Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan. The city has a thousand-year history, a distinctive culture, a developed economy, and is the scientific center of the republic. A large port is located on its territory. Which river does Kazan stand on - on the Volga or on the Kazanka?
City name history
Few people know that in historiography there are more than twenty variants of the origin of the name of the city. One version says that allegedly at the construction site of the city they buried a cauldron - a symbol of wealth and abundance. In another version, they pay attention to the peculiarities of the terrain, according to the ancient Turkic geographical term “Kazan-Kazan” means the hollow, the upper point of the steep coast, washed from several sides. The version about the sorcerer who said to build a city where water boils in a boiler without fire is widespread. Another version says that one of the children of the ruler of the Bulgarian state allegedly dropped a copper cauldron into the river, after which it became known as Kazansu. After some time, the river was called Kazanka.
Water systems located in the city played and play an important role in its life. Several water arteries flow within its borders, and it’s not immediately clear what river Kazan stands on.
The main river of the city
The Volga flows through the European part of Russia. It is one of the largest rivers in Europe, its length is 3530 kilometers. The Volga is a river of internal flow, its source begins at the village of Volgoverkhovye, on the Valdai Upland, and it flows into the Caspian Sea. The Volga, as a rule, is divided into three parts - upper, middle and lower. It is connected by channels with the Baltic, White, Azov and Black Seas.
Which river does Kazan stand on? The Volga on its way crosses many settlements. Large cities such as Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Volgograd are located on it. Kazan is located on the left bank of the Volga, at the confluence of the Kazanka.
Historic waterway
The Kazanka River is the left tributary of the Volga; its length is about 142 km. The source is located near the village of Kazanbash. The channel is winding, the depth varies between 0.5-1.5 m, the flow velocity is 0.1-0.3 meters per second. The mouth of the river is covered with sand, so navigation along it is impossible. It falls into the Kuibyshev reservoir. Kazanka washes the northern part of Kazan hill, thereby destroying it.
When the Kuibyshev reservoir was created, the Kazanka spilled near the Kazan Kremlin. Here the river turned into a shallow bay, the width of which is slightly more than a kilometer. The mouth of the river shifted downstream of the Volga. Since 1978, it has been officially recognized as a natural monument of the capital.
The Kazanka River flows right in the middle of the city, thereby dividing it into parts: old and new Kazan. Which river is the old part of the city, and which is the new?
Historical Kazan is located on the territory located between the Volga and Kazanka, the new part is a bit west of the Kazanka, but it also has access to the Volga. The rivers are interconnected by dams and bridges.
The old part of the city is historical Kazan. On which river in the city are the main historical sights? The Kazan Kremlin, temples, monuments are concentrated along the banks of the Kazanka.
Tributaries
The inflows of the Kazanka to the right are the following bodies of water: Oia, Verezinka, Atynka, Krasnaya, Shymyakovka, Sula, Salt-cellar, Dry. The tributaries on the left are Kismes, Kamenka, Kinderka, Knox, Kosinka, Bulak.
The largest tributaries are Knox and Kinderka. The length of the first is 42 km, the length of the second is 26 km. Both Knox and Kinderka flow along the outskirts of the city.
The water system in the city is well developed, so it’s very difficult to say right away which river Kazan is on.
Canal Bulak
It is located in the old part of Kazan. What river is this city on? Once Bulak was a natural channel and connected Lake Lower Kaban with Kazanka. The name comes from the Tatar word "balak", which means "small river". The river, emerging from Lake Kaban, was divided into two branches, one of them was filled up.
Today, Bulak is two streets separated by a canal. It begins near the Kamala Theater, passes through the streets of Kazan and ends near the Kremlin. Six bridges are thrown across Bulak. Its length is about 1.5 km, the width of the channel is about 32 meters.
Natural Attractions of Kazan
In addition to the rivers, the city has other natural attractions. One of the unique places can be called Blue Lake. This is a system of lakes located among marshes and forests. They are of karst origin and are elders of the Kazanka. They feed on groundwater, so the temperature at any time of the year is approximately the same, it is 4-6 degrees. For this reason, lakes are not covered with ice in winter.
No less beautiful place is the so-called Kazan Switzerland. It is located in the very center of the city, on the left bank of the Kazanka, not yet touched by civilization. This area is a chain of hills on which trees and other vegetation grow.
Another unique place in Kazan is the cedar park. Over 400 of these trees grow on its territory. The uniqueness of the place lies in the fact that cedar branches are grafted to a pine tree.
The city of Kazan is diverse and diverse. What river is it on? This question is easiest to answer after walking along its promenades, bridges and parks.