The Volga is one of the largest rivers in Europe. Its source is on the Voldai Upland, located in the region of the city of Tver. Further, flowing through 11 regions and 4 republics, the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea.
Origin of the name of the Volga River
The Volga owes its name to the Russian word for “moisture”. There are also other versions. For example, from the Baltic “ilga”, which means long, or translated from Finnish as white – “valkea”.
Historical facts about the Volga River
From a historical point of view, the Volga River was first mentioned in the 5th century BC in the writings of Herodotus. However, only some scientists think so; the other half is inclined to attribute more to the river early time appearance. There are those who consider the Volga to be the river that Diodorus spoke about in 30 BC.
The Volga was of great importance in the implementation of trade relations. So, it was thanks to this river that the Arabs were able to transport their silver to Scandinavia, which provided other countries with all kinds of fabrics and metals. The heyday of trade along the Volga came in the 17th century, when Ivan the Terrible conquered Astrakhan and Kazan, which contributed to the unification of the entire Volga river system in the hands of the Russian state.
During the war years, the Volga River Route also played great importance. This has survived to this day.
Geographical information about the Volga River
There are 151 thousand watercourses in the Volga basin, the total length of which is 574 thousand kilometers. The number of tributaries to the Volga is 200, but all of them are located before the territory of Kamyshin.
The Volga is one of the most famous and largest rivers in all of Europe. Its source is on the Voldai Upland, located in the region of the city of Tver. Further, flowing through 11 regions and 4 republics, the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea.
It is also important to remember that, conditionally, the Volga has three parts. Its upper part extends from the source to the mouth of the Oka River. The Middle Volga covers the territory from the confluence of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama. The lower part of the river is from the confluence of the Kama to the mouth.
The lower part of the Volga is the most full of water, which made it possible to create the Zhigulevskaya HPP dam on the territory and build the Volzhskaya HPP. The Volgograd reservoir is also located here.
Volga water
Currently, the water quality in the river can hardly be called good. Industrial and engineering enterprises, thermal plants - all this has a detrimental effect on the purity of water. More than a third Wastewater from all over Russia it falls on the Volga. Oil products, household and agricultural waste pollute the river, subsequently breaking down very slowly or not breaking down at all. 
Ichthyophanes
Despite the quality of the water, the Volga is home to a wide variety of fish (about 76 species and 47 subspecies). The largest fish in the entire river is the beluga, the length of which can reach up to 4 meters. There are also catfish, perch, ruffe, roach, pike perch, ide, etc.
Relief and soil
Due to the very long length of the river, its soil is very diverse. This is a flat river, with an area of 1/3 of the European part of the entire country.
General significance of the Volga
The significance of the Volga is very great. First of all, this is an excellent transport route, thanks to which it is possible to deliver coal, bread, cement, vegetables and many other diverse things. 
The Volga is a water supply resource for many factories, factories, and industrial enterprises. The river is also important in terms of power supply. More than one hydroelectric power station has been built on the Volga, providing people with constant electricity. Moreover, this is the source different types fish, which is especially valued by fishermen. The Volga is also used for active rest and travel!
The first mentions of the Volga River date back to ancient times, when it was called “Ra”. In later times, already in Arabic sources, the river was called Atel (Etel, Itil), which translated means “great river” or “river of rivers.” This is exactly what the Byzantine Theophanes and subsequent chroniclers called it in the chronicles.
The current name "Volga" has several versions of its origin. The most likely version seems to be that the name has Baltic roots. According to the Latvian valka, which means “overgrown river”, the Volga got its name. This is exactly what the river looks like in its upper reaches, where the Balts lived in ancient times. According to another version, the name of the river comes from the word valkea (Finno-Ugric), which means “white” or from the ancient Slavic “vologa” (moisture).
Hydrography
Since ancient times, the Volga has not lost any of its greatness. Today it is the largest river in Russia and ranks 16th in the world among the longest rivers. Before the construction of the cascade of reservoirs, the length of the river was 3690 km; today this figure has been reduced to 3530 km. At the same time, shipping navigation is carried out over 3500 km. In navigation, the Canal plays an important role. Moscow, which acts as a link between the capital and the great Russian river.
The Volga is connected to the following seas:
- with the Azov and Black Seas through the Volga-Don Canal;
- with the Baltic Sea via the Volga-Baltic waterway;
- with the White Sea via the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Severodvinsk river system.
