Posted Sun, 15/01/2017 - 08:41 by Cap

Volga. It is difficult to find another similar toponym that would be so strongly associated with Russia. Russian megacities and small cozy cities have found a place for themselves on the banks of this stunning river. Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Astrakhan, Volgograd - these are the main places you can visit during a cruise on the Volga.

Hundreds of large and small cities are united along the banks of the Volga into one region - the Volga region. The Volga region today has every chance of becoming an iconic place on the tourist map of Russia. Already, a cruise on the Volga is an extremely popular tourist service for those who want to admire the beauty of the Volga.

A mixture of cultures, peoples, religions and different traditions! The beautiful Kremlin, churches and monasteries are interspersed with mosques and minarets. The old corners of this ancient city have been preserved.

The city attracts many guests and tourists.

The Kazan Kremlin is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The city has a registered brand “the third capital of Russia”. Unofficially and semi-officially it is called the “capital of Russian federalism” and “the capital of all Tatars in the world.”

In 2005, the thousandth anniversary of Kazan was celebrated.

The length of the city from north to south is 29 km, from west to east – 31 km. The city in the western, central and southwestern parts overlooks the Volga River for about 15 km. In Kazan there is one bridge across the Volga - at the extreme western border of the city.

The Kazanka River flows from northeast to west through the middle of the city and divides Kazan into two parts commensurate in territory - the historical part to the south of the river and the newer part beyond the river to the north. The two parts of the city are connected by five dams and bridges, as well as a metro line.

The city's topography is flat and hilly.

In the central part of the city there are the lowland plains of Zabulachye, Predkabanye, Zakabanye, the elevated plain of the Arskoye Field and individual hills stand out - Kremlinsky (Kremlin-University), Marusovsky, Fedoseevsky, First and Second Mountains, Ametyevo, Novo-Tatarskaya Sloboda, etc. In the direction to in the southeast and east, the territory of the city as a whole gradually rises, and the large residential areas of Gorki, Azino, as well as Nagorny, Derbyshki are located at iso-heights of 20-40 meters and higher than part of the historical center, southwestern areas and Zarechye. In Zarechye, Zilantova Mountain stands out, as well as the hills of villages in the north of the city. In different places there are ravines and similar local elongated depressions of the terrain.

The city's territory is characterized by a very significant proportion of water surfaces. A strip of part of the Volga water area more than 2 km wide (along the western border of the city), as well as the predominantly shallow end and new mouth of the Kazanka River about 1.5 km wide (entirely within the city territory) were formed with the appearance of the Kuibyshev reservoir in the middle of the 20th century instead of many times more narrow natural widths of rivers.

Kazan is one of the largest cultural centers in Russia, preserving classical achievements, as well as promoting the development of modern, avant-garde trends in many areas of culture. The capital of Tatarstan is traditionally called “multicultural,” implying the mutually beneficial enrichment of peacefully coexisting Russian and Tatar cultures. With the support of UNESCO, the world's first Institute for the Culture of Peace was created in Kazan.

SHAMIL'S HOUSE - GABDULLA TUKAY MUSEUM

Kazan annually hosts international festivals of opera Chaliapinsky, ballet Nurievsky, classical music Rachmaninovsky, open air opera “Kazan Autumn”, modern music “Concordia”, folk and rock music “Creation of the World”, literary “Aksenov-fest”, Muslim cinema “Golden Minbar” (since 2010 - Kazan International Muslim Film Festival), role-playing games “Zilantcon”, numerous festivals and competitions at the federal and republican level. The only Kazan film studio in the Volga region operates in the city.

Starting from the 9th century, there was a gradual peaceful colonial movement of the Slavs along the upper Volga to lands inhabited by Finno-Ugric peoples. By the end of the 11th century, Rus' owned the entire upper Volga almost to the mouth of the Oka. The borders of Volga Bulgaria began a little lower, and the right bank of the Volga up to the mouth of the Sura was inhabited by the Erzyans. Moreover, the “last” Slavic city on the Volga until 1221 was Gorodets.

In 1221, Prince George Vsevolodovich, at the confluence of the Volga and Oka, founded a stronghold for the defense of the borders of the Vladimir Principality from the Moksha, Erzi, Mari and Volga Bulgars under the name Novgorod of the Nizovsky land (the Nizovsky land was the Vladimir principality called the Novgorodians) - later this name was transformed into Nizhny Novgorod , and the imperial title remained until 1917.

