Volga river beginning and end. Volga river

The river drains the territory of the East European Plain. Areas with heights below 200 m occupy 80% of the basin surface. On 5% of the territory, heights reach 600–700 m (up to a maximum of 1500 m). Surface Caspian lowland is below the level of the World Ocean (marks -27.8 m and above).

There are deposits of oil, gas, coal, potash salts, etc. in the river basin. 60 million tons of oil per year are produced here; large deposits are being exploited natural gas. Coal is mined in the Tula, Kaluga, Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan. In the Solikamsk region, deposits of potash salts are being developed, in the Lower Volga region - table salt (Lakes Baskunchak and Elton).

The Volga basin is located in the moderately continental climate. The air temperature increases from north to south. average temperature January changes in the range of -4…-8°С (southwest) and -16…-20°С (northeast of the basin). Average temperatures in July decrease from the south-southwest (24°С) to the north-northeast (16°С). In the north of the Volga basin, 500–600 mm of precipitation falls annually, on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains - 800 mm. The sediment layer in the southern Trans-Volga region and the Caspian lowland is 180–200 mm. The evaporation layer decreases from 500 (in the southwest) to 200–250 mm in the northeast. The southern part of the basin is in the arid climate zone.

Most of the Volga basin is occupied by coniferous forests and soddy-podzolic soils. Southern taiga forests of the European type extend from Valdai to the northern part of the Kama basin. Separate massifs of broad-leaved oak and linden-oak forests have been preserved in the regions of Samarskaya Luka, the High Trans-Volga region and the Western Urals. On the slopes of the Urals, the distribution of soil and vegetation cover obeys the law of altitudinal zonality. Steppe vegetation and chestnut soils are characteristic of the middle and southern parts of the Volga basin. Desert vegetation is developed within the Caspian lowland. Azonal vegetation is characteristic of the Volga delta. There are 23 nature reserves and 18 national parks within the Volga basin.

The Volga basin is the most developed region of Russia. Within its boundaries there is a territory of more than 30 subjects of the Russian Federation, more than 40% of the country's population lives, about 45% of its industrial and 50% of agricultural production is concentrated. There are seven cities with a population of more than 1 million people, including Moscow, the capital of Russia. In the north of the basin, the population density is lower; in the middle part of the basin it reaches its maximum. The population density is also high in its lower part.

More than 90% of the country's trucks and cars are produced at the enterprises of the region, mining, metallurgical and chemical equipment is produced, railcar building, the production of heavy machine tools, road construction machines, and tractor building are developed. In the north-west of the basin there are enterprises of power and electrical engineering, marine shipbuilding, car building, machine tool building, and industrial equipment production. By issue chemical industry enterprises of the region occupy a leading position in the Russian Federation. The Volga basin produces 62% of the country's light industry products. The Volga basin occupies a leading position in the country in the production of commercial timber.

About 50% of the agricultural production of the Russian Federation is concentrated here. The main industry in the Central Economic Region (ER) is livestock and crop production. The Novgorod region specializes in growing flax. In the Volga-Vyatka ER, crop production (cereals, flax) is developed. Winter wheat, rye, sugar beet, sunflower are grown in the Central Black Earth ER, horticulture and vegetable growing are developed. In the Volga ER, grain and vegetable crops are grown, livestock breeding is developed. In the Middle and partly in the Lower Volga region, large areas are occupied by industrial crops. Developed melon growing and horticulture. The Ural ER ranks second in Russia in animal husbandry and fourth in crop production.

AT upstream Volga (up to the town of Staritsa), a winding or relatively straight riverbed is located in a canyon 30–40 m deep. The banks and bottom are composed of boulders and loam, below Rzhev - limestone. From Staritsa to the mouth of the river. Selizharovka river valley is not clearly expressed, its slopes are flat and swampy. When crossing the Vyshnevolotsk moraine ridge, the river flows in a relatively deep valley with steep slopes composed of loam and sand. Incised meanders here alternate with sections of the river with a narrow two-sided floodplain, which have relatively straight outlines. Channel deposits are sandy-pebbly. The channel has a width of up to 50 m, stable. On the section of the Volga between the mouth of the river. Selizharovka and the city of Tver, the width of the river increases from 40 to 200 m.

In the section between Tver and Rybinsk, the river is backed up by the dams of the Ivankovsky, Uglichsky and Rybinsk reservoirs. Below Rybinsk, the channel and floodplain of the river are under the waters of the Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) reservoir. Downstream Rybinsk reservoir the bottom erosion rate is on average 3.5 cm/year, and the coast retreat rate is 3 m/year.

In the middle reaches, the Volga flows along the Volga Upland. The right bank of the river and the Cheboksary reservoir is high and steep. Landslides and landslides are frequent here. They are facilitated by wave processing of the coast. The left floodplain bank is mostly low and sandy. Downstream of the confluence of the Kama, the hydrological state of the river is determined by the operating conditions of the Kuibyshev reservoir, and downstream - by the Saratov and Volgograd reservoirs. In the area of ​​the dam of the Volgograd reservoir, the left-bank floodplain arm, Akhtuba, departs from the Volga (length 537 km). Between the Volga and Akhtuba there is a vast space (up to 40 km wide), divided by numerous channels and old rivers (Volga-Akhtuba floodplain). Below Volgograd, the Volga flows along the right root bank. Up to 40% of the length of the river from Volgograd to Astrakhan is actively washed away by the flow. Average erosion rates of floodplain banks decrease downstream from 15.2 to 10–12 m/year. The Lower Volga is a zone of predominance of sections of a sandy branched and winding channel.

The mouth area of ​​the Volga begins 54 km north of Astrakhan; includes the delta (area 13,900 km 2) and the estuarine coast (28,000 km 2). The largest deltaic branches: Buzan, Bolda, Kizan (Kamyzyak), Bakhtemir. Akhtuba flows into Buzan. Below the source of the Buzan is the Volga water divider (built in 1966-1973), designed to increase the flow in the eastern part of the delta. The estuarine coast of the Volga is occupied by river water. The shallow seaside is crossed by 28 fish passages and three shipping channels. The Volga-Caspian Canal (runs along the Bakhtemir branch), connects the Volga and the Caspian Sea.

The average long-term water discharge downstream of the Upper Volga reservoir is 29 m 3 /s; Rybinsk reservoir - 969 m 3 / s; near the city of Nizhny Novgorod - 1530 m 3 / s; near the city of Saratov - 7570 m 3 /s, near the city of Volgograd - 8060 m 3 /s. The average long-term water discharge at the head of the delta (1961–2010) is 7870 m 3 /s, and the water runoff is 248.385 km 3 /year. The average annual precipitation layer is 660 mm, the evaporation layer is 480 mm, and the runoff layer is 180 mm. The main part of the runoff is formed in the forest zone of the Volga basin. Snowmelt provides 60%, groundwater discharge - 30%, rainfall - 10% of the annual runoff. The water runoff module increases from south to north. The maximum values ​​of the runoff modulus exceed 10 l/(s∙km 2) (Valdai Upland, Western Urals); on the Volga Upland it is 2–5 l/(s km 2), on the Caspian lowland it does not exceed 0.2 l/(s km 2).

