The Volga is a river flowing in the European part of Russia, a mighty, ancient, full-flowing one. On its way, the river crosses the traditional habitats of different peoples - Tatars, Mari, Russians, Kalmyks and Chuvashs. That is why it has been known since ancient times under various names. The modern Russian name of the river is supposedly derived from the Proto-Slavic “vyga”, that is, moisture. Similar river names exist in other Slavic languages.
The Baltic tribes called it "roll", which translates roughly as a "stream" or "small river". This is due to the fact that they did not have access to the widest and deepest sections of the river.
Meanwhile, the ancient historian Herodotus was more informed and considered the Volga a great river, flowing through the earth from top to bottom along the Sarmatian lands.
What area does the Volga River flow from: from the source to the Caspian
The Volga is considered one of the few rivers, the source of which is determined up to a specific spring. The key, which gives life to one of the largest European river systems, is located near the village with a talking name - Volgoverkhovye, in the Tver region.
The first hundreds of kilometers of the Volga flow are a series of small lakes connected by a small river, which flows from one standing reservoir to another, flows into the Upper Volga lakes, united today into a large reservoir.
Knowing the area over which the river flows will help to understand the nature of its course, the size of the drainage basin and the value for the region’s economy, which is not limited to Russia.
Throughout the river has a calm course. This is due to the fact that its source is only 228 meters above sea level, while the mouth lies 28 meters below sea level.
How long is the Volga River: what terrain flows
In the old days, the length of the river was 3,690 kilometers, however, the construction of numerous reservoirs significantly reduced its length, which now amounts to 3,530 kilometers.
Here it is worth saying a few words about what terrain the Volga flows through. Originating on the Valdai Upland, the river slowly moves along Central Russian. In the region of Nizhny Novgorod and Tatarstan, it flows through the forest zone, gradually shifting to the forest-steppe in Samara and Saratov.
Reaching Volgograd, the Volga falls into the steppe zone, and in its lower reaches it finds itself in an exceptionally arid semi-desert zone.
Such a different Volga: from Tver to Astrakhan
During the course, it is customary to distinguish three sections, which differ primarily in what terrain the Volga River flows through. The largest city on the upper Volga is Tver, it was in its vicinity that the first dam was built to regulate the flow of water and maintain the level of runoff in the off-season.
Subsequently, numerous dams were built on the river, the main purpose of which is to ensure the operation of large hydropower plants. All in the same upper stream, in the Gorodets area, the dam of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric station was built, as a result of which the Gorky reservoir was formed.
The middle course of the Volga is usually limited to the area from the confluence of the Oka to the Volga until its confluence with the Kama.
After the Kama, the Volga drain increases significantly, the river becomes wide and full-flowing. In this part of its course, numerous powerful power plants, reservoirs and industrial enterprises were built, requiring large amounts of water and electricity.
Mouth - Wet Lotus Valley
Concluding the discussion of the question of the terrain over which the Volga River flows, we can briefly say about its delta, which begins 46 kilometers above Astrakhan. The Delta is considered one of the largest in the country and definitely the largest in Europe. It consists of more than 500 sleeves, streams, channels and small rivers. The climate in this part of Russia is arid, but along the Volga in the Astrakhan region marshy spaces form, which have become the place of growth of lotuses.
Regardless of the terrain in which the Volga River flows, it carries with it life-giving moisture, prosperity and fertility. For many centuries, the river fed entire nations and to this day continues to be the key to the well-being of people living on its banks. However, this requires great responsibility in the use of its resources and respect for the ecology of the river.
Unfortunately, not all users of Volga water resources follow strict environmental rules designed to protect and preserve the river’s ecosystem. It is worth noting here that, flowing into the Caspian, the river ceases to be important only for Russia. Indeed, to one degree or another, all the countries of the Caspian region are dependent on the purity of its water and the biodiversity that must be maintained in it.