Ancient cities on the Volga. The Volga River in folk culture. Map of the Volga with cities, green parking lots and hydroelectric power stations

The Volga is the largest river in Europe and one of the largest rivers in the world. Its basin occupies more than a third of the Russian Plain and, as Tvardovsky wrote, “half of Russia looked into it.” The Volga is the mother of Russian rivers; the history and culture of our country are connected with it.

“Volga Mother River”, “a national beauty, like a deep sea, like the Motherland, free, wide, deep, strong!” Sung in songs and poems, the Volga is the symbol and soul of Russia.

Map of the Volga with cities, green parking lots and hydroelectric power stations

Name

Until now, the origin of the name of the Volga River remains a mystery. At what time and what people gave it its name?

How the name of the river has changed over time:

In the 1st century AD, the Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy and the ancient Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus called the Volga with the word Ra
In the 9th century it was called Atel (different peoples called it differently: Itil, Etel or the Tatar word Idel), that is, a river of rivers or a great river
In the “Great Polish Chronicle” the name Bulga appears, which is explained by living in the Volga basin and lower Kama Volga-Kama Bulgars
At the beginning of the 12th century, in the Tale of Bygone Years, the river is already described under the name Volga: “From the same forest the Volga flows to the east and flows with seventy mouths into the Khvalisskoye Sea.”

Origin of the river name:

The upper reaches of the river were inhabited by the ancient Balts and, according to the Baltic origin of the name of the river, the Latvian valka translated means “a stream flowing through a swamp”, “a small river overgrown with grass”. This is exactly what the Volga looks like in its upper reaches
Translated from the Finno-Ugric language, the word valkea means “light” and “white”
The Old Slavic Vьlga - “vologa” is translated as “moisture”.

From the history of Volga shipbuilding

In the 16th century, after the annexation of Kazan and Astrakhan, water roads to the Urals and the Caspian Sea opened before Russia. The Volga became the main waterway along which caravans of 500-600 plows transported a wide variety of goods.

Strug is a flat-bottomed sailing and rowing vessel that served in the 11th century. XVIII centuries for transporting people and goods. Usually its length was 20-45 meters and width - 4-10 meters.

Later, the Volgars learned to build so-called barks; in windy weather they sailed, and in calm weather they were pulled by barge haulers.

The first steamship was built in 1816 at a factory in the village of Pozhva, located on the river of the same name, a tributary of the Kama. The shipping company began to develop especially successfully after the abolition of serfdom in Russia.

To transport oil, the Volgars built oil-loading sailboats, and then the world's first iron oil-loading barges, Elena and Elizaveta, were built. The method of transporting oil in bulk has become widespread throughout the world and is called the “Russian method”.

Volga shipbuilders overtook craftsmen from countries Western Europe- it was on the Volga that a comfortable passenger ship was launched, which has survived to this day without significant changes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, internal combustion engines were installed for the first time on the Vandal oil tanker, running on oil instead of kerosene. The motor ship "Sarmat" was also improved, and soon the world's first towing motor ship "Mysl" entered the Volga. In 1910, the world's first wheeled passenger ship"Ural", and the following year the famous screw motor ship "Borodino" was launched.

Hydroelectric power stations on the Volga

Eight hydroelectric power stations were built on the Volga, part of the Volga-Kama cascade of hydraulic structures. The total capacity of the Volzhsky hydroelectric power stations is 10 GW (10 million kW), and the average annual electricity generation is more than 40 billion kW/h.

The creation of a complex of hydroelectric power stations began with the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal and its main structure - the Ivankovsky hydroelectric complex, built near the city of Dubna, Moscow region. The Ivankovskaya HPP was launched in 1937, its design capacity is 30 MW (30 thousand kW), the shipping lock is single-chamber, single-line. In 1941, when German troops approached, the equipment of the hydroelectric power station was dismantled and evacuated; in May 1942, the hydroelectric power station was restarted
Uglich hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 110 MW is located in the city of Uglich Yaroslavl region, was introduced in 1940, the shipping lock is single-chamber, single-thread, the length of the chamber is 290 meters, the width is 30 meters
The Rybinsk hydroelectric complex was built on the Volga and Sheksna rivers, the capacity of the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station is 330 MW. There are two navigable single-chamber double-line locks, the length of each chamber is 283 meters, the width is 30 meters. The Rybinsk and Uglich hydroelectric power stations played a significant role in providing Moscow with electricity during the Great Patriotic War
IN Nizhny Novgorod region Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 520 MW was built near Gorodets in 1948–1962. The total length of the hydroelectric dams is 18.6 km, the navigation facilities include four double-threaded two-chamber locks
The construction of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station was carried out from 1968 to 1981, its capacity is 1.4 GW, located near the city of Novocheboksarsk in the Republic of Chuvashia, the gateway is two-chamber, single-stage
The Zhigulevskaya HPP was previously called the Volzhskaya HPP named after V.I. Lenin. It is located above Samara and is the second in the Volga hydroelectric complex (its capacity is 2.3 GW). The 17-meter drop in the river is overcome by two stages of locks
The Saratov hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 1.29 GW was built near the city of Balakovo, a two-line shipping lock
Above Volgograd, the Volgograd hydroelectric power station named after the XXII Congress of the CPSU with a capacity of 2.54 GW was built, this is the largest hydroelectric power station in Europe, built in 1952 - 1961, the shipping locks are two-line, two-chamber.

