Peipus, Lake

Peipus, Lake (Estonian Peipsi-Järv, Russian, Chudskoye Ozero), lake, on the border between Russia and Estonia. Lake Peipus is connected on the south with Lake Pskov by a long, narrow channel. The area of Lake Peipus is about 3,520 sq km (1,360 sq mi). The lake is drained on the north by the Narva River, which flows into the Gulf of Finland. Lake Peipus is navigable for about eight months of the year, and fishing is a major industry in the area. On the frozen lake, the Russian hero Alexander Nevsky defeated the Livonian Knights in 1242.