NIZHNY NOVGOROD KREMLIN - MILITARY EXHIBITION

The city has more than 600 unique historical, architectural and cultural monuments. The main one is the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. Until 2010, Nizhny Novgorod had the status of a historical settlement, but by Order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation dated July 29, 2010 N 418/339, the city was deprived of this status.

In total, there are about two hundred cultural institutions of regional and municipal significance in Nizhny Novgorod. Among these institutions are 13 theaters, 5 concert halls, 97 libraries, 17 cinemas, 25 children's clubs, 8 museums, the digital Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium, 8 enterprises that ensure the functioning of parks.

In Nizhny Novgorod there are three academic theaters (drama, opera and ballet named after A. S. Pushkin and a puppet theater), comedy theaters, theaters for young spectators, etc.

3 regional and 92 public municipal libraries have been opened in Nizhny Novgorod. There are also libraries at organizations, educational institutions and enterprises of the city.

NIZHNY NOVGOROD KREMLIN - VIEW FROM THE VOLGA

One of the largest is the Nizhny Novgorod State Regional Universal Scientific Library named after. V.I. Lenin, opened in 1861. A legal information center has been created on its basis.

On the territory of the city there is the A. M. Gorky Museum, which includes the Literary Museum; the setting of the autobiographical story “Childhood” is Kashirin’s House; a museum-apartment in which work was carried out on several of the writer’s works. The city also houses the only museum in Russia of N. A. Dobrolyubov in the former tenement house of the Dobrolyubov family, as well as a house-museum in the wing of the Dobrolyubov estate, where the critic spent his childhood and youth; Museum of A. S. Pushkin; museum-apartment of A.D. Sakharov, Russian Museum of Photography.

A rare cruise along the Volga is not complete without a visit to the southern Russian river port of Astrakhan. Astrakhan is a famous city in the south of Russia, one of the largest and most interesting places on the Volga.

Astrakhan is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the Astrakhan region, 1500 km southeast of Moscow. The city is located on 11 islands of the Caspian lowland, in the upper part of the Volga delta.

There are about 38 bridges in the city. The main part of the city is located on the left bank of the Volga; approximately 20% of the city’s residents live on the right bank.

Both parts of the city are connected by two bridges across the Volga.

The total area of ​​the city is about 500 km². The length of the city along the Volga is 45 km. On two banks it is over 45 km. The city is divided into 4 administrative districts; in the future, due to the large area of ​​its districts, comparable to the Moscow districts, it is planned to divide it into 7 administrative districts. Astrakhan is assigned to the same time zone as Moscow, although local real time is 42 minutes ahead of Moscow. The flight time to Moscow is a little over 2 hours, up to 7 flights fly daily, the train to Moscow takes from 27.5 hours (No. 85/86 Makhachkala-Moscow) or more (including fast branded train No. 5 “Lotos”), runs as well as trains passing through in transit to Baku.

Every day up to 5 trains leave from Moscow to Astrakhan. You can get from Astrakhan to Moscow by bus in about 24 hours. Traveling along the Volga by boat takes 8 days to Moscow (with stops in cities). Astrakhan has 21 large and small ports, 15 shipbuilding and ship repair yards.

the building of the former Azov-Don Bank, and now the building of the State Bank of Russia for the Astrakhan Region, 1910, architect Fedor Ivanovich Lidval

Gubin mansion, late 19th century;

hipped tower of the fence of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (early 18th century) with inserts of polychrome tiles;

Demidovsky courtyard (XVII-XVIII centuries); Church of St. John Chrysostom (1763; “octagon on quadrangle” with rich sculptural decoration; rebuilt in the 19th century);

Cathedral of St. Vladimir, 1895-1904 (during Soviet times, the building housed a bus station, in 1999 the temple was transferred to the Orthodox Church);

house of the Astrakhan Cossack army, 1906 (architect V. B. Valkovsky); cinema "October" with a unique winter garden-arboretum;

Indian trading compound; wooden residential buildings in the “Russian” or “Ropetov” style;

Regional Scientific Library named after N.K. Krupskaya;

Swan Lake in the city center;

White Mosque; Black Mosque; Red Mosque; Persian mosque;

Monument to the Turkmen poet Magtymguly Fragi Monument to Kurmangazy

The illuminated tower of the Astrakhan television center

On the right bank of the Volga between Kostroma and Kineshma nestled a small town - Plyos. He knew the days of the highest rise of his glory - and experienced periods of complete oblivion.
Plyos was famous not only here, but also in the West. This was the time (80-90s) when Plyos accidentally entered the history of art and became, as it were, an exponent of the sentiments of part of the Russian intelligentsia. This, however, will be discussed in more detail below.
Plyos, first of all, is beautiful. The beauty of Plyos is special, unique and multifaceted. Plyos is beautiful as a whole, like an amazing panorama, beautiful in every detail, in every bend, in every nook and cranny. Walking through the hills of the city, you come across more and more new effects that amaze and fascinate you.

