Where is Lake Onega located?
Lake Onega is in northwestern Russia, on the territory of the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast, and Vologda Oblast. It drains into the Baltic Sea via the Svir river.
Questions about Lake Onega
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How large is Lake Onega?
It is the second-largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga, and the 17th-largest lake by area in the world. Its size is roughly comparable to the nation of Lebanon.
What are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Lake Onega?
There are two. Kizhi Pogost, a complex of early 18th-century wooden churches on Kizhi island, was inscribed in 1990. The Onega petroglyphs, rock carvings on the eastern shore dating to the 4th-2nd millennia BC, were inscribed in 2021.
What is Kizhi Pogost made of?
Kizhi Pogost consists of three wooden structures: a summer church with 22 domes, a winter church with nine domes, and a belfry. The complex dates to the early 18th century.
Why is Lake Onega important for shipping?
The lake is part of both the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Volga-Baltic Waterway. These routes connect the Baltic Sea to the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the White Sea. Annual cargo on the lake totals 10-12 million tonnes.
Who founded Petrozavodsk?
Peter I founded Petrozavodsk in 1703 to exploit local ore deposits. It is now the capital of the Republic of Karelia with a population of about 270,000.