The Don River, with a length of 1870 kilometers, flows throughout the European part of Russia. We owe the name to the Scythian-Sarmatian people, and it is interpreted as “river” or “water”.
The Don originates in the northern part of the Central Russian Upland near the city of Novomoskovsk, Tula Region. The Don River flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov. The direction of the river flow is from north to south, for its path Don passes several geological barriers and four times quite rapidly changes the orientation of the stream.
Don in history
In ancient times, Don poured into the Black Sea, since Azovsky did not yet exist. And then, according to legend, Don was called the Tanais River. But later it became clear that the name, coined by the Greeks, referred to another river - the Seversky Donets. Nevertheless, the Don River belongs to the oldest rivers of the European part of Russia; it is not one hundred years old.
In the light of historical events, Don is also mentioned regularly. Already in the period of Kievan Rus, Prince Svyatoslav used the river to attack the Khazars. Don is also mentioned in the famous "Word on Igor's Regiment".
The traveler from Venice, Ambrogio Contarini, also calls the Holy River Don, impressed by the wealth of fish, which allows feeding people from time immemorial.
Historians consider Don the birthplace of the southern fleet of the Russian Empire. Directly on the Don, the Russian fleet is formed, competitive with the European fleet. The merchant fleet on the Don gained strength much later - during the reign of Catherine II, who established trade with the Crimea. The city of Tana was built on the river. In the Middle Ages, it was known throughout Europe due to trade. Until the Turks took possession of the city, renaming it Azov, merchants from Venice stood over the city.
General information
The Don channel has insignificant angles decreasing towards the estuary (mouth) over time, so the flow rate is small. This property is praised by the Don Cossacks. In their songs, the river is called "Don Father", "Our Quiet Don", thereby emphasizing the significance and greatness. The valley of the Don River has an asymmetric, but typical for flat river structure. On the slopes of the plain are three terraces. The bottom of the valley is rich in alluvium deposits. The right bank is high (sometimes up to 230 meters) and steep, and the left bank is gentle and low.
Serpentine bed with multiple sandy shallow bottom rifts. The river creates the lower reaches of Rostov-on-Don with a space of 540 km 2 . The channel of the river is divided into multiple branches and bows, such as Old Don, Bolshaya Kuterma, Dead Donets, Bolshaya Kalancha, Yegurcha. The food of the river is mainly snow and spring. The usual flow at the mouth occurs at a speed of 935 m 3 / s. Shipping is developed from the source of the Don River to the mouth. There is a dam that increases the height of the water by another 30 meters - this is the Tsimlyansk reservoir. A hydroelectric power station was built on it, with the help of which not much electrical energy is received. Water in the Tsimlyansk reservoir is of great importance for watering neighboring areas. Especially the Salsky steppes need this.
Don water regime
The Don basin extends within the boundaries of the steppe and forest-steppe zones, which explains the relatively small water content in a considerable section of the catchment. Typical annual water consumption is 900 m 3 / s. The comparative abundance of water in the river is 5-6 times lower than that of northern rivers such as the Pechora or Northern Dvina. For the steppe and forest-steppe zones, the water regime of this river is classical. Snow food accounts for up to 70%, while a small part accounts for ground and rain. The river is distinguished by strong spring floods and low low water during other seasons. Between the completion of one spring flood and the beginning of another, the height and flow rate of water decrease over time.
The floods in summer are very unique, and the autumn ones are not very pronounced. The water level in the river varies greatly throughout its mileage and in some places rises by 8-13 meters. The Don spills extensively over the floodplain, especially in the lower reaches. It is characterized by a spill in two waves. The first wave is formed due to the fact that melted waters from the lower part of the reservoir (locals call them Cossack water) are directed into the channel, the second wave is formed by the waters flowing from the upper Don (warm water). If the snow in the lower part of the pool begins to melt later, then the two waves are combined, and the flood becomes the most significant, but shorter in duration.
Ice on the river rises in late November - early December. Freezing lasts from 140 days in the upper reaches and 30-90 days in the lower reaches. The ice drift on the Don begins in the lower reaches before the beginning of April and from there it quickly spreads to the upper reaches.
River use
Shipping on the Don developed thanks to the actions of people, because it is not the most full-flowing river, and only the presence of a dam and excavation allows ships to still walk along the river.
