The length of the Volga River is more than three and a half thousand kilometers, there are as many as four millionaire cities on it, several hydroelectric power stations, and it’s impossible to count how many paintings with the Volga have been created or poems written about it. However, this mighty river originates in a far less epic way - in a small but clean swamp, far from the village, where no one has lived for a long time.
In ancient times, the Volga was known as Ra (“generous”) and Itil (“great river”), and received its modern name from the Proto-Slavic word meaning “moisture.” The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, but its source was in different places at different times. There is even an opinion that the Volga used to begin in the mountains as a stormy mountain river, but today its source is considered to be a completely calm swamp near the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky district, Tver region.
Now there are no permanent residents in this village, only a few buildings built as summer cottages. But this place is well equipped, so tourists come here regularly. In addition to the famous swamp itself, there are also other important attractions here - the Olginsky Convent (mainly visitors are attracted by its main temple - the Transfiguration of the Savior) and the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, made entirely of wood.
Also attracting the attention of tourists is the Chapel of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which is located just above the source of the Volga. Inside this chapel there is a hole in the floor, so those who wish can draw water from the source of the Volga.
Since the source of the river is located in close proximity to the village (250 meters), the bridge across the river in the village is not just a bridge, but the “first bridge across the Volga.” This is an ordinary wooden bridge, only about two meters long. The current bridge with handrails is certainly modern, but it was in this same place that there were bridges here before, in particular one of them can be seen in the photographs of S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky and M. P. Dmitriev (c. 1910) .
The first dam on the Volga is also located here. Like the local bridge, “first” here denotes not age, but location from the source. The dam was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the Olginsky convent. It is a fairly simple wooden structure with a bridge over the dam itself.
The Volga River is one of the largest river bodies of water on our entire planet. In addition, if we talk about the scale of Europe, then the Volga is considered the longest river on the mainland. This is truly a historical body of water, the length of which is more than 3.5 thousand kilometers.
The river stretches not only through several of the largest regions of Russia, but also affects Kazakhstan.
And below we want to take a closer look at the question of why the Volga River was called the Volga.
Origin of the name of the Volga River
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the river. However, many scientists agree that the Volga was named Volga from the Old Church Slavonic word “Vlga”. This is exactly what the river was called in ancient times. This name, in turn, came from the Proto-Slavic word “Vьlga”, which could be translated into modern Russian as “Moisture”.
Also, a significant part of etymologists suggest that the name of the river could have its roots in the Baltic languages, since upper part The reservoir was located in an area where many names are of Baltic origin.
So, in the Baltic languages, the name of the river could come from “Ilga” - “Long” or “Long”.
Of course, both of these options resemble genuine ones, since both the concept of “Long” and, of course, “Moisture” are optimally suited to this river. However, there is currently no exact origin.
In addition to the fact that the Volga is the longest river in Europe, and one of the largest in the world, several other interesting facts, which we can’t help but remember:
- The scale of the reservoir has influenced the fact that it systematically feeds more than 1 thousand other rivers with its waters;
- The scale of the Volga is partly a consequence of the fact that the river is constantly fed by thawing snow. Scientists confirm that approximately 2/3 of all water in the Volga comes from snow;
- Due to the construction of reservoirs associated with the river delta, its length has decreased by approximately 160 kilometers;
- Most cities adjacent to the Volga are supplied with electricity from hydroelectric power plants, which, in turn, operate due to the flow of the river;
- The area adjacent to the Volga is home to such exotic animals as pelicans and even flamingos.
Now you know not only why the Volga was called the Volga, but also what interesting facts, as well as figures regarding this reservoir, make you understand its importance and scale.
The Volga is one of the important rivers of the world. She carries her waters through European part Russia and flows into the Caspian Sea. The industrial importance of the river is great, 8 hydroelectric power stations were built on it, shipping and fishing are well developed. In the 1980s, a bridge was built across the Volga, which is considered the longest in Russia. Its total length from source to mouth is about 3,600 km. But due to the fact that it is not customary to take into account those places that belong to reservoirs, the official length of the Volga River is 3530 km. Among all the water streams in Europe, it is the longest. Large cities such as Volgograd and Kazan are located on it. That part of Russia that is adjacent to the central artery of the country is called the Volga region. The river basin covers a little more than 1 million km2. Volga occupies a third of the European part of the Russian Federation.