Historically, hydroelectric power plants were named after nearby cities,some of which are located a little further downstream. The reservoir formed by this power plant and located above received its name from the name of the power plant. Therefore, Kazan is located on the Kuibyshev reservoir, Samara (formerly Kuibyshev) is on the Saratov reservoir, and Saratov is on the Volgograd reservoir.

Shipping

With the construction of hydroelectric power stations and the formation of reservoirs, the Volga became deep-water, which allows passenger ships to pass through it, as well as most cargo ships from the Caspian Sea to the northern regions of the country.

A silent reproach stands in the water, in the center Uglich reservoir, the flooded bell tower of St. Nicholas Cathedral in the city of Kalyazin. During the construction of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, it was completely moved from the flood zone to a new location, Stavropol-on-Volga, now the city of Togliatti.

The towns of Sknyatin and Korcheva, Balagansk and many other towns, villages and hamlets were flooded.

In addition, after the construction of the Volgograd hydroelectric power station, sturgeon fish do not rise above the dam, which has led to a multiple decrease in their catch. The dam cut off 80% of the spawning grounds of Russian sturgeon and, despite the creation of special fish lifts and artificial breeding of this type of fish, the number of sturgeon is falling catastrophically.

The Volga is essentially no longer a river, but a chain of nine reservoirs, but despite this, in recent years there have been difficulties with navigation in the area of the city of Gorodets. On a 40-kilometer section from this city to Nizhny Novgorod, the depths on the ship's route are less than 2.5 meters. In this regard, transport vessels are forced either to be underloaded or to reload to other modes of transport, which leads to large economic losses.

Cruises on the Volga

Traveling along the Volga is one of the most popular types recreation. During the cruise on the ship you will get acquainted with Russian cities, their history and culture, learn a lot of interesting things about the republics and regions located on the banks of the Volga and, of course, see amazingly beautiful places.

Along the banks of the river there are four million-plus cities: Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Volgograd. During the trip you will get acquainted with the ancient cities of the Golden Ring of Russia - Kostroma and Uglich, as well as the pearl ancient Russian cities- Yaroslavl.

The width of the river varies from a trickle in the upper reaches to immense size in the middle and lower reaches. Forests give way to steppes, and winding sections of the path give way to expanses of water.

Almost all Volga cities have travel agencies that organize cruises from this particular city or from the nearest city.

Tourists are offered both short routes (so-called weekend routes lasting 2-3 days), for example Kazan - Samara - Kazan or Nizhny Novgorod - Yaroslavl - Nizhny Novgorod, and longer ones.

Most of the ships depart from Moscow. But since Moscow is not located on the Volga, all cruises from the capital begin with a trip along the Moscow Canal, then they pass along the Volga.

Weekend cruises from Moscow:

Moscow - Uglich – Moscow
Moscow - Uglich - Myshkin - Yaroslavl - Moscow
Moscow - Tver - Moscow and others.

It is worth noting that on such cruises you can only see a small section of the Upper Volga. You can get acquainted with almost the entire Volga in, perhaps, the longest cruise Moscow - Astrakhan - Moscow lasting 20-22 days. There are also one-way cruises, for example, Moscow - Astrakhan with return by train or plane. Along this route you can see almost the entire Volga and visit all the major cities on the Great Russian River.

The most popular cities and green parking lots (listed starting from the upper Volga):

Shiryaevo - a green site in the Zhiguli Mountains
Vinnovka - green parking lot
Usovka - green parking lot
Nikolskoye - green parking lot
Akhtuba - green parking lot

Main characteristics

Before the construction of the Volzhsky cascade of hydroelectric power stations, the length of the river was 3690 km, currently its length is 3530 kilometers
Number of inflowing tributaries – more than 200
The source is located at an altitude of 228 m above sea level, and the mouth is 28 m below sea level, that is, the elevation difference is 256 meters, the river slope is 0.07%
The average speed of the current is small and amounts to 2-6 km per hour.

