9 6 , ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ▁decided ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁canal ▁but , ▁due ▁to ▁lack ▁of ▁resources ▁and ▁other ▁problems , ▁this ▁attempt ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 1 ▁without ▁success . ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 1 , ▁he ▁initi ated ▁a ▁second ▁attempt ▁( the ▁so - called ▁Ivan ov sky ▁Canal ▁at ▁Y ep if an ) ▁under ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁K ny az ▁Mat vey ▁G ag arin . ▁Instead ▁of ▁connecting ▁the ▁lower ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Don ▁with ▁the ▁lower ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁near ▁the ▁present ▁canal , ▁the ▁Ivan ov sky ▁Canal ▁connected ▁the ▁upper ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Don ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁T ula ▁O blast . ▁Between ▁ 1 7 0 2 ▁and ▁ 1 7 0 7 , ▁twenty - four ▁lo cks ▁were ▁constructed , ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 7 , ▁about ▁ 3 0 0 ▁ships ▁passed ▁the ▁canal ▁under ▁remark ably ▁difficult ▁navigation ▁conditions . ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 9 ▁due ▁to ▁financial ▁difficulties ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁Great ▁Northern ▁War , ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁halt ed . ▁The ▁canal ▁got ▁the ▁name ▁Pet rov ▁Val ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁Pet rov ▁Val ▁got ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁these ▁attempts . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 1 1 , ▁under ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁the ▁Pr uth , ▁Russia ▁left ▁Az ov ▁and ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ▁lost ▁all ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁canal , ▁which ▁was ▁abandoned ▁and ▁fell ▁into ▁ru in . ▁Over