Ladoga Canal major canals constructed in Russia. It was one of the projects of Peter the Great, who ordered its construction in 1718. Rapid economic development in Russia required a significant expansion of routes, especially waterways. One part of the Vyshny Volochek waterway (1709) linking the Volga river to the Baltic Sea, passed through Lake Ladoga. The Ladoga section of the route was one of the most difficult and dangerous because the lake is prone to winds and storms which destroyed hundreds of cargo ships. Peter the Great decided to avoid the navigation in the huge and stormy lake by building a
Finnish Ladoga Naval Detachment Finns had intended to mount further landing operations to secure the island of Valamo but Soviets withdrew from there as well as from most of the other island on the lake voluntarily. Finnish forces took control of the island of Valamo on 20 September and island of Konevitsa on 25 September. Since Soviet forces remained inactive on lake Ladoga for the rest of the 1941 Finnish naval forces concentrated on security and transport duties. After Finns had captured maps of the Soviet naval minefields on the lake several boats were detailed for minesweeping duties which however yielded no results nor