Almost four and a half centuries ago, the son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, decided to protect himself from foreign military surprises and began to build up the Volga with fortified cities. This is how Samara and Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) appeared. And in 1590, between these two cities, Saratov was built by the princely hand of Grigory Zasekin.

This city received many harsh lessons - it burned down several times, it was rebuilt, it was ruined by Pugachev, it was plundered by Kalmyks and Kubans... It was tested by the devilish power of Russian history, which was rarely merciful to its latitudes.

But the times of aggression and chaos have died down. The rule of law was strengthened and the city began to be rebuilt. Schools, hospitals, printing houses, theaters, cathedrals, public places - Saratov was filled with its infrastructure, philosophy, great geniuses. The merchant center of the Volga region developed rapidly, carving many victories on massive slabs of personal biography. And now the emotional cry in Griboyedov’s play ceased to have any basis.
, in which the thirst for activity boils like hot lead. It is home to one of the country's top universities, offering innovative education while preserving its research heritage. There are more than a dozen higher educational institutions in the city.

The streets of the central part of the city enthusiastically represent all the diversity of architectural styles and forms of old Russia. From 17th century cathedrals to neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau. From Stalin's baroque to the configurations of modern fantasies. Behind the windows of every house hide mystical stories about time and destinies, which so often change the real course of things.

Museum spheres contain real masterpieces of art. There is always a chance to admire the exquisite work of French masters on 18th-century Sèvres porcelain. The country's best collection of paintings and graphics by A.P. Bogolyubova has long attracted lovers of fine art. As well as the works of world-famous masters: V.E. Borisova-Musatova, P.N. Kuznetsova, K.S. Petrova-Vodkina.

I can talk about the natural beauty of the Saratov region for a very long time. But only by feeling its invisible atmosphere of peace can you fully indulge in spiritual relaxation. Saratov.

Upper Volga (from the source to the mouth of the Oka) - Tver, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod regions;

Middle Volga (from the right tributary of the Sura to the southern edge of the Samara Luka) - Chuvashia, Mari-El, Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk and Samara regions;

The Lower Volga (from the confluence of the Kama [officially, but not hydrologically] to the Caspian Sea) - the Republic of Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd regions, the Republic of Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region.

After the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the border between the middle and lower Volga is usually considered to be the Zhigulevskaya hydroelectric station above Samara.

Attractions

Almost all regional and capital cities located on the Volga are major centers of educational tourism: Kostroma with the magnificent Ipatiev Monastery; rapidly developing Nizhny Novgorod with a complex of medieval Kremlin buildings, a unique monument to Valery Chkalov and a permanent exhibition of Russian weapons produced during the war; the capital of Chuvashia, Cheboksary, where everyone will be shown the monument and house-museum of the legendary V. I. Chapaev; ancient Kazan, the capital of now sovereign Tataria; The birthplace of the organizer and inspirer of the October Revolution, V.I. Lenin, is the city of Ulyanovsk, where the largest memorial and museum complex still operates.

The tourist will also remember the magnificent embankments of Samara, the longest pedestrian street in Russia in Saratov, and the well-preserved Astrakhan Kremlin. It is impossible to pass by the majestic Motherland monument on Sapun Mountain in the hero city of Volgograd without heartfelt trepidation.

In the Volga region there are many places associated with the names of I. A. Goncharov, N. G. Chernyshevsky, A. M. Gorky, I. I. Shishkin, A. D. Sakharov and other outstanding people of the Russian state.

Geographical information

Volga basin

The Volga originates on the Valdai Hills (at an altitude of 228 m) and flows into the Caspian Sea. 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 river system of the Volga basin includes 151 thousand watercourses with a total length of 574 thousand km. The Volga receives about 200 tributaries. The left tributaries are more numerous and have more water than the right ones. After Kamyshin there are no significant tributaries.