The waters of the Volga originate in the Valdai Upland region - in the spring of the village of Volgo-Verkhovye, which is located in the Tver region. The height of the source above sea level is 228 meters. Further, the river carries its waters through the entire Central Russia to the Caspian Sea. The height of the river's fall is small, because the mouth of the river is only 28 meters below sea level. Thus, along its entire length the river descends 256 meters, and its slope is 0.07%. The average speed of the river flow is relatively low - from 2 to 6 km/h (less than 1 m/s).
The Volga is fed mainly by meltwater, which accounts for 60% of the annual flow. 30% of the flow comes from groundwater (they support the river in winter) and only 10% comes from rain (mainly in summer period). Along its entire length, 200 tributaries flow into the Volga. But already at the latitude of Saratov, the river’s water basin narrows, after which from the city of Kamyshin the Volga flows to the Caspian Sea without support from other tributaries.
The Volga from April to June is characterized by high spring floods, which last on average 72 days. The maximum level of water rise in the river is observed in the first half of May, when it spills over the floodplain area for 10 kilometers or more. And in the lower reaches, in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, the width of the spill in some places reaches 30 km.
Summer is characterized by a stable low-water period, which lasts from mid-June to early October. Rains in October bring with them an autumn flood, after which a period of low-water winter low water begins, when the Volga is fed only by groundwater.
It should also be noted that after the construction of a whole cascade of reservoirs and regulation of flow, fluctuations in water levels became much less significant.
The Volga freezes in its upper and middle reaches usually at the end of November. On the lower reaches, ice appears in early December.
Ice drift on the Volga in the upper reaches, as well as in the area from Astrakhan to Kamyshin, occurs in the first half of April. In the area near Astrakhan, the river usually opens in mid-March.
Near Astrakhan, the river remains ice-free for almost 260 days a year, while in other areas this time is about 200 days. During the period of open water, the river is actively used for ship navigation.
The main part of the river's catchment area is in the forest zone, located from the very sources to Nizhny Novgorod. The middle part of the river flows through the forest-steppe zone, and the lower part flows through semi-deserts.
Volga map
Different Volga: Upper, Middle and Lower
According to the classification accepted today, the Volga in its course is divided into three parts:
- The Upper Volga covers the area from the source to the confluence of the Oka (in the city of Nizhny Novgorod);
- The Middle Volga extends from the mouth of the Oka River to the confluence of the Kama;
- The Lower Volga starts from the mouth of the Kama River and reaches the Caspian Sea.
As for the Lower Volga, some adjustments should be made. After the construction of the Zhigulevskaya hydroelectric power station just above Samara and the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the current border between the middle and lower sections of the river passes precisely at the level of the dam.
Upper Volga
In its upper course, the river made its way through the system of Upper Volga lakes. Between Rybinsk and Tver, 3 reservoirs are of interest to fishermen: Rybinsk (the famous “rybinka”), Ivankovskoe (the so-called “Moscow Sea”) and the Uglich Reservoir. Even further down its course, past Yaroslavl and to Kostroma, the river bed runs along a narrow valley with high banks. Then, slightly higher than Nizhny Novgorod, there is the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station dam, which forms the Gorky Reservoir of the same name. The most significant contribution to the Upper Volga is made by such tributaries as: Unzha, Selizharovka, Mologa and Tvertsa.
Middle Volga
Beyond Nizhny Novgorod the Middle Volga begins. Here the width of the river increases by more than 2 times - the Volga becomes full-flowing, reaching a width of 600 m to 2+ km. After the construction of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station of the same name, an extended reservoir was formed near the city of Cheboksary. The area of the reservoir is 2190 square km. The largest tributaries of the Middle Volga are the rivers: Oka, Sviyaga, Vetluga and Sura.
Lower Volga
The Lower Volga begins immediately after the confluence of the Kama River. Here the river can truly be called powerful in all respects. The Lower Volga carries its deep streams along the Volga Upland. The largest reservoir was built near the city of Togliatti on the Volga - Kuibyshevskoye, where in 2011 there was a disaster with the notorious motor ship Bulgaria. The reservoir of the Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Power Station named after Lenin is propped up. Even further downstream, near the city of Balakovo, the Saratov hydroelectric power station was built. The tributaries of the Lower Volga are no longer so rich in water, these are the rivers: Samara, Eruslan, Sok, Bolshoy Irgiz.
