The Tikhvin system was one of the three main waterways that connected the basins of the Baltic and the Caspian Seas and enabled inland navigation between them. Constructed in the early 19th century, it included several hundred locks and dams and was in operation until the second half of the 20th century. By regulating the water flow, it managed the rational and sustainable use of natural resources of the connected rivers and lakes. In 2010–2011, a complex expedition organized by the Institute for the History of Science and Technology conducted hydrological, ecological, and landscape investigations of the remaining structures, analyzed the principles of resource management by the system, and evaluated the possibilities for its complete or partial restoration.

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