The Volga is a great Russian river that has long become a symbol of Russia. She is depicted on the canvases of artists, her greatness has been sung more than once in songs and poems. When the name of this river sounds, the imagination immediately draws a picture of endless expanses of water. But in its very upper reaches the Volga is only a small stream.

Many people know that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea. But not everyone can say where this river originates. Meanwhile, at the source of the Volga there are many attractions that attract numerous tourists interested in the natural resources of Russia and the history of the country. And the Volga is one of the most famous natural treasures of the Russian land.

The place where the source of the Volga River begins

Location of the source of the Volga on the map of Russia

The source of the Volga is located at an altitude of approximately 230 m above sea level on the southwest side of the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky district, Tver region. Here, from a small swamp, several tiny springs make their way to the surface of the earth, which combine into a small reservoir.

In this place you can easily jump over the Volga and even step over it, because it is just a stream a little more than half a meter wide and 30 cm deep. The water in this place has a characteristic dark red hue. The source of the Volga is so small that in dry years it periodically dries out almost completely. Near the source of the Volga, located on the Valdai Hills, an ecological trail begins, which runs through a picturesque area.

A chapel was built directly next to the spring, with a small bridge leading to it. Three hundred meters from the source you can see the remains of an old stone dam, erected at the beginning of the last century, during the years of the existence of the Olginsky Monastery here. After a little over three kilometers, the still small river enters Lake Malye Verkhity.

Upper Volga

Further, after about 8 km, on the way of the Volga there lies more large lake Sterzh, part of the Upper Volga reservoir system. The river cuts through the waters of this reservoir, almost without mixing with them. Local residents say that in good weather from the shore of the lake you can see how the Volga passes through it with force. On the path of the great Russian river there are also lakes Vselug, Peno and Volgo, where there is a dam that regulates the flow and flow of water.

The Volga runs a long way through the Tver region - more than 680 km. Throughout this entire area, more than a hundred tributaries - small rivers and streams - flow into the river. Then the river carries its waters across the vast territory of the European part of Russia. The Volga basin in the west begins from the Valdai Hills and extends in the east almost to the Urals. The Upper Volga is considered to be the area from the source to the place where this river connects with the Oka.

In Europe, the Volga is the largest river, but in Russia it is only in fifth place in size. In the Tver region there is the village of Volgoverkhovye. There is a chapel near it - this is the place where the Volga River originates.

Even before our era, the Egyptians, Greeks and Slavs who lived at that time called it Ra, the incarnation of the Sun god, and the places where it flows called the sacred country of Iriy (Paradise).

In the Middle Ages, since the place where the Volga River originates is in Rus', it received a Russian name, which means “wetland” or “flowing stream.” But the Turks who lived downstream gave it the name “Itil”, that is, “endless”, “river of rivers”.

In total, she covers a distance of 3530 km. And if the beginning of the Volga River is a tiny swampy stream, and the first bridge across it is only 3 meters long, then after 10 km it flows into Lake Sterzh, once the first of the Upper Volga lakes, which have now turned into one reservoir. Having passed a chain of former lakes, the river becomes full-flowing and flows to Tver in its original bed. Another reservoir begins a little lower, it is often called However, it consists of several man-made lakes, and only in the Caspian lowland does the Volga acquire its natural channel, 500 km long. And before flowing into the Caspian Sea, it forms many branches that make up a vast delta (about 19,000 sq. km).

Today the Volga is distinguished by its majestic, measured flow; in some places it is even difficult to notice. Although earlier, when there were no dams and reservoirs on it, its character was steeper, with riffles. The memory of this remains only in the names of coastal cities and towns and in old legends. But in the lower reaches and in places of reservoirs it can be dangerous, unlike the places where it originates.

The Volga River has more than two hundred tributaries, which themselves are full-flowing and big rivers. For example, the Kama tributary is the largest, it is even fuller and longer in length than its “mother”. In total, the Volga basin has more than 150 thousand more or less large rivers (their length is over 10 km)

If you believe the guidebooks, then along the Volga you can get to almost any corner of the world. But being near the chapel, where the Volga River originates, you cannot say this at all.

One can only say with one hundred percent accuracy that it is realistic to go on a cruise from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg or Astrakhan. You can get to the capital through the Moscow Canal. You will get to the Azov and Black Seas with the help of And the Volga-Baltic route will lead you to while the White Sea-Baltic and North Dvina routes will take you to

In addition to the fact that you can take cruises along the river, the Volga is a source of large fish resources. About 70 species of fish live there, most of which are commercial. This includes herring, stellate sturgeon, roach, sterlet and sturgeon, and bream and pike. It’s not for nothing that fishermen from all over our vast country, and abroad too, flock there.

