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 Germany transferred four MAL-type ferries - "M-31", "M-32", "M-33" and "M-34" - originally intended for use on Lake Peipus, to the Finns on Ladoga. The Finnish Navy also transferred several small run-down naval vessels to the lake, the motor torpedo boats "Syöksy", and "Vinha", which were no longer in adequate condition to carry torpedoes. Lake remained mostly quiet until Soviet offensive of 1944 started. While Finnish naval forces on the lake remained passive during the Soviet landings at Tuloksa on 23 June they did play key role in facilitating the Finnish evacuations from the eastern shore of the lake Ladoga.