Show where the Volga flows on the map. Where is the source of the Volga. Sources of the great river

Volga river the largest and deepest river in Europe. The ancient name of Ra (lat. rha) the less old name of Vloga is Itil, the river received in the Middle Ages. It is the largest river that does not flow into the sea. 2/3 of Russia's population lives in the Volga basin. Its source is located on the Valdai Upland at an altitude of 256 m above sea level. And at the mouth, on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, in its delta, there are the largest lotus fields in the world, covering hundreds of hectares.

Here is what Alexander Dumas wrote about the Volga: “Each country has its own national river. Russia has the Volga - the largest river in Europe, the queen of our rivers - and I hastened to bow to Her Majesty the Volga River!
River length: 3,530 kilometers.
Watershed area: 1,360 thousand sq. km.

highest point: Mount Bezymyannaya, 381.2 m (Zhiguli Mountains).

Channel width: up to 2500 m.

Slope and fall: 256 m and 0.07 m/km (or ppm), respectively.

Average current speed: less than 1 m/s.

River depth: the average depth is 8 - 11 meters, in some areas 15 - 18 meters.

delta area: 19,000 sq. km.

Average annual flow:>38 km3

Where does it run: The Volga originates in one of the most elevated parts of the Valdai plateau in the Tver region. It flows from a small spring in the middle of swampy lakes, not far from the village of Volgoverkhovye. The source coordinates are 57°15' north latitude and 2°10' east longitude. The height of the source above sea level is 228 meters. The Volga flows through the entire central lowland of European Russia. The river bed is meandering, but the general direction of flow is east. At Kazan, approaching almost the very foothills of the Urals, the river turns sharply to the south. The Volga becomes a truly mighty river only after the Kama flows into it. At Samara, the Volga breaks through a whole chain of hills and forms the so-called Samara bow. Not far from Volgograd, the Volga approaches another mighty river - the Don. Here the river again makes a turn and flows in a southeasterly direction until it flows into the Caspian Sea. At the mouth of the Volga forms a vast delta and is divided into many branches.

River mode, food: Most of the water comes from groundwater, and to a lesser extent, food comes from precipitation.

Freezing: The Volga is covered with ice in late October - early November and remains under it until the end of April - mid-March.

Tributaries: About 200 tributaries flow into the Volga. The largest of which are Kama and Oka, as well as smaller streams such as: Unzha, Kerzhenets, Sura, Tvertsa, Medveditsa and others.
It has not yet been decided whether it is possible to consider that the Kama flows into the Volga. Since, according to the rules of hydrography, it turns out that everything is exactly the opposite, and it is the Volga that should flow into the Kama. Since the Kama is older by origin, it has a larger basin and tributaries too.

The direction of flow in most of the river is from north to south. Between the tributaries of the Oka and Kama, the Volga has a predominantly latitudinal course.
For centuries, the Volga has served people as a source of clean water, fish, energy, and a transport artery. But today it is in danger, human activity pollutes it and threatens with a catastrophe.
The favorable geographical position of the river and human activities in the construction of canals have turned the Volga into the largest transport artery. In addition to the Caspian Sea, it is connected to 4 more seas: the Baltic, White, Black and Azov. Its waters irrigate fields, and its hydroelectric power plants provide electricity to entire cities and major enterprises. However, intensive economic use has led to the pollution of the Volga with industrial and agricultural waste. Huge areas were flooded during the construction of dams.

Ecologists say that the ecological situation is critical and the river's ability to self-purify has been exhausted. Blue-green algae capture more and more territories every year, fish mutations are observed. The Volga is called one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Ecologists may like to dramatize, but if it's too late, it will be much worse. In any case, there are problems. Therefore, the protection of the river is very important now.

The Volga River is a mighty water stream that carries its waters through the European territory of Russia and flows into the Caspian Sea. The total length from source to mouth is 3692 km. It is customary not to take into account individual sections of reservoirs. Therefore, officially the length of the Volga is 3530 km. It is considered the longest in Europe. And the area of ​​the water basin is 1 million 380 thousand square meters. km. This is a third of the European part of Russia.

