“Liga,” a small river, once flowed freely here and gave the Ligovsky Canal its name. Today, let’s explore the story of the Ligovsky Canal. It is one of Saint Petersburg’s longest canals.
Constructed in 1721, the Ligovsky Canal stretches for 23 kilometers. Peter the Great wanted to decorate the Summer Garden with fountains. He envisioned fountains powered by gravity-fed water. G. Skornyakov-Pisarev designed and oversaw the canal’s construction.
Beyond fountains, the Ligovsky Canal served practical purposes. It acted as a water main. It even served as a defensive boundary for the capital. Construction lasted from 1718 to 1721. Historical photos show at least two bridges once crossed the canal. One was at Moskovsky Prospekt and another at Znamenskya Square.
The Obvodny Canal’s construction led to the Yamskoi Vodoprovodniy Aqueduct. Ivan Gerard, a Russian engineer, built it. Later, a bridge spanned Leninsky Prospekt. Details of its removal are scarce. It likely disappeared when the canal was filled.
The devastating flood of 1777 ruined the Summer Garden’s fountains. The Ligovsky Canal’s primary purpose vanished. Its water became polluted and undrinkable. Sections of the Ligovsky Canal were gradually filled in. The stretch from Tauride Garden to Obvodny Canal was filled in 1891-92. The Yamskoi Vodoprovodniy Aqueduct was reconstructed in 1895. It was renamed Novo-kamenniy Bridge. Granite basins near the bridge existed until the early 20th century. They were then removed.
In 1926, the section from Obvodny Canal to Moskovsky Prospekt was filled. From 1965 to 1969, the canal’s waters were diverted to the Krasnenkaya River. The Ligovsky Canal was shortened before Krasnoputilovskaya Street.
Today, the Liga canal waters flow underground near a railway line. They resurface near the Krasnenkaya River. The canal splits into two channels there. Most of the water flows into the Krasnenkaya River. A smaller branch runs underground. It surfaces in the ponds of the Aviatorov Garden. The remaining section is 11 kilometers long.
In 1834-38, the Moscow Triumphal Gate was built on the canal’s bank. It was primarily made of cast iron. The filled-in Ligovsky Canal hindered the construction of Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station. A wet layer complicated the work. A caisson with hydrochloric solution was used in 1950 to overcome these challenges.
Interestingly, some believe the Ligovsky Canal served as a transport route. Barges and small vessels may have used it. They transported building materials like butoviy stone and pudostskiy tuff for Saint Petersburg’s construction. Stone for buildings was delivered via the Ligovsky Canal.
Between the Dachnoye railway platform and Leninsky Prospekt, the canal ran parallel to two railway lines. Part of the canal has been filled during the construction of garages. Although much has changed, the Ligovsky Canal’s legacy remains. Next time you cross Ligovsky Prospekt, remember the waterway that once flowed beneath.