Volga River
The Volga River is the longest river in Europe, stretching approximately 2,300 miles through Russia and flowing into the Caspian Sea. Often regarded as Russia's national river, it serves as a vital waterway for many of the country's largest cities, including Moscow, Kazan, and Volgograd. The Volga has played an essential role in the region's history, culture, and economy, supporting a diverse population and significant agricultural activities, with