Staraya Ladoga Staraya Ladoga Staraya Ladoga (); ; ) is a rural locality (a "selo") in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, north of the town of Volkhov, the administrative center of the district. It used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries. A multi-ethnic settlement, it was dominated by Scandinavians who were called by the name of Rus'. For that reason, it is sometimes called the first capital of Russia. Dendrochronology suggests that Ladoga was founded in 753. Until 950, it was one of the most important trading
Finnish reconquest of Ladoga Karelia (1941) had already reached the shore of lake Ladoga at Lahdenpohja and cut the Soviet divisions north-west of lake Ladoga from their intended withdrawal routes. Near Sortavala the attacking Finnish forces of 2nd, 7th and 19th division were reorganized into the I Army Corps and the town fell to the Finnish forces on August 15. The defending Soviet forces of the 168th Rifle Division withdrew along the coast but were encircled. The Soviets managed to evacuate most of the manpower on barges over the lake Ladoga. Finns captured large amounts of war material that the Soviets had not been able to