Volga river brief information. The Volga River: a brief description of the great Russian river

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. On a vast territory, the largest rivers of the Earth flow: 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 Upland 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 located on the Valdai Upland, in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver Region. A small stream, receiving about 150,000 tributaries, including 200 small and big rivers, 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 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 - 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.

River history

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 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.

After the conquest of the Volga basin, the heyday of trade began, which peaked 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 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.

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

Flora and fauna of the river

The Volga is predominantly fed by snow (60%), some is rain fed (10%), and ground water feed 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.

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 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 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.

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

The Volga is a picturesque river, so tourism is flourishing on it. 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.

The journey lasts from 3-5 days to a month. It includes visiting the most beautiful cities of the country, located along the Volga. The favorable period for traveling along the Volga is 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 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 carries 3100 cubic meters water per second, but the "productivity" of Kama is 4300 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 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 is the longest European river, as well as one of the largest on the planet Earth, which is located in the European part of Russia and in Kazakhstan.

On the this moment the length of the Volga is approximately 3530 km, although before the construction of reservoirs on the river, it was somewhat longer - 3690 km.

The Volga got its name from the times of Russia and comes from the word "moisture".

Source

The source of the Volga River is located on the Valdai Upland, namely in the small village of Volgoverkhovye, in the Tver region. The river then passes through several large lakes. A special monument to the river was erected at the place of its source.

Historical characteristics

• For the first time, the Greek historian 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 they gave it its name - "Ra".
• Arab researchers speak of the Volga as a "river of rivers, a great river."
• 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 path, Russia traded with the Arab countries, to a greater extent such goods: expensive oriental fabrics, metals, slaves, honey, wax. During the Mongol invasion, this trading region loses its priority and importance, but already in the 15th century it regains its former importance.
• After the conquest of the entire Volga basin, the flourishing of trade begins, the peak of which falls on the 17th century.
• Over time, a powerful river fleet appears on the Volga.
• In the 19th century, a whole army of barge haulers worked on the Volga, to which even a painting by the famous Russian artist I. a. During this period, huge supplies of salt, fish, and bread are transported along the Volga. Then cotton, and later oil, also joined these commodities.
• During the period, the Volga was almost the main strategic point, the control of which would provide the army with bread, as well as oil and the ability to quickly transfer its forces with the help of the fleet.
• When Soviet power was established in Russia, they began to use the river as a source of electricity, building hydroelectric power stations on it.
• During the Second World War, the Volga was the most important river for the USSR, as huge armies and food supplies were transferred through it. In addition, on one of the cities on the Volga - Stalingrad, the largest battle in history took place. The Volga is the key to the USSR, the German and Soviet command thought so, so the battles were especially fierce.
• Huge tracts of forests are located in the upper reaches of the Volga, and downstream along the Volga there are large sown areas and garden enterprises.
• The Volga basin produces huge reserves of oil and natural gas, which form the basis of the entire Russian economy.
• In some areas, potash salt, table salt is mined.

River mode

Like many other Russian rivers, the Volga is fed mainly by snow - about 60%, a small part becomes rain fed - only 10%, and groundwater feeds the Volga itself by 30%. Annual fluctuations in water levels vary in different regions. For example, in the Tver region it can reach 11 meters, in that Astrakhan - only 3 meters.

Volga river photo

The water in the river is warm, in summer, for example, it does not fall below 20-25 degrees Celsius. The river freezes at the end of November - in the upper reaches, and in the lower reaches already in December. In a frozen state, the river is from 100 to 160 days a year. Not uncommon on the Volga River big waves- about 1.5 - 2 meters. Because of this, breakwaters were installed in many ports.

Flora and fauna

The Volga River, as well as its largest tributary - the Kama, are a source of a huge amount of fish. Large populations of the following fish species live in the river: crucian carp, silver bream, pikeperch, perch, ide, pike, catfish, burbot, ruff, sturgeon, bream and sterlet. Trout have recently been introduced into the rivers. In total, there are about 70 species of fish in the Volga.

Birds on the Volga River photo

Many species of birds settle in the Volga deltas: ducks, swans, herons, etc. Although the Volga is heavily polluted by industrial enterprises, quite rich aquatic vegetation (lotus, water lily, reed, water chestnut, etc.) is still preserved in it, especially in the bays.

Cities on the Volga River

The most important cities for the country are located on the Volga, among them many cities with a population of many millions. At the very bottom of the Volga lies the most important economic and industrial center of the Lower Volga region - the city of Astrakhan, with more than half a million inhabitants. Astrakhan is considered to be a port city.