Briefly about the river
The Volga is fed by snow, groundwater and rainwater. It is characterized by spring floods and autumn floods, as well as low water content in summer and winter.
The source and mouth of which freeze and become covered with ice almost simultaneously, in October-November, and in March-April it begins to thaw.
Previously, back in ancient centuries, it was called Ra. Already in the Middle Ages, mentions of the Volga appeared under the name Itil. The current name of the water stream comes from a word in the Proto-Slavic language, which is translated into Russian as “moisture”. There are also other versions of the origin of the name Volga, but it is not yet possible to confirm or refute them.
Source of the Volga
The Volga, whose source originates in the Tver region, begins at an altitude of 230 m. In the village of Volgoverkhovye there are several springs that were combined into a reservoir. One of them is the beginning of the river. In its upper course it flows through small lakes, and after a few meters it passes through the Upper Volga lakes (Peno, Vselug, Volgo and Sterzh), currently combined into a reservoir.
A tiny swamp, which appearance It hardly attracts tourists - this is the source of the Volga. A map, even the most accurate one, will not have specific data about the beginning of the water flow.
Mouth of the Volga
The mouth of the Volga is the Caspian Sea. It is divided into hundreds of branches, due to which a wide delta is formed, the area of which is about 19,000 km 2. Because of large quantities In terms of water resources, this area is the richest in plants and animals. The fact that the mouth of the river ranks first in the world in the number of sturgeons already speaks volumes. This river has sufficient influence on climatic conditions, which have a beneficial effect on flora and fauna, as well as on humans. The nature of this area is fascinating and helps to have a pleasant time. The best time to fish here is from April to November. The weather and the number of fish species will never allow you to return empty-handed.
Flora
The following types of plants grow in the waters of the Volga:
- amphibians (susak, reed, cattail, lotus);
- aquatic submerged (naiad, hornwort, elodea, buttercup);
- aquatic with floating leaves (water lily, duckweed, pondweed, nut);
- algae (hari, cladophora, hara).
The largest number of plants is represented at the mouth of the Volga. The most common species are sedge, wormwood, pondweed, spurge, saltwort, and astragalus. In the meadows in large quantities wormwood, sorrel, reed grass and bedstraw grow.
The delta of a river called the Volga, the source of which is also not particularly rich in plants, has 500 various types. Sedge, spurge, marshmallow, wormwood and mint are not uncommon here. You can find thickets of blackberries and reeds. Meadows grow on the banks of the water stream. The forest is located in stripes. The most common trees are willow, ash and poplar.
Animal world
The Volga is rich in fish. It is home to many aquatic animals that differ from each other in their mode of existence. In total there are about 70 species, of which 40 are commercial. One of the smallest fish in the pool is the tadpole, the length of which does not exceed 3 cm. It can even be confused with a tadpole. But the largest one is the beluga. Its dimensions can reach 4 m. It is a legendary fish: it can live up to 100 years and weigh more than 1 ton. The most important are roach, catfish, pike, sterlet, carp, pike perch, sturgeon, and bream. Such wealth not only provides products to nearby areas, but is also successfully exported to other countries.
Sterlet, pike, bream, carp, catfish, ruffe, perch, burbot, asp - all these fish representatives live in the inlet stream, and the Volga River is rightfully considered their permanent place of residence. The source, unfortunately, cannot boast of such rich diversity. In places where the water flow is calm and shallow, the southern stickleback lives - the only representative of sticklebacks. And in those areas where the Volga has the most vegetation, you can find carp, which prefers quiet waters. Sevruga, herring, sturgeon, lamprey, and beluga enter the river from the Caspian Sea. Since ancient times, the river has been considered the best for fishing.
You can also find frogs, birds, insects and snakes. Dalmatian pelicans, pheasants, egrets, swans and white-tailed eagles are very common on the banks. All these representatives are quite rare and are listed in the Red Book. There are many protected areas on the banks of the Volga, which help protect against extinction. Geese, ducks, teals and mallards nest here. Wild boars live here, and saigas live in the nearby steppes. Very often on the seashore you can find them quite freely located near the water.
