Obvodny Canal

Obvodny Canal (Russian: Обводный канал, lit. Bypass Canal) is the longest canal in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which in the 19th century served as the southern limit of the city. It is 8 km long and flows from the Neva River near Alexander Nevsky Lavra to the Yekaterinhofka not far from the sea port. The canal was dug in 1769-1780 and 1805-1833. By the late 19th century with the Industrial Revolution it had effectively become a sewer collecting wastewater of adjacent industrial enterprises. Eventually the canal became shallow and now is not navigable anymore. The banks of the canal are lined with granite.