The source of the Volga

The river begins its journey on the Valdai Upland. This is the Ostashkovsky district of the Tver region. On the outskirts of the village of Volgoverkhovye, several springs gush out of the ground. One of them is considered the source of the great river. The spring is surrounded by a chapel, which can be reached by a bridge. All springs flow into a small reservoir. A stream flows out of it, reaching a width of no more than 1 meter and a depth of 25-30 cm. The height above sea level in this place is 228 meters.

The stream is 3.2 km long. It flows into the lake Small Verkhity. It flows out of it and flows into the next lake Bolshie Verkhity. Here the brook expands and turns into a rivulet that flows into Lake Sterzh. It is 12 km long and 1.5 km wide. The average depth is 5 meters, and the maximum reaches 8 meters. The total area of ​​the lake is 18 sq. km. The lake is part of the Upper Volga reservoir, which stretches for 85 km. After the reservoir, the Upper Volga begins.

Great Russian river Volga

Waterway of the great Russian river

The river is conditionally divided into three large sections. These are the Upper, Middle and Lower Volga. The first major city on the path of the water flow is Rzhev. From the source to it 200 km. The next major settlement is the ancient Russian city of Tver with a population of over 400 thousand people. Here is the Ivankovskoe reservoir, the length of which is 120 km. Next is the Uglich reservoir with a length of 146 km. To the north of the city of Rybinsk is the Rybinsk Reservoir. This is the northernmost point of the great river. Further, it no longer flows to the northeast, but turns to the southeast.

The water stream once carried its waters here along a narrow valley. He crossed a series of uplands and lowlands. Now these places have turned into the Gorky reservoir. On its banks are the cities of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Kineshma. Above Nizhny Novgorod is the regional administrative center Gorodets. Here, the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station was built, forming the Gorky reservoir, stretching for 427 km.

The Middle Volga begins after the reunion with the Oka. This is the largest right tributary. Its length is 1499 km. It flows into the great Russian river in Nizhny Novgorod. This is one of the largest cities in Russia.

Volga on the map

Having taken in the waters of the Oka, the Volga River becomes wider and rushes to the east. It flows along the northern part of the Volga Upland. Near Cheboksary, the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station blocks its way and forms the Cheboksary reservoir. Its length is 341 km, width is 16 km. After that, the course of the river shifts to the southeast, and near the city of Kazan it turns south.

The Volga becomes a truly powerful river after the Kama flows into it. This is the largest left tributary. Its length is 1805 km. Kama surpasses the Volga in all respects. But for some reason, it is not she who flows into the Caspian Sea. This is due to historically established names and traditions.

After reuniting with the Kama, the lower course of the great Russian river begins. It is steadily moving south towards the Caspian Sea. On its banks there are such cities as Ulyanovsk, Tolyatti, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd. Near Togliatti and Samara, the river forms a bend (Samarskaya Luka), directed to the east. In this place, the water flow goes around the Togliatti mountains. Upstream is the largest Kuibyshev reservoir on the river. In terms of its area, it is considered the 3rd in the world. Its length reaches 500 km, and its width is 40 km.

River pier in Saratov

Downstream of Samara is the Saratov reservoir, reaching a length of 341 km. It is formed by a dam built near the town of Balakovo.

From Samara to Volgograd, the river flows southwest. Above Volgograd, the left arm separates from the main water stream. It is called Akhtuba. The hand of the sleeve is 537 km. Between Volgograd and the beginning of Akhtuba, the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power station was built. It forms the Volgograd reservoir. Its length is 540 km, and its width reaches 17 km.

Volga Delta

The delta of the great Russian river begins in the Volgograd region. Its length is about 160 km, width reaches 40 km.. Included in the delta are almost 500 canals and small rivers. This is the largest estuary in Europe. The Bakhtemir branch forms the navigable Volga-Caspian canal. The Kigach River, which is one of the branches, flows through the territory of Kazakhstan. These places contain unique flora and fauna. Here you can meet pelicans, flamingos, as well as such a plant as a lotus.