Volga-Akhtuba floodplain
Below the city of Volzhsky, a left branch called Akhtuba separates from the great Russian river. After the construction of the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power station, the beginning of Akhtuba became a 6 km canal extending from the main Volga. Today, the length of Akhtuba is 537 km, the river carries its waters to the northeast parallel to the mother channel, then approaching it, then moving away again. Together with the Volga, Akhtuba forms the famous Volga-Akhtuba floodplain - a real fishing eldorado. The floodplain area is pierced by numerous channels, full of flooded lakes and unusually rich in all kinds of fish. The width of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain ranges from 10 to 30 km on average.
Through the territory of the Astrakhan region, the Volga travels a distance of 550 km, carrying its waters along the Caspian lowland. At the 3038th kilometer of its path, the Volga River splits into 3 branches: Krivaya Bolda, Gorodskoy and Trusovsky. And on the section from 3039 to 3053 km along the Gorodskaya and Trusovsky branches, the city of Astrakhan is located.
Below Astrakhan, the river turns southwest and splits into numerous branches that form a delta.
Volga Delta
The Volga Delta first begins to form at the place where one of the branches called Buzan separates from the main channel. This place is located above Astrakhan. In general, the Volga delta has over 510 branches, small channels and eriks. The delta is located on a total area of 19 thousand square kilometers. The width between the western and eastern branches of the delta reaches 170 km. In the generally accepted classification, the Volga delta consists of three parts: upper, middle and lower. The upper and middle delta zones consist of small islands separated by channels (eriks) ranging from 7 to 18 meters wide. The lower part of the Volga delta consists of very branched channel channels, which turn into the so-called. Caspian peals, famous for their lotus fields.
Due to the decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea over the past 130 years, the area of the Volga delta is also growing. During this time it increased more than 9 times.
Today the Volga delta is the largest in Europe, but is famous primarily for its rich fish stocks.
Note that the flora and fauna of the delta are under protection - the “Astrakhan Nature Reserve” is located here. Therefore, recreational fishing in these places is regulated and is not allowed everywhere.
The economic role of the river in the life of the country
Since the 30s of the last century, electricity began to be produced on the river using hydroelectric power stations. Since then, 9 hydroelectric power stations with their own reservoirs have been built on the Volga. At the moment, the river basin is home to approximately 45% of industry and half of all agriculture in Russia. The Volga basin produces over 20% of all fish for Food Industry RF.
The logging industry is developed in the Upper Volga basin, and grain crops are grown in the Middle and Lower Volga regions. Horticulture and vegetable farming are also developed along the middle and lower reaches of the river.
The Volga-Ural region is rich in natural gas and oil deposits. Potassium salt deposits are located near the city of Solikamsk. The famous Lake Baskunchak on the Lower Volga is famous not only for its healing mud, but also for its deposits of table salt.
Upstream, ships transport petroleum products, coal, gravel materials, cement, metal, salt and food products. Timber, industrial raw materials, lumber and finished products are supplied downstream.
Animal world
Tourism and fishing on the Volga
In the mid-90s of the last century, due to the economic decline in the country, water tourism on the Volga lost its popularity. The situation was normalized only at the beginning of this century. But it prevents you from developing tourism business outdated material and technical base. Motor ships that were built back in the Soviet times(60-90 years of the last century). There are quite a few water tourist routes along the Volga. From Moscow alone, ships sail on more than 20 different routes.
Russia is the largest country in the world by area. The largest rivers on Earth flow over a vast territory: the 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 Hills in the west, along the eastern side to the Urals, in the south of the country it flows into the Caspian Sea. Not most of delta enters the territory of Kazakhstan.
The source of the river is on the Valdai Hills, in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver Region. A small stream, receiving about 150,000 tributaries, including 200 small and large rivers, gains power and strength and turns into a mighty river. A special monument to the river was erected at the source site.
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. Along the banks of the river there are four million-plus cities: 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. does not flow into the world's oceans.
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 to Volgograd in the steppe zone, and to the south in the semi-desert zone.
The Volga is usually divided 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 with the Caspian Sea.
History of the river
For the first time, a Greek scientist 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 Rus', the river is spoken of in the famous “Tale of Bygone Years”.
Since the times of Rus', the Volga has been an important trade link - an artery where the Volga trade route was established. Through this route, Russian merchants traded in oriental fabrics, metal, honey, and wax.