Volga river. Astrakhan city photo

One of the most beautiful and most famous cities is Big city Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad. The city has a heroic title, which he received during the Great Patriotic War(). The population of the city is slightly more than 1 million people. Even under the USSR, it was one of the most powerful economically developed cities in the country. Now the city is flourishing engineering, construction industry, metallurgy, energy industry.

Volga river. Volgograd city photo

One of the largest cities in terms of population on the Volga is the city of Kazan. Its population is more than 1 million, 200 thousand people. Kazan is one of the most powerful industrial centers of the Russian Federation. The basis of the industry of the city is mechanical engineering, petrochemical industry, aviation industry. Not less than big city on the Volga there is Nizhny Novgorod with a population of 1 million, 250 thousand people. Although, unlike the population of Kazan, here the population is not growing, but falling.

Volga river. Kazan city photo

There is a wide production of cars, ships of various classes and the production of weapons. Heavy industry is well developed in the city. Novgorod is also considered one of the main information centers big country. The next city to be noted is with a population of almost 1 million and 200 thousand people. Samara is an important center for mechanical engineering and heavy industry, and especially for the aviation industry.

Volga river. Nizhny Novgorod photo

The last city to be mentioned is the city of Tver with a population of just over 400 thousand people. Tver is the most developed in the machine-building and heavy industries. Slightly less developed food industry as well as chemical.

Tributaries of the Volga

Approximately 200 tributaries flow into the Volga and most of them are on the left side. The left tributaries are also much more abundant than the right tributaries. The largest tributary of the Volga is the Kama River - the left tributary. Its length reaches 2000 km, which is more than half the length of the Volga itself. The beginning of the tributary takes on the Verkhnekamsk Upland.

Kama is different huge amount small tributaries - in total their number reaches almost 74 thousand, and the lion's share of them (about 95%) are rivers up to 10 km long. As in the Volga, the Kama is fed mainly by snow. Water level fluctuations most often become from 6 to 7 meters.

Many hydrotechnical studies also indicate that the Kama is much older than the Volga, and that the Volga is a tributary of the Kama, and not vice versa. This is exactly what happened a few millennia ago. But the last ice age and the construction of reservoirs on the Kama seriously reduced its length..

The tributaries of the Volga:

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

Tourism on the river

The Volga is rightfully considered one of the most picturesque rivers in Russia, and therefore tourism is flourishing on it. The Volga makes it possible to visit a large number of ancient cities of the state in the shortest possible time.

Cruises along the Volga are the most common type of recreation on the Volga, as well as one of the most versatile, comfortable and relatively inexpensive. Such a cruise can last from several days to a whole month, which includes visiting the most beautiful cities and places of the country located along the Volga.

Tourism on the Volga River photo

The most favorable period for traveling along the Volga is the beginning of May to the end of September, when the weather is the warmest and most pleasant. The most convenient transport for traveling is a tourist boat, which has all the amenities for passengers, including: swimming pools, comfortable high-class cabins, cinemas, a library and so on. During the ship's entry into the city, tourists can easily book a tour of a particular city.

Payment for excursions can also be included in the property of the tourist tour itself, along with payment for the ship.

• On the tributary of the Volga - Kama is an annual sailing competition - one of the largest in Europe;
• The Volga River is the core of the entire Russian people in literature, often human qualities were attributed to the river;
• The Volga appears in many literary and artistic works of Russian classics: Gorky, Nekrasov, Repin;
• Several well-known feature films were 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 about 600 thousand barge haulers could work hard on it at the same time;
• The Volga is the largest river in Europe.

The meaning of the word "Volga (river)"

Volga(in ancient times - Ra, in the Middle Ages - Itil, or Etel), a river in the European part of the USSR, one of the largest rivers the globe and the largest in Europe. Length 3530 km(before the construction of reservoirs 3690 km). The area of ​​the basin is 1360 thousand sq. km 2 .