Such ships sail along the Volga

Shipping

The Volga River underwent significant transformations during the Soviet era. Many dams were built on it, taking into account navigation. Therefore, the vessels easily get from the Caspian Sea to the northern regions of the country.

Communication with the Black Sea and the Don is carried out through the Volga-Don Canal. Communication with the northern lakes (Ladoga, Onega), St. Petersburg and the Baltic Sea is carried out through the Volga-Baltic waterway. The great river is connected with Moscow by the Moscow Canal.

The river is considered navigable from the city of Rzhev to the delta. It carries a wide variety of industrial goods. These are oil, coal, timber, food. During the 3 winter months, the water stream freezes over most of its path.

The Volga has a very rich history. Many important political events are inextricably linked with it. The economic significance of the water flow is also incommensurable. It is the most important artery that unites many regions into a single whole. On its banks are the largest industrial and administrative centers. There are as many as 4 millionaire cities alone. These are Kazan, Volgograd, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod. Therefore, the mighty waters are rightly called the great Russian river.

This mighty water stream flows through the vast territories of the European part of Russia and flows into the Caspian Sea. This is the longest river in Europe, and it has the right to be considered a national symbol of Russia.

This is the Volga River, in the basin of which there are many of the largest cities of the Russian state, including its capital, Moscow.

The article presents some information about the Volga River: width and depth, length and features of the flow.

Main characteristics

The total length of the river from source to mouth is 3692 km. Officially, excluding sections of reservoirs, the length of the Volga River is considered to be 3,530 kilometers.

The area of ​​the water basin is 100,380 square kilometers, which is 1/3 of the area of ​​the European territory of Russia.

How deep is the Volga? In the article we will try to find the answer to this question. But first, consider the path of the river from source to mouth. She begins her journey on the Valdai Upland, in the Tver region (Ostashkovsky district). Near the village of Volgoverkhovye, springs gush out of the ground, one of which is the source of the great Russian river (height above sea level is about 228 meters). The spring is surrounded by a chapel, which can be reached by a bridge. From a small reservoir, into which all nearby springs flow, a stream about 1 meter wide and no more than 30 cm deep flows out.

The beginning of the path of the great river

Conventionally, the river is divided into 3 sections: the Upper, Middle and Lower Volga. The first major city on the path of a huge water flow is Rzhev. The distance to it from the source is 200 km. The next large settlement is the ancient city of Tver (population - more than 400 thousand people). The Ivankovskoe reservoir is located here, 120 kilometers long. The depth of the Volga in this area increases to 23 meters. It is followed by the Uglich reservoir (146 km - length, 5 meters - depth). A little north of Rybinsk is the Rybinsk Reservoir, where the northernmost point of the Volga is located. After this mark, the river turns to the southeast (before that, it flows in a northeasterly direction).

In the area of ​​the Gorky reservoir, on the banks of the river, the cities of Yaroslavl, Kineshma, and Kostroma are spread. Above Nizhny Novgorod is the regional center Gorodets. The Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station was built here, which forms the Gorky reservoir, the length of which is 427 km.

The depth of the Volga in this area is on average 1.8-2.1 meters.

This section begins after the connection of the Volga with the Oka, which is its largest right tributary. Its length is 1499 kilometers. It flows into the Volga in the region of Nizhny Novgorod.

The Volga River, having taken in the waters of the Oka, becomes wider and heads east. It flows along the northern territory of the Volga Upland. Near the city of Cheboksary, the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station blocks its way, forming a reservoir of the same name, the length of which is 341 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide. The maximum depth of the Volga in this area is 35 meters, and the average is 5 m. Further, the course of the river heads southeast, and near Kazan it turns south.

Lower Volga

The truly great and mighty Volga becomes after the confluence of the Kama, the largest left tributary, into it. The length of this river is 1805 km, and it surpasses the Volga in many ways. So why doesn't it flow into the Caspian Sea? And this is due to the established historical traditions and names.