After the conquest of the Volga basin, trade flourished, the peak of which occurred 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 a Russian artist. At that time, huge reserves of salt, fish, and bread were transported along the Volga. Then cotton was added to these goods, and later oil.
During the 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 stations were built on the Volga.
During World War II, the Volga was the most important river for the USSR, as armies and food supplies were transferred across it. In addition, the largest battle took place on the Volga, in Stalingrad (now Volgograd).
Currently, the Volga basin produces oil and natural gas reserves that support the Russian economy. In some areas, potassium and table salt are mined.
Flora and fauna of the river
The Volga is predominantly snow-fed (60%), partly rain-fed (10%), and groundwater feed the Volga by 30%. The water in the river is advantageously warm; in the summer the temperature does not drop 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.
The river is home to large populations of fish: crucian carp, pike perch, perch, ide, pike. Also in the waters of the Volga live catfish, burbot, ruffe, sturgeon, bream and sterlet. In total there are about 70 species of fish.
Birds live in the Volga delta: ducks, swans, herons. Flamingos and pelicans live on the Volga. And they're still growing famous flowers- lotuses. Although the Volga is very polluted industrial enterprises, it still retains aquatic vegetation (lotus, water lily, reed, water chestnut).
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 richer in water than the right ones. The largest tributary of the Volga is the Kama River. Its length reaches 2000 km. The influx begins on the Verkhnekamsk Upland. The Kama has more than 74 thousand tributaries, 95% are rivers up to 10 km long.
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 et al.
Tourism on the Volga
The Volga is a picturesque river, so tourism is thriving on it. Volga gives you the opportunity to visit in a short time a large number of Volga region cities. Cruises along the Volga are a common type of recreation on the river.
The journey lasts from 3-5 days to a month. It includes a visit to the most beautiful cities in the country located along the Volga. Favorable period for traveling 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:, Repin.
- Feature films have been made about the Volga, including “Volga, Volga” in 1938, “A Bridge is Being Built” in 1965.
- The Volga is considered to be the “homeland of barge haulers.” Sometimes 600 thousand barge haulers could work hard on it at the same time.
- Controversial point: it is generally accepted that the Kama is a tributary of the Volga River. But geographers and hydrologists are still arguing which river is the main one. The fact is that at the confluence of the Volga rivers carries 3100 cubic meters water per second, but the “productivity” of the Kama is 4300 cubic meters per second. It turns out that the Volga ends just below Kazan, and then the Kama River flows, and it is the Kama that flows into the Caspian Sea.
- The Arabs, impressed by the scale of the Volga, named it “Itil”, which means “river” in Arabic.
- Every day the Volga pours 250 cubic kilometers of water into the Caspian Sea. However, the level of this sea continues to decline steadily.
- On May 20, Russia celebrates Volga Day.
Where does the Volga flow? Perhaps almost any student can answer this question. secondary school. However, this river plays such an important role in the life of a huge country that to dwell on it characteristic features much more detail is needed.
Section 1. Where does the B flow?Olga? general description
If you look at the list of the largest and deepest rivers in the world, the Volga will be almost the very first item on it. It flows along and its length is about 3.5 thousand kilometers.
The Valdai Hills is the source of a mighty river. As you know, the Volga flows into the river, exchanging water resources with numerous rivers and springs along its length. The area of the Volga basin occupies 8% of the entire territory of the Russian Federation.
The Volga is divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower. The first begins at the source and stretches to the mouth of the Oka, then comes the middle one, which ends at the place where it flows into the Volga, and the lower part ends with the Caspian Sea.
The river's water reserves are replenished by groundwater, rainfall and melting snow. In April, the time of spring flood begins, low water levels are observed in summer, the period of floods occurs in autumn, and in winter the river level reaches its lowest point. The water in the Volga begins to freeze at the end of November or beginning of December.
Section 2. Where does the Volga flow? Interesting historical facts
The first mention of the Volga appears in the 2nd century BC in Ptolemy’s “Geography”, where it has the name Ra, which translates as “generous”. Itil was its name in the Middle Ages, and in the annals of the Arabs it is called the “river of the Rus”.
In the 13th century, the river gained fame due to the beginning of the Volga providing connections with European countries, and a direct route to the East opened through the Caspian Sea. The map will show quite accurately where the Volga flows, however, not everyone knows that timber has been floated along this river for a long time, and it is here that fishing begins to develop.