Physico-geographical essay. V. originates on the Valdai Upland (at an altitude of 228 m), flows into the Caspian Sea. The mouth lies at 28 m below ocean level. Total drop - 256 m. V. receives about 200 tributaries. The left tributaries are more numerous and more abundant than the right ones. The river system of the V. basin includes 151,000 watercourses (rivers, streams, and temporary streams) with a total length of 574,000 km. km. The V. basin occupies about one-third of the European territory of the USSR and extends from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands in the west to the Urals in the east. At the latitude of Saratov, the basin sharply narrows, and V. flows from Kamyshin to the Caspian Sea without tributaries. Main feeding part catchment area V., from the origins to the years. Gorky and Kazan, located in the forest zone, the middle part of the basin up to the years. Kuibyshev and Saratov - in the forest-steppe zone, the lower part - in the steppe zone to Volgograd, and to the south - in the semi-desert zone. V. is usually divided into 3 parts: the upper V. - from the source to the mouth of the Oka, the middle V. - from the confluence of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama, and the lower V. - from the confluence of the Kama to the mouth.

The source of V. is the key near the village of Volga-Verkhovye in the Kalinin region. In the upper reaches, within the Valdai Upland, V. passes through small lakes - Verkhit, Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo. As early as 1843, a dam (Upper Volga Beishlot) was built at the source of Lake Volgo to regulate the flow of water and maintain navigable depths in low water.

Between the years Kalinin and Rybinsk in the east created the Volga reservoir (the so-called Moscow Sea) with a dam and hydroelectric power station near Ivankovo, the Uglich reservoir (hydroelectric power station near Uglich), and the Rybinsk reservoir (hydroelectric power station near Rybinsk). In the region of Rybinsk - Yaroslavl and below Kostroma, the river flows in a narrow valley among high banks, crossing the Uglich-Danilov and Galich-Chukhloma uplands. Further, V. flows along the Unzha and Balakhna lowlands. At Gorodets (above the city of Gorky), V., partitioned off by the dam of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station, forms the Gorkovskoye reservoir. The main tributaries of the upper V. are the Selizharovka, the Tvertsa, the Mologa, the Sheksna, and the Unzha.

In the middle reaches, below the confluence of the Oka, V. 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. Near Cheboksary, construction began (1968) on the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station, above the dam of which the Cheboksary reservoir will be located. The largest tributaries of the V. in its middle course are the Oka, Sura, Vetluga, and Sviyaga.

In the lower reaches, after the confluence of the Kama, V. becomes a mighty river. It flows here along the Volga Upland. Near Tolyatti, above the Samarskaya Luka, which is formed by V., skirting the Zhiguli Mountains, the dam of the Volga hydroelectric power station named after V.I. V. I. Lenin; above the dam extends the Kuibyshev reservoir. In the east, near the city of Balakovo, the dam of the Saratov hydroelectric power station was erected. The lower V. receives relatively small tributaries - the Samara, the Bolshoy Irgiz, and Eruslan. AT 21 km above Volgograd, the left sleeve is separated from V. - Akhtuba (length 537 km), which flows parallel to the main channel. The vast space between V. and Akhtuba, crossed by numerous channels and old rivers, is called the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain; the width of spills within this floodplain used to reach 20-30 km. On the east, between the beginning of Akhtuba and Volgograd, the Volgograd hydroelectric power station named after V.I. 22nd Congress of the CPSU.

The V. delta begins at the point where the Buzan branch separates from its channel (at 46 km north of Astrakhan) and is one of the largest in the USSR. There are up to 500 branches, channels and small rivers in the delta. The main branches are Bakhtemir, Kamyzyak, Staraya Volga, Bolda, Buzan, Akhtuba (of which Bakhtemir is navigable).

Water is mainly fed by snow (60% of the annual runoff), ground (30%), and rain (10%) waters. The natural regime is characterized by spring floods (April - June), low water levels during the summer and winter low water periods, and autumn rain floods (October). Annual fluctuations in the level of V. before regulation reached Kalinin 11 m, below the Kama mouth - 15-17 m and Astrakhan -3 m. With the construction of reservoirs, the water flow is regulated, and level fluctuations have sharply decreased.

Average annual water consumption near the Upper Volga Beishlot 29 m 3 /sec, near the city of Kalinin - 182, near the city of Yaroslavl - 1110, near the city of Gorky - 2970, near the city of Kuibyshev - 7720, near the city of Volgograd - 8060 m 3 /sec. Below Volgograd, the river loses about 2% of its discharge to evaporation. The maximum water discharge during the flood period in the past below the confluence of the Kama reached 67000 m 3 /sec, and near Volgograd as a result of the spill over the floodplain did not exceed 52000 m 3 /sec. In connection with the regulation of the runoff, the maximum flood discharges have sharply decreased, while the summer and winter low water discharges have greatly increased. Water balance basin V. to Volgograd on average over a long period is: precipitation 662 mm, or 900 km 3 per year, river flow 187 mm, or 254 km 3 per year, evaporation 475 mm, or 646 km 3 per year.