The Volga belongs to the rivers with the Eastern European type of water regime: with spring floods (April–June), low summer and winter low water, and autumn rain floods (October). The maximum water flow occurs 5–15 days after the start of the flood. The duration of the flood is an average of 72 days. The maximum water consumption at the village. Eltsy is 748 m 3 /s; near the city of Nizhny Novgorod - 7750, in the head of the Volga delta (after the creation of a cascade of reservoirs) - did not exceed 35000 m 3 /s. After the creation of the Volga-Kama cascade of reservoirs, the flood in the lower reaches of the Volga began to begin at the end of the second decade of April. The runoff maximum, on the contrary, is observed approximately two weeks earlier. The duration of the flood decreased from 116 to 71 days, and the range of intra-annual changes in water levels also significantly decreased. Summer low water usually begins in June. The minimum water consumption at the village. Eltsy is 6.10 m 3 /s, near Nizhny Novgorod - 115 m 3 /s. The share of low-water runoff reaches 28% of the annual runoff.

The average annual water turbidity in the upper reaches of the Volga varies from 10 to 140 g/m3; in the basin of the Oka and Sura rivers, the upper and middle parts of the Kama basin, the left-bank tributaries of the Belaya and Volga - from 100 to 250 g / m 3. The highest turbidity is typical for the spring flood, the lowest - for the winter period. The creation of reservoirs has led to a significant reduction in turbidity and suspended sediment runoff. At the head of the delta, the runoff of suspended sediments is 6.7 million tons/year (1961–2006).

The Volga waters belong to the hydrocarbonate class and the calcium group. The mineralization of waters in the upper reaches of the Volga during the period of increased runoff does not exceed 100 mg/l. Downstream of the river, it increases to 180–200 mg/l. Before the confluence of the Oka, the mineralization of the Volga water varies in the range from 80 to 100 mg/l. In the Kazan region, mineralization during the snowmelt period is 100–200 mg/l, and below the mouth of the Kama, it is about 140 mg/l. During the low water period, the content of dissolved mineral substances in the water increases by 2–2.5 times. In terms of quality, the water in the upper reaches of the Volga corresponds to moderately polluted rivers. In the Kuibyshev reservoir and below Volgograd, the Volga water remains moderately polluted or polluted.

Water intake from the Volga is about 26 km 3 /year. Irreversible water consumption is close to 10 km 3 /year. The maximum water consumption is typical for the Astrakhan, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara regions, Perm Territory. Up to 33% of the useful water volume of the Ivankovo ​​reservoir is spent on providing drinking water to the population of Moscow and the Moscow region. Water is taken from the Saratov reservoir to supply a number of industrial facilities. For land irrigation, water is taken from the Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd reservoirs.

Local navigation along the Volga is carried out everywhere below Tver. In the Volga basin, an average of about 6 million tons of cargo is transported annually. In terms of the volume of goods transported by river transport, building materials prevail (60%). The largest river ports of the Volga basin: Moscow, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Perm, Astrakhan, Kazan, etc. In 2008, 520 thousand passengers used the services of the Volga Shipping Company alone.

HPPs of the Volga-Kama cascade provide generation a large number electricity. Their total installed capacity is 8013 MW, and the average annual electricity generation is 31.6 billion kWh. The Volzhskaya HPP has the largest installed capacity.

About 70 live in the Volga fish species, of which 40 are commercial (roach, herring, bream, pike perch, carp, catfish, pike, sturgeon, sterlet, etc.).

N.I. Alekseevsky, MM. Antonova

The main tributaries of the Volga (large and medium rivers)

The Great Volga has been sung about in poetry and songs more than once, depicted on the canvases of great painters and has been a source of inspiration for composers.

This full-flowing river is the national symbol of Russia, the largest water artery in Europe and one of the most big rivers on our planet.

Almost everyone knows that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, but few people know where the source of this powerful stream is located, which begins with a thin stream and ends with a huge delta of 500 branches, small rivers and channels.

The land where the Volga is born

The source of the Volga is located in the Ostashkovsky district of the Tver region. The most beautiful Russian river originates from the key at the southwestern outskirts of the small village of Volgoverkhovye, towering at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level.

In this place there is a small swamp with several springs, one of which is considered to be the source. A wooden chapel on stilts has been erected around the key, which can be reached via a narrow 3-meter bridge.

Attention!

In the center of the building there is a window in the floor, from where visitors are allowed to draw clean water.

Being at the source, you can easily step over from one bank to another, because at its narrowest point, at a depth of about 30 cm, the stream is only 50 cm wide.

In dry summers, the spring often dries up, which, however, does not in the least prevent the Volga from peacefully carrying its waters along the high banks of the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands towards the Urals, absorbing over 200 tributaries on its 3,500-kilometer path to the Caspian Sea.

The thing is that its nutrition occurs mainly due to the melting of snow in the spring, as well as due to groundwater and rainwater flowing into the river throughout the year.

Near the source of the Volga, the Okovetsky spring beats out of the ground, to whose banks numerous tourists come to swim in the healing water.

This is where it starts ecological trail about 1 km long, walking along which you can admire the local nature and listen to facts about nearby attractions.

Since 2002, the Volga Museum has been operating in the administrative building at the entrance to the village of Volgoverkhovye, where visitors are offered to get acquainted with the history of navigation on the river, view paintings depicting the source and learn a lot of interesting things about the Volga in folklore, literature and art.

The path of the Volga from the source

Approximately 300 meters from the source are the remains of the first Volga dam, built at the beginning of the 20th century from stone along with the construction of the Olgin convent.

Initially, on the site of the current temple, there was the Volgoverhovsky Monastery, founded in 1649 by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, but in 1727 it burned down, and in 1912 a new building in honor of Grand Duchess Olga grew on its ruins.

Every year on May 29, at the source of the Volga, the consecration of river water is held as a tribute to the memory of the beginning of the construction of the monastery.

Around the stream near the village of Volgoverkhovye stretch the lands of the regional reserve "Source of the Volga River", which includes dense forests with an area of ​​more than 4 thousand hectares. This picturesque territory received its status back in 1972, but today it is one of the natural monuments and has an important recreational value.

The main purpose of the reserve is to protect and rational use spring, as well as the protection of the entire upper reaches of the Volga up to its confluence with Lake Sterzh.