The Volga basin occupies about 1/3 of the European territory of Russia and extends from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands in the west to the Urals in the east. The main, feeding part of the Volga drainage area, from the source to the cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, is located in the forest zone, the middle part of the basin to the cities of Samara and Saratov is in the forest-steppe zone, the lower part is in the steppe zone to Volgograd, and to the south - in the semi-desert zone . The Volga is usually divided into 3 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 mouth.

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 in the so-called Upper Volga reservoir.

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SOURCE OF MATERIALS AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads.

  • 25339 views

    14 regions: regions and republics wash the banks of this giant in the world of rivers. And the river basin from where the Volga absorbs water is much larger. They sing Oka with Tsna and Moksha, Kama with Vyatka, Chusova and Belaya, Sviyaga, Samara, Kostroma and many others. The Volga even forks in two on its way, and of such rivers I remember only the Orinoco in South America.

    65 cities are located along the banks of the largest and longest river in the European part of the Eurasian continent. And there’s nothing to say about smaller settlements. Among the largest cities I would like to mention Samara, Astrakhan, Kazan, Volgograd, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod. Other regional capitals include Ulyanovsk, Cheboksary, Kostroma, Tver and Yaroslavl.

    I visited Nizhny Novgorod, took photos on Polaroid in 1995 with the president of the Chuvash Republic in Cheboksary, studied in Kazan. Good memories...

    Perhaps the largest cities on the Volga are: Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Yaroslavl, Tver, Kazan, Samara, Kostroma, Tolyatti, Astrakhan, Saratov. The Volga is the longest river in Europe; it originates in the north-west of the Tver region.

    A very interesting question for me. I myself was born and raised in the city of Ulyanovsk. This is the middle Volga region of the Volga River. By the way, the largest bridge in Europe is located there. I myself was wondering what cities the Internet would show up.

    Here is a list of cities and villages on the Volga.

    Stands on the Volga more than 60 cities. The largest cities on the Volga are Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, and Kazan.

    Here is a list of other cities:

    • Tver, Rzhev, Zubtsov, Konakovo, Kimry, Staritsa, Kalyazin (these cities are located in the Tver region).
    • Dubna (belongs to the Moscow region).
    • Uglich, Rybinsk, Myshkin, Tutaev, Yaroslavl (these cities belong to the Yaroslavl region).
    • Kostroma, Volgorechensk (the cities belong to the Kostroma region).
    • Pls, Kineshma, Zavolzhsk, Navoloki, Yuryevets, Puchezh (these cities belong to the Ivanovo region).
    • Nizhny Novgorod, Chkalovsk, Zavolzhye, Gorodets, Kstovo, Balakhna, Bor, Lyskovo (the cities belong to the Nizhny Novgorod region).
    • Zvenigovo, Volzhsk, Kozmodemyansk (these are cities of the Mari-El Republic).
    • Cheboksary, Mariinsky Posad, Novocheboksarsk, Kozlovka (Republic of Chuvashia).
    • Kazan, Zelenodolsk, Bolgar, Tetyush (cities belonging to the Republic of Tatarstan).
    • Ulyanovsk, Sengilei, Novoulyanovsk, Dimitrovgra (Ulyanovsk region).
    • Samara, Tolyatti, Zhigulvsk, Syzran, Novokuibyshevsk, Oktyabrsk (Samara region).
    • Saratov, Engels, Balakovo, Khvalynsk, Volsk, Marks (the cities belong to the Saratov region).
    • Volgograd, Nikolaevsk, Kamyshin, Dubovka, Volzhsky, Krasnoslobodsk (the cities belong to the Volgograd region).
    • Astrakhan, Akhtubinsk, Narimanov (the cities belong to the Astrakhan region).

  • On the Volga River, from mouth to source, there are about sixty cities. These include:

    The cities of the Tver region are Rzhev, Zubtsov, Staritsa, Tver, Konakovo, Kimry, Kalyazin.

    City in the Moscow region - Dubna.

    The cities of the Yaroslavl region are Uglich, Myshkin, Rybinsk, Tutaev, Yaroslavl.

    Cities of the Kostroma region - Kostroma, Volgorechensk.

    The cities of the Ivanovo region are Pls, Navoloki, Kineshma, Zavolzhsk, Yuryevets, Puchezh.

    The cities of the Nizhny Novgorod region are Chkalovsk, Zavolzhye, Gorodets, Balakhna, Nizhny Novgorod, Bor, Kstovo, Lyskovo.

    Cities of the Mari-El Republic - Kozmodemyansk, Zvenigovo, Volzhsk.

