The V. I. Lenin Volga-Baltic watercourse

Abstract

The route of the watercourse, starting from the Cherepovets crossing, runs along, the dammed lower reach of the Sheksna River to the site of the Sheksna hydroscheme, entering the reservoir of that name, flowing thence along the flooded valley of the upper reach of the Sheksna River, the White Sea, the dammed Kovzha River, and the deep cut of the dividing channel, to reach the site of the Pakhomovo hydroscheme. The route continues down along a chain of reservoirs in the valley of the Vytegra River on the northern slope to the town of Vytegra and along the ship canal, passing through peats of the lowland terrace adjoining the lake, to join Lake Onega, dammed by the VerkhneSvir hydroscheme. The overall length of the watercourse is 361 km, 74 km of which are canals, 284 km navigable waterways within the reservoirs with bottom channels along some reaches, and approximately 3 km of navigation locks. In addition to seven locks with access canals and moorings, there are 23 earth dams atong the route, and there are five spillways (three in conjunction with hydroelectric stations), five jetties, and eight fixed bridges. The structures along the navigable route include 11 transit wharves and seven ferry crossings. The size of the waterway conforms to the main waterways, accommodating vessels with a capacity of 5,000 tons. The navigable sector branches in two directions at Lake Onega, along the locked Svir River, Lake Ladoga, and the Neva River to the Baltic, and along the White Sea-Baltic canal to the White Sea. The northern Dvina system of waterways, in the direction of Archangel, started from the Sheksna Reservoir in 1828, and was reconstructed during 1916-1917. The White Sea canal, 68 km long and constructed during 18431846, forms a side arm from the main watercourse, bypassing the stormy White Sea, and is still used by small vessels and for passing river timber rafts. The main waterway also has local courses branching off to former navigable tributaries of the Sheksna and Kovzha Rivers. Before the main ship canal enters Lake Onega, the Ortega bypass canat, which was buitt during the periods 1818-1820 and 1845-18,52 and widened during 1890-1896, branches off and leads to the source of the Svir River. The Volga-Balric watercourse has changed the Marinovka system of waterways already existing in that area Its small, mainly timber, locks, at the time of construction represented a masterpiece of engineering of the Rus~an school of hydraulic engineers. The Marinovka system, awarded the Grand Gold Medal in 1913 at the Paris International Exhibition, gradually was outmoded and became an obstacle to the development of modern water transport communications between the main river basins of the European sector of the USSR. The correctness and farsightedness of the geographic layout of the Marinovka system were proved and confirmed during its operation, development, and extension over one and a half centuries, starting from 1810. The same general lines were therefore followed for the new watercourse, but the navigable course differed essentially from the old, passing, instead of along rivers and bypass canals, directly across large backwaters and newly built reservoirs, and at the same time straightening river meanders and cutting through hills. For transport communications with the hydroschemes on the northern slope, asphalt motorways and accesses to the structures were built along the canal to an overall length of 30 kin. The electrical supply system for the