The importance of the Volga for Russia
The Volga, whose source is in a village in the Tver region, flows throughout Russia. Through its waterway, the river connects with the Baltic, Azov, Black and White seas, as well as the Tikhvin and Vyshnevolotsk systems. In the Volga basin you can find large forests, as well as rich adjacent fields sown with various industrial and grain crops. The lands in these areas are fertile, which contributed to the development of gardening and melon growing. It should be clarified that in the Volga-Ural zone there are gas and oil deposits, and near Solikamsk and the Volga region there are salt deposits.
One cannot argue with the fact that the Volga has a long and rich history. She is a participant in many important political events. And also plays huge economic role, being the main water artery of Russia, thereby uniting several regions into one. It is home to administrative and industrial centers and several millionaire cities. That is why this water stream is called the great Russian river.
This mighty water stream flows through vast areas of European Russia and flows into the Caspian Sea. This is the longest river in Europe, and it has the right to be considered a national symbol of Russia.
This is the Volga River, in the basin of which many of the largest cities of the Russian state are located, including its capital, Moscow.
The article provides some information about the Volga River: width and depth, length and flow features.
Main Features
The total length of the river from source to mouth is 3692 km. Officially, not counting reservoir sections, the length of the Volga River is considered to be 3,530 kilometers.
The area of the water basin is 100,380 square kilometers, which is 1/3 of the area of the European territory of Russia.
What is the depth of the Volga? In this article we will try to find the answer to this question. But first, let's look at the path of the river from source to mouth. She begins her journey on the Valdai Hills, in the Tver region (Ostashkovsky district). Near the village of Volgoverkhovye springs emerge from the ground, one of which is the source of the great Russian river (altitude above sea level is about 228 meters). The spring is surrounded by a chapel, which can be approached via a bridge. A stream about 1 meter wide and no more than 30 cm deep flows from a small reservoir into which all nearby springs flow.
The beginning of the path of the great river
Conventionally, the river is divided into 3 sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Volga. First big city on the path of a huge water flow is Rzhev. The distance to it from the source is 200 km. The next large settlement is the ancient city of Tver (population - more than 400 thousand people). The Ivankovskoye Reservoir, 120 kilometers long, is located here. The depth of the Volga in this area increases to 23 meters. Behind it comes the Uglich Reservoir (146 km length, 5 meters depth). Just north of Rybinsk is the Rybinsk Reservoir, where the northernmost point of the Volga is located. After this mark, the river turns southeast (before that it flows in a northeast direction).
In the area of the Gorky Reservoir, the cities of Yaroslavl, Kineshma, and Kostroma are located on the banks of the river. Higher Nizhny Novgorod The regional center of Gorodets is located. The Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station was built here, which forms the Gorky Reservoir, the length of which is 427 km.
The depth of the Volga in this area is on average 1.8-2.1 meters.
This section begins after the connection of the Volga with the Oka, which is its largest right tributary. Its length is 1499 kilometers. It flows into the Volga near Nizhny Novgorod.
The Volga River, having absorbed the waters of the Oka, becomes wider and heads east. It flows along the northern territory of the Volga Upland. Near the city of Cheboksary, its road is blocked by the Cheboksary Hydroelectric Power Station, forming a reservoir of the same name, the length of which is 341 kilometers and the width is 16 kilometers. Maximum depth The Volga in this area is 35 meters, and the average is 5 m. Further, the river flows to the southeast, and near Kazan it turns to the south.
Lower Volga
The Volga becomes truly great and powerful after the Kama, the largest left tributary, flows into it. The length of this river is 1805 km, and it surpasses the Volga in many respects. So why doesn’t it flow into the Caspian Sea? And this is connected with established historical traditions and names.
After the reunification of these two largest rivers, the lower reaches of the Volga begin. Then it moves all the time to the south, towards the Caspian Sea. On the banks of this part of the river are cities such as Ulyanovsk, Samara, Togliatti, Saratov and Volgograd. Near the cities of Samara and Togliatti a bend is formed (Samara Luka), directed to the east. Here the water flow goes around the Togliatti Mountains. Located here (a little upstream) is the largest reservoir on the Volga, the Kuibyshev Reservoir, which ranks third in area in the world. Its length is 500 km, width – 40 km. The depth of the Volga in this section is 8 meters.
Features of the river delta
Near the Caspian Sea, the length of the river delta is approximately 160 km. Its width reaches 40 km. The delta includes approximately 500 canals and small rivers. It is generally accepted that the mouth of this great river is the largest in all of Europe. It should be noted that in these places you can find unique representatives of both the flora and fauna. For example, here you can meet flamingos and pelicans, and you can also see a blooming lotus.