After the first 3 km of the way from the source, the Volga flows into the flowing lake Small Verkhity, after that it enters Lake Bolshie Verkhity, and only then - after 8 km - it flows into Lake Sterzh, which belongs to the Upper Volga reservoir system. According to the local population, in clear weather, you can see how the Volga waters pass through the reservoir in a mighty stream, not mixing with the waters of Sterzh.

Almost immediately behind the lake is the first operating dam, the Upper Volga Beishlot, which regulates the flow in the upper reaches of the river. Only in its lower reaches, after the confluence of the Kama, does the Volga become a truly mighty river, and in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain it spills over a distance of about 20–30 km.

Source: http://www.mnogo-otvetov.ru/nauka/gde-naxoditsya-istok-reki-volgi/

Where to find the mouth and source of the Volga River ...? its width, length ... and tributaries .. and all the most important.

Source: http://100smet.ru/i-14424/

Great Russian river Volga

287 km: the Puksha river flows into the Volga, 293 km - the Pavlovka and Vyrezhka rivers. 835 - 839 km: on the right bank is the city of Chkalovsk. 350 km from the source: the city of Rzhev, mainly on the left bank. In the region of Kozmodemyansk, the Volga turns to the southeast.

1260 - 1264 km: The Volga again falls into the territory of the Mari Republic, here on the left bank is the city of Volzhsk. 1634 km: the village of Klimovka is located on the right bank.

1165 km: on the right bank is Zavrazhnoye, in the area where the Volga turns east.

Attention!

Volga is central waterway country and flows through its European part through the East European (Russian) plain.

In connection with these features, three periods are distinguished in the annual level of the river: a long and high spring flood, a stable summer low water and a low winter low water.

It is at this time, when the river is free of ice, that navigation is possible. The Volga is one of the most important waterways in Russia.

The Lower Volga keeps its way in the steppe and semi-desert zones. The bottom of the Volga different places may be sandy or silty, silty-sandy areas are often found.

The appearance of reservoirs on the river led to a change thermal regime Volga. So, on the upper dams, the period of ice captivity increased, and on the lower dams, it decreased.

The Volga floodplain is complex and uneven. In the thickets along the banks of the Volga, you can see a wild boar, seals have survived on the seashore, and saigas on the steppe plains. One of the largest migratory bird corridors in the world runs through the Volga Delta.

Different Volga: Upper, Middle and Lower

Widely developed commercial fishing many kinds. Since ancient times, the Volga River has been considered one of the the best places For fishing.

Since the 1930s, the Volga has been used as a source of hydropower.

Nowadays, about 45% of industrial and about 50% of agricultural production of the Russian Federation is concentrated in the river basin.

Volga in the Russian economy

Environmentalists are sounding the alarm: the waters of the Volga are seriously polluted.

Monitoring data confirm that the quality of water in the Volga and its tributaries and reservoirs does not meet the Russian quality standard in a number of ways.

I have a tradition - every year to swim in the Volga, although I do not live on the banks of this river. I have already been to Volgograd, Astrakhan, Samara, Saratov, next in line is a trip to Kazan.

Near Kazan, the Volga turns sharply, almost at a right angle, to the south, and then, slowly lowering and heading straight towards the Caspian lowland, near Samara, it breaks through a chain of uplands. Landslides near the city of Saratov formed islands near the upland coast, which, although slowly, but constantly, threw the water of the Volga towards the meadow coast.

The largest number of tributaries flows into the Volga from the north and from the south, from its source to Kazan.

As for the tributaries, the right ones, flowing in from the south and west, are opened earlier, and the left ones are northern, later than the Volga itself at the mouths of these tributaries.

Tourism and fishing on the Volga

The slope of the Volga is 0.07%. The average current speed is low - from 2 to 6 km / h.

The Volga originates in the Valdai Upland, its source is located near the village of Volgo-Verkhovye (Ostashkovsky district of the Tver region).

The Volga flows through the European part of the Russian Federation, its basin extends from the Valdai and Central Russian uplands in the west to the Urals in the east.

The economic role of the river in the life of the country

The length of the Volga in the Tver region is 685 km, and the basin area is 59,600 km². The maximum water flow in spring is 1,000 m³/sec at Yeltsov and 4,060 m³/sec at Staritsa.

On the territory of the Tver region, about 150 tributaries flow into the Volga. The source of the Volga is near the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky District.

Within the Valdai Upland, the Volga passes through small lakes - Verkhit, Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo, which entered the Upper Volga reservoir.

Origin of the river's name

From Zubtsovo to Tver, the Volga flows among low, flat plains.

Below Dubna (166 km from Moscow), the Volga again turns to the northeast, and then flows in this direction in the Tver and Yaroslavl regions.

309 - 312 km: Uglich, on the right bank of the steep radiated Volga. 315 km: the Korozhechna river flows into it. In the Yaroslavl region, the Kotorosl River flows into the Volga.

In the area from Rybinsk to Kostroma, the Volga flows in a narrow valley among high banks, crossing the Uglich-Danilov and Galich-Chukhloma uplands, and then the Unzhenskaya and Balakhna lowlands.

On the territory of the region, the Volga flows along the Kostroma lowland.

585 km: a new artificially created mouth of the Kostroma River (354 km), in the lower reaches of which the Kostroma reservoir was created in 1955-1956.

This is the largest tributary of the Volga in the region. 597 - 603 km: Kostroma is located on both banks of the Volga, here the Volga changes its direction and turns to the southeast.

706 - 711 km: Kineshma, on the right bank of the Volga. On the opposite bank is the young city of Zavolzhsk, which until 1954 was the left-bank part of the Kineshma.

755 km: the Elnat River flows into the Volga, at the mouth of which there is a backwater, where the cargo fleet is settled and repaired. From the river Elnat begins the lake part of the Gorky reservoir.

From the mouth of the Nemnda, the Volga enters the Unzha lowland.

641 - 642 km: the village of Krasnoe-on-Volga, on the left bank. At this point, the Volga changes its direction to the southeast.

In the middle part of the Volga, ice drift is always longer than in the upper and lower parts. 1069 km: right tributary - the river Sura (length 864 km).

At its mouth and on the right bank of the Volga is the village of Vasilsursk. 770 km: the left tributary of the Volga - the river Nemnda.

Source: http://korawnskiy.ru/velikaya-russkaya-reka-volga/

Volga River brief information

The Volga is one of the largest rivers in Europe. The Volga River is connected to the White Sea through the White Sea-Baltic Canal and through the Severodvinsk system. RA - this is how the Greek scientist Ptolemy called the Volga River in his Geography.

Rav - both names of Iranian origin). Alternative versions deduce the name of the river from the Baltic-Finnish ones (Fin. valkea "white", cf. Vologda; vyrus.

Valgõ) and Volga-Finnish (other Mari.

Attention!