    Cities of the Republic of Chuvashia - Cheboksary, Novocheboksarsk, Mariinsky Posad, Kozlovka.

    Cities of the Republic of Tatarstan - Zelenodolsk, Kazan, Bolgar, Tetyushi.

    Cities of the Ulyanovsk region - Ulyanovsk, Novoulyanovsk, Sengilei, Dimitrovgrad.

    The cities of the Samara region are Tolyatti, Zhigulvsk, Samara, Novokuibyshevsk, Oktyabrsk, Syzran.

    Cities of the Saratov region - Khvalynsk, Balakovo, Volsk, Marks, Saratov, Engels.

    Cities of the Volgograd region - Kamyshin, Nikolaevsk, Dubovka, Volzhsky, Volgograd, Krasnoslobodsk

    The cities of the Astrakhan region are Akhtubinsk, Narimanov and Astrakhan.

    The Volga is perhaps the largest and longest river on the Eurasian continent (its European part). Along its banks there are many fairly large cities and even more small settlements, settlements and villages.

    Among the largest, for example, we can name Saratov, Samara, Kazan, as well as Volgograd, Astrakhan and Nizhny Novgorod. Of those cities that are capitals of regions, we can name Cheboksary, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, as well as Tver and Ulyanovsk.

    This map clearly shows all the main settlements located on the Volga River.

    And here you can see a complete list of all settlements near the Volga.

    On Volga there are many cities and villages, about twenty cities: Astrakhan, Kazaev, Ulyanovsk, Balakovo, Saratov, Syzran, Samara.. better I’ll show you a complete list of all cities on the Volga by region:

    40-Volgograd

    120-Saratov

    160-Nizhny Novgorod

    200-Astrakhan

    240-Kazan

    To find out what cities are on the Volga, the easiest way is to remember geography and look at the map of Russia.

    The map shows the major cities of Russia located on the Volga. If you go down the Volga from above from Tver downstream to Astrakhan, then from Tver And Rybinsk the Volga route goes through cities Yaroslavl, Kostroma, then Kineshma, Further Nizhny Novgorod, Then Cheboksary And Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Tolyatti, Further Samara, then Sizran, Balakovo And Saratov, below Kamyshin, Volgograd and below Volgograd - Astrakhan.

    Conventionally, the Volga is divided into upper, middle and lower Volga. Upper Volga: from Tver to Nizhny Novgorod; from Nizhny Novgorod to Kazan - the middle Volga, and below from Kazan to Astrakhan - the lower Volga. The largest cities are cities with a population of over one million people - Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Volgograd.

    Cities on the Volga

    There are a lot of such cities, I will list the main ones: Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Volgograd, Rzhev, Tver, Rybinsk, Kostroma, Kineshma, Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk, Tolyatti, Astrakhan. Each city is unique in its own way and has its own history.

    Several years ago, I sailed on a large three-deck motor ship on a tourist package along the Volga. All Volga cities had city tours. These are the cities: Pless, Volgograd, Samara, Kuibyshev, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl. And, of course, Tver. Why, of course, because I was born in it. This is a beautiful city. The Volga River divides the city in half. These are not all cities. There are many more smaller cities. The Volga is a great and very beautiful river.

    On the Volga stands the hero city of Volgograd! A glorious city for all Russians!

In vast Russia, many cities are adjacent to rivers. Some cover several settlements, others encircle most of the country, passing through cities, villages and villages. Let's consider the largest and most famous rivers with the cities that are located on their coasts.

Cities on the Volga

(Nizhny Novgorod)

The Volga is a river in the European part of the Russian Federation, is one of the largest rivers on Earth and the longest in Europe. The Volga flows through Russia, but a small section (the river delta) also covers our neighbors in Kazakhstan. The source is the village of Verkhovye in the Tver region, and the mouth is the Caspian Sea.

Its length is 3530 kilometers, and the total area of ​​the basin is 1,360,000 km². Along its course, the Volga covers as many as four million-plus cities: Samara, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan.

In addition to them, there are more than 60 cities on the coast of a large river. Here are the largest of them: Astrakhan, Balakovo, Volzhsk, Dimitrovgrad, Dubna, Kimry, Kstovo, Kostroma, Novocheboksarsk, Rzhev, Saratov, Syzran, Tver, Togliatti, Uglich, Ulyanovsk, Cheboksary, Engels and Yaroslavl.

