The largest rivers in Russia - I want to know. The largest rivers of Russia and their brief description of 10 Russian rivers and their origin

Within the territory of Russian Federation there are more than two million large and small rivers. Many of them are small, but the top ten, which includes the largest Russian rivers, occupies a leading position on a global scale. In the European and Asian parts of the country there are huge water arteries, the size of which is amazing.

The largest rivers of Russia: Western and Eastern Siberia

The Ob, Yenisei and Lena flow through the territory of Siberia. Their length is 5410, 4287 and 4480 km, respectively, and the areas of the basins are 2.99, 2.58 and 2.49 million square meters. km.

The Ob is formed by the union of two water streams, the Biya and the Katun. Its tributary, the Irtysh, is also significant. Usually its length is considered along with the Irtysh, so it ranks first in this indicator and rightfully tops the list. "the largest rivers in Russia". Her waters are rich commercial fish, there are about 50 species. The Ob flows into the Gulf of Ob - the bay of the Kara Sea.

The Ob is the largest river in Russia

The source of the Yenisei is located in Mongolia. The main part of its basin lies in our state, and in terms of its area, the Yenisei ranks second. It flows into the Kara Sea. It is formed by the confluence of the Greater and Lesser Yenisei and is the border between Eastern and Western Siberia.

Lena originates in Cisbaikalia. Its source is considered to be a small lake near Baikal. It flows into the Laptev Sea. It was discovered and put on the map of the Russian state in the 17th century.

Yenisei river

The Yenisei River is the fifth longest river in the world

Far East

On the far east country is a large water artery - Amur. Except Russian state it flows through the territories of Mongolia and China. Its length is 2824 km, and the area of ​​the river basin is 1.855 million square meters. km. It is formed by the confluence of Shilka and Argun. The mouth is located on the coast Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Cupid is rich in fish. 139 species live here, of which about 40 have commercial value. 9 species of salmon live in its waters, some of them are endemic.

Amur river

Fishing on the Amur River

The Volga is one of the largest rivers in Russia

This huge water artery is the largest in Europe and one of the largest on the planet. The location of its source is the Valdai Plateau. Falls into the Caspian. Its length is about 3530 km, and the area of ​​its basin is 1.361 million square kilometers. km. The Volga flows through the Russian Federation, only part of its delta lies on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Volga river

The Volga River is not only one of the greatest rivers in our country, but also the longest and most abundant in all of Europe.

European part of the country

Here, besides the Volga, the Don and Northern Dvina. Their lengths are 1870 and 744 km, and the areas of the basins are 422,000 and 357,000 square meters. km. Don begins in the Tula region on the territory Central Russian Upland and ends its journey in the Taganrog Bay. The Northern Dvina is formed by the confluence of the Sukhona and the South. She starts in Vologda region. It flows into the White Sea. It was here that the beginning of Russian shipbuilding was laid.

Fishing on the Don River

North of the Russian Federation

Mostmajor rivers of Russia, flowing in the north in the zone permafrost- these are Indigirka, Kolyma and Khatanga. Their lengths are 1726, 2129 and 1636 km.

The source of the Indigirka is located on the Halkan Ridge, where it is formed at the junction of Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh. It flows through Yakutia, its delta is located on the coast of the East Siberian Sea. The Kolyma also flows through Yakutia. It is formed by the confluence of Ayan-Yuryakh and Kulu, carries its waters to the Arctic Ocean. Khatanga is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai Its source is located at the junction of Kotui and Kheta. It flows through the North Siberian Lowland and ends up in the Arctic Ocean. Along its shores there are many large and small lakes, of which there are more than 110,000.

Indigirka river

It can be said with great confidence that Russia is the most prosperous fresh water country. On the territory of the Russian Federation there are more than 2.5 million rivers (both small and large). All of them belong to the three oceans. Let's talk with you about what are the most important rivers in Russia. The names of most of them have developed historically, so we will touch on the past a bit. On the territory of the Russian Federation there are a lot of amazing rivers and lakes.

Some general information

Approximately 70% of the rivers that are in Russia belong to the Arctic Ocean. The longest and deepest rivers, such as the Yenisei, the Oba, the Lena, etc., flow into the basin. To the pool Pacific Ocean include Amur and Anadyr. The features of the last two are relatively small length and rapid flow. The Don belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin. Don't miss one important point, which lies in the fact that many rivers are located in several border states at once, for example, in Mongolia, Ukraine or Belarus.