Vessels go up the Don to Voronezh, and there is also shipping to the city of Liski. In the area of the city of Kalach, the meander of the Don is close to the Volga for 80 kilometers. There, sections of the river are united by the Volga-Don Canal, commissioned in 1952.
In the zone of the Tsimlyansk stanitsa, a 12.8 kilometer long dam was created, increasing the water level by 27 meters and creating a Tsimlyansk basin with a length of Golubinskaya to Volgodonsk and a capacity of 21.5 km 3 with an area of 2600 km 2 . Near the dam is located hydroelectric power station. The water of the Tsimlyansk basin is used for irrigation and providing water to the Salsk steppes and other steppe places of the Volgograd and Rostov regions.
River inhabitants
There are 67 species of fish in the Don. But clogging the river and powerful restoration work led to a significant reduction in the fish stocks of the river. Small varieties of fish are more typical for the Don: perch, roach, rudd and asp, also called horse-fish. Of the medium and large fish in the Don River, zander, pike, bream, and catfish live. But it is worth noting that now large specimens are a rarity.
River flora
There is information about the use of forests from the banks of the Don by Peter I for the construction of ships during the Russian-Turkish warrior. Also by the twentieth century, most meadows along the banks of the Don River were cultivated. A huge number of wild plants has been preserved near peat bogs - here it is possible to see rakita (it is willow), sticky alder, fluffy birch, and buckthorn brittle. Along the river are also often reeds, cryptogamy swampy, sedge, swamp saber, shrub-and-white swamp tree and some other types of herbs.
Cities
A considerable number of large cities of Russia are located along the entire length of the river. The largest city is Rostov-on-Don, founded by Catherine II in the middle of the eighteenth century. This city is the largest industrial center and motor hub in the southern part of Russia with a population of 1 million 200 thousand people.
The population of Voronezh is not much smaller than Rostov-on-Don, it is 1 million 35 thousand people.
No less important, albeit a small city on the Don, is Novomoskovsk. When compared with Voronezh or Rostov-on-Don, the population is only 130 thousand people. But despite this, Novomoskovsk is one of the few comfortable cities of our state. The architectural complex "Source of the Don River" is mounted in this city.
Of particular importance is the city of Azov, due to its location it is the center of water trade.
Don tourism
The Don River along with the canals attracts tourists. Travelers are very interested in the unique nature of one of the tributaries - Khopra. Unique species of animals come across there, for example, eagles, falcons, sax, gray herons. There are a number of wildlife sanctuaries. The steep banks of the river on one side and low on the opposite attract travelers to rafting along the river and take many picturesque photographs.
Tourist routes run along the river, allowing not only to see the beauty of the Don, but also to listen to local legends. They are mainly associated with the period of the Cossacks, but they exist older. Rafting along the river is expensive, but the memories after it remain unforgettable. You can start directly from Rostov-on-Don.
Often the duration of the excursion does not exceed several hours, although there are those that take several days. In addition to rafting around the Don, travelers can explore the sights of nearby cities, such as Rostov-on-Don. It is worth knowing that often such excursions are paid separately from the tour, therefore travelers should be prepared for additional expenses. Those interested in Cossacks will appreciate the opportunity to visit the Starocherkasskaya village, which in essence is the capital of the Cossacks. In the summer, tourists are given the opportunity to spend time on the beach and swim in the river. Cruise tours lasting several days include meals and cabins, the comfort and quality of which depend on the price. The tourism season on the Don begins in May and lasts until the beginning of September.
Fishing on the Don
This river is called "Quiet Don" due to its calm disposition. That is why there are so many fish in it that spawn. There are no less than 90 species of fish stably living in the river and tributaries; because of this, fishing on this river is preferred to fishing in other regions of Russia. Most often, you can catch such fish on the Don River as czechon, pike perch, carp, roach, gudgeon, bream. Those who want to catch a asp, perch or pike, luck smiles less often. Special luck is considered the extraction in the form of catfish, eel, carp, burbot. The ban on fishing is established from April 1 to May 31, during this period spawning occurs in fish.
It is interesting
Don was mentioned more than once in folk songs, the most common being "A young Cossack is walking along the Don."
The people called the river "Don Father", while the Volga among the Russian people, "Volga Mother". These nicknames perfectly convey the attitude of people to these two rivers.
The embankment of Rostov-on-Don is decorated with the sculpture "Father Don".
Don is also sung in songs, depicted in paintings by artists, and his nature has been filmed more than once by directors for his films.