The maximum depth of the Volga River in the delta, according to various sources, is 2.5 meters. Minimum depth- about 1.7 meters.
The Volga delta is larger in size than the deltas of the Terek, Kuban, Rhine and Meuse. It is also important to note that important trade routes once passed here, connecting the Lower Volga with Persia and other Arab states. These places were inhabited by tribes of Polovtsians and Khazars. According to some sources, in the 13th century, a Tatar settlement called Ashtarkhan first arose in these places, which eventually became the beginning of Astrakhan.
Key words: Parameters of the Volga River, depth, length, information, Volga River, Source of the Volga, Gorodets, Middle Volga
Volga River the largest and deepest river in Europe. The ancient name of Ra (lat. Rha) the less old name of Vloga is Itil, the river received in the Middle Ages. This is the largest river that does not flow into the sea. 2/3 of Russia's population lives in the Volga basin. Its source is located on the Valdai Hills at an altitude of 256 m above sea level. And at the mouth, on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, in its delta there are the largest lotus fields in the world, occupying hundreds of hectares.
Here is what Alexander Dumas wrote about the Volga: “Every country has its own national river. Russia has the Volga - the largest river in Europe, the queen of our rivers - and I hastened to bow to her majesty the Volga River!
River length: 3,530 kilometers.
Drainage basin area: 1,360 thousand sq. km.
Highest point: Mount Bezymyannaya, 381.2 m (Zhiguli Mountains).
Channel width: up to 2500 m.
Slope and fall: 256 m and 0.07 m/km (or ppm), respectively.
Average current speed: less than 1 m/s.
River depth: average depth 8 – 11 meters, at separate areas 15 – 18 meters.
Delta area: 19,000 sq. km.
Average annual flow:>38 cubic km.
Where does it occur: The Volga originates in one of the most elevated parts of the Valdai Plateau in the Tver region. It flows from a small spring in the middle of swampy lakes, not far from the village of Volgoverkhovye. The source coordinates are 57°15′ north latitude and 2°10′ east longitude. The height of the source above sea level is 228 meters. The Volga flows through the entire central lowland of European Russia. The river bed is winding, but the general flow direction is east. Near Kazan, approaching almost the very foothills of the Urals, the river turns sharply to the south. The Volga becomes a truly mighty river only after the Kama flows into it. Near Samara, the Volga makes its way through a whole chain of hills and forms the so-called Samara Luka. Not far from Volgograd, the Volga approaches another mighty river - the Don. Here the river turns again and flows in a south-easterly direction until it flows into the Caspian Sea. At the mouth, the Volga forms a vast delta and is divided into many branches.
River mode, food: Most of the water comes from groundwater and to a lesser extent is fed by precipitation.
Freezing: The Volga is covered with ice in late October - early November and remains covered until the end of April - mid-March.
Tributaries: About 200 tributaries flow into the Volga. The largest of which are the Kama and Oka, as well as smaller rivers such as Unzha, Kerzhenets, Sura, Tvertsa, Medveditsa and others.
It has not yet been decided whether it can be considered that the Kama flows into the Volga. Since, according to the rules of hydrography, it turns out that everything is exactly the opposite, and it is the Volga that should flow into the Kama. Since the Kama is older in origin, it has a larger basin and more tributaries.
The direction of flow in most of the river is from north to south. Between the tributaries of the Oka and Kama, the Volga has a predominantly latitudinal flow.
For centuries, the Volga has served people as a source clean water, fish, energy, transport artery. But today it is in danger; human activity is polluting it and threatening disaster.
The favorable geographical position of the river and human activity in the construction of canals turned the Volga into the largest transport artery. In addition to the Caspian Sea, it is connected to 4 more seas: the Baltic, White, Black and Azov. Its waters irrigate fields, and its hydroelectric power plants provide electricity to entire cities and major enterprises. However, intensive economic use has led to the pollution of the Volga with industrial and agricultural waste. Huge areas were flooded during the construction of dams.
Environmentalists say that the ecological situation is critical and the river’s ability to cleanse itself has been exhausted. Blue-green algae are taking over more and more territories every year, and fish mutations are observed. The Volga is called one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Environmentalists may like to dramatize, but if it is too late, it will be much worse. In any case, there are problems. Therefore, protecting the river is very important now.