The Volga encircles many regions, for example, it flows through the Volgograd, Astrakhan, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Tver, Samara, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, and Ivanovo regions. Also found in the Republic of Tatarstan and Chuvash.

Cities on the Oka

(Moore)

Oka is a river in Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. The Oka extends over 1,500 kilometers and has a total basin area of ​​245,000 km². It originates in the Oryol region in the village of Aleksandrovka, and ends in Nizhny Novgorod, merging with the powerful and majestic sister Volga.

The Oka flows through the Kaluga, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Oryol, Vladimir and Tula regions. The largest cities located on the banks of the river are Serpukhov, Kaluga, Aleksin, Kashira, Ryazan, Kolomna, Stupino, Dzerzhinsk, Pavlovo, Murom and Kasimov. There are 19 settlements on the banks of the Oka. The Oka also covers a city with a population of over one million people - Nizhny Novgorod.

Cities on the Kama

(Permian)

The Kama River is the largest left tributary of the Volga. Its length is 1,805 kilometers, and the total area of ​​the basin is 507,000 km². The Kama begins in the Verkhnekamsk Upland in the Udmurt Republic, and ends in the Kuibyshev Reservoir, adjacent to the Volga.

There are 22 cities along the river's coastal strip. The largest of them are Naberezhnye Chelny, Berezniki and Tchaikovsky, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Nizhnekamsk, Neftekamsk, Solikamsk, Chistopol.

The most populous cities located on the banks of the river are Naberezhnye Chelny, where more than 520 thousand people live, and Perm, which has a population of over one million inhabitants.

Cities on the Northern Dvina

(Novodvinsk)

The Northern Dvina is a large navigable river located in the Russian Federation. Its source is the connection of two rivers: the Yug and Sukhona in the Vologda region, and its mouth is the Dvina Bay, which belongs to the White Sea.

The length of the Northern Dvina is 744 kilometers, the basin area is 357,000 km².

The Northern Dvina boasts a number of tributaries (it has more than 50), but the list of cities is not as large as that of the Volga or Oka. On its shore are located: Veliky Ustyug, Kotlas, Arkhangelsk, Krasavino, Novodvinsk and Severodvinsk.

The most remarkable city is Veliky Ustyug. The city's population is small - 31 thousand people, but almost every Russian knows this place as the birthplace of Father Frost. Children write letters wishing for New Year's gifts, and adults come here who want to capture the fairy-tale mood.

And the largest city on the Northern Dvina is Arkhangelsk, where more than 350 thousand residents live.

River Don and Rostov-on-Don

The Don River is located in the European part of the Russian Federation, its length is 1870 kilometers, the basin area is 422,000 km². The river begins in the northern part of the Central Russian Upland and ends in Azov in the Taganrog Bay.

The Don covers two large cities - Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. Each of them has a population of over one million people. Also, along the territory of its flow, the river affects the Tula, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Ryazan and Rostov regions.

Rostov-on-Don is the tenth most populous city in Russia, with about 1 million and 120 thousand people living on its territory.

Rostov-on-Don itself is the largest cultural, scientific, educational and industrial center in Russia. It is also the most important transport hub in the southern zone of the country. The unofficial name that has taken root in the city sounds like “Rostov the Pope,” although many local residents call their homeland the “Gateway of the Caucasus.”

Neva and St. Petersburg

(Saint Petersburg)

The Neva is a river that spans the Leningrad region, the northern capital of Russia, and connects Lake Ladoga with the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. The length of the Neva is only 74 kilometers, and the total area of ​​the basin is 281,000 km². What makes it unique is its geographical location, only this river flows from the huge Lake Ladoga, which has at least 40 tributaries from large rivers and streams.

The cities of the Leningrad region are comfortably located on the coastal zone of the Neva: St. Petersburg, Shlisselburg, Otradnoye and Kirovsk, and several dozen more settlements, such as towns and villages, huddle next to them.

St. Petersburg, surrounded by the Neva, is Russia's second city in terms of population and the first city in Europe with more than 5 million inhabitants without being a capital. At the moment, the city on the Neva is the most important scientific, cultural and economic element in the country, and is also considered one of the most romantic corners of our vast Motherland.

Moskva River and Moscow

(Moscow)

The Moscow River is a medium-sized river in the central part of the Russian Federation, flowing mainly in the Moscow region, although a small part of it also covers the Smolensk region. The length is 502 kilometers, and the basin area is 17,600 km². The source is the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, and the mouth is the city of Kolomna, where the Moscow River flows into the Oka.