It is believed that the first mention of the Volga is found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC), in a story about the campaign of the Persian king Darius I against the Scythians.

At first they lived in very small numbers near the Araks River and were despised for their infamy. Based on this information, they are trying to identify the Araks Diodora with the Volga.

The river system of the Volga basin includes 151,000 drains with a total length of 574,000 km. The Volga receives about 200 tributaries.

After the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, some sources consider the Zhigulevskaya HPP above Samara to be the boundary between the middle and lower Volga. The spring flood of the Middle Volga accounts for 60-70% of the annual runoff, and in the summer-autumn period, a small amount of precipitation leads to a shallowing of the Volga.

The first serious scientific observations of these rivers began in 1875. The Lower Volga even today serves as a natural continuation of the Kama, and not the Volga valley.

From a scientific point of view, according to most hydrological signs, the Kama is the main river, and the Volga is its tributary.

In the culture of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the most “popular” representatives of culture are associated with the Volga: Nikolai Nekrasov, Maxim Gorky, Fedor Chaliapin.

Historical facts about the Volga River

The Volga is identified with the Motherland, it is a symbol of freedom, spaciousness, breadth and greatness of the spirit of the Soviet people. The film "Volga-Volga" and the song "The Volga River Flows" performed by Lyudmila Zykina played a central role in building this image.

In the upper reaches, the Volga River flows from the northwest to the southeast, further from the city of Kazan, the direction of the river changes to the south. Near Volgograd, the riverbed turns to the southwest.

The Volga River begins on the Valdai Hills from a spring in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky District, Tver Region. The Volga is also the world's largest river flowing into an inland water body. Settlements.

The Volga River is the central water artery of Russia.

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, a major port on the left bank of the Volga River. It is the largest scientific, educational, economically developed, cultural and sports center in Russia. Samara is a city located in the middle Volga region of Russia.

The origin of the name of the Volga river

It is located on the western bank of the Volga River in the lower reaches. Together with the cities of Volzhsky and Krasnoslobodsk located on the eastern coast, it is part of the Volgograd agglomeration. There are 1450 marinas and ports on the river. There are more left tributaries and they are more abundant than the right ones.

Due to the very large length of the river, the composition of soils in the Volga basin is very diverse. The average depth is 9 m, the depth in summer and winter low water is about 3 m. The river is fed by a little rain (10%), a little more ground (30%) and mostly snow (60% of annual flow) water.

A low water level is observed in summer and in winter low water. The Volga freezes in the upper and middle parts of the course at the end of November; in the lower part - in early December. Ichthyofauna.

According to its diversity of fish, the Volga is considered one of the richest rivers in Russia. Grayling is found in the upper reaches of the Volga.

And the most big fish the Volga river is a beluga, its length can reach 4 meters.

Hundreds and thousands of organizations have their own interests in the Volga region. Some of them are river pollutants. The Volga accounts for more than a third of the country's total wastewater discharge.

These substances enter the water of the river with waste from industry, agricultural and domestic wastewater. Use, tourism and recreation. The Volga River is used by people for a wide variety of purposes.

First of all, it is of great economic importance as a transport highway.

Right, average depth The Kama in the Smylovka area is 25-35 meters, and the depth of the Volga at the same distance from the confluence with the Kama is 3-6 meters.

Kama is much more full-flowing, and at any time of the year its drainage does not decrease. The Volga owes its name to the Russian word for moisture.

From a historical point of view, the Volga River was first mentioned in the 5th century BC in the writings of Herodotus.

Prior to the creation of reservoirs, the Volga carried about 25 million tons of sediment and 40-50 million tons of dissolved minerals to the mouth during the year.

The Volga is mainly fed by snow (60% of annual runoff), ground (30%) and rain (10%) waters.

The Volga is a river flowing in the European part of Russia on the territory of 11 regions and 4 republics.

Source: http://labudnu.ru/reka-volga-kratkaya-informaciya/

Volga

Volga map
Rivers of the Caspian Basin
Volga river

Volga one of the greatest rivers not only in Russia, but in the whole world. In ancient times it was called Ra, and in the Middle Ages Itil. The length is 3530 km, the basin area is 1.3 million km2.

It originates on one of the most elevated points of the Valdai Plateau, flowing from an insignificant spring lying in the middle of swampy lakes.

Then the winding valley of the river runs from west to east through the entire central lowland of European Russia, almost up to the foothills of the Urals.

Near Kazan, the Volga turns sharply, almost at a right angle, to the south, and then, slowly lowering and heading straight towards the Caspian lowland, near Samara, it breaks through a chain of uplands.

The direction from west to east, and then a sharp turn to the south, to the Caspian Sea, are directly dependent on the orography of the area through which it flows. The eastern slope of the Valdai Plateau, meeting with the western slope of the Urals, forms the bed of the Volga.

Volga river

By turning near Kazan, the Volga is divided into two almost equal parts, the first of which has a predominant direction from west to east, the second - from north to south.

But, in addition to the sharp turns indicated above, the Volga makes many other more or less significant turns and bends on its way. Because of this, the direct (shortest) distance from the source of the mouth is approximately 1500 km.

At the same time, individual parts of the Volga retain an almost straight direction: the length from the source to the sharp turn near Kazan is about 1,700 km. In general, the degree of tortuosity of the Volga, with the exception of its upper reaches, is very insignificant.

In length, the Volga, yielding to some rivers of Asia, Africa and America, significantly exceeds all European rivers: it is almost a thousand kilometers longer than the Danube, three and a half times longer than the Rhine.

In the part of the Volga below Kazan, there are many places where the right elevated bank cannot be washed away, since the main channel of the river flows near the left bank, at a very considerable distance from the right.

As for the Volga, we can only say that where it flows along the right bank, this bank is really washed away and that cities built on a steep bank are more or less subject to collapse.

Landslides near the city of Saratov formed islands near the upland coast, which, although slowly, but constantly, threw the water of the Volga towards the meadow coast.

Since the left, mostly low-lying bank, is flooded for a considerable extent in width during spring waters, in order to avoid floods, almost all the Volga cities were built on the high right bank.

In total, the Volga has about 300 tributaries. The largest number of tributaries flows into the Volga from the north and from the south, from its source to Kazan.

From the east, the rather large Kama River flows into the Volga, about 85 kilometers below Kazan, and the part of the Volga from the mouth of the Kama to Astrakhan is almost devoid of tributaries.

Of all the tributaries of the Volga essential also has the Kama, which brings the Volga closer to the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean at the Northern Dvina and Pechora, and with the Siberian rivers - on the watershed of the Ural Range.

Volga river. satellite view

In winter, the Volga is shackled by ice for a very long time. The reason for this is the general climatic conditions areas through which the river flows.