Source

The river's waterway begins on the Valdai Hills. Here, on the outskirts of the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver Region, several springs gush out of the ground, one of which is fenced with a chapel - this is the beginning of the great Russian river. The springs flow into a reservoir, from which flows a small stream no more than a meter wide and 25-30 cm deep. The height above sea level in this place is 228 meters.

This stream, almost 3.2 km long, flows into Lake Malye Verkhity, then passes through lakes Bolshie Verkhity and Sterzh. The last lake is part of the Verkhnevolzhskoe reservoir, after which the Upper Volga begins.

Upper Volga

From the source of the river to the first city on its banks, Rzhev, is 200 km, then Tver is located and the Ivankovskoe reservoir begins, also called the Moscow Sea. Next come the Uglich and Rybinsk reservoirs, after which the Volga turns and flows not to the northeast, but to the southeast.

On the dam of the Rybinsk Reservoir there is a sculptural composition “Volga”, dedicated to the builders of the hydraulic structure. The height of the monument including the pedestal is 28 meters. The sculpture depicts a woman greeting passing ships. In her hand she holds a scroll with drawings, below is a picture of a soaring seagull. The inscription on the pedestal: “Communism is Soviet power plus electrification of the entire country.”

Initially, on the side of the reservoir it was planned to install sculptural composition Vera Mukhina's "Worker and Peasant Woman", but since the construction work had not yet been completed by that time, it was installed on a temporary site next to VDNKh.

Above, the largest left tributary and in many of its parameters superior to the Volga.

According to some geodetic indicators, it can be considered that the Volga is a tributary of the Kama, and not vice versa. At the confluence of these rivers, the Kama carries 4,300 cubic meters of water per second, and the Volga - only 3,100!

Lower Volga

The area from the mouth of the Kama to the mouth of the river itself is considered the Lower Volga. Cities such as Ulyanovsk and Tolyatti, Samara and Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan are located here.

The largest reservoir on the Volga was built in the area of the city of Tolyatti, where the Kuibyshev hydroelectric power station and the Kuibyshev reservoir, whose length is 500 km and width - 40 km, are located.

Moving in south direction, in the Samara region, the Volga goes around the Zhiguli Mountains and forms a bend, the so-called Samara Luka. This is unique and very a nice place, full of mysteries and attracting both tourists and scientists.

Downstream is the Saratov Reservoir, 341 km long, formed by a dam built near the city of Balakovo.

From Saratov to Volgograd the river flows in southeast direction. Above Volgograd, a branch separates from it - the Akhtuba, which flows parallel and, together with the Volga, forms a famous fishing region - the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

Above Volgograd, the Volgograd hydroelectric power station and Volgograd Reservoir, the length of which is 540 km and the width is 17 km.

Delta

Below the hero city, the delta begins, the largest in Europe, with a width of 40 km and a length of 160 km. This is a unique area, which includes more than 500 branches, small rivers and channels, where rare animals such as pelicans and flamingos are found, and lotus grows. Over the past 130 years, the level of the Caspian Sea has decreased and the delta area has increased significantly. Now this unique territory recognized as a protected area and taken under state protection.

Although today the Volga is not the main highway of Russia due to the development of other modes of transport, its role remains very important. Hydroelectric power stations continue to operate and make a significant contribution to the country's energy production. The main Russian river remains an important recreational area - along the banks there are sanatoriums and recreation centers, as well as numerous summer cottages. Landscapes never cease to amaze tourists who go to

And on the way to it it has been serving as a waterway for centuries and centuries. by transport, a good place for people to settle and for trade. This was the case in those days when the concept of “tourism” was not even in sight. And these days the Volga is also blessed a tourist route. What cities are on the Volga? There are 68 of them in total. A large number. And this is only the so-called Big Volga! How many other cities are there in the Volga region?

There are countless rivers, rivulets and streams that flow into main river The cities that stand on the Volga appeared gradually, but the largest settlements are also the most ancient. Thus, Kazan and Yaroslavl celebrated their thousand-year anniversaries, Kostroma, the younger sister of Moscow (they have the same “father” - Yuri Dolgoruky), was founded in 1152, a little younger. Tver and Nizhny Novgorod are quite respectable in age; Astrakhan, Cheboksary, Saratov, Samara, Volgograd are a little younger. And these are only large cities, regional or republican centers!

