The Tikhvinskaya navigation system was one of three waterways connecting St. Petersburg with the Volga, the main Russian river, during the 19th century. This essay examines the prehistory of the system until the beginning of its construction in 1802 and provides information about its construction and reconstruction in the nineteenth century. The Tikhvinskaya system opened for shipping in 1811, and it possessed a series of advantages as compared to the Vyshnevolotskaya and Mariinskaya - it was considerably shorter, and navigable for up to 1-1/2 months longer during the year. The end of its use resulted in unfavorable changes to the ecological landscape. The essay examines present conditions and the possibility of reconstruction and rebuilding of the system.