At the moment, compared to past centuries, its possibilities are simply limitless.
The fertile soils near the banks of the Volga have long been famous for their fertility, and around the middle of the 19th century, metallurgical and machine-building plants began to be built here. In the 20th century, oil development began in the lower part of the river. At the same time, hydroelectric power stations were being built on the river, and every year it became more and more difficult for the river to replenish its resources.
Section 3. Where does the Volga flow? Features of flora and fauna
Due to the immediate proximity to the Caspian Sea, the climate near the Volga is humid and warm; during the hot period, the air temperature rises to +40°, but during the frosty period it drops to -25°.
The river is home to over 44 species of fauna, among them there are endangered specimens that are under protection. Amazing number waterfowl. Mammals prefer to settle near the shore: foxes, hares and raccoon dogs.
More than 120 species of fish live in the waters of the river: carp, roach, bream, sturgeon and others. These places have long been favorites among fishermen. But if previously the world sturgeon catch was more than 50%, today the situation has changed dramatically.
The negative influence of civilization has not spared the Mother River. The large number of hydroelectric power plants and reservoirs has a detrimental effect on the state of local flora and fauna. In addition, the quality of the water in the river itself has deteriorated greatly.
Despite the fact that there are many different beautiful rivers in Russia, nevertheless, the Volga is the most valuable for it, the population of the country calls it majestic, based on the fact that the Volga is like the queen of all Russian rivers. Scientists geologists determine from sediments in the earth's crust that over the immeasurably long history of the Earth, significant areas of the present Volga region have more than once turned into the seabed. One of the seas slowly retreated to the south about twenty million years ago, and then the Volga River flowed in its wake. The Volga began not in Valdai, but near Ural mountains. It seemed to cut a corner, taking the direction towards Zhiguli from there, and then carried the waters much further to the east than now. Movements of the earth's crust, the formation of new hills and depressions, sharp fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea and other reasons forced the Volga River to change direction.
Origin of the river's name
From the facts of ancient history it is known that the then famous Greek scientist named Ptolemy in his “Geography” called the Volga River by the name “Ra”. Despite the fact that he lived far from the Volga, on the coast of Africa, in the city of Alexandria, rumors about this great river reached there too. This was in the 2nd century AD. Later, in the Middle Ages, the Volga was known as Itil.
According to one version, the Volga acquired its modern name from the ancient Mari name of the river Volgydo, or which translated meant “bright”. According to another version, the name of the Volga comes from the Finno-Ugric word Volkea, meaning “light” or “white”. There is also a version that the name Volga comes from the name Bulga, associated with the Volga Bulgarians who lived on its banks. But the Bulgarians themselves (ancestors modern Tatars) called the reuk “Itil”, a word that means “river” (there is, however, another version that the meanings of the hydronyms Volga and Itil then did not coincide with modern ones), it is believed that the most likely origin of the ethnonym “Volga” is from the Proto-Slavic word meaning Volgly - vologa - moisture, thus the possible meaning of the name Volga is like “water” or “moisture”, if I may say so, then “ big water", thanks to the enormous size of the river. The Slavic version of the origin of the name is evidenced by the presence of the Vlga rivers in the Czech Republic and Vilga in Poland.
Source of the Volga
The source of the Volga is a spring near the village of Volgoverkhovye in the Tver region. In the upper reaches, within the Valdai Upland, the Volga passes through small lakes - Maloe and Bolshoye Verkhity, then through a system of large lakes known as the Upper Volga lakes: Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo, united into the Upper Volga Reservoir.
Geographical location of the river
The Volga originates on the Valdai Hills (at an altitude of 229 m) and flows into the Caspian Sea. The length of the Volga is 3530 kilometers. The mouth lies 28 m below sea level. The total fall is 256 m. The Volga is the world's largest river of internal flow, that is, not flowing into the world ocean. The source of the Volga is a spring near the village of Volgoverkhovye in the Tver region. In the upper reaches, within the Valdai Upland, the Volga passes through small lakes - Maloe and Bolshoye Verkhity, then through a system of large lakes known as the Upper Volga lakes: Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo, united into the so-called Upper Volga reservoir.