The following cities are located on the banks of the river: Mozhaisk, Krasnogorsk, Zvenigorod, Lytkarino, Kolomna, Voskresensk, Zhukovsky, Bronnitsy, Dzerzhinsky and, of course, the capital of Russia itself, Moscow.

Today, Moscow has a population of more than 12 million people, which allows it to be among the top ten largest cities in the world and a leader in a similar list in the Russian Federation.

Moscow has been the historical capital for many years, from the Grand Duchy of Moscow to the modern Russian Federation. Now Moscow plays a vital role in the formation and development of our country, acting as a major transport hub. On the territory of the city there are 9 railway stations, 5 airports, 3 river ports and more than one thousand buses, electric trains and trains with routes throughout Russia.

The beautiful Mother Volga is glorified in many works of famous writers and poets; many wonderful Russian folk songs have been written about her. This amazing river delights not only with its spacious blue waters and fabulous banks. Almost all Russian cities on the Volga and villages attract attention with their amazing history, majesty and beauty.

Volga River, geography

The largest river in Europe is the Volga. Throughout its course, various settlements have been built since ancient times. Cities located on the Volga are quite significant in all respects both for their regions and for the country as a whole.

The length of the river before the creation of reservoirs and a cascade of hydroelectric power stations was 3690 km, today it is 3530 km. According to some unspecified data, the length of the Volga has become much shorter - 3430 km. In the general list of the length of all Russian rivers, the Volga ranks sixth, and 16th among all rivers on Earth.

A territory of 1 million 360 thousand km² is occupied by the area of ​​its basin, which is about a third of the entire European part of Russia.

This amazing river begins on the Valdai Hills near the village of Volgo-Verkhovye (Tver region). The Volga flows from the west from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands to the Urals in the east (European part of the Russian Federation).

Many large cities are located near the basin of the largest river. On the Volga, sailing along it, you can see many amazing natural landscapes with cities and villages that fit perfectly into them. Moreover, each has its own unique history, its own cultural values ​​and unique attractions.

The generally accepted division of the Volga regions. Cities located on the Volga

1. The Upper Volga represents the territory from the source of the river to the place where the Oka River flows (Nizhny Novgorod).

2. From the place where the Oka flows into the Volga to the place where the Kama flows into it - the territory of the Middle Volga.

3. The Lower Volga covers the zone from the confluence of the Kama to the Caspian Sea itself. Now (after the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir) the border between the Lower and Middle Volga is the Zhigulevskaya Hydroelectric Power Station (area of ​​the cities of Tolyatti and Zhigulevsk).

Let's look at some of the largest cities located on the Volga, worthy of attention in terms of history and attractions.

Yaroslavl

This ancient city on the Volga has a population of more than 590 thousand people.
Almost the entire historical center of Yaroslavl, protected by UNESCO, is a tourist attraction.

In total, the city has 785 cultural and historical monuments. In one of them, the amazing Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, a historical collection of ancient manuscripts and books has been preserved.

In the 16th century, the state treasury was moved to Yaroslavl. There is also a large state museum-reserve (historical, architectural and artistic) with a rich collection of icons.

This settlement, like other cities on the Volga River, has a rich historical heritage of ancient times. It is impossible to describe it in full.

Samara

Samara is located between the mouths of the Samara and Sok rivers, in the very place where they flow into the Volga. The city's population is more than 1,100 thousand people. During Soviet times, the city was called Kuibyshev.

The very first mentions of the city in historical chronicles date back to 1361.

The most interesting sights: Stalin's bunker, built in less than a year in 1942; the legendary Revolution Square (the oldest street in the city); bell tower of the women's Iversky Monastery (building of 1850, 70 meters high).

It should be noted that the above-mentioned bell tower stood for about 80 years without repair. Only in the 90s of the last century this historical building was reconstructed.

Many cities on the Volga also have similar historical buildings that have survived to this day.

Saratov

On the right bank of the Volgograd reservoir is the beautiful city of Saratov. The date of its foundation is 1590, when a guard fortress was built on this site.

The population of Saratov is more than 830 thousand people.

Sights: “Saratov Arbat” is located on Kirov Avenue; monument to flying cranes (Sokolova Gora); Nikitin Brothers Circus; Conservatory named after L.V. Sobinova; monument in honor of Yu.A. Gagarin (Cosmonauts embankment); national village (national houses of all peoples of the Saratov region).