The enormous length of the Volga and the various degrees of latitude and longitude between which it flows, determine, together with the depth, the speed of the current and the properties of the banks, a significant difference in the time of opening and freezing of its various parts. Although the source of the Volga lies much north of the mouth, the upper part of the river is opened almost simultaneously with the lower, which should mainly be attributed to the too western position of the upper part, due to which the Volga is sometimes opened at Tver much earlier than at Kamyshin.

The river breaks up at its two opposite ends almost simultaneously, and only after that does the middle part open up.

Freezing starts from the top and goes gradually down.

In addition, it was noted that the time of opening and freezing of the Volga in the same places, but in different years, is very different.

In the middle part of the Volga, ice drift is always longer than in the upper and lower parts. As for the tributaries, the right ones, flowing in from the south and west, are opened earlier, and the left ones are northern, later than the Volga itself at the mouths of these tributaries.

The late opening of some left tributaries, especially the Kama, has a direct effect on the increase in the duration of the ice drift and, consequently, on the reduction of navigation time.

For the entire Volga, the duration of the spring ice drift, after which the river is finally cleared of ice, is, on average, from 2 to 3 weeks.

The autumn ice drift is much longer, namely from one week to two or more months, and the river, especially in the lower parts, freezes several times, then opens again.

Volga river. Nizhny Novgorod

Immediately after the passage of spring ice, profit and flooding of water on the Volga begin.

However, the horizon of the upper part of the Volga, from the source to the mouth of the Kama, rises even during the very passage of ice, due to the strong flow of water from above and the backwater of ice in the lower parts.

Moreover, this elevation sometimes occurs so quickly that the water in the tributaries of the Volga is delayed and even receives a reverse flow upward from their mouth.

It also happens that spring waters reach their full flood and their highest height before the river is completely clear of ice.

Attention!

The height of spring waters varies significantly in different years, it is determined by the amount of snow remaining until spring, by the degree of speed of its melting and the time of onset of high temperature in the entire Volga basin. In addition, the height of spring water depends on the nature of the banks: where the banks are low, the water discharge is expressed by a wide flood and a slight rise in level; where they are high and where, therefore, there cannot be a wide overflow, the profit of water is expressed by a significant rise.

Source: https://geographyofrussia.com/volga-2/

Volga, the most Russian river

The most Russian river, the image of which has forever remained both in folk art and in the works of artists, musicians and writers. A toiling river, a feeding river, in whose basin a huge part of the population of Russia lives.

The whole history of Russia is connected with the Volga, the river, which became the site of the most important events, a source of inspiration for artists and writers, a favorite image in folk art.

OVER THE VOLGA WIDE

Will be born in the deep forest great Volga, all our rivers are a river, all Russian rivers are mother and queen.

The Volga is the largest and most abundant river in the Russian Plain and throughout Europe. On the Valdai Hills, silt at a height of 256 meters above the level of the Caspian Sea begins its long haul Volga.

A small, unremarkable stream flows out of a swamp overgrown with dense grass, surrounded by dense mixed forest. This is the source of one of the greatest rivers in the world - the Volga.

And therefore people come here in a continuous chain to take a sip of water at the birthplace of the great river, to look with their own eyes at a tiny spring, over which a modest wooden chapel is placed.

The Volga water, which came to the surface near the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky district, Tver region, will have to go through a very a long way to the mouth on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

In a small stream and a small river, the Volga flows through several lakes: Maly and Bolshoi Verkhit, Sterzh, Vetlug, Peno and Volgo, and only after taking the Selizharovka River. flowing from Lake Seliger, it becomes wider and fuller.

But for real deep river The Volga appears after the Oka flows into it near Nizhny Novgorod. Here the Upper Volga ends and the Middle Volga begins, which will flow and collect new tributaries until it joins the Kama, which flows into the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev reservoir.

Here begins the Lower Volga, the river is no longer just full-flowing, but mighty.

Through the Volga in the XIII-XVI centuries. Mongol-Tatar invaders went to Russia, in 1552 the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible took Kazan and annexed it to the Moscow kingdom.

AT Time of Troubles In Russia, in Nizhny Novgorod, in 1611, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and the merchant Kuzma Minin gathered a militia to go liberate Moscow from the Poles.

As the legend says, on the Volga cliff, later named after him, Cossack ataman Stepan Razin “thought about how to give free rein to the Russian people. Along the Volga in 1667

Stepan Razin went “with comrades” on a campaign “for zipuns” to Persia and, according to legend, drowned a Persian princess in the waters of the great river. Here, on the Volga, in 1670

near Simbirsk (today - Ulyanovsk), Razin's motley army was defeated by the asses of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

In the Volga delta, in Astrakhan, Emperor Peter I in 1722 personally founded the port. The first Russian emperor also dreamed of connecting the Volga with the Don, but the canal was built much later, in 1952.

In 1774, near the city of Tsaritsyn (today - Volgograd, from 1925 to 1961 - Stalingrad), the uprising of Yemelyan Pugachev ended with a defeat from government troops. Here in July 1918 - February 1919

The Red Army held the later famous "Tsaritsyno Defense" from the White-Cossack army of General Krasnov. And from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943

in these places was the greatest in history Battle of Stalingrad that broke the back of fascism and determined the outcome of World War II.

RIVER-WORKER

For centuries, the Volga served as a transport artery for people, a source of water, fish, and energy. Today, the great river is in danger - its pollution from human activity threatens with disaster.

Already in the VIII century. The Volga was an important trade route between East and West. It is thanks to her that today archaeologists find Arabic silver coins in Scandinavian burials.

By the X century. in the south, in the lower reaches of the river, trade was controlled by the Khazar Khaganate with its capital Itil at the mouth of the Volga. On the Middle Volga, such a center was the Bulgar kingdom with the capital Bulgar (not far from modern Kazan).

In the north, in the Upper Volga region, the Russian cities of Rostov the Great, Suzdal and Murom grew rich and grew largely thanks to the Volga trade.

Honey, wax, furs, fabrics, spices, metals, jewelry and many other goods floated up and down the Volga, which was then more often called Itil.

The very name Volga first appears in The Tale of Bygone Years at the beginning of the 11th century.

After the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Russia in the XIII century. trade along the Volga weakens and begins to recover only in the 15th century. After Ivan the Terrible in the middle of the XVI century.

conquered and annexed the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates to the Moscow kingdom, the entire Volga river system ended up on the territory of Russia. The flourishing of trade and the growth of the influence of the cities of Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod and Kostroma began.

New cities arose on the Volga - Samara, Saratov. Tsaritsyn. Hundreds of ships roamed the river in trading caravans.