Before the creation of reservoirs, water carried about 25 million tons of water to the mouth during the year. t sediments and 40-50 mln. t dissolved minerals. The water temperature in V. in the middle of summer (July) reaches 20-25°C. The V. breaks up near Astrakhan in mid-March; in the first half of April, the opening occurs on the upper V. and below Kamyshin, along the rest of its length - in mid-April. It freezes in the upper and middle reaches at the end of November, in the lower reaches at the beginning of December; Free from ice remains about 200 days, and near Astrakhan about 260 days. With the creation of reservoirs, the thermal regime of the waters changed: the duration of ice phenomena increased in the upper pools, and became shorter in the lower pools.

Historical and economic-geographical essay. By the 8th century, the geographical position of the V. and its large tributaries determined the its importance as a trade route between East and West. From Central Asia fabrics, metals were exported, from the Slavic lands - furs, wax, honey. In the 9th-10th centuries. trade centers played a significant role, such as Itil , Bulgarian , Novgorod, Rostov, Suzdal, Murom. From the 11th century trade weakens, and in the 13th century. The Mongol-Tatar invasion disrupted economic ties, except for the basin of the upper V., where Novgorod, Tver, and the cities of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus played an active role. From the 14th century the significance of the trade route is being restored, the role of such centers as Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan is growing. Conquest by Ivan IV the Terrible in the middle of the 16th century. 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 the Volga trade in the 17th century. There are new large cities - Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn; Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Nizhny Novgorod play an important role. Large caravans of ships (up to 500) float along the V.. In the 18th century the main trade routes are moving to the west, and economic development The lower V. is restrained by low population density and raids by nomads. Basin V. in the 17-18 centuries. was the main area of ​​operations of the rebellious peasants and Cossacks during the peasant wars under the leadership of S. T. Razin and E. I. Pugachev.

In the 19th century there is a significant development of the Volga trade route after the connection of the Mariinsky river system of the basin of V. and Neva (1808); a large river fleet arose (in 1820, the first steamboat), and a huge army of barge haulers (up to 300,000 people) worked in the East. Large shipments of grain, salt, fish, and later oil and cotton are carried out along the V. The Nizhny Novgorod fair acquires great economic importance.

During the Civil War of 1918-1920 major military operations took place in the East (the fight against the White Czechs and the troops of the Constituent Governments in 1918, and against the Kolchak and Denikinites in 1919) and it acquired important military and strategic importance. During the years of socialist construction, in connection with the industrialization of the whole country, the importance of the Volga route increased. Since the end of the 30s. 20th century V. is also beginning to be used as a source of hydropower. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45, the largest Battle of Stalingrad 1942-43 . In the postwar period, the economic role of Hungary increased significantly, especially after the creation of a number of large reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations (see Vol. Volga cascade ). After the construction of the Volga-Kama HPP cascade is completed, the total electricity generation will reach 40-45 billion kWh. kW· h in year. The surface area of ​​the reservoirs will be about 38 thousand hectares. km 2, full volume - 288 km 3 , and useful - 90 km 3 . Zavolzhye, where there are 4 million sq. ha land suitable for irrigation is provided with water from the Kuibyshev and Volgograd reservoirs. Work will be carried out on watering 9 million hectares. ha and irrigation 1 million ha lands of the Volga-Ural interfluve. Under construction (1971) Volga-Ural Canal with a length of 425 km and water consumption of about 400 m 3 /sec. The river system includes more than 41,000 km floatable and about 14 thousand km shipping routes.

V. is connected to the Baltic Sea by the Volga-Baltic Waterway. V. I. Lenin, 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. V. I. Lenin. Large forest areas are located in the basin of the upper Volga, large areas in the Middle and partly in the Lower Volga region are occupied by crops of grain and industrial crops. Developed melon growing and horticulture. In the Volga-Ural region - rich deposits of oil and gas (see. Volga-Ural oil and gas region ). Near Solikamsk there are large deposits of potash salts. In the Lower Volga region (Lake Baskunchak, Elton) - salt. About 70 species of fish live in V., of which 40 are commercial (the most important are roach, herring, bream, pike perch, common carp, catfish, pike, sturgeon, and sterlet). O economic importance V., see also Art. Volga basin river ports .

