Lake Ilmen

Lake Ilmen joined the Shelon River to the Volkhov and the approaches to Novgorod. In 1471 this waterway became part of a military struggle between Ivan III and the Novgorod republic. The Shelon entered the lake from the southwest; boats could cross the lake and continue down the Volkhov toward the city. Control of riverbanks and crossings therefore mattered to the campaign.

After Novgorod’s defeat on the Shelon, negotiations took place at Korostyn on Ilmen’s shore in August 1471. The settlement imposed a large indemnity, prohibited Novgorod’s independent dealings with Lithuanian princes and extended Moscow’s control over local courts. The lakeside village became the setting for a political agreement whose consequences reached far beyond its own shore, while the lake remained a route linking the city with its hinterland.