In 1709, the Vyshnevolotsk water system, built by order of Peter I, began to operate, thanks to which food and timber were delivered from the Volga to the new capital of Russia - St. Petersburg. To early XIX in.

the Mariinsky and Tikhvin water systems are already operating, providing communication with the Baltic, since 1817 the first motor ship joins the Volga river fleet, barges along the river are dragged by artels of barge haulers, the number of which reaches several hundred thousand people.

Ships carry fish, salt, grain, and by the end of the century, more oil and cotton.

Construction of the Moscow Canal (1932-1937), the Volga-Don Canal (1948-1952), the Volga-Baltic Canal (1940-1964) and the Volga-Kama Cascade - the largest complex hydraulic structures(dams, locks, reservoirs, canals and hydroelectric power plants) has solved many problems.

Attention!

The Volga became the largest transport artery, connected, in addition to the Caspian, with four more seas - the Black, Azov, Baltic, White.

Its waters helped to irrigate fields in the arid regions of the Volga region, and hydroelectric power plants - to provide energy for multi-million cities and largest enterprises.

However, the intensive use of the Volga by man has led to the pollution of the river with industrial effluents and waste. Agriculture. Millions of hectares of land and thousands of settlements were flooded, the fish resources of the river suffered great damage.

Today, environmentalists are sounding the alarm - the river's ability to self-purify has been exhausted, it has become one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Poisonous blue-green algae capture the Volga, serious fish mutations are observed.

CURIOUS FACTS

■ The Volga basin is extremely diverse in terms of physical and geographical conditions: taiga and mixed forests in the north, forest-steppe and steppe in the center, semi-desert and desert in the south.

■ No final decision has been made yet. that the Kama flows into the Volga. According to the rules of hydrography, rather, it should be considered that the Volga flows into the Kama. By origin, the Kama is older than the Volga, its basin is larger than the Volga, it has more tributaries.

■ Often on the banks of the Volga one can see huge boulders the size of a human being, or even an entire hut. In some places, boulders pile up in the very bed of the river. These are witnesses of the last glaciation.

■ Lotus fields in the Volga delta cover hundreds of hectares. These are the largest lotus plantations on our planet.

Many tourists come to see the flowering of the "Caspian rose", as lotuses are called here, from about July 10 to September 15.

However, these excursions are possible only when accompanied by state inspectors and employees of the Astrakhan Reserve - this is a strictly protected area.

■ 65 out of 100 Russian cities with the most polluted atmosphere are located in the Volga basin.

More than a third of all Russian polluted effluents enter the basins of the Volga region.

In this densely populated and industrialized part of Russia, the average annual toxic load on ecosystems is many times higher than the national average.

ATTRACTION

■ Ancient cities of Russia: Tver, Uglich, Myshkin, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ples, Kineshma, Yuryevets, Gorodets. Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan.

Kamyshin and others;■ Volga-Kama Reserve;■ Historical and Archival Reserve "Bulgarskoye Gorodishche";■ national park « Samarskaya Luka» ( Zhiguli mountains);■ Stepan Razin Rock;■ Stolbichi Mountains;

■ Astrakhan Nature Reserve.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands №17

Read in this issue:

NETHERLANDS: Land of tulips and windmills
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Into Modernity - From the Stone Age
FLORENCE: Symphony of the Arts
VOLGA: The most Russian river
NUBIAN DESERT: From the Bend of the Nile
Arkansas: Land of Opportunity
DENMARK: Industrial country without natural resources

Source: http://asonov.com/goroda-i-strany/volga-samaya-russkaya-reka.html

Where does the Volga river flow? Interesting Facts

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. Over a vast area flow major rivers Lands: Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur. Among them is the longest river in Europe - the Volga. Its length is 3530 km, and the basin area is 1360 thousand m2.

The Volga River flows in the European part of Russia: from the Valdai Upland in the west, along the eastern side - to the Urals, in the south of the country it flows into the Caspian Sea. A small part of the delta enters the territory of Kazakhstan.

The Volga River is the largest river in Europe

The source of the river is located on the Valdai Upland, in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver Region.

A small stream, receiving about 150,000 tributaries, including 200 small and large rivers, is gaining power and strength and turns into a mighty river.

A special monument to the river was erected at the place of its source.

The fall of the river along its length does not exceed 250 m. The mouth of the river lies 28 m below sea level. The territory of Russia adjacent to the Volga is called the Volga region.

There are four million-plus cities along the banks of the river: Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara and Volgograd. The first large settlement on the Volga from the source is the city of Rzhev, and the last in the delta is Astrakhan.

The Volga is the world's largest river of internal flow, i.e. not flowing into the oceans.

The picturesque mouth of the Volga

The main part of the Volga area, from the source to Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, is located in the forest zone, the middle part of the basin to Samara and Saratov is in the forest-steppe zone, the lower part is up to Volgograd in the steppe zone, and to the south in the semi-desert zone.

It is customary to divide the Volga into three parts: the upper Volga - from the source to the mouth of the Oka, the middle Volga - from the confluence of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama, and the lower Volga - from the confluence of the Kama to the confluence of the Caspian Sea.

History of the river

For the first time, the Greek scientist Herodotus spoke about the river.

Then information about the Volga is found in the notes of the Persian king Darius, who described his campaigns against the Scythian tribes.

Roman sources speak of the Volga as a "generous river", hence the name - "Ra". In Russia, the river is spoken of in the famous Tale of Bygone Years.

Since the time of Russia, the Volga has been an important trading link - an artery where the Volga trade route was founded. Through this route, Russian merchants traded in oriental fabrics, metal, honey, and wax.

Volga River on the map

After the conquest of the Volga basin by Ivan the Terrible, trade flourished, peaking in the 17th century. Over time, a river fleet arose on the Volga.

In the 19th century, an army of barge haulers worked on the Volga, which is the subject of a painting by the Russian artist Ilya Repin. At that time, huge supplies of salt, fish, and bread were transported along the Volga. Then cotton was added to these goods, and later oil.

During the period civil war The Volga was the main strategic point, which provided the army with bread and food, and also made it possible to quickly transfer forces with the help of the fleet.

Painting by Ilya Repin “Barge haulers on the Volga”, 1872-1873

When Soviet power was established in Russia, the river began to be used as a source of electricity. In the 20th century, 8 hydroelectric power plants were built on the Volga.

During the Second World War, the Volga was the most important river for the USSR, as armies and food supplies were transferred through it. In addition, on the Volga, in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), the largest battle took place.

Currently, oil and natural gas reserves are being produced in the Volga basin, which support Russian economy. In some areas potash and table salt are mined.

Flora and fauna of the river

The Volga is fed mainly by snow (60%), partly by rainfall (10%), and groundwater feeds the Volga by 30%.

The water in the river is warm, summer time the temperature does not fall below + 20-25 degrees. The river freezes at the end of November in the upper reaches, and in the lower reaches - in December.

The river is frozen 100-160 days a year.

