauty and popularity has many features and distinctive features that are valued as local residents and foreign tourists.
Center for French Culture
Historically, during the Seven Years' War, the Saint Lawrence River and its valley became a theater of war between the French and the British. Despite the fact that the lands were seized by Britain as a result, the province of Quebec stubbornly continued to be faithful to the French flag: people spoke French, cherished and passed down their traditions from generation to generation.
The entire St. Lawrence River Basin is, of course, scenic spots, but here in Quebec, the charm is especially noticeable old Europe, transported by its inhabitants from their homeland in the most reliable container - in the heart.
Geography and shipping
Apparently, this territory, indeed, was blessed by St. Lawrence. The river is full-flowing, picturesque, it attracts many tourists. Here the passage of huge ocean cargo and passenger ships. True, they walk on artificially created ones, but it doesn't matter. of great importance, because shipping brings huge economic benefits to the two countries through which the river flows - Canada and the United States.
The river originates from and flows into the bay of the same name, connecting the Great Lakes group with the Atlantic Ocean.
A little west of Montreal, nature has rewarded the river with many rapids and rapids that impede navigation. Bypassing these imperfect and superfluous formations from the point of view of any captain, several wide and deep channels were built, through which large ocean-going ships can go deep into the mainland eight months a year.
The idea and its implementation were economically supported by the two largest North American countries, allowing them to organize the unhindered movement of goods and tourists. But the river fauna was damaged by the construction of canals: ocean lampreys that made their way into the river practically destroyed the entire indigenous freshwater population (fish).
Special river
It is standard to call the river one of the largest water arteries North America only those who have never heard of the amazing features and history of the reservoir will turn their tongues.
This is an extraordinary river - the St. Lawrence River. The features of the river are the miscibility of fresh and salt water - in fact, two very similar and completely different water worlds. Also, the uniqueness of the reservoir lies in the presence here of one of the largest and most beautiful fjords in the world - Saguenay, as well as in the “dotted” channel with many large, small and tiny islands.
Usually when asked where the St. Lawrence River is located , the Canadians answer: "In the garden of the Great Spirit." This Iroquoian legend has become another highlight of the river. A beautifully presented story about the origin of the "thousand islands" attracts tourists like a magnet.
Let's bring summary this legend. The Great Spirit (who is also the Creator) rewarded with fertile land on the condition that they would forever stop strife. The Indians promised to live in peace, but after some time they could not restrain themselves and again went on the warpath. For this, God demanded that the gift be returned. The representatives of the tribes wrapped the earth in a cloth and began to raise it to the sky. And when a huge bundle almost reached the vault of heaven, someone did not hold the end of the canvas, the earth spilled out and scattered over the nearby lakes.
How many islands are there and what are they
An accurate count of all the islands and islets was made at the beginning of the 18th century: they were grouped by size, thus obtaining eight island groups. The total number of islands is about two thousand.
And since at that time such real estate could be purchased for mere pennies, many shipowners and other citizens were happy to buy an island or several, telling their circle of friends that St. Lawrence gave them the land. The river then still had rich stocks of fish, on the shore nearby it was possible to get hold of high-quality building materials.
And now most of the small islands are inhabited and are privately owned. A major islands represent natural parks, museums under open sky, hotel complexes and even dorms.
All islands are divided between the US and Canada, but swimming in foreign territorial waters does not require a visa : the St. Lawrence River allows travelers to enjoy both countries alternately for several hours.
Unique places
One of the man-made attractions of St. Lawrence is the tall bridge of the Thousand Islands. Arching its back above the channel, the bridge rises to the height of a 20-story building and connects two cities: Ivy Lee (USA) and Collins Landing (Canada). The bridge is quite old, it was built in 1938. It is very picturesque.
Tourists who are not alien to romance are more attracted to the island called Heart, which knows such a sad love story that a living heart is torn to shreds from it.
There are many elegant structures on the island, most of which are castles. Some of them look like medieval ones, others look like Disney ones, but each of them testifies that they were built, at least, for princesses.