The river can be divided into three main parts:
Upper Volga, the largest tributaries of the Upper Volga are Selizharovka, Tma, Tvertsa, Mologa, Sheksna and Unzha. After the Volga passed through the system of Verkhnevolzhsky lakes in 1843, a dam (Verkhnevolzhsky Beishlot) was built to regulate water flow and maintain navigable depths during low water periods. Between the cities of Tver and Rybinsk on the Volga, the Ivankovskoe reservoir (the so-called Moscow Sea) with a dam and a hydroelectric power station near the city of Dubna, the Uglich reservoir (hydroelectric power station near Uglich), Rybinsk Reservoir(hydroelectric power station near Rybinsk). In the Rybinsk-Yaroslavl region and below Kostroma, the river flows in a narrow valley among high banks, crossing the Uglich-Danilovskaya and Galich-Chukhloma uplands. Further, the Volga flows along the Unzhenskaya and Balakhninskaya lowlands. Near Gorodets (above Nizhny Novgorod), the Volga, blocked by the dam of the Gorky hydroelectric station, forms the Gorky reservoir.
The middle Volga, in the middle reaches, below the confluence of the Oka, the Volga becomes even more full-flowing. It flows along the northern edge of the Volga Upland. The right bank of the river is high, the left is low. The Cheboksary Hydroelectric Power Station was built near Cheboksary, above the dam of which the Cheboksary Reservoir is located. The largest tributaries of the Volga in its middle reaches are the Oka, Sura, Vetluga and Sviyaga.
The Lower Volga, where in the lower reaches, after the confluence of the Kama, the Volga becomes a mighty river. It flows here along the Volga Upland. Near Togliatti, above the Samara Luka, which is formed by the Volga, skirting the Zhigulevsky Mountains, the Zhigulevskaya Hydroelectric Power Station dam was built; Above the dam lies the Kuibyshev Reservoir. On the Volga near the city of Balakovo, the Saratov hydroelectric power station dam was erected. The Lower Volga receives relatively small tributaries - Sok, Samara, Bolshoi Irgiz, Eruslan. 21 km above Volgograd, the left branch, Akhtuba (length 537 km), separates from the Volga, which flows parallel to the main channel. The vast space between the Volga and Akhtuba, crossed by numerous channels and old rivers, is called the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain; The width of the floods within this floodplain previously reached 20-30 km. The Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Power Station was built on the Volga between the beginning of Akhtuba and Volgograd; Above the dam lies the Volgograd Reservoir.
The Volga Delta begins at the point where Akhtuba separates from its channel (in the Volgograd area) and is one of the largest in Russia. There are up to 500 branches, channels and small rivers in the delta. The main branches are Bakhtemir, Kamyzyak, Old Volga, Bolda, Buzan, Akhtuba (of which Bakhtemir is maintained in navigable condition, forming the Volga-Caspian Canal).
Territorial division of the river
Geographically, the Volga basin includes Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Moscow, Smolensk, Tver, Vladimir, Kaluga, Orel, Ryazan, Vologda, Kirov, Penza, Tambov regions, Perm Territory, Udmurtia, Mari El, Mordovia, Chuvashia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Kalmykia, Komi, Moscow, and some others.
The Volga is connected to the Baltic Sea by the Volga-Baltic waterway, the Vyshnevolotsk and Tikhvin systems; with the White Sea - through the Severodvinsk system and through the White Sea-Baltic Canal; with the Azov and Black Seas - through the Volga-Don Canal.
The Volga River is mainly fed by external meltwater. Rains, which fall mainly in summer, and groundwater, from which the river lives in winter, play a lesser role in its nutrition. In accordance with this, in annual level The rivers stand out: high and prolonged spring floods, fairly stable summer low waters and low winter low waters. The duration of the flood is on average 72 days. The maximum water rise usually occurs in the first half of May, half a month after the spring ice drift. From the beginning of June to October - November, summer low water sets in. Thus, most of the navigation period when the Volga River is ice-free (on average 200 days) coincides with a period of low low water levels (2 - 3 m).
History of the Volga River
It is believed that the first mention of the Volga is found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC). In the story about the campaign of the Persian king Darius against the Scythians, Herodotus reports that Darius, pursuing the Scythians across the Tanais (Don) River, stopped at the Oar River. They are trying to identify the Oar River with the Volga, although Herodotus also reported that the Oar flows into Maeotis (the Sea of Azov). Sometimes they also see the Volga in another river, about which in the 1st century. BC e. reported Diodorus Siculus.