Blooming lotus on the Volga

Large populations of fish live in the river: crucian carp, zander, perch, ide, pike. Catfish, burbot, ruff, sturgeon, bream and sterlet also live in the waters of the Volga. In total there are about 70 species of fish.

Birds settle in the Volga delta: ducks, swans, herons. Flamingos and pelicans live on the Volga. And the famous flowers grow - lotuses. Although the Volga is heavily polluted by industrial enterprises, aquatic vegetation (lotus, water lily, reed, water chestnut) is still preserved in it.

Tributaries of the Volga

Approximately 200 tributaries flow into the Volga, and most of them are on the left side. The left tributaries are much more abundant than the right ones.

The largest tributary of the Volga is the Kama River. Its length reaches 2000 km. The beginning of the tributary takes on the Verkhnekamsk Upland.

Kama has more than 74 thousand tributaries, 95% are rivers up to 10 km long.

The Kama River is a tributary of the Volga

Hydrotechnical studies also indicate that the Kama is older than the Volga. But the last ice age and the construction of reservoirs on the Kama seriously reduced its length.

In addition to the Kama, tributaries of the Volga stand out:

• Sura;
• Tvertsa;
• Sviyaga;
• Vetluga;
• Unzha;
• Mologa and others.

Tourism on the Volga

Volga - picturesque river so tourism flourishes there. The Volga makes it possible to short term visit a large number of Volga cities. Cruises along the Volga are a common type of recreation on the river.

Cruise along the Volga

The journey lasts from 3-5 days to a month. It includes visiting the most beautiful cities of the country, located along the Volga. Favorable period for travel along the Volga - from the beginning of May to the end of September.

• The Kama, a tributary of the Volga, hosts an annual sailing competition, the largest in Europe.
• The Volga appears in the literary and artistic works of Russian classics: Gorky, Nekrasov, Repin.
• About the Volga art films, including "Volga, Volga" in 1938, "A bridge is under construction" in 1965.

• The Volga is considered to be the "homeland of barge haulers." Sometimes 600 thousand barge haulers could work hard at the same time.
• A controversial point: it is generally accepted that the Kama is a tributary of the Volga River. But geographers and hydrologists are still arguing which of the rivers is the main one. The fact is that at the confluence of the Volga rivers, it carries 3,100 cubic meters of water per second, but the “productivity” of the Kama is 4,300 cubic meters per second. It turns out that the Volga ends just below Kazan, and then the Kama River already flows, and it is the Kama that flows into the Caspian Sea.

The confluence of the Volga and Kama

• The Arabs, impressed by the scale of the Volga, called it "Itil", which means "river" in Arabic.
• The Volga pours 250 cubic kilometers of water into the Caspian Sea every day. However, the level of this sea continues to decline steadily.
• On May 20, Volga Day is celebrated in Russia.

The Volga River is one of the greatest rivers in Russia and the longest and most abundant in Europe.

The length of the river is 3530 km, and at the same time among Russian rivers she by .

Many events in the history of our country are connected with the Volga.

Geographic characteristics

The Volga is the central water artery of the country and flows through its European part through the East European (Russian) plain. It is the largest river in the world that flows into internal reservoir. The area of ​​the delta formed by the Volga is 19,000 square meters. km.

A great river originates from a small source groundwater, located near the village of Volgoverkhovye and located at an altitude of 229 meters above sea level.

A small stream, receiving about 150,000 tributaries, including about 200 small and large rivers, is gaining power and strength and turns into a mighty river that flows into the Caspian Sea.

The fall of the river throughout its entire length does not exceed 250 meters, and the basin area is 1360 thousand square meters. km. The Volga river basin extends from the Urals in the east to the Central Russian and Valdai uplands in the west.

Hydrological regime

The reservoir receives its main food from melted spring waters.

Summer rains and groundwater, which feed the river in winter, play a slightly smaller role in its nutrition.

In connection with these features, three periods are distinguished in the annual level of the river: a long and high spring flood, a stable summer low water and a low winter low water. The flood period averages 72 days.

The maximum rise in water is usually observed in the first half of May, that is, approximately two weeks after the spring ice drift. From June to October-November, a summer low water is established, coinciding with the navigation period. It is at this time, when the river is free of ice, that navigation is possible. The Volga is one of the most important waterways in Russia.
Conventionally, three sections of the river are distinguished:

• Upper Volga - from the source to Nizhny Novgorod (the mouth of the Oka).
• The Middle Volga - from the mouth of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama.
• Lower Volga - from the mouth of the Kama to the Caspian Sea.

The Upper Volga extends predominantly in the forest zone, flowing through large forests, while the route of the middle part of the river runs through the forest-steppe zone. The Lower Volga keeps its way in the steppe and semi-desert zones. The bottom of the Volga in different places can be sandy or silty, silty-sandy areas are often found. On the rifts, the ground is mostly pebbly or cartilaginous.

The maximum temperature of the river at the peak of summer reaches 20-25 degrees, in winter the river is covered with ice throughout its entire length: the upper and middle parts freeze until the end of November, the lower Volga - in early December. The appearance of reservoirs on the river led to a change in the thermal regime of the Volga. So, on the upper dams, the period of ice captivity increased, and on the lower dams, it decreased.

The nature of the Volga basin

The Volga floodplain is complex and uneven. Its flora and fauna are most diverse in the area of ​​the lower Volga, at the mouth of the reservoir, unique natural complex which is represented by 1500 species of insects, almost 50 species of fish, more than 900 species of plants, 3 species of amphibians, 33 mammals, 250 birds, 10 reptiles.

That is why the unique Astrakhan Biosphere Reserve was founded in the Volga Delta, many rare animals, birds and fish of which are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as well as in the International Red Book.

White-tailed eagle, pelican, great egret, mute swan are found here. In the thickets along the banks of the Volga, you can see a wild boar, seals have survived on the seashore, and saigas on the steppe plains. One of the largest migratory bird corridors in the world runs through the Volga Delta.

The Volga is one of the richest rivers in Russia, the waters of which contain about 80 species of fish: sturgeon, pike, burbot, beluga, catfish, carp, ruff, bream, whitefish and many others. Commercial fishing of many species is widely developed. Since ancient times, the Volga River has been considered one of the best places for fishing.

Due to its unique natural wealth and geographical position, the river has long attracted people to its banks, where they built their settlements, which eventually turned into large and small cities with surrounding villages. The development of shipping contributed to the emergence of trading cities - ports, located along the entire course of the river. The largest of them are Volgograd, Samara, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod.

Since the 1930s, the Volga has been used as a source of hydropower. Nowadays, about 50% of the agricultural production of the Russian Federation is concentrated in the river basin. The Volga provides more than 20% of the country's total fishery. 9 reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been built here. Therefore, it rises quite sharply.