Lit.: Sokolov A. A., Hydrography of the USSR (land waters), L., 1964; Ginko S.S., Conquest of the rivers, L., 1965: Strazhevsky A., Shmelev A., Leningrad - Astrakhan - Rostov-on-Don. (Guide), M., 1968; Russian Federation. European Southeast, M., 1968 (Series " Soviet Union»); Chernetsov G. G., Chernetsov N. G., Journey along the Volga, M., 1970.

Volga river - largest river in Europe, the most abundant in Russia. This is the longest river in the world that flows into the inland water body - the Caspian Sea.

The river basin occupies an area the size of half of Europe.

Volga river ( short description given below) has more than one and a half hundred tributaries - this is one of the record figures on the planet. On average, it takes 37 days for water to pass from source to mouth, since the current speed is about 4 km per hour. The Volga is one of the few rivers that has its own holiday - in Russia, May 20 is considered to be Volga Day.

The Volga River: a brief description of the geographical location

The Volga flows through the territory of Russia, only a small branch of the Kigach goes east to the Atyrau region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Volga River (a brief description for children will go below) begins in the Tver region near the village, which is called Volgoverkhovye.

Here, its source is a small stream, which after a few kilometers crosses the lakes - first Small, and then Big Verkhity, giving strength to the great river. About a third is washed by the waters of the Volga basin. The Volga and its tributaries flow through the territory of thirty administrative regions of Russia and one region of Kazakhstan.

The mouth of the river is located in Astrakhan region and represents the largest delta in Europe of the many branches that flow into the Caspian Sea.

Historical information

The Volga, as an important trade artery of Eurasia, has been known to mankind for a long time. Having a large length and advantageous geographical position She was very popular with merchants. Back in the 5th century BC Herodotus, ancient Greek philosopher, mentioned it in his treatise on the campaign of King Darius against the Scythian tribes. He called the Volga Oar. In the ancient Arabic chronicles, she is listed as Itil.

By the 10th century AD, a well-known link connecting Scandinavia with the Arab countries had formed. On the banks of the great river, large shopping centers: Khazar Itil and Bulgar, Russian Murom, Novgorod, Suzdal. In the 16-18 centuries, such large cities as Saratov, Samara, Volgograd appeared on the map of the Volga region. Here, in the trans-Volga steppes, the rebellious Cossacks and peasants hid. Giving a brief description of the Volga, it should be noted that at all times it performed an important economic function - it connected ports within the country and was a highway for connecting different states. In the middle of the 20th century, after the formation, increased and political function rivers - access to the Azov and Black Seas, therefore, to the oceans.

The nature of the Volga basin

rich natural resources Volga river. A brief description of the main plant and animal species is given below. There are four types of plants in the water: algae, aquatic submerged, aquatic with floating leaves, amphibians. A wide variety of herbs (wormwood, sedge, mint, marshmallow, spurge) grows in coastal areas, as it is covered with extensive meadows. An abundance of blackberries and reeds. For hundreds of kilometers along the Volga there are forest belts with birches, ash trees, willows, poplars. This is a brief description of the Volga River, its flora.

The fauna of the river is also diverse. About fifty species of fish live in the water, including sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon. Coastal expanses are densely populated with birds and animals. Special nature in the Volga Delta, where the unique Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located. It is home to many insects, birds, mammals and a wide variety of plants. Some representatives of the fauna that exist in the reserve are listed in the Red Book: mute swan, pelican, white-tailed eagle, seal.

Large cities of the Volga region

the Volga region has vantage point both geographically and economically. Nearby are the developed regions of the Urals, Central Russia and Kazakhstan. It supplies settlements with water, energy, and the Volga River is the highway. A brief description of the most striking cities is given below. On the banks of the Volga there are many large and small towns, with its unique sights and amazing history. The largest are Kazan, Samara, Volgograd.

Kazan is the most beautiful and ancient city, included in the list of cities world heritage UNESCO. From the side of the Kazanka River - the left tributary of the Volga - the complex of the Kazan Kremlin is visible: the Annunciation Cathedral of the 16th century, the Kul Sharif mosque, the leaning Syuyumbike tower. The Kremlin is the main attraction of the city.

Samara is also a city located at the meeting point of three rivers - Samara, Soka and Volga. The main attractions are the bell tower of the Iversky convent, the historical center of the city.

