Ligovsky Canal

The Ligovsky Canal (Russian: Ли́говский кана́л) is one of the longest canals of Saint Petersburg (Russia). Constructed in 1721, it is 23 kilometres (14 mi) long. Its purpose was to supply water for the fountains of the Summer Garden. The canal delivered water from the Liga River, now called the Dudergofka to ponds on the current Nekrasov Street.

Ligovsky canal Russian: Лиговский канал
The Ligovsky canal near Znamenskaya Church. 1860s
Specifications
Maximum height above sea level78.9 ft (24.0 m)
(Difference between a mouth and a source in meter)
Status90 % closed
History
Principal engineerG. Skornyakov-Pisarev
Construction began1718
Date completed1721
Date closed1891, 1926 and 1965-1969

History

The idea of constructing the canal came from the Russian tsar and reformer Peter I. He decided to decorate the Summer Garden with fountains supplied by water delivered by gravity feed. A small river, Liga (now called the Dudergofka), near (Dudergofskoye Lake), became the source of the water. The project's designer was G. Skornyakov-Pisarev, who also supervised the canal's construction.

Except for the basic function of activating the fountains, the canal was used as a water main and as a defensive boundary, protecting the capital from the southeast. The project was completed in three years, 1718–21. It is known that the canal had at least two bridges, one at Moskovsky Prospekt and one at Znamenskya Square (from a contemporary photo). Later when the Obvodny Canal was built at the beginning of the 20th century, Yamskoi Vodoprovodniy Aqueduct was built by Russian engineer Ivan Gerard. Later a bridge over Leninsky Prospekt was constructed. Details of its dismantling are not extant. It is probable it was demolished together with the canal and has remained underground.

The Flooding of 21 September [O.S. 10 September] 1777 destroyed the fountains of the Summer Garden and the reason for the canal disappeared. In addition, the water in the canal became muddy and undrinkable. The canal gradually became unfit for use and was gradually filled in:

  • In 1891–92, the site from Tauride garden to Obvodny Canal was filled in. Yamskoi Vodoprovodniy Aqueduct was reconstructed in 1895 and was renamed Novo-kamenniy bridge. Granite basins by the bridge existed before the beginning 20th century, when they were dismantled as superfluous.
  • In 1926, the site from Obvodny Canal to Moskovsky Prospekt was filled in
  • In 1965–69, waters of the canal were lowered in Krasnenkaya River, and the canal was truncated before crossing Krasnoputilovskaya street.
Water system of Ligovsky Canal
Dudergofskoye lake
Dudergofka River
1718-1721
To Moskovskoye s.
Three highways interchange
Ring Road
To Bronka
Three highways interchange
Dachnaya street
Three highways interchange
Diameter
To sea port terminal
To Predportovaya
To Ulyanka, Ligovo
To Predportovaya
To Leninsky Prospekt
To Predportovaya
To Leninsky Prospekt
To Konstitutsii square
Leninsky Pr.
Krasnenkaya River
To Konstitutsii square
Krasnoputilovskaya
To Avtovo
Moscow Gate Square
Moskovsky Avenue
Tsarskoselskaya Railway
Kubinskaya Street
Y. V. Aqueduct
Aviatorov Pound
Znamenskya Square
Nevsky Prospect
Pounds
Panteleymonovsky Aqueduct
Fountains of Summer garden
Pounds in Tauride garden
Water inlet
1720s
Neva
Moyka

In its place, Ligovsky Avenue was laid out.

Present system

Near to a railway line the Luga canal waters go underground and come to the surface near the Krasnenkaya River. There the canal is divided into two channels: the majority of the canal waters are carried away by the Krasnenkaya River, the smaller branch goes underground and exits into the ponds of the Aviatorov Garden. The length of the remaining part is 11 kilometres (7 mi).

in 1834–38 on the bank of the canal the Moscow Triumphal Gate was constructed. It was built mainly in cast iron.[1]

The filled in Ligovsky Canal became a hindrance to the subsequent construction of a metro station Ploshchad Vosstaniya - a wet stratum greatly complicated works. They were overcome, applying a caisson with an hydrochloric solution in 1950.[2]

References

  1. Russian: Раскин А. Г., Raskin A. G. (1977). Triumphal arches of Leningrad Russian: Триумфальные арки Ленинграда (in Russian). Leningrad.
  2. "The metro will not be Russian: МетрА не будет" (in Russian). Verssija v Sankt-Peterburge Russian: Версия в Санкт-Петербурге. 2002-08-05. External link in |publisher= (help) An article on this topic exists in Russian

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