And if you decide to go on a trip, then start from the places where the Volga River originates, where it is still just a small stream, which after a few hundred kilometers becomes a great Russian river, striking in its beauty and majesty.

The source of the Volga is amazing a nice place, untouched by modern civilization. Here time seemed to stand still, afraid to disturb and destroy the eternal atmosphere of grace reigning around. The Volga originates near the village of Volgoverkhovye on the Valdai Hills in the Tver region.

Where is the source of the Volga

You can get to the Volgoverkhovye from the town of Ostashkov, first along a rather rough road to the village of Svapusche (about 50 km), and from there along a dirt road, the condition of which is much better than that of the asphalt road. From Svapusche to the destination 19 km. There are no buses in Volgoverkhovye, so you can only get there by personal car (geographic coordinates: 57°15`07`` N 32°28`24`` E).

The source of the Volga on the map:

The Volga River flows from afar for a long time...

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

There are several springs in this swamp. One of them, the deepest, has a current that immediately appears, and was identified as the source of the Volga in the middle of the 18th century. A chapel is now built above this spring, to which wooden walkways lead. In the chapel itself there is a font where you can plunge directly into the source. The depth here is shallow: shoulder-deep for an adult.

A memorial stone was installed in front of the walkway in 1989, which reads: “Traveler! Turn your gaze to the source of the Volga! The purity and greatness of the Russian land is born here. Here are the origins of the people's soul. Keep them. Look back as you leave." This place is located at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level.

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

300 meters from the source there is a small bridge across the stream and there is a convenient descent to the stream, so you can wet your feet in the Volga water. However, the water here is cold even in the hottest weather, no higher than 15°.

Holguin Monastery

Near the bridge you can see the remains of a stone dam built by Olgin convent at the beginning of the last century. The dam has now been destroyed, but the monastery itself still exists in the Volgoverkhovye region. IN Soviet time it was closed but revived again in 1999.

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

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

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

For a small fee, you can climb the bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral and look from above at the source of the Volga (we didn’t get there, because the entrance was temporarily closed due to the holiday).

You can take a walk in the forest growing near the source of the Volga. There are a great many paths leading in different directions. You can hear polyphonic birdsong all around, butterflies and dragonflies fly.

In the Volgoverkhovye region, as in any tourist place, there is a small market where they sell ordinary souvenirs, pies and honey. There is no cell phone service in these places; it only appears when you exit the highway in Svapuscha. Here, despite the fact that the source of the Volga is visited by quite a lot of tourists, peace and quiet reigns.

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

Volga - a river flowing in the European part of Russia on the territory of 11 regions and 4 republics. Refers to a swimming pool.

In the upper reaches, the Volga River flows from northwest to southeast, then from the city of Kazan the direction of the river changes to the south. Near Volgograd, the river bed turns to the southwest.
The Volga River begins on the Valdai Hills from a spring in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Ostashkovsky district, Tver region. The Volga Delta begins near the city of Volgograd, Vogograd Region. And 60 km from the city of Astrakhan Astrakhan region The Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea.

The Volga River is one of the largest rivers on Earth and the largest in Europe. It is in 16th place in length among the world's rivers and in 4th place. The Volga is also the largest river in the world that flows into an inland body of water.

The name of the Volga River comes from the Old Slavonic word - vologa, moisture.

Settlements.
The Volga River is the central water artery of Russia. The river is located in the European part of the country.

The Volga River flows through the territory of many regions Russian Federation: in the Tver region, in the Moscow region, in Yaroslavl region, in the Kostroma region, in the Ivanovo region, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the Chuvash Republic, in the Mari El Republic, in the Tatarstan Republic, in Ulyanovsk region, in the Samara region, in Saratov region, in the Volgograd region, in the Astrakhan region, in the Republic of Kalmykia.

On the Volga River, from source to mouth, there are four millionaire cities:
- the city of Nizhny Novgorod - is the administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia and the largest city of the Volga Federal District. It is located in the middle of the East European Plain at the confluence of the Oka River and the Volga River. The Oka divides Nizhny Novgorod into 2 parts: the upper part on the Dyatlov Mountains; the lower part is on the left bank of the Oka. Until 1990, the city was named Gorky in honor of the writer M. Gorky.

— the city of Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, a large port on the left bank of the Volga River. It is the largest scientific, educational, economically developed, cultural and sports center in Russia. The Kazan Kremlin is among the objects World Heritage UNESCO.

