Volga–Don Canal

Artificial waterway that connects the Volga with the Don, running from south of Volgograd to the eastern end of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir; length 101 km/63 mi. The waterway was built 1948–52, largely by forced labour. There are 13 locks, the first nine of which raise ships 88 m/289 ft. Successful completion of the canal meant that the Caspian and Black seas were linked for the first time.

The first, unsuccessful attempt to construct a canal linking the rivers Volga and Don was made in 1569 by the Ottoman Turks who then controlled the area. From the time of Tsar Peter (I) the Great onwards, numerous Russian plans were made to build such a waterway, but none of them came to fruition until the Stalinist era.