Neva

The Neva is a river in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast that flows from Lake Ladoga and reaches the Baltic Sea after about 74 kilometers. Along its course, it cuts through the city into several sections, forms islands, and branches into smaller channels before meeting the open sea.

The river was the site of a battle in 1240, when Alexander Nevsky turned back Swedish troops and brought its name into Russian military memory. Three centuries later, in 1703, Peter the Great founded his new capital on the swampy banks and turned the waterway into an urban center.

When spring arrives and the snow melts, water levels begin to rise, and local residents keep a careful watch since floods can occur. This seasonal rhythm has shaped how people live along the shore for generations, and they have learned to read the river's moods.

Walking along the embankments gives you views of the water and the buildings beyond, and in summer, the stroll is comfortable. In winter, the surface can freeze over, and the banks become windy and cold, so warm clothing is necessary.

Though the water is wide and deep, it freezes completely in harsh winters, and sometimes locals walk on the ice. When the bridges lift at night, they temporarily split the city in two, and drivers must wait until they lower again.