As noted above, there are more than 2.5 million rivers in Russia. This fact speaks of a huge supply of fresh water. For Agriculture and the industry is also very important. For example, there is no such problem as the drought of farmlands, which is due to sufficient water resources. It is impossible not to say that the total length of all the rivers of Russia is approximately 10 million km. You probably think that our country ranks first in the world in terms of water resources? No, unfortunately the latter. The first is Brazil, where the volume of fresh river water a few more.

The average long-term flow is 4290 cubic meters per year. This is quite a lot, but, given the uneven location of rivers in the country and various kinds of difficulties in organizing rational use water resource, the stable annual flow is only 1400 cubic meters. As for the amount of water per person, in the Russian Federation it is about 18 thousand m 3 per year, while in the USA - 8 thousand m 3, in Finland - 23.9 thousand m 3 for the same period.

Let's take a closer look at the main rivers of Russia. The names are very different - invented by both other peoples and indigenous people. Let's start with the most interesting.

The main river of Russia is the Volga

Surface waters occupy 12.4% of the total territory of the country. Moreover, 84% is concentrated in the east of the Urals. On the territory of Russia there is one of the largest rivers in the whole world, and this is the Volga. Its basin occupies more than 30% of the European part of the Russian Federation. It flows through four regions and eleven republics.

If we list the rivers of Russia, the names of which are most often mentioned in history, then the Volga will be in the first place. Its length is more than 3,500 kilometers. This is the distance between Berlin and Moscow multiplied by two.

Of course, the Volga is simply of great economic importance, and for hundreds of years it has been used as a transport highway, as well as one of the main sources of hydropower.

If speak about industrial production Russia as a whole, then approximately 45% of enterprises use the resource of the river in question. All this suggests that the Volga has great importance. If not for this reservoir, then life would be much more difficult for us.

The name of the major rivers of Russia, such as the Volga and others, must be remembered, if only because we get more than 80% of all fish from them.

The Volga originates on the Valdai Upland. Every year people come there to take a sip of the Volga water. AT specified place this river is a small spring, which becomes wider and deeper with every meter. Lotuses grow here - beautiful flowers that we all associate with the East. Many songs and plays are devoted to this great and ancient river. You can talk endlessly about the beauty and grandeur of this river, but all this is not very impressive if you do not see the reservoir with your own eyes. You already know how many rivers there are in Russia, so let's talk about those that are of great importance for the development of the country.

Cupid, or "Black Dragon"

This giant is located in Transbaikalia. Crossing mountain ranges and plains, the Amur flows into the river. The river spreads over three states: Russia, Mongolia and China. Approximately three thousand kilometers of the border between Russia and China runs along the Amur. In China it is a dragon. According to legend, two dragons lived here for a very, very long time: white - evil, and black - good. When the black dragon defeated evil, he remained to live at the bottom. The Chinese have adopted this name.

It is noteworthy that on the border of the Amur basin one can observe an amazing spectacle - the change of four physical and geographical zones. There are steppe and semi-desert zones, as well as forest and forest-steppe zones. During the entire existence of the Amur, more than thirty peoples of the world and different ethnic groups settled in these places. If you recall the name of the major rivers of Russia, then the Amur immediately comes to mind.

It is safe to say that wetlands Far Eastern giant considered very valuable natural complex. The fact is that fish resources are reproduced here, and the river is of great importance for the migration of hundreds of thousands of birds. It is on the Amur that almost 95% of the Far Eastern and 50% of the White-naped and Japanese cranes nest. There are over 5,000 species various plants and approximately 400 species of birds, as well as 70 species of mammals. One of the rarest is the Amur tiger.

AT last years the situation on the Amur became much worse. This is due to the active human intervention in the ecosystem of the river. The fact is that more than a hundred million people live in the Amur basin, and this is if we talk only about China. If we still know exactly how many rivers there are in Russia, then in a few years the Amur may not exist, and man will be to blame for everything.

Don is a witness of Russian history

According to the research, scientists were able to name the approximate time of the occurrence of this river. According to most scientists, Don appeared about 23 million years ago. This is the largest river in the south. In Greek literature, there is such a name as Tanais. A long time ago, the legendary Amazons lived here - warriors, who practically had no equal. There are also mentions of these female warriors in Russian stories, according to which, they often fought with the heroes of Russia.

If you list the rivers of Russia, the names of which were given by other peoples, then the Don is one of them. The Iranian peoples lived for some time in the places of the Northern Black Sea region, then these tribes gave the name to the river, which is still used today. Don in translation into Russian means "river".

In many ways, the economy of the south depends on river transport. Most of them are carried out along the Don. It is safe to say that about 85% of the main industry is located on the banks of the river. Here and machine-building plants, food and chemical, as well as the tobacco industry. There was no lack of energy. On the Don is the Rostov NPP, as well as the Novovoronezh NPP.