— the city of Samara is a city located in the middle Volga region of Russia. It is the administrative center of the Samara region, forming municipality"Samara urban district". It is the sixth most populous city in Russia with a population of 1.17 million people as of 2012. Samara is a major transport, economic, scientific and educational center. The main industries are: oil refining, mechanical engineering and food industry.

— the city of Volgograd is a city located in the southeast of the European part of Russia, and is the administrative center of the Volgograd region. It is located on the western bank of the Volga River in its lower reaches. Together with the cities of Volzhsky and Krasnoslobodsk located on the eastern bank, it is part of the Volgograd agglomeration. The population of the city is 1,018,739 people. Volgograd was called Tsaritsyn from 1589 to 1925, and Stalingrad from 1925 to 1961.

The largest cities on the Volga: Rzhev, Tver, Dubna, Kimry, Kalyazin, Uglich, Myshkin, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Kineshma, Yuryevets, Kozmodemyansk, Cheboksary, Zvenigovo, Volzhsk, Tetyushi, Ulyanovsk, Novoulyanovsk, Sengiley, Tolyatti, Zhigulevsk, Syzran, Khvalynsk, Balakovo, Volsk, Marks, Saratov, Engelsk, Kamyshin, Nikolaevsk, Akhtubinsk, Kharabali, Narimanov, Astrakhan, Kamyzyak.

The rest of the settlements located on the banks of the Volga River from its source to its mouth can be viewed

Routes (access roads).
Due to the fact that the banks of the Volga River are dotted with many settlements, there are many railway and road access routes to the river, so travelers and tourists usually do not have a question about how to get to the river.

The Volga River is connected to the Baltic Sea by the Volga-Baltic waterway, as well as the Vyshnevolotsk and Tikhvin systems. The Volga River is connected to the White Sea through the White Sea-Baltic Canal and through the Severodvinsk system. The Volga River is connected to the Black and Azov Seas through the Volga-Don Canal.

There are also inland waterways along the Volga River: from the city of Rzhev to the Kolkhoznik pier (589 km); from the Kolkhoznik pier to the village of Krasnye Barrikady (2604 km), as well as a 40-kilometer section in the river delta.

There are 1,450 marinas and ports on the river. The largest of them are from the source of the Volga to its mouth - in Selizharovo, in Rzhev, in Zubtsovo, in Staritsa, Tver river port, in Konakovo, in Dubna, in Kimry, in Kalyazin, in Uglich, in Myshkin, in Rybinsk, in Tutaev , in Yaroslavl, in Kostroma, in the city of Ples, in Kineshma, in Chkalovsk, in the city of Gorodets, in Balakhin, in Nizhny Novgorod, in Kozmodemyansk, in Cheboksary, in Novocheboksarsk, in Zvenigovo, Volzhsk, Kazan river port, port Bolgar, port in Tetyushi, Ulyanovsk river port, in Novoulyanovsk, in Sengilei, in Tolyatti, Samara river port, in Syzran, in Khvalynsk, in Balakovo, in Volsk, in Saratov, in Kamyshin, in Volgograd, in Narimanov, Astrakhan river port.

Automobile access roads to the Volga River can be viewed
You can see the bridges built across the Volga River

Main tributaries and reservoirs.
The river system of the Volga basin includes 151 thousand. watercourses are streams, rivers and temporary watercourses, the total length of which is 574,000 km. The Volga receives about 200 tributaries. There are more left tributaries and they are richer than the right ones. After the city of Kamyshin (Volgograd region) there are no significant tributaries.

The largest tributaries of the Volga River are the Kama and Oka rivers.
— river – length 1805 km, basin area 507,000 km²; left tributary.
- - length 1498.6 km, basin area 245,000 km²; right tributary.

In addition to many tributaries, there are several reservoirs on the river:
— Upper Volga Reservoir – length 85 km, width 6 km, area 183 km².
— Ivankovskoye Reservoir – length about 120 km, width of the reservoir 2-5 km, area 327 km², volume 1.12 km³, greatest depth 19 m, average depth 4 m.
— Uglich reservoir – length 146 km, width 0.4-5 km, area 249 km², volume 1.24 km³, greatest depth 22 m, average depth 5 m.
— Rybinsk Reservoir – length 140 km, width 70 km, area 4580 km², volume 25.4 km³, greatest depth 25-30 m, average depth 5.5 m.
— Gorky Reservoir – length 427 km, width 3 km, area 1590 km², volume 8.71 km³, maximum depth 22 m.
— Samara (Kuibyshev) reservoir – length 600 km, width up to 40 km, area 6.5 thousand km², volume 58 km³, greatest depth 41 m, average depth 8 m.
— Cheboksary Reservoir – length 341 km, width 16 km, area 2190 km², volume 13.85 km³, maximum depth 35 m, average depth 6 m.
— Volgograd Reservoir – length 540 km, width up to 17 km, area 3117 km², volume 31.5 km³, average depth 10.1 m.