What other cities are on the Volga? Not so large, but with deep historical roots. Myshkin, Rybinsk, Uglich, Kineshma, Ples, Rzhev - it is impossible to simply list all 68 cities and not offend those that are not named. Some of them are included in the famous tourist route" Golden ring", for example, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ples, Uglich. But other cities located along the banks of the Volga deserve close attention.

So, answering the question: “What cities are on the Volga?” - the tourist is trying to solve his problem of choice. And the choice is truly huge. Holidays on the Volga include, for example, stays in various sanatoriums, holiday homes, and tourist centers, of which tour operators number more than 400 in total! Moreover, in the cities and towns of the Upper Volga there are both places for rest and relaxation, as well as sanatoriums, which also focus on the general health of vacationers. Fishing here is specific, not for everyone. The Middle Volga specializes in sanatorium treatment and recreation. But the Lower Volga provides tourists with fishing, which attracts amateurs from different corners countries and from abroad. There is no equal to it in all of Central Russia.

And, of course, the Volga itself is at the disposal of tourists throughout the entire shipping period, since a developed branch of the tourism business is river cruises. You can find routes of different lengths and price ranges. There are short cruises, literally lasting a few days, and there are long and very expensive cruises, but they cover almost all the famous Volga cities. For example, a cruise from Moscow to Astrakhan and back. Interestingly, most of the ships are named after Russian writers and artists.

Thanks to the system of canals and locks, some cruises combine travel along the Upper Volga with sailing to Valaam and St. Petersburg. What cities are on the Volga can be seen with your own eyes not only from board the ship, but also during the excursions that fill your stay in each city. And each is interesting and beautiful in its own way.

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

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

Been to Nizhny Novgorod, took a photo on Polaroid in 1995 with the President of the Chuvash Republic in Cheboksary, studied in Kazan. Good memories...

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

Very interest Ask just for me. I myself was born and raised in the city of Ulyanovsk. This is the middle Volga region of the Volga River. By the way, the most big bridge in Europe it is located there. I myself became interested in what cities the Internet would show up.

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

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

Here is a list of other cities:

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

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

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

City in the Moscow region - Dubna.

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

Cities of the Kostroma region - Kostroma, Volgorechensk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cities Samara region- Togliatti, Zhigulvsk, Samara, Novokuibyshevsk, Oktyabrsk, Syzran.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And here you can see full list all settlements near the Volga.

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

40-Volgograd

120-Saratov

160-Nizhny Novgorod

200-Astrakhan

240-Kazan

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

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

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

Cities on the Volga

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

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

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

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

Volga River, geography

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

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

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

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

Near the basin of the largest river there are many big cities. On the Volga, sailing along it, you can see many amazing natural landscapes with cities and villages that fit perfectly into them. Moreover, everyone has their own unique story, its cultural values and unique attractions.

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

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

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

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

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

Yaroslavl

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

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

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

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

Samara

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

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

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

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

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

Saratov

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

The population of Saratov is more than 830 thousand people.

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

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

Volgograd

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

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

Nizhny Novgorod

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

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

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

Kazan

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

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

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

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

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

Astrakhan

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

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

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

Smaller notable cities on the Volga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Its population was more than 7,000 people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cities on the Volga

(Nizhny Novgorod)

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

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

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

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

Cities on the Oka

(Moore)

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

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

Cities on the Kama

(Permian)

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

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

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

Cities on the Northern Dvina

(Novodvinsk)

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

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

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

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

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

River Don and Rostov-on-Don

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

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

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

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

Neva and St. Petersburg

(Saint Petersburg)

Neva is a river covering the Leningrad region, northern capital Russia and connecting Lake Ladoga with the Neva Bay Gulf of Finland. The length of the Neva is only 74 kilometers, and the total area of the basin is 281,000 km². What makes it unique geographical position, only this river flows out of a huge Lake Ladoga, having at least 40 tributaries from large rivers and streams.

Cities are comfortably located on the coastal zone of the Neva Leningrad region: St. Petersburg, Shlisselburg, Otradnoe and Kirovsk, and next to them there are several dozen more settlements, like towns and villages.

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

Moskva River and Moscow

(Moscow)

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

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

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

Moscow was historical capital over many years, starting from the Great Moscow Principality and ending with the modern Russian Federation. Now Moscow plays a vital role in the formation and development of our country, acting as a major transport hub. There are 9 working in the city railway stations, 5 airports, 3 river ports and more than one thousand buses, electric trains and trains with routes throughout Russia.