And to some extent this is true. One of the castles, the most romantic and magnificent, was built for his wife Louise by the German Boldt. He kept the construction secret, preparing his wife a royal gift. As the work was nearing completion, Boldt received a telegram from Philadelphia that Louise had died. This forced the knight in love to curtail all work and leave the island, never to return.
He left, but the castle remained. Its history has been preserved for centuries. Now she has become the most touching in the entire thousand islands.
Variegated fauna
The story about St. Lawrence would be incomplete without mentioning the rich and unusual animal world for the river.
In which of the rivers can you still meet a huge beluga whale and a fin whale? The combination of representatives of flora and fauna here is so diverse that it is recognized as the most extraordinary on the planet.
Fish, despite the invasion of lampreys, there are about 200 species in the river. Also, more than 20 species of reptiles and amphibians, more than 300 species of birds nesting along the banks of St. Lawrence and nearby lakes live here.
St. Lawrence Length: 1,197 kilometers.
St. Lawrence Basin area: 1,290,000 square kilometers.
Where does the Saint Lawrence River flow? one of the greatest, originates from Lake Ontario, at 44 ° 10` and 76 ° 30` west longitude, carries the waters of four Canadian lakes to northeast direction, to and, at the same time, serves as the source of five huge lakes. If we take as its source the St. Louis River, the largest of the rivers flowing into the Upper Lakes, then the length of its course with all the bends is 3,360 kilometers, with a basin of 367,000 square kilometers.
In different parts of its course, the St. Lawrence River bears various names; between and Upper lakes is called St Mary, between Huron and Erie - St Clair and Detroit, between Erie and Ontario - Niagara, and only from Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence; the length of the river flow from this point to the confluence with the bay = 1197 kilometers, of which 560 kilometers are lake-like deep reaches, having a width of 15 kilometers. When leaving Ontario, the St. Lawrence channel is so wide that it is called Thousand Island Lake (1,620 islands). Then they lie again on the path of the river, which here forms the rapids of Long Salt and Big Pitch. Below Cornwall and St. Regis, where the river enters the region, the St. Lawrence River expands its channel to 15 kilometers and forms Lake St. Francis, at the end of which rapids run, then there is a waterfall of Lake St. Louis.
In general, for the entire distance between Lakes Ontario and Montreal, navigation is hampered by rapids, of which Cedar and Lachine are significant, the latter 15 km from the city. Before reaching Montreal, the St. Lawrence River takes in the river, with which it forms many islands here, on one of which lies Montreal. Having further absorbed the Richelieu and Saint Maurice rivers, the Saint Lawrence River expands into Lake (20 km wide) Saint Peter, from which they already begin. At Quebec, the river divides into 2 branches, forming the island of Orleans; 150 kilometers further there is the last rapid, Richelieu. At 37 km below, the water becomes already brackish, and 135 km further, at St. Paschal, it is quite salty. The extreme points of the St. Lawrence River in the south are Cape Rosa, and in the north are the islands of Mingan, Cap-Sha and Mont Peles.
The St. Lawrence River takes in the waters of 60 tributaries and flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the widest branch in the world, at 49 ° 30` north latitude and 64 ° west longitude. The difference between the height of Lake Ontario and the seashore is about 80 meters, and it is overcome through channels ranging in length from 1.5 to 18 km (about 65 km of channels in total). There is a channel between Ontario and Erie, Lake St. Clair and the St. Marie rapids, between and Michigan. Through r. Sorel or Richelieu and Chambly Canal large ships walk from the St. Lawrence River to Champlain Lake, connected by a canal to the Hudson River. Navigation on the St. Lawrence River stops for 4 - 5 months, due to ice drift.
St. Lawrence's way of eating: snow-rain.
Tributaries of the Saint Lawrence: The St. Lawrence River takes in the waters of 60 tributaries, of which the most important are: Ottawa (1200 kilometers long), St. Maurice, Batiscan, Saginay.
Freezing Saint Lawrence: It freezes in late October - early November, opens from early April to early May.
