The Belozersky Bypass Canal (russian: Белозерский канал, Белозерский обводной канал) is a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

around the south-western part of Lake Beloye in Belozersky District of

Vologda Oblast Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,444 ...

in north-western

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. It connects Kovzha River to

Sheksna River The Sheksna (russian: Шексна́) is a river in Belozersky, Kirillovsky, Sheksninsky, and Cherepovetsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Volga. It is long, and the area of its basin .

, and is part of the

Volga–Baltic Waterway The Volga–Baltic Waterway (Volgobalt, Волгобалт), formerly known as the Mariinsk Canal System (Russian: Мариинская водная система), is a series of canals and rivers in Russia which link the Volga with the Balti ...

. The length of the canal is . The canal passes the town of

Belozersk Belozersk (russian: Белозе́рск), known as Beloozero (russian: Белоозеро, label=none) until 1777, is a town and the administrative center of Belozersky District in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the southern bank of Lake Be ...

. The first plans to dig a canal connecting the basins of the

Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it ...

and the

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...

were developed in 1710 during the reign of Tsar

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

. In the beginning of the 19th century, the system was actually constructed. It was open in 1810 and got the name of the Mariinsky Canal System. In particular, the waterway followed the Sheksna River, Lake Beloye, the Kovzha River, and the canal connected to the Vytegra River. However, Lake Beloye was an inconvenient piece due to frequent dangerous storms, and also because it was too shallow in the area close to the source of the Sheksna. These conditions often caused shipwrecks. A number of proposals were submitted which aimed at resolving the problems. In particular, construction of artificial islands was suggested. Mercant Stolbikov from Belozersk obtained a

concession Concession may refer to: General * Concession (contract) (sometimes called a concession agreement), a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area, such as to explore or develop its natural resources or to opera ...

to tow the boats over the lake in bad weather. These means, however, proved to be inefficient, and Belozersk merchants asked Tsar

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...

for a permission to build a bypass canal. The permission was obtained and the works started but were never completed. In 1830s, merchants asked for permission again, and the construction started in 1843. The level of the canal was higher than the level of the Sheksna entrance and higher than the level of the Kovzha entrance. The construction was completed in 1846. The eastern entrance to the canal was several kilometers downstream of the village of Krokhino, and thus Krokhino, which was previously one of the main navigation hubs, suddenly was left off the waterway. The population of Belozersk also suffered losses from the opening of the canal, since the boatsman skills and knowledge of the bottom of Lake Beloye were not needed anymore. Generally, however, the construction of the canal was a great economic success, and by 1870, 70% of the total amount of water goods transportation was along the Mariinsky Canal System. The canal was reconstructed in the 20th century.

References

{{reflist Canals in Russia Buildings and structures in Vologda Oblast CBelozersky Canals opened in 1810 Transport in Vologda Oblast