After the reunion of these two largest rivers, the lower course of the Volga begins. Further, it moves all the time to the south, in the direction of the Caspian Sea. On the banks of this part of the river there are such cities as Ulyanovsk, Samara, Tolyatti, Saratov and Volgograd. Near the cities of Samara and Tolyatti, a bend (Samarskaya Luka) is formed, directed to the east. Here the flow of water goes around the Togliatti mountains. The Kuibyshev reservoir, the largest on the Volga, is located here (slightly upstream), which ranks third in the world in terms of area. Its length is 500 km, width - 40 km. The depth of the Volga in this area is 8 meters.

Features of the river delta

At the Caspian Sea, the length of the river delta is approximately 160 km. It is up to 40 km wide. The delta includes about 500 canals and small rivers. It is generally accepted that the mouth of this great river is the largest in all of Europe. It should be noted that in these places you can meet the most unique representatives of both flora and fauna. For example, here you can meet flamingos and pelicans, and you can also see a blooming lotus.

The maximum depth of the Volga River in the delta, according to various sources, is 2.5 meters. The minimum depth is about 1.7 meters.

The Volga delta is larger than the deltas of the Terek, Kuban, Rhine and Maas. It is also important to note that important trade routes once passed here, connecting the Lower Volga with Persia and other Arab states. These places were inhabited by the tribes of Polovtsians and Khazars. According to some sources, in the 13th century, a Tatar settlement called Ashtarkhan first appeared in these places, which eventually became the beginning of Astrakhan.

Keywords: Parameters of the Volga River, depth, length, information, Volga River, Volga Source, Gorodets, Middle Volga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The source of the Volga is an amazingly beautiful place, untouched by modern civilization. Here, time seemed to stand still, afraid to disturb and destroy the eternal atmosphere of grace that reigns around. The Volga originates near the village of Volgoverkhovye on the Valdai Upland in the Tver Region.

Where is the source of the Volga

You can get to the Volgoverkhovye from the city of Ostashkov, first along a rather broken road to the village of Svapusche (about 50 km), and from there along the dirt road, the condition of which is much better than that of the asphalt canvas. From Svapusche to the destination is 19 km. Buses do not go to Volgoverkhovye, so you can only get there by private car (geographical coordinates: 57°15`07`` N 32°28`24`` E).

The source of the Volga on the map:

From afar, the Volga River flows for a long time ...

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

There are several springs in this swamp. One of them, the deepest, which immediately has a current, was identified as the source of the Volga in the middle of the 18th century. A chapel has now been built over this spring, to which wooden bridges lead. In the chapel itself there is a font where you can plunge directly into the source. The depth here is small: an adult is up to the shoulders.

In 1989, a memorial stone was erected in front of the bridges, which reads: “Traveler! Turn your eyes to the source of the Volga! The purity and grandeur of the Russian land is born here. Here are the origins of the soul of the people. Keep them. Take a look when you leave." This place is located at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level.

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

At 300 meters from the source, a small bridge is thrown over the stream and there is a convenient descent to the stream, so that you can wet your feet in the Volga water. However, the water here is cold even in the heat, not higher than 15 °.

Holguin Monastery

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

All that has survived from the monastery to our time is the Transfiguration Cathedral and the wooden church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Services are held here regularly. We got just on a church holiday - the day of St. Olga. At that 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 been preserved, the nuns live in the village, their houses are easily recognizable by the turrets on the roofs.

Church of St. Nicholas

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 did not get in, 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 lot of paths leading in different directions. Many-voiced bird singing is heard around, butterflies and dragonflies fly.

There is a small market in the Volgoverkhovye, as in any tourist place, where they sell ordinary souvenirs, pies and honey. There is no cellular connection in these places, it appears only at the exit to the highway in Svapuscha. Here, despite the fact that quite a lot of tourists visit the source of the Volga, peace and quiet reign.

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