Lake Ladoga

Lake Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe, located in Karelia, Northwestern Russia, near the Finnish border.

The area of the lake is 17,700 km² (approximately 6,800 square miles). The lake drains into the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea via the river Neva.

Border between East and West

1617-1721 the border between Sweden and Russia was drawn through Lake Ladoga, like later
1812-1940 the border between Finland and Russia.

The 10th century Valamo Monastery was founded on the island of Valaam (Finnish: Valamo), the largest in Lake Ladoga, desolated 1611-1715, magnificentrly restored in the 18th century, and finally evacuated to Finland during the Winter War in 1940.