At first the Scythians lived in very small numbers near the Araks River and were despised for their ignominy. But even in ancient times, under the control of one warlike king distinguished by his strategic abilities, they acquired a country in the mountains up to the Caucasus, and in the lowlands of the coast of the Ocean and Lake Meotia - and other areas up to the Tanais River.
In written ancient Roman sources of the 2nd-4th centuries, the Volga is geographically identified as the river Ra - generous, in Arabic sources of the 9th century it is called Athel - the river of rivers, great river. In the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” it is said: “From that Volokovo forest the Volga will flow to the east and flow... into the Khvalisskoye Sea.” Volokovsky Forest is the ancient name of the Valdai Hills. Khvalissky was the name given to the Caspian Sea.
The geographical position of the Volga and its large tributaries determined its important as a trade route between East and West. It was along the Volga route that the flow of Arab silver poured into the Scandinavian countries. From Arab Caliphate Fabrics, metals, and slaves, furs, wax, and honey were exported from the Slavic lands. In the 9th-10th centuries, a significant role in trade was played by such centers as the Khazar Itil at the mouth, the Bulgar Bulgar in the Middle Volga, the Russian Rostov, Suzdal, Murom in the Upper Volga region. Since the 11th century, trade has weakened, and in the 13th century, the Mongol-Tatar invasion disrupted economic ties, except for the upper Volga basin, where Novgorod, Tver and the cities of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' played an active role. Since the 15th century, the importance of the trade route has been restored, and the role of such centers as Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Astrakhan has grown. Conquest by Ivan the Terrible in mid-16th century centuries of the Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates led to the unification of the entire Volga river system in the hands of Russia, which contributed to the flourishing of Volga trade in the 17th century. New large cities are emerging - Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn; Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Nizhny Novgorod play a major role. Large caravans of ships (up to 500) sail along the Volga. In the 18th century, the main trade routes moved to the West, and economic development the lower Volga is constrained by weak population and raids by nomads. The Volga basin in the 17th-18th centuries was the main area of action for the rebel peasants and Cossacks during the peasant wars under the leadership of S.T. Razin and E.I. Pugacheva.
In the 19th century, there was a significant development of the Volga trade route after the Mariinsky river system connected the Volga and Neva basins (1808); A large river fleet appeared (in 1820 - the first steamship), a huge army of barge haulers (up to 300 thousand people) worked on the Volga. Large shipments of bread, salt, fish, and later oil and cotton are carried out.
The development of the Civil War of 1917-22 in Russia is largely connected with the establishment in 1918 of the power of the Committee of the Constituent Assembly in a number of cities of the Volga region. The restoration of Bolshevik control over the Volga is considered an important turning point in the Civil War, as control over the Volga provided access to grain resources and Baku oil. An important role in the Civil War was played by the defense of Tsaritsyn, in which J.V. Stalin played an active role, which was the reason for renaming Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad.
During the years of socialist construction, in connection with the industrialization of the entire country, the importance of the Volga Route increased. Since the late 30s of the 20th century, the Volga has also begun to be used as a source of hydropower. During the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 the largest Battle of Stalingrad, which preserved the name of the Volga in the history of the liberated region. In the post-war period, the economic role of the Volga increased significantly, especially after the creation of a number of large reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations.
Natural world of the Volga
In the Upper Volga basin there are large forest areas; in the Middle and partly in the Lower Volga region, large areas are occupied by grain and industrial crops. Melon growing and gardening are developed. The Volga-Ural region has rich oil and gas deposits. Near Solikamsk there are large deposits of potassium salts. In the Lower Volga region (Lake Baskunchak, Elton) - table salt.
In terms of fish diversity, the Volga is one of the richest rivers. The Volga River basin is home to 76 different species of fish and 47 subspecies of fish. The following fish enter the Volga from the Caspian Sea: lamprey, beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, thorn, white fish, anadromous Volga herring or common herring; semi-anadromous: carp, bream, pike perch, roach, etc. The following fish constantly live in the Volga: sterlet, carp, bream, pike perch, ide, pike, burbot, catfish, perch, ruff, asp. Beluga is the most legendary fish of the Caspian basin. Its age reaches 100 years, and its weight is 1.5 tons. At the beginning of the century, belugas weighing over a ton lived in the Volga, the weight of caviar in females was up to 15% total weight bodies. Red fish is the glory of the Astrakhan region. Five species of sturgeon fish live here - Russian sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, thorn and sterlet. The first four species are anadromous, and sterlet is a freshwater fish. Farms also breed a hybrid of beluga and sterlet - bester. Herring-like fish are represented by Caspian shad, common sprat and blackback and Volga herring.
