Neva

River in the Leningrad oblast (region), northwestern Russian Federation; length 74 km/46 mi. The Neva flows west out of Lake Ladoga into the Gulf of Finland. Despite its short length, the river carries a large volume of water, being the only outlet of Lake Ladoga. The whole area of the Neva is dominated by the city of St Petersburg, which is situated in and around its delta. The river caused severe flooding in the city in 1824 and 1924.

Canals link the Neva with the Volga and the White Sea. The river gave its name to the 13th-century ruler of the state of Novgorod, Alexander Nevsky, who defeated a Swedish army near St Petersburg in 1240.

Pollution has badly affected the Neva delta, as the result of a dyke built to protect St Petersburg from flooding.