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How does the Volga-Baltic Waterway connect the Volga River to the Baltic Sea?

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Volga River The Dnieper, Don, and Volga river basins and their drainage network.

The Volga-Baltic Waterway is a sophisticated system of rivers and canals that links the Volga River to the Baltic Sea through a series of interconnected reservoirs and waterways.1

The modern route begins at Rybinsk on the Volga and proceeds northward via the Sheksna River to Lake Beloye. From there, it follows the Kovzha River, connecting across a watershed to the Vytegra River, which flows into Lake Onega.1

Continuing westward from Lake Onega, the waterway utilizes the Svir River to reach Lake Ladoga. Finally, it travels through the Novoladozhsky Canal and the Neva River, ultimately emptying into the Gulf of Finland at St. Petersburg. Completed in its current form in 1964, this system features seven automatically controlled locks, allowing for the passage of large vessels with drafts up to 3.5 meters.1