Among the salmon-like fish, the whitefish is found, the only representative of the pike-like fish is the pike. The carp fish of the lower reaches of the Volga include bream, carp, roach, rudd, gold and silver crucian carp, asp, silver bream, gudgeon, grass carp, white and bighead carp.
Perch fish in the Volga are represented by river perch, ruffe, as well as pike perch and bersh. In the stagnant shallow freshwater reservoirs of the lower Volga, the only representative of the stickleback order, the southern stickleback, is found everywhere.
The influence of the Volga in creativity
In the figurative perception of the essence of the Russian people, the Volga plays an exceptional and central role; it is the root and core of the entire Russian people, a figurative ideal. It is always animated, human qualities are attributed to it, and the ideal Russian person must correspond to the image of this river. The Volga is not found very often in literature and art, but truly cult works are associated with its image. IN XIX culture and the beginning of the 20th century, the most “folk” representatives of culture are associated with the Volga: N.A. Nekrasov, Maxim Gorky, F. I. Chaliapin. Soviet art made full use of the image of the Volga created by democratic art pre-revolutionary Russia. The Volga is identified with the Motherland; it is a symbol of freedom, space, breadth and greatness of the spirit of Soviet people. The central role in the construction of this image was played by the film “Volga-Volga” and the song “The Volga Flows” performed by Lyudmila Zykina.
Volga Delta
The Volga Delta is the place where the first biosphere reserve in Russia was created in 1919. Five years ago, another federal state nature reserve appeared in the Astrakhan region - Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky. We understand that nature reserves constantly face many problems, the solution of which cannot be postponed, therefore the financing of their activities is largely the responsibility of the regional budget. Astrakhan residents are proud that last year Maly Zhemchuzhny Island received the status of a federal natural monument. This is one of the most valuable natural reserves of the Northern Caspian Sea. In addition, 800 thousand hectares of the delta have the status of a wetland of international importance. In our region there are four state natural reserves of regional significance.
The Volga Delta is recognized as the most environmentally friendly delta in Europe. Our task, despite the fact that the territory for economic use is highly valued here, is to expand the boundaries nature reserves. Now, for example, the idea of creating so-called biosphere testing grounds in the region is being explored. We are one of the first to do this in Russia. 300 thousand hectares of the Northern Caspian Sea and the Volga delta are to be reserved for them. In these spaces, mainly water, will be tested modern methods economic activity, which will not harm the unique environment. We are for openness of environmental information and always promptly respond to any signals about emergencies and problems.
The largest river valley in Europe, the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain and the Volga River delta, as well as the surrounding desert, have always attracted the attention of botanists. The first studies mainly concerned the species composition of the flora. At different times, the region was visited by: P. S. Pallas, K. K. Klaus, E. A. Eversmann, I. K. Pachosky, A. Ya Gordyagin and many other outstanding travelers and botanists. At the end of the 20s of this century, more attention began to be paid to floodplain habitats. To one of the first researchers of the vegetation cover of the Lower Volga valley - S. I. Korzhinsky (in 1888) - the floristic composition of its meadows and swamps initially seemed rather monotonous, but later these ideas began to change.A. G. Ramensky (in 1931) noted a change in the composition of herbaceous communities of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain and delta as they moved downstream of the river.
Story
Until the 30s. In the twentieth century, the Volga was practically used only as a transport route and a fishing basin. The main organic disadvantages of the Volga trade route for many centuries were the lack of water connections with the World Ocean and the stepwise depths. They once tried to overcome the first disadvantage by organizing portages. But only very small vessels could be transported across watersheds. Peter I organized work to connect the Volga with the Don and the Baltic Sea. However, due to the lack of equipment corresponding to the scale of the work, the efforts expended to connect the Volga with the Don were not crowned with success. The fate of the work on the Upper Volga was different. In 1703 they began and in 1709 completed the construction of the Vyshnevolotsk system. Through the rivers Tvertsa, Tsna, Meta, Volkhov, Lake Ladoga and Niva, cargo transported along the Volga gained access to the Baltic Sea. The limited capacity of this water system forced us to look for other ways to develop water connections between the Volga basin and the Baltic.
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