More detailed information you can read about the tributaries of the Volga River

Relief and soils.
The Volga River is a typical lowland river. The area of ​​the Volga basin occupies about 1/3 of the European part of Russia and extends along the Russian Plain from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands in the west and to the Urals in the east. Due to the very large length of the river, the composition of the soils in the Volga basin is very diverse.

Vegetation.
The Upper Volga from its source to the city of Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Kazan is located in a forest zone. The middle part of the river to the cities of Samara and Saratov is located in the forest-steppe zone. The lower part of the river is located in the steppe zone up to the city of Volgograd, and a little further south lies in the semi-desert zone.
In the upper reaches of the Volga there are large forested areas, in the middle part and partly in the Lower Volga region, large areas of the territory are occupied by crops of grain and industrial crops. Gardening and melon growing are also developed.

Hydrological regime.
The Volga is conventionally divided into three parts: the upper part of the Volga - from the source of the Volga River to the confluence of the Oka into it, the middle part of the Volga - from the confluence of the Oka (Nizhny Novgorod) to the confluence of the Kama River into the Volga (Nizhnekamsk) and the lower part Volga - from the confluence of the Kama River to the mouth of the Volga.

The length of the Volga River from source to mouth is approximately 3530 km (even before the construction of reservoirs it was 3690 km long). The drainage basin area is 1,361,000 km². Water flow near the city of Volgograd is 8060 m³/s. The height of the source is 228 meters above sea level. The height at the mouth is 28 meters below sea level. The river slope is 0.07 m/km. The total drop is 256 m. The average speed of water flow in the channel is low - from 2 to 6 km/h. The average depth is 9 m, the depth in summer and during winter low water is about 3 m.
The river is fed a little by rainwater (10%), a little more by groundwater (30%) and mainly by snowwater (60% of the annual runoff). Spring flood in April-June. Low water levels are observed in summer and during winter low water. There are autumn floods in October as a result of prolonged rains.
The average annual water flow at the Upper Volga dam is 29 m³/s, near the city of Tver - 182 m³/s, near the city of Yaroslavl - 1,110 m³/s, near the city of N. Novgorod - 2,970 m³/s, near the city of Samara - 7,720 m³/s s, near the city of Volgograd - 8,060 m³/s. Below the city of Volgograd, the river loses about 2% of its water flow to evaporation.
The water temperature in the Volga River in July reaches 20-25 °C. The river near Astrakhan breaks up from ice in mid-March. In the first half of April, the opening occurs on the upper Volga and below the city of Kamyshin; throughout the rest of the river, the opening occurs in mid-April. The Volga freezes in the upper and middle parts of its course at the end of November; in the lower part - in early December. The Volga remains free from freezing for about 200 days a year, and near Astrakhan about 260 days. With the creation of reservoirs on the river, the thermal regime of the Volga changed: on the upper dams the duration of ice phenomena increased, and on the lower dams it became shorter.
The bottom of the Volga is sandy, silty-sandy and silty; on the riffles the soil is gristly or pebbly.

Ichthyofauna.
In terms of its diversity of fish, the Volga is considered one of the richest rivers in Russia. Its waters are home to 76 species of fish and 47 subspecies. Grayling is found in the upper reaches of the Volga. Constantly found in the Volga are: carp, sterlet, bream, ide, pike-perch, pike, burbot, bleak, perch, catfish, dace, ruffe, bluegill, chub, roach, white-eye, podust, silver bream, asp, etc. Among the migratory fish that enter the river from the Caspian Sea: beluga, lamprey, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, white fish, thorn, Volga and common herring. Among the semi-anadromous fish that live in the river are: bream, carp, pike-perch, bershi, catfish, asp, sabrefish, etc. The smallest species of fish in the Volga is the granular puglovka, its length is only 2.5 cm. In appearance, it resembles a tadpole. And the most big fish The Volga River is a beluga, its length can reach 4 meters.

