Bolshaya Neva

Categories / City Topography/Waterways and Currents/Rivers
BOLSHAYA NEVA, the largest left branch of the the Neva river delta; a continuation of the Neva River below the Dvortsovaya Bridge. The Bolshaya Neva flows into the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland, in the area surrounded by Vasilievsky Island, Gutuevsky Island and Kanonersky Island. The river is 3.62 kilometres long; its width varies from 200 metres (between the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge and the Palace Bridge) to 400 metres, while the depth ranges from 8.2 meters to 12.8 metres. The flow rate at the Spit of Vasilievsky Island amounts to 1,520 m3 per second, which forms 60 % of the general flow rate of the Neva. The Fontanka River, the Moika River and Novo-Admiralteysky Canal run into the Bolshaya Neva on the left. The Ekaterinhofka River, which separates Gutuevsky Island from the mainland part of St. Petersburg runs to the left from the mouth of the Bolshaya Neva. The river is spanned with two bridges, Dvortsovy Bridge and Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. Until 1916, the river was also spanned by the floating St. Isaac Bridge, located in the alignment of the square of the same name. The banks of the Bolshaya Neva River, except its mouth, are faced with granite; the facing of the most part of the embankments was completed in the mid-19th century. On the right bank of the river, there are Universitetskaya Embankment and Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment. They accommodate Kunstkammera, the building of the Academy of Sciences, the building of the Twelve Collegia (at present housing St. Petersburg State University), A.D. Menshikov's palace, the Academy of Arts, former Naval Cadet Corps, Mining Institute etc. The left bank holds Admiralteyskaya Embankment and Angliiskaya Embankment, the ensembles of the Main Admiralty, Dekabristov Square with the Bronze Horseman, former buildings of the Senate and Holy Synod and a number of mansions. Downstream of the Bolshaya Neva, there are some shipbuilding facilities: the shipyards on the left bank and the Baltic plant on the right. The Bolshaya Neva River, navigable along its whole length, forms a part of the Volga-Baltic Waterway. Navigation here is performed from April through November. During various celebrations and festivities, naval parades are often held on the Bolshaya Neva.

References: Нежиховский Р. А. Река Нева. 3-е изд. Л., 1973; Захаров О. Н. Архитектурные панорамы невских берегов. Л., 1984.

Y. P. Seliverstov. Menshikov Alexander Danilovich, Gracious Prince
Schmidt Peter Petrovich
Seliverstov Yury Petrovich
Admiralteyskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Angliiskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Dekabristov Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Leitenanta Schmidta Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Neva River/Saint Petersburg, city
Universitetskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Нежиховский Р. А. Река Нева. 3-е изд. Л., 1973
Захаров О. Н. Архитектурные панорамы невских берегов. Л., 1984 Kunstkammer
Kunstkammer
Russian Academy of Sciences
State University, St. Petersburg
Menshikov Palace
Academy of Arts
Academy of Arts
Navy Institute, St.Petersburg
Plekhanov State Mining Institute, St. Petersburg
Admiralty
Admiralty
Bronze Horseman
Senate and Synod Buildings
Admiralty Dockyards
Baltic Shipyard and Machine-Building Plant