According to experts, the load on the river's water resources is eight times higher than the national average, and 65 of the 100 most polluted cities in Russia are located in the Volga basin.

Environmentalists are sounding the alarm: the waters of the Volga are seriously polluted. Monitoring data confirm that the quality of water in the Volga and its tributaries and reservoirs does not meet the Russian quality standard in a number of ways. The most serious arise in connection with:

• the presence of a large number of dams;
• the work of large industrial enterprises and complexes;
• abundance of polluted effluents big cities;
• intensive navigation.

Waste water impact

The main cause of river pollution is the discharge of untreated and insufficiently treated wastewater. The reason for this lies in the physical and technological deterioration and, as a result, the inefficiency of treatment facilities of industrial and municipal enterprises.

The pollution of the Volga water directly affects the condition of its inhabitants. Data from various studies have shown the presence of mutations and congenital deformities in some fish populations.

water bloom

The appearance of blue-green algae in the river was also noted, capable of actively absorbing oxygen during decomposition and releasing it into environment up to 300 types of toxic substances, most of which have not yet been studied. About 20–30% of the water surface of the Kuibyshev reservoir annually summer period covered with a film of these algae. After dying, the algae that have fallen to the bottom release phosphorus and nitrogen, thereby creating an ideal environment for self-reproduction, which results in secondary pollution of the reservoir.

Availability of dams

According to experts, the situation is complicated by the fact that after the construction of dams, the river lost its ability to clean itself.

The Volga reservoirs are actually stagnant, and 90% of the pollutants that enter them are not carried away by the current and settle at the bottom.

In addition, during the construction of these hydraulic structures,

The world-famous Russian river originates on the Valdai Upland, or rather, in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky District, Tver Region. The Volga begins its journey from a height of 228 meters above sea level.

So, among the dense forests of the Tver region, the great Russian river is gaining its strength and power. The Volga is calm and unhurried here.

There is silence around, which is occasionally broken by the timid voice of the cuckoo. Yes, even rare passing cars.

The text at the source of the Volga, carved on a granite slab, confirms that it is here that the great reservoir begins.
Its first stream is considered to be the Persianka stream. Further, the river flows 91 km along the lakes Small and Big Verkhit, Sterzh, Vselug, Peno, Volgo. It is here that she gains her strength and power, which she carries for 3900 km.
The Volga is 16th in the world and 5th in Russia in length.
Not far from the stream that starts the Volga, there is a huge memorial stone. It was laid back in 1989, on June 22, on the 48th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. The monument also reminds us where we are, and indicates that "here are the origins of the soul of the people."
The stone looks majestic and impressive, as it should be next to such a mighty river.

The inscription on the memorial stone reads:
Traveler! Turn your gaze to the source of the Volga! The purity and grandeur of the Russian land is born here. Here are the origins of the soul of the people. Keep them.

Next to him immediately becomes good and peaceful. I want to lean against him and even lie down on top.

Where does the Volga begin
. You can’t say that a small shallow stream, which can be easily stepped over, further downstream turns into a mighty river.

Bubbling merrily, it flows from a swamp among trees and grasses. The water is cold and clear, slightly brownish.

Holy water and chapel
When we were just preparing for the trip, we found out some interesting facts about the source of the Volga. Tver and its environs began to be considered the beginning of the river not so long ago. For a long time the exact location of the source could not be determined.
When this issue was sorted out, the stream, which became the beginning of the river, was consecrated by the patriarch. A wooden chapel on stilts was installed over the stream. You can go to the house along a narrow bridge, and from it go down to the water along a platform with steps.

The source of the Volga is an amazingly beautiful place, untouched by modern civilization. Here, time seemed to stand still, afraid to disturb and destroy the eternal atmosphere of grace that reigns around. The Volga originates near the village of Volgoverkhovye on the Valdai Upland in the Tver Region.

Where is the source of the Volga

You can get to the Volgoverkhovye from the city of Ostashkov, first along a rather broken road to the village of Svapusche (about 50 km), and from there along the dirt road, the condition of which is much better than that of the asphalt canvas. From Svapusche to the destination is 19 km. Buses do not go to Volgoverkhovye, so you can only get there by private car (geographical coordinates: 57°15`07`` N 32°28`24`` E).

The source of the Volga on the map:

From afar, the Volga River flows for a long time ...

The Volgoverkhovye village is located on a low hill, and under the hill the great Russian river Volga originates from a small swamp.

There are several springs in this swamp. One of them, the deepest, which immediately has a current, was identified as the source of the Volga in the middle of the 18th century. A chapel has now been built over this spring, to which wooden bridges lead. In the chapel itself there is a font where you can plunge directly into the source. The depth here is small: an adult is up to the shoulders.

In 1989, a memorial stone was erected in front of the bridges, which reads: “Traveler! Turn your eyes to the source of the Volga! The purity and grandeur of the Russian land is born here. Here are the origins of the soul of the people. Keep them. Look back when you leave." This place is located at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level.

The Volga flows out of the swamp in a small stream, only about 50 cm wide and 25-30 cm deep. The water in the newly “born” river is brown due to the peat it contains, but clean and transparent. There is a bucket on the walkways, so if you wish, you can wash yourself with Volga water or fill it in bottles and take it with you.

At 300 meters from the source, a small bridge is thrown over the stream and there is a convenient descent to the stream, so that you can wet your feet in the Volga water. However, the water here is cold even in the heat, not higher than 15 °.

Holguin Monastery

Near the bridge are the remains of a stone dam built by Olgin convent at the beginning of the last century. The dam is now destroyed, and the monastery itself still exists in the Volgoverkhovye. In Soviet times, it was closed, but revived again in 1999.

All that has survived from the monastery to our time is the Transfiguration Cathedral and the wooden church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Services are held here regularly. We got just on a church holiday - the day of St. Olga. At that time, a religious procession was taking place around the monastery, at which there were quite a lot of people for such a wilderness: about 150 people.

Since the residential buildings of the monastery have not been preserved, the nuns live in the village, their houses are easily recognizable by the turrets on the roofs.

Church of St. Nicholas

For a small fee, you can climb the bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral and look at the source of the Volga from a height (we did not get in, because the entrance was temporarily closed due to the holiday).

You can take a walk in the forest growing near the source of the Volga. There are a lot of paths leading in different directions. Many-voiced bird singing is heard around, butterflies and dragonflies fly.

There is a small market in the Volgoverkhovye, as in any tourist place, where they sell ordinary souvenirs, pies and honey. There is no cellular connection in these places, it appears only at the exit to the highway in Svapuscha. Here, despite the fact that quite a lot of tourists visit the source of the Volga, peace and quiet reign.

After 3 km from its source, the Volga crosses the dirt road along which we drove here. This is no longer a stream, but a small river with picturesque banks overgrown with forest.