Neva River

The Neva (Russian: Нева́, IPA: [nʲɪˈva]) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of 74 kilometres (46 mi), it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga and the Danube).

The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. It flows through the city of Saint Petersburg, three smaller towns of Shlisselburg, Kirovsk and Otradnoye, and dozens of settlements. The river is navigable throughout and is part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and White Sea – Baltic Canal. It is a site of numerous major historical events, including the Battle of the Neva in 1240 which gave Alexander Nevsky his name, the founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703, and the Siege of Leningrad by the German army during World War II.

Etymology

There are at least three versions of the origin of the name Neva: from the ancient Finnish name of Lake Ladoga (Finnish: nevo meaning sea), from the Finnish: neva (short from Finnish: Nevajoki, Nevajärvi) meaning swamp, or from the Swedish: ny – new river. Modern names for the distributaries of the river delta were settled only by the end of the 18th century.

Neva (horse)

Neva (foaled 1814, died after 1837) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse, which in 1817 became the first filly to win both the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse and the Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse. In a racing career which lasted from April 1817 until May 1818 she ran four times and won twice.

Background

Neva was a bay mare sired by Cervantes out of Mary, a daughter of the Epsom Derby winner Sir Peter Teazle and a sister of the Doncaster Cup winner Caleb Quotem. Cervantes was best known as a sire of broodmares: his daughters produced the 2000 Guineas winner Grey Momus and Melbourne, who in turn sired the Triple Crown winner West Australian. Neva was bred by a Mr. Tibbits and raced in the ownership of George Watson.

Racing career

1817: three-year-old season

Neva made her first racecourse appearance in the fourth running of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on 24 April. The race was run over the Ditch Mile course rather than its modern venue on the Rowley Mile, and despite its name carried a first prize of 2100 guineas. She started the 7/4 favourite and won from Mr. Jones's brown filly Clearwell Lass, with the Duke of Grafton's Trictrac in third.

Neva (1802 Russian ship)

Neva was the British merchant ship Thames, launched in 1801, that the Russians bought in 1802 and renamed Neva. She participated in two trips to the Far East, the first of which was the first Russian circumnavigation of the world. She was wrecked in 1812.

Thames

Thames was a 200 foot-long (61 meter), three-masted sailing ship of 370 tons burthen built in Britain in 1801.

Russian career

In 1802 Lieutenant Commander Yuri Feodorovich Lisyansky travelled to Britain where he bought two vessels, Thames and Leander.

Thames and Leander left England for the Baltic in May 1803, docking at Kronstadt on 5 June. Czar Alexander I renamed Thames to Neva, after the river, and Leander to Nadezhda ("Hope"). The two vessels sailed in 1803 on a voyage that would become the first Russian circumnavigation of the world. For the voyage Neva carried 14 cannon and a crew of 43 men under Lisyansky's command. The commander of the expedition was Admiral Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenstern, in Nadezhda.