The Hero City of Volgograd is one of the most beautiful settlements Russia. Of the many cultural and historical sights of the city, it is worth noting Mamaev Kurgan, located on the banks of the Volga, the Kazan Cathedral, the central Embankment.

On the banks of the Volga, there are also smaller original cities and towns with their own historical heritage and cultural monuments.

With its "Rostov mountains" and "the sea coast of Belarus", on I have an even happier generation coming.

According to the results of a 2014 survey, less than 60% of the students of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University were able to confidently say where the Volga flows. Students went through options from the Azov and Black to the North and Baltic Seas, at the Higher School of Economics they suggested that the Volga flows into Baikal, Oka, Pacific Ocean, and Moscow State University - to the Moscow River, Yenisei, Ob. Some students decided that "the Volga does not flow anywhere."

In total, 151 students of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, 84 students of the Higher School of Economics and 35 students of MGIMO were interviewed in approximately equal numbers from all courses. Answer options were not offered to students. The candidates were chosen randomly. Not a single student could answer all the questions, 15 people could not answer any question at all. You can test yourself by passing a simple test, created on the basis of questions asked to students.

Modern the common truth "Volga flows into the Caspian Sea" is quite enough to know d for general development. But those who want to understand history should keep in mind that this statement is essentially false and first understand hydrological concepts.

Firstly, it would be more correct to talk about the confluence of the river into the Caspian Lake, because the seas are called parts of the World Ocean, and the Caspian Sea is an endorheic lake that has no connection with the World Ocean and is traditionally called the sea because of the salty water and large size.

In other words, the Volga river basin with the Caspian Sea-lake isan inland waterway system completely isolated from the World Ocean. And this circumstance must be taken into account when studying the history of civilization, which spread mainly along the seas and waterways.

For example, there are only three "entry points" to the Volga basin from different seas to understand their historical significance.

1. From Baltic Sea the first route along the rivers Neva - Volkhov - Msta - Tvertsa, that is, the cities of St. Petersburg-Veliky Novgorod - Tver. That is why here, and not somewhere else, the capital was founded Russian Empire- Petersburg.

2. From the Black Sea along the Dnieper through the island of Khortitsa (the base of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks) and Kyiv in the upper reaches of the Dnieper is the iconic "key-city" Smolensk, then on the tributary of the Dnieper, the hub city of Vyazma, from where it was possible to get to the upper reaches of the Oka and Volga basins.

3. From Sea of ​​Azov along the Don, then along the tributary of the Tsimlya (in the place of this river is now the Tsimlyansk reservoir) and dragged to the Volga near modern Volgograd. To anal Volga-Don approximately corresponds toto the former land portage, and it is not at all accidental that it was there, in the settlement of Dubok, that the administrative center of the Volga Cossacks was located, and not in the area of ​​​​the mouth of the river, like all the other river Cossacks. Yes, yes, that's right, each Cossack army initially controlled its own river, the Cossacks in general were originally waterfowl and only at the turn of the 18-19 centuries they moved to horses.

Secondly, not the Volga, but the Kama flows into the Caspian Sea-lake. According to one of the main hydrological criteria - full-flowing, at the confluence of the Volga and Kama, the latter is more full-flowing + an additional criterion of a direct channel at the confluence, the Volga should be considered a tributary of the Kama, and not vice versa, and then it is the Kama that flows into the Caspian Sea. Therefore, the ancient authors are not at all mistaken when they write that the Ra (Volga) river flows from the Riphean / Riphean(Ural) mountains.

River basins can be compared to trees standing next to each other, whose crowns close together. Like trees along trunks, all rivers are uniquely identified from the mouth, and further up the river, for transport purposes, the main watercourse must be determined, which is not always obvious.

For example, at the confluence of the Volga with the Oka, the latter was full-flowing and, according to this criterion, could be considered the main watercourse, in which case it would be considered that the Volga flows into the Oka. But in this place, the Volga has a straight channel and, with approximately equal visual assessments of the full flow, it wins the right to be called the main watercourse from the Oka.

In other words, the name of the river used to apply to the watercourse starting from the mouth and upstream, based on the practical purposes of navigation. In the 19th century, this principle was reversed, appointing "one of the branches of the tree crown" as the source of the river - this is simpler, but does not make any practical sense, shipping distances in many places are still counted from the mouths of the rivers.

So the answer topoll "Where does the Volga flow?"most consider it well-known, primitive only because ofmodern view of rivers from top to bottom, from source to mouth andfamiliarity clearcertainty of the main stream.