Navigation-2023 on the Volga-Baltic waterways has been kicked off by a ceremonial cannon shot from the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint-Petersburg. According to IAA PortNews correspondent, the midday cannon shot was made by Aleksandr Poshivay, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation.
The ceremony was attended by Senator Andrey Kutepov (representative of the legislative authority of Saint-Petersburg); Feodor Shishlakov, Head of Volga-Baltic Administration; representatives of the Marine Board of Saint-Petersburg Government.
The locks and canals of the Volga-Baltic waterway are ready for ships passage. In the navigation season of 2023, Volga-Baltic waterway is expected to keep the positive dynamics of passenger transportation. “The outlook on cargo transportation is more modest: we hope for a slight growth,” Feodor Shishlakov told IAA PortNews earlier.
In 2022, the number of cruise tourists on the Volga-Baltic routes rose by 50%, year-on-year, to 3.41 million. Cargo transportation totaled 14.8 million tonnes with 18,750 voyages made over the year.
The main route of the Volga-Baltic waterway with guaranteed depth and lighted aids to navigation is 805 kilometers long. It runs from Saint-Petersburg to Cherepovets, across the Leningrad Region and the Vologda Region and includes the Neva river, the southern lane of the Ladoga lake, the Svir river, the Vodorazdelny canal and the Sheksna river.
Photos by Aleksandr Chizhenok