In this unusual village you can not only find yourself in the atmosphere of the cultural heritage of Dagestan, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan, etc., but also try dishes of a variety of national cuisines.

Volgograd

Which city on the Volga had several names? From 1589 to 1925, Volgograd was called Tsaritsyn, and then until 1961 - Stalingrad. The city's population is more than 1 million people. The hero city is the largest historical and cultural center of the region.

A majestic memorial monument (symbol of the Motherland) was erected in it in honor of the famous Battle of Stalingrad.

Nizhny Novgorod

At the confluence of two large rivers, the Volga and Oka, the ancient city of Nizhny Novgorod is located. It is not only one of the oldest cities in Russia on the Volga, but also one of the largest. Its population is more than 1200 thousand people.

The date of foundation of the city is calculated from the founding of the Novgorod fortress of the Nizovsky land (hence its name) - this is 1221. This fortress is the main attraction of Nizhny Novgorod.

The Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God is located not far (7.5 kilometers) from Sennaya Square.

Kazan

Kazan is a city that relatively recently celebrated its millennium (2005), although the exact year of its founding is not entirely known. It is located on the banks of the Volga River at the confluence of the Kazanka River. The city is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and is very often called the “third capital of Russia.” The population is more than 1,100 thousand people.

Almost all cities on the Volga have preserved unique historical ensembles in their architecture, perfectly combined with modern buildings.

The most important attraction of Kazan is located in the historical center of the city: the Kremlin with the Kul Sharif mosque and the Syuyumbike tower.

Modern buildings also fit perfectly into the numerous ancient historical ensembles of the city: the Pyramid cultural center, the state circus, modern hotels, etc.

Also in Kazan, the following attractions are very memorable and beautiful: a fabulous-looking children's puppet theater, the pedestrian cultural street of Bauman (similar to Arbat in Moscow), beautiful embankments, on one of which there is a wedding palace in the shape of a bowl, etc.

Astrakhan

This city, by its location, is the last of the regional centers located on the banks of the Volga. It is inhabited by more than 500 thousand people.

On the site of Astrakhan in the 8th-10th centuries there was the city of Itil, which at that time was the capital of the ancient Khazar Khaganate.

Here you can see the Kremlin, famous for its unprecedented beauty, built at the beginning of the 17th century.

Smaller notable cities on the Volga

Along the banks of the great Volga River there are also smaller cities, which are historical and architectural monuments.

Tolyatti is the second largest city in the Samara region in terms of population. It was founded in 1737. Population: more than 720 thousand people.

The city of Syzran is also located in the Samara region near the Saratov reservoir. It was founded by Grigory Kozlovsky in 1683. Population: more than 170 thousand people.

The administrative and cultural center of the Kostroma region is Kostroma. The date of its foundation is 1152. Population: more than 260 thousand people.

Tver (formerly Kalinin) is located at the confluence of the Tvertsa and Tmaka rivers into the Volga. The city was founded in 1135. Population: more than 400 thousand people.

The capital of Chuvashia is Cheboksary. Population: more than 450 thousand people.

The city of Mologa was once located not far from Yaroslavl, at the confluence of the Mologa and Volga rivers. It was located on a flat hill and stretched along the right bank of the Mologa and along the left bank of the Volga.

Its population was more than 7,000 people.

During the Soviet Union in 1935, a government decree was adopted on the construction of a hydroelectric power station (Rybinskaya). According to the project, the area of ​​the reservoir was supposed to be 2.5 thousand square meters, and the height of the surface of its waters above sea level was 98 m. The city elevation was 98-101 m.

However, in 1937, the famous five-year plans of those times forced a revision of the project to increase the power of the hydroelectric station. In this regard, it was decided to raise the water level to 102 meters. As a result, the area of ​​flooded areas almost doubled.

In April 1941, after the resettlement of people, the filling of the reservoir began. The ancient and original city of Mologa (800 years old), which was once an appanage principality with numerous villages, never became.

The flooded city on the Volga is a victim of the country's electrification.

The amazing nature of the Volga basin, beautiful cities with unique historical architectural and cultural attractions attract the attention of a huge number of tourists to travel to these places.

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 the summer). 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 section 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 the Russian food industry.
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 the outdated material and technical base hinders the development of the tourism business. Motor ships that were built back in Soviet times (60-90s of the last century) still sail along the Volga. There are quite a few water tourist routes along the Volga. From Moscow alone, ships sail on more than 20 different routes.