Saimaa Canal
Encyclopedia
The Saimaa Canal is a transport
ation canal
that connects lake Saimaa
with the Gulf of Finland
near Vyborg
, Russia. The canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened on 7 September 1856 (Old Style: 26 August 1856).
It was overhauled and widened in 1963–1968.
A system of inland waterways and canals in the 120 interconnected lakes of the south-central and south-east part of Finland (Finnish Lakeland
) are reached through the canal. The network of deep channels in Lake Saimaa with at least a draught of 4.2 metres (13.8 ft) covers 814 kilometres (505.8 mi). The deep channels extend all the way to Kuopio
in Central Finland.
, Finland
(61°04′43"N 028°16′24"E) and ends in Vyborg
, Russia
(60°48′38"N 028°44′13"E), connecting Lake Saimaa
and the Vyborg Bay
. On the way, it connects Lake Nuijamaa
, on the Finnish–Russian border (60°57′6"N 28°34′33"E), and three smaller lakes in Russia.
Other five locks situated on the Russian side of the border:
Mälkiä Lock has highest lift (12.4 m (40.7 ft)), Cvetotchnoe Lock has the lowest (5.5 m (18 ft)).
and Viipuri (now Vyborg, Russia), both of them then in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland
in the Russian Empire
.
In the Moscow Peace Treaty
of 1940, the Karelian Isthmus
and the city of Vyborg were ceded to the Soviet Union
, thus effectively splitting the canal in half and ending all traffic.
Following a treaty agreement in 1963, Russia leased
the Russian section of the canal area and the island of Malyj Vysotskij (Ravansaari) to Finland for fifty years. A new deeper canal was constructed by the Finns, which opened to traffic in 1968. The length of the canal itself is 42.9 kilometres (26.7 mi).
The area is not part of Finland; it is a special part of Russia. Russian law is in force, with a few exceptions concerning maritime rules and the employment of canal staff, which fall under Finnish jurisdiction. There are also special rules concerning vessels travelling to Finland via the canal. Russian visa
s are not required for just passing through the canal, but a passport is needed and it is checked at the border.
Negotiations in 2008 agreed upon an extension of 50 years in 2013, with an increase of the yearly rent of 290,000 euros to 1.22 million euros. The rent will thereafter be adjusted every 10 years. (The original rent was increased only once between 1963 and 2013.)
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
that connects lake Saimaa
Saimaa
Saimaa is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The...
with the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
near Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, Russia. The canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened on 7 September 1856 (Old Style: 26 August 1856).
It was overhauled and widened in 1963–1968.
A system of inland waterways and canals in the 120 interconnected lakes of the south-central and south-east part of Finland (Finnish Lakeland
Finnish Lakeland
Finnish Lakeland or Finnish lake district is the largest of the four landscape regions into which the geography of Finland is divided.The hilly, forest-covered landscape of the lake plateau is dominated by drumlins and by long sinuous eskers...
) are reached through the canal. The network of deep channels in Lake Saimaa with at least a draught of 4.2 metres (13.8 ft) covers 814 kilometres (505.8 mi). The deep channels extend all the way to Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
in Central Finland.
Layout
The canal begins near Lauritsala, LappeenrantaLappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(61°04′43"N 028°16′24"E) and ends in Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(60°48′38"N 028°44′13"E), connecting Lake Saimaa
Saimaa
Saimaa is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The...
and the Vyborg Bay
Vyborg Bay
The Bay of Vyborg is a deep inlet running northeastward near the eastern end of Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. The city of Vyborg is located near the head of the gulf.The bay is connected by the Saimaa Canal to the lake Saimaa in Finland....
. On the way, it connects Lake Nuijamaa
Lake Nuijamaa
Lake Nuijamaa is a lake on the border between Finland and Russia next to the town of Nuijamaa.It is part of the Saimaa Canal linking Vyborg Bay in the Baltic Sea to Lake Saimaa in the Finnish Lakeland....
, on the Finnish–Russian border (60°57′6"N 28°34′33"E), and three smaller lakes in Russia.
Dimensions
- Length: 42.9 km (26.7 mi)
- Finnish part: 23.3 km (14.5 mi)
- Russian part: 19.6 km (12.2 mi)
- Width: from 34 metre
- Total lift from the Gulf of FinlandGulf of FinlandThe Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
to Lake SaimaaSaimaaSaimaa is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The...
: 75.7 m (248.4 ft) - The maximum dimensions allowed for a ship transiting the canal are:
- Length: 82 m (269 ft)
- BeamBeam (nautical)The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
(width): 12.2 m (40 ft) - DraftDraft (hull)The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
: 4.35 m (14.3 ft) - Height of mast: 24.5 m (80.4 ft)
- 217 boundary pillars between Canal Rented Zone and main territory of Russia.
Locks
There are three locks in the Finnish part of the canal- Mälkiä (61°04′15"N 028°18′14"E)
- Mustola (61°03′45"N 028°18′59"E)
- Soskua (61°02′23"N 028°24′02"E)
Other five locks situated on the Russian side of the border:
- Pälli ( 60.907227 °N 28.615179 °W)
- Ilyistoye (former Lietjärvi) ( 60.893306 °N 28.622904 °W)
- Cvetochnoye (former Rättijärvi) 60.881817 °N 28.650756 °W)
- Iskrovka (former Särkijärvi) ( 60.832155 °N 28.73661 °W)
- Brusnichnoye (former Juustila) ( 60.810667 °N 28.737316 °W)
Mälkiä Lock has highest lift (12.4 m (40.7 ft)), Cvetotchnoe Lock has the lowest (5.5 m (18 ft)).
Bridges
The canal crosses- 12 motor vehicles bridges:
- 6 of them in Finland – 3 movable and 3 immovable
- other 6 in Russia – 4 movable and 2 immovable
- 2 railroad bridges (one on the each side of the border), both of them are immovable.
History
The canal, inaugurated in 1856, was built between the cities of LappeenrantaLappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
and Viipuri (now Vyborg, Russia), both of them then in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
In the Moscow Peace Treaty
Moscow Peace Treaty (1940)
The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed by Finland and the Soviet Union on 12 March 1940, and the ratifications were exchanged on 21 March. It marked the end of the 105-day Winter War. The treaty ceded parts of Finland to the Soviet Union. However, it preserved Finland's independence, ending the Soviet...
of 1940, the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
and the city of Vyborg were ceded to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, thus effectively splitting the canal in half and ending all traffic.
Following a treaty agreement in 1963, Russia leased
Concession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
the Russian section of the canal area and the island of Malyj Vysotskij (Ravansaari) to Finland for fifty years. A new deeper canal was constructed by the Finns, which opened to traffic in 1968. The length of the canal itself is 42.9 kilometres (26.7 mi).
The area is not part of Finland; it is a special part of Russia. Russian law is in force, with a few exceptions concerning maritime rules and the employment of canal staff, which fall under Finnish jurisdiction. There are also special rules concerning vessels travelling to Finland via the canal. Russian visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
s are not required for just passing through the canal, but a passport is needed and it is checked at the border.
Negotiations in 2008 agreed upon an extension of 50 years in 2013, with an increase of the yearly rent of 290,000 euros to 1.22 million euros. The rent will thereafter be adjusted every 10 years. (The original rent was increased only once between 1963 and 2013.)