Water quality.
The Volga River experiences enormous anthropogenic pressure from numerous sources of pollution located along its banks, as well as directly in the mouth.
Russia's great industrial potential is concentrated in the Volga basin, which is represented by giant chemical enterprises, oil refineries, large engineering associations and thermal power plants. Cargo and passenger ships sail along the Volga River and its tributaries. Hydrocarbon raw materials (coal, gas, oil) are being extracted in this area. Hundreds and thousands of organizations have their interests in the Volga region. Some of them are river polluters.
The Volga accounts for more than a third of the country's total wastewater discharge. Existing treatment facilities provide effective water purification of only 8% of contaminated water. A large number of pollutants enter the Volga with water from the Oka River and the Kama River, as well as their tributaries. The largest volumes of contaminated wastewater occur in cities such as: Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Saratov, Samara, Balakhna, Volgograd, Togliatti, Cherepovets, Ulyanovsk, Ivanovo, Naberezhnye Chelny.
Inorganic and organic pollutants include petroleum products, compounds heavy metals, pesticides (pesticides), phenols, synthetic detergents, etc. These substances enter the river water with waste from industry, agricultural and domestic waste. Many of them in the aquatic environment either decompose very slowly or do not decompose at all.

Use, tourism and recreation.
The Volga River is used by people for a wide variety of purposes. First of all, it is of great economic importance as a transport route. Bread, salt, fish, vegetables, oil, petroleum products, cement, gravel, coal, metal, etc. are supplied up the Volga; Lumber, timber, mineral and construction cargo, and industrial materials are floated downstream.
Passenger transportation and excursions on motor ships are also carried out on the river.
The river is a source of water supply for agricultural facilities, as well as plants, factories and other industrial enterprises.
A number of dams and hydroelectric power stations have been built on the river to generate electricity for human needs.
Economic, recreational and sport fishing is carried out on the river. Many people use the Volga for travel and outdoor activities.

Reference Information.

Length: 3530 km.
Basin area: 1,361,000 km².
Pool: Caspian Sea.
Source: Valdai Upland
Location: Volgoverkhovye village, Ostashkovsky district, Tver region of Russia.
Coordinates: 57°15′7.51″ N. latitude, 32°28′12.62″ e. d.
Mouth: Caspian Sea.
Location: 60 km from the city of Astrakhan, Astrakhan region of Russia.
Coordinates: 45°53′14.98″ N. latitude, 48°31′1.3″ e. d.

The largest of all European rivers, Volga, in Russia occupies only the fifth place in size, leaving ahead the rivers of Siberia and the huge Amur.

In total, the Volga covers a distance of 3,500 kilometers.

Almost along its entire length it is navigable, and about 3,000 kilometers is a tourist route along the river.

During its history, it changed its name twice. Initially, in ancient times, its name was Ra, then, already in the Middle Ages, the river was called Itil.

The Volga begins on the Valdai Hills, from a tiny stream. It’s hard to even believe that after 3.5 thousand kilometers this thin trickle will turn into a powerful water flow, replenishing the volume of the Caspian Sea by 8000 cubic meters every second.

Its waters cover an area equal in size to two Frances or five United Kingdoms. And there is no need to even talk about the importance of the river in the life, economy and culture of Russia. It is simply impossible to imagine the history of the peoples inhabiting the shores without it.

Basically, the Volga is distinguished by its calm disposition, quiet and measured flow. The majestic movement of its waters is, in some places, difficult to even notice. Previously, when there were no dams and reservoirs, the character of the river was steeper. There were also rifts and pitfalls. But the memory of them now remains only in legends and the names of coastal villages and cities.

However, in areas of reservoirs and in the lower reaches of the Volga it can be dangerous. A sad example and lesson of how one should not neglect the power of poetry is the tragedy of the motor ship Bulgaria...

More than two and a half hundred of its tributaries are themselves large deep rivers. One of them, the largest, Kama, is even larger than itself both in length and in depth.

There are more than 150 thousand more or less large rivers, the length of which exceeds 10 kilometers, in the Volga basin. Guidebooks convince you that you can get to almost anywhere in the world by water from here.

But it’s realistic to take a cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg, or in the other direction - Nizhny Novgorod and Astrakhan.

The Moscow Canal leads to the capital. The Volga-Baltic Waterway connects it with the Baltic Sea.

You can get to the Black and Azov Seas by passing through the Volga-Don Canal, and to the White Sea - through the White Sea-Baltic and North Dvina water systems.

The Volga also boasts huge fish resources. About 70 species of fish live here, more than half of which are commercial.

Here you can catch sterlet, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon, bream, herring and roach. The coastal areas are no less attractive. The shores are a wonderful place for a relaxing holiday.

In summer, the water warms up to +25 degrees, and where the water thickness is not very large, the temperature reaches +30.