Lake Ladoga

Lake Ladoga (Russian: Ла́дожское о́зеро, tr. Ladozhskoye ozero; IPA: [ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə] or Russian: Ла́дога, tr. Ladoga; IPA: [ˈladəgə]; Finnish: Laatokka [earlier in Finnish Nevajärvi]; Livvi-Karelian: Luadogu; Veps: Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia just outside the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 15th largest freshwater lake by area in the world. Ladoga Lacus, a methane lake on Saturn's moon Titan, is named after the lake.

Etymology

In one of Nestor's chronicles from the 12th century he mentions a lake called "the Great Nevo" (a clear link to the Neva River; also compare Finnish: neva "bog, quagmire"). In ancient Norse sagas and Hanseatic treaties they mention a city made of lakes called Aldoga (compare Finnish: aalto - wave).

Since the beginning of the 14th century the name of the lake was commonly called Ladoga, which was named after the city of Ladoga which in turn was named after the eponymous inflow in the lower reaches of the Volkhov River (Finnish: Alodejoki - river in the low areas). Other theories about the origin of the name comes from Karelian: Aalto - wave, here Karelian: Aaltokas - wavy; from the Russian dialectal word алодь, meaning open lake, extensive water field.