It is worth paying your attention to the fact that there are three Dons all over the world. The most important is located on the territory of Russia, it is also the largest. The younger namesake flows in the Scottish county of Aberdeen. Another Don is located in York County, in England.

As you can see, the rivers located on the territory of Russia are very popular, and some are known even in far abroad countries. We continue our story further, because there is still a lot of interesting things.

What is the longest river in Russia?

The answer to this question is certainly of interest to many. The Lena River is the longest in Russia. In the world, it ranks tenth in length and eighth in fullness. It originates in the mountains in the south of Siberia and flows into the Laptev Sea. The length of the river is 4,400 kilometers.

On the slopes of the Baikal Ridge, Lena originates. In those places, this is a very small lake, which does not even have its own name. It is located at an altitude of about 930 meters above sea level, ten kilometers from Lake Baikal. Among the mountains, the Lena has no tributaries and flows along the bottom of a small valley. AT winter time almost completely freezes, and in summer it dries up almost completely.

Having received the first tributaries, the river becomes deeper and wider. Mountain currents are very fast and winding. If you ask what long river in Russia is of great importance for the country, then this is without a doubt the Lena. The fact is that this reservoir is the main highway Yakutia. Almost everything that is brought here from the north comes along the river. This is due to the poor condition of the roads.

It is impossible not to consider the issue of population. Studies have shown that few people live on the banks of the Lena. The main part of the settlements is located in Yakutsk, in the rest we are talking only about

Today it is almost impossible to establish where the name came from. Scientists make assumptions that the origin of the name refers to the Tungus-Manchurian "Yelyu-Ene", which means "Big River".

The Russians discovered the reservoir in 1621. First, the explorer Pyanda did this, and then the centurion Peter Beketov.

"Borisfen", or Dnieper

This river flows through the territory of three countries: Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Despite the fact that most of them are located in the Russian Federation, the Dnieper is of great importance for all the listed states. It is difficult to say exactly when this source of food and water appeared for the ancient peoples. However, even Herodotus in his treatises mentioned a river called "Borisfen" and its great importance for the population. Then he said that this is one of the most profitable rivers in the whole world. Much has been said about high quality water. It was transparent and pleasant to the taste. A large number of fish living in the Dnieper contributed to the development of fishing villages.

Today, the length of the river is approximately 2,201 kilometers, it ranks third in length in Europe. The Dnieper is characterized by a slow and calm current. In fact, this is a typical flat river.

The Dnieper originates on the Valdai Upland, in the Smolensk region. It flows into the Black Sea, or to be more precise, into the Dnieper-Bug Estuary.

If you list all the rivers flowing through the territory of Russia, then the Dnieper is one of the most fertile, as it has more than 400 tributaries and a lot of fish. Catfish, pike perch, carp, perch, as well as about a hundred species of various birds, including plover, herbalist, swan, duck and many others, live here.

You can talk endlessly about how beautiful the Dnieper is during sunset or dawn, but it's better to see all this once, and it doesn't matter where you are - in Russia, Ukraine or Belarus.

Yenisei is the real pride of the country

There are whole legends about the origin of this river. But all stories are not supported by facts. It is unknown where the name came from. Someone says that from the Tungus peoples, from the word "Yenesi", which means " big water". Another part of the researchers and scientists is inclined to the Kyrgyz origin from the word "enee-sai" - "mother river". But one thing is for sure: it is unique river. The fact is that camels live in the upper reaches of the Yenisei, and if you go downstream, you can most likely meet entire families of polar bears hunting on the banks. It is noteworthy that on the left bank of the river there are Siberian plains, and the taiga begins on the right. The Yenisei also has a certain influence on the Arctic Ocean. The fact is that the Siberian rivers carry out a huge amount of heat, making the climate of the North less severe.

If to describe big rivers Russia, which take out significant volumes of water from their channel, then the Yenisei is in the first place. Approximately 600 km 3 of water per year goes into this river, several times more than the flow of the Volga. The length of the reservoir is 3,487 km, so it rightfully ranks fifth in length in the Russian Federation. The Yenisei is very beautiful, especially in summer and winter, when it is covered with greenery or snow. Of course, there are other long rivers of Russia, which we will talk about now.

Oka and Ural

As you have probably already noticed, the name of the largest rivers in Russia is sometimes not at all connected with the activities of Russian people in their native territory. Oka, for example, originates from the Finno-Ugric word "ioku", which means "river" in translation. Since ancient times, the Oka has been an important trade artery. After she became defensive line south of Russia. For our country, the river is of great importance, since all of central Russia lies on the banks of the Oka. The area of ​​its basin is a little over 240,000 km2. In fact, this is the same as the whole of the UK. The length of the river is 1,500 kilometers.

Despite the fact that it is not the largest in Russia, it has greater value than the Nile to the Egyptians. There are several important nature reserves on the Oka. One of them is located in the central course - Prioksko-Terrasny, the second - Oksky State biosphere reserve- located in the Ryazan region.

Volga and Danube are the longest rivers in Europe. In third place is the Urals, which stretches for 2,428 kilometers. In ancient times, the river was called "Yaik", which means "flooding, overflowing" in Turkic. During the reign of Catherine II in 1775, the river was renamed the Ural, however, despite this, in Kazakhstan, most people use the former name.

As you can see, the name of the large rivers of Russia quite often has a foreign origin. The peoples living on the territory of the country gave their names to the reservoirs.

The most surprising thing is that one coast of the Urals is located in Europe, and the second - in Asia. Today, along the course of the river, you can see many tourists and fishermen, but the shipping interest has practically disappeared, so it is difficult to call the Urals an important trade and transport artery of Russia.

Everyone should know

It is safe to say that it is necessary to remember the great rivers of Russia, because this is our history. For example, the Volga - one of the largest rivers in the world - enchants with its grandeur. Here you can meet amazing representatives flora and fauna. If you love nature, then be sure to go to the Urals. To be more precise, then visit its part, located a little lower than Orsk.

The gorge of the Guberlinsky Mountains, as well as the Orsky Gate, has beautiful views. There are many geological and landscape monuments here, which, although not of great importance for the infrastructure of Russia, are of interest to travelers. It is in the Urals that many lovers of active fishing gather. Here you can see a lot of tourists traveling along the stream.

The largest river in all respects is located in Siberia, and this is the Ob. It is formed by the confluence of two currents, such as Katun and Bii. The length is often considered from the very source of the Irtysh, in this case the river stretches 5,410 kilometers. On the Ob is located a large number of industrial bases. This is due to the fact that more than fifty species of various aquatic inhabitants live in this reservoir. Approximately 25 species of fish are of industrial importance, so shipping is very well developed here.

However, not everything is as rosy as it seems at first glance. Ecology is a significant problem. The name of the rivers of Russia (we reviewed the list above) has long become something familiar to us, so it is important to consider that some water bodies are endangered.

Conclusion

So we considered the name of the rivers of Russia. The list turned out to be impressive, but, in fact, it is only a few percent of the total water resource of the state.

A very important issue that is raised more and more every year is the environmental situation. A large number of dams and chemical plants on the banks of large rivers significantly worsen the living conditions of their inhabitants. As a result, fish production is reduced, water quality suffers.

I would like to note that for Russia, small rivers are no less important than such giants as the Lena, Volga, etc. The fact is that they form the tributaries of many large rivers. But, as practice shows, uncontrolled water intake from small sources leads to their narrowing, shallow water and even drying out. Today, irretrievable consumption is approximately 4% per year, and this is quite a lot. At this rate, in 12 years, approximately 50% of small rivers will be lost.

Slightly improve the situation can only be as follows: by reducing the number Wastewater. But hardly anyone is going to deal with this issue. All that ordinary people can do is not to engage in illegal fishing and not pollute the water.

Small business also inflicts big damage rivers of the Russian Federation, but this is incomparable with the harm caused by the operation of hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants. We should not forget that many rivers are located on the territory of several states at once. But if the population, for example, of Belarus is not so numerous, especially on the banks of rivers, then in China, hundreds of millions of people live in the coastal zone, depleting the natural resource.

In any case, take care of nature, do not throw garbage into the rivers, as this adversely affects the quality of the water we drink. In the end, all this is reflected in our health.

The river coast is favorite place vacation and travel for many people. On a day off, you can have a picnic on the beach with friends or family, enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking and kayaking, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding nature.

In contact with

The largest water arteries

A large number of people live along the banks of the rivers, which often become the only means of subsistence for the population: they are sources of drinking, food and energy. Industrial enterprises, river ports operate smoothly, and they also carry a significant supply of fresh water. Russia is a country rich in water resources. It is difficult to count how many rivers there are in Russia.

Important! According to experts, there are up to 2.5 million rivers in the Russian Federation. A special catalog has been compiled, where all of them are arranged alphabetically for easy search.

The table shows the longest and full-flowing:

Large rivers differ not only in names, but also in length, area, speed and type of flow, landscapes, inhabitants and fauna, and among them there are clear “record holders”. Each of them is unique in its own way.

The longest river in Russia is the beautiful Lena. It is believed that she is the fastest. Its length is 4400 km, and the basin area is 2,490,000 sq. km.

It originates not far from, and the mouth is located in the Laptev Sea in Yakutia. The main tributaries are Mama, Aldai, Chaya, Vilyuy. It is ranked 10th in the world in terms of total length and 8th in terms of full water.

It feeds mainly on melt and rainwater. It flows through the territory of the Irkutsk region, the Republic of Yakutia, the inhabitants of Transbaikalia admire its beauty, Khabarovsk Territory and Buryatia. The pool is located entirely in Russia.

Its resources are truly inexhaustible.: there have never been dams here, so there is enough food for fish in the water and formed comfortable conditions for life. The flora and fauna are the richest, even species listed in the Red Book live here: Siberian sturgeon, sterlet. And on the banks is the most beautiful national park"Lena Pillars", which is often visited by foreign tourists.

The smallest and meanest

Now let's see what it's called the most short river in Russia. The opposite of Lena is Reiroa, which is located in Abkhazia in the Gagra region and is a champion. The length of the river is only 6-17.7 m - these are the smallest indicators in the world, depending on the time of year and the proximity of the coastline. It feeds on the waters of the underground cave Krubera-Voronya, so the water temperature is constantly low and equal to 11 degrees even in summer.

The rivulet is quite full-flowing, the water flow is about 2 cubic meters per second, and not a single case of its drying up has been recorded. It is a current from a karst cave that crosses the beach and flows into the Black Sea.

The most meandering river in Russia, the Pyana, with the largest the number of turns, loops, bends. It is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region and in Mordovia. The length is about 400 km, while the distance from the beginning to its end is no more than 60 km. A large number of tributaries flow into Piana, the largest of them are:

• Vadok,
• eat,
• kelya,
• couples,
• Rauja.

The width changes along the entire length, at the source it is equal to 90 m, in the middle - about 50 m, and towards its end - 10-20 m. The average depth is 3 m, and in the most deep places reaches 6 m. The banks are rather steep, with cliffs, high. Not far from the village of Pilekshevo there are interesting and even mysterious place- Damn twist. Here the channel turns sharply by 90 degrees, and at this turn a small stream flows into Piana.

Attention! locals attributed to the area near Piana mystical properties associated with the appearance of evil spirits on the banks and other mysterious events.

Along the coast are numerous settlements, as well as the famous Ichalovsky forest with karst caves, and in the Perevozsky district in the village of Ichalka, the Ichalkovskaya hydroelectric power station was built.

Let's climb the mountains

Consider, How are mountain rivers different? Their main feature is the speed of the current, they do not form large valleys and meanders, but flow, as a rule, along mountain gorges with steep banks.

Most are born in and only then descend to the plains.

They are characterized by a slope, a large number of waterfalls and rapids.

In our country, many rivers are mountainous, more rivers are mountainous only in one part, and descending to the meadows and steppes, they become flat. On a territorial basis, they are divided into:

• Crimean,
• Ciscaucasian,
• North Caucasian,
• Far East,
• East Siberian.

In the mountain part Crimean peninsula very developed river system, from its southern part the drains are short, stormy, with many waterfalls: Uchan-Su, Uzkn-Bash. In the western part Belbek, Chernaya, Alma, flowing into the Black Sea.

The Stavropol Upland separates the entire water system edge on the western group of the Sea of ​​Azov and the eastern, belonging to the Caspian Sea. The most famous and largest in the Caucasus are the Kuban and the Terek. They start in the mountains, near the Kuban, not far from the famous Elbrus, and the Terek is on Mount Zilgahokh. Less extended: Kagalnik, Beisug, Chelbas, Kuma.

The Far Eastern rivers are also interesting for their nature of the flow. The famous Amur in the upper part is mountainous, flows through rocky gorges and develops great speed current, gradually decreasing towards the city of Blagoveshchensk. On the ridges of the Sikhote-Alina many mountain streams flow from the eastern side, the largest is Tumnin, 270 km long. To the north- east coast there are numerous rivers flowing down from the ranges: Anadyr, Okhota, Uda.

Most of the rivers of Eastern Siberia are mountainous. Such is the handsome Yenisei, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma. Replete with rapids, whirlpools.

Central part of the country

Among the rivers of the European part of Russia Volga dominates. In this area are the most famous and large rivers with ancient history rich in flora and fauna.

The Volga, of course, is considered the largest, its length is 3888 km, its area is 1360 square meters. km. It is clearly visible on the map. It starts on a hill from an underground source, flows into the Caspian Sea.

The Volga has a lot of tributaries, 200 streams and rivulets, the largest of them are the Kama and Oka. Artificial reservoirs and hydroelectric power plants are installed here:

1. Kuibyshevskaya.
2. Volgograd.
3. Cheboksary.

On the banks of the Volga there are protected natural and national park Samarskaya Luga. Conditionally The Volga is divided into 3 parts:

• top,
• average,
• lower.

The upper section flows in the forest area from the beginning of the Volga to Nizhny Novgorod, the middle part flows mainly through the forest-steppe and steppe, and the lower one - in the conditions of semi-desert and endless steppes. Temperature regime differs from the natural one due to the construction of reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations. In summer, the water temperature is kept at around 23-26 degrees, in winter the surface is almost always covered with a layer of ice.

Volga navigable, therefore, large port cities are located along the coast. The richest in vegetation and animal world it is the lower section of the Volga, unique insects, animals, fish and plants along the banks are presented here in large quantities.

What other rivers of the European part are included in this list.

Kama. It is located in the 5th place in terms of length, about 200 tributaries flow into it, the largest ones: Vyatka, Belaya, Chusovaya.

Dams, reservoirs and hydroelectric power plants constantly regulate and control water. At the source, it is surrounded by mountainous terrain, steppes, and when it flows into the Volga, birch groves and forest-steppes begin along the banks.

Oka. The second significant tributary of the Volga. The length of the Oka is 1480 m. The source is near the village of Maloarkhangelsk, and in the region of Nizhny Novgorod it flows into the Volga.

The change of landscape along different banks is interesting: the right bank is high, with cliffs and steep slopes, and the left one is low, behind it there are numerous water meadows and fields. Toward the mouth, nature is slightly transformed, here the river becomes wider, faster, and along the banks appear pine trees and leafy groves.

Don. The length is 1970 km, and the area is impressive - 450 thousand square meters. km. The source is located in the Tula region, flows from the Urvanka stream, and the mouth is the Sea of ​​​​Azov in the Taganrog Bay. It is characterized by a slow sedate current, so that the expression "quiet" fully corresponds to the character of the Don, the valley is wide, gently sloping with a high right bank. At the lower reaches, the width is 15 km, the depth reaches 12-15 meters. The Don has a lot of tributaries, about 5200. Khoper, Medveditsa, Manych, Northern Donets, Sal are the most significant.

The Don is fed by melt water, groundwater and rain make up a third. On the banks you can see forest-steppes, where several major cities, river ports, nature reserves and hydroelectric power stations. The water flow plays a significant role in the life of the region and industry.

The largest rivers of Russia - names, location

Toponomy of Russian rivers

Conclusion

In our country, there are many beautiful, unique, large and small rivers and streams flowing through mountain ranges and gentle, containing huge reserves drinking water and creating a unique landscape, natural natural conditions for human life, growth and development of the animal and flora. We must try to preserve the rivers of Russia, this natural beauty and leave a legacy for future generations.

Sailing regatta from "Russian Seven". Rafting on the main rivers of Russia!

Volga. River flows

The main water brand of Russia is the Volga. Insanely popular river, though not the longest, not the most abundant. Why? The answer is simple: the Volga basin occupies about 1/3 European territory Russia. By the way, the length of the river is 3530 km. It's like from Moscow to Berlin and back.

The Volga is dedicated not only to a song known without exaggeration to all Russians and a film with the title title. The action of A. Ostrovsky's plays takes place, as a rule, in cities on the Volga. A particularly strong image of the river was created in the film "Cruel Romance"!

Detail: Lotuses - flowers that are associated with the exotic and the East, have long lived in our Volga.

Oka. Not only a small car

The Oka River is the Great Russian River, and it is not in vain that we write this word with a capital letter! Almost all of Central Russia lies on the banks, the area of ​​​​the river basin (245,000 sq. Km) is equal to the territory of the whole of Great Britain, and the length is 1,500 km.

In many respects (navigation, basin area, etc.) for Russia, the Oka exceeded the value of the Nile for Egypt. It is no coincidence that in the 9th-10th centuries, foreigners called the Oka River "Russian River", "River Rus".

By the way, the name of the river "Oka" supposedly comes from the Proto-European "aqva" - "water", it is so ancient! There is a hypothesis that even the word "ocean" (understood as "a great river bordering the world") in Russian comes from the word "Oka".

Don. Millennium Witness of Russian History

Don is a thousand-year-old witness of Russian history. This river appeared on Earth - scary to say! - about 23 million years ago. And according to scientists, the Paleo-Don collected the waters of the entire Russian Plain.

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the lower reaches of the Tanais (Don) were reputed to be the habitat of the legendary Amazons. These women-warriors also got into our epics, which often tell about the fights of Russian heroes with daring riders - "glade".

Detail: Our "father-Don" has two younger namesakes in England: the river Don in the Scottish county of Aberdeen and the river of the same name in the English county of York.

Dnieper. A rare bird will fly to its middle

The Dnieper has been known since ancient times! Even Herodotus called him in his historical treatises Borisfen (which means "river flowing from the north").

Here is what the ancient Greek historian wrote: “Borisfen is the most profitable river: beautiful fat pastures for cattle stretch along its banks; it is found in large quantities the best fish; the water is pleasant to drink and clear (compared to the water of other muddy rivers of Scythia)."

During the period of Kievan Rus, the river was called Slavutich ("river of the Slavs"), at that time a waterway "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed through it, connecting the Baltic (Varangian) Sea with the Black (Russian) Sea.

Detail: "A rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper," wrote N. Gogol. The birds have enough strength to fly to the middle and fly over the river. And a rare bird meant a parrot, which is really difficult to meet in these parts.

Yenisei. natural border between Eastern and Western Siberia

On the left bank of the Yenisei, the West Siberian plains end, and on the right bank, the mountain taiga begins. Therefore, in its upper reaches you can meet camels, and going downstream to the Ocean - polar bears.

Until now, there are legends about the origin of the word Yenisei: either it is the Tungus word "enesi" ("big water"), converted into Russian, or the Kyrgyz "enee-Sai" (mother river).

Detail: The Yenisei and other Iberian rivers bring as much heat to the Arctic Ocean as burning 3 billion tons of fuel would give. If not for the rivers, the climate of the North would be more severe.

Natural springs, such as rivers, are not only a tourist attraction in Russia. This is a real treasure of our rich in Natural resources, countries.

The world leadership in terms of river runoff per year was recently revised, and Russia currently ranks second in this indicator.

The largest rivers in Russia

How many rivers are there in Russia? Famous among them, with a length of more than one and a half thousand kilometers, are the Amur, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Ob.

In total, there are more than two million such "arteries" of the earth on the territory of Russia. They are easy to find on the map of Russian rivers.

Map of Russian rivers (click to enlarge)

The table shows a list of rivers in descending order of length. Descriptions are given in alphabetical order in the text.

Amur

Along the southeastern Russian border with the country "where the sun rises" (China), lies the great Russian river. The "black dragon" (in Chinese Heilongjiang) is freely located.

It originates where the flow of Argun and Shilka ends. Having overcome two and a half thousand kilometers, the Amur flows into the Sea of ​​​​Japan (Okhotsk) Sea. Throughout the entire length - from Pokrovka to the Amur Estuary - there are deliveries of cargo and passengers.

Fish White Amur

Cupid - Russian leader by the diversity of the ichthyofauna: up to 139 species and subspecies of fish live in the waters, including unique breeds of sturgeon and salmon.

The tributary of the Amur - the Zeya - is full-flowing. There is a similar situation between the Volga and Kama. Thus, the width and fullness are not always taken into account when determining tributary rivers.

Volga

Source of inspiration for poets. The object of beautiful paintings by the artist. The character of folk tales and myths. famous river in the western part of Russia, the beauty of which cannot be compared with others.

The Volga occupies a special place in the soul of a Russian person. She was endowed with will and reason, making her a symbol of an unenslaved people. In Russia, she had a special name "Mother Volga".

The uniqueness is that the main water branch does not flow into the world's oceans, having an internal flow. On its banks stand big cities(for example, Samara).

The main navigable river in Russia. Its channel is so full-flowing and rich in tributaries that it is rightfully considered the central waterway, which is divided into three parts:

• lower;
• average;
• top.

This made navigation easier.

From the point of view of science (hydrology and history), the lower part of the Volga is a natural continuation of the Kama, the river of the Perm Territory. However, due to the unifying role for the Russian state, priorities have changed (the Kama is a tributary of the Volga, and nothing else).

The official source of the Volga is located in the Tver region. This is the Volgoverkhovye village, where a water spring breaks to the surface, to the delight of many tourists.

It carries its waters through the lakes Verkhit Small and Verkhit Bolshoi, a system of large lakes in the upper reaches, combines into a reservoir up to the city of Rzhev.

The Volga is a river that unites four seas (Black, Azov, White and Baltic).

Vilyuy

The longest river is a tributary of the Lena. Its length is two thousand six hundred and fifty kilometers.

The Yakuts have been using fish resources and water for decades. Ecological state is gradually deteriorating due to oil production and gas industry. It is planned to build a hydrological power station.

The Vilyui basin is rich in fish resources and lakes, of which there are more than sixty-seven thousand. The source of the tributary is located on the plateau of the same name near Tunguska (Lower).

Gryazev

The shortest river carries its waters over a distance of ten kilometers. It starts a kilometer from the Mitovskaya station (Moscow railway).

Due to a historical inaccuracy that crept in, in the 20th century it changed places with Nakhabinka. The smallest river of the described.

Don

It takes its name from the languages: Scythians, Sarmatians and Aryans. From the cognate word dānu (translated as "river, drops or dew"). It flows from the Central Russian Upland to a distance of one thousand eight hundred and seventy kilometers to the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

Don is a winding river in the area of ​​the Great Bend (Donskaya Luka). The bends bring the channel closer to the Volga already described above for a distance of sixty kilometers.

The Don is navigable due to the calm (slow) current, which is typical for lowland rivers.

Northern Dvina

It was formed due to the union of two tributaries (Sukhona and Vychegda) with a delta of nine hundred square kilometers.

Beginning in the fifteenth century trading history rivers. Many cargoes were delivered to Europe.

The "status" changed in the nineteenth century, when the Dvina became an important military strategic object.

Yenisei

He is called "father" by analogy with the Volga-mother. The most full-flowing artery, which runs up to Arctic Ocean, on the way crossing the majority climatic zones Siberia.

The mouth of the river (Yenisei basin) is fifty kilometers. On its banks you can meet a camel or a polar bear.

In terms of runoff, the Yenisei is second only to the Tunguska (lower part), despite the fact that it is fed by half a thousand tributaries.

Irtysh

Own letter designation got on the map thanks to the Turkic-Iranian theory (“kara” is the earth, and “irtsis” is a swift stream, fast).

The longest length, over 4 thousand kilometers, forced the inhabitants of the coast to give the honorary name Black Irtysh to the section to Lake Zaisan (the synonym “kara” is used - black).

Ishim

It owes its appearance on the world map to the death of the Tatar Khan, who drowned in the left tributary of the Irtysh. "Took" a place in the Kazakh mountains Iyaz.

Translated from the Tatar language, Ishim, and more specifically Ishimak, means “destroying”. According to the Russian laboratory, in its lower reaches there are traces of pollution from the oil refining industry.

Kuban

The beautiful river, sung by more than one generation of Cossacks, did not immediately acquire its familiar name. Scholars suggest that there were at least three hundred different references to her. As a result, the Karachay-Balkarian name "Kuban" (rising stream) remained.

Is born mountain river at the foot of Elbrus, after transferring its waters through nine hundred kilometers and flowing into the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

On the banks of the great Russian Kuban there is a place for predatory and semiaquatic birds, also wild boars and muskrats. And hundreds of species of fish have found shelter in its waters.

Lena

In the first half of the seventeenth century, the Russian pioneer Pyande got acquainted with the life of the Kangalas Yakuts (now the city of Yakutsk). The largest river Lena (from the similar Even "yene") was the first for the traveler's rafting.

It has a length of over 4 thousand kilometers (the longest),

Surprisingly, the starting point of the Lena is a swampy area near Lake Baikal (ten kilometers to the west).

Neva

The only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. The uncontrollable and capricious "coquette river" constantly changes its channel depth and width.

It attracted the attention of Peter I both by its picturesqueness and by the fact that it is the most abundant in water. The tsar founded the most beautiful city of "drawbridges" (St. Petersburg) on ​​its shore.

The total length is 74 kilometers.Its basin has 48 thousand lakes, and the volume of water is comparable to the Don and Dnieper combined.

After research in 2013, out of 24 bathing places, one turned out to be suitable. Pollution class after the test was assigned the third.

Ob

Leader in terms of basin size (3 million km 2) and water flow (12 thousand meters per second). The river stretches for 3.5 thousand km. and flows into the Kara Sea.

The widest in Russia. In spring, a sixty-kilometer floodplain forms at the confluence, and the flood itself lasts up to three months.

Russian travelers learned about the largest river in Russia from Komi guides (“obva” means “snow water”).

Ural

The original Yaik (Kazakh name) was by decree Russian empress Catherine II was renamed Ural. Many indigenous people in the Urals remember the former name.

The river originates in the Uraltau (mountains Southern Urals) and flows into the Caspian Sea.

The Ural has a rather winding and often changing direction channel, leaving oxbow ponds behind it.

Conclusion

Clean rivers are most often found in places devoid of constant human interference. Drinking water from a spring close to the city is dangerous. There is a possibility of industrial pollution.

In the Siberian taiga there are springs with crystal clear moisture. Alas, technological progress makes the environmental situation more difficult every year.

There is a great way to see water resources Russia, having made a cruise on the largest rivers. This could become great opportunity to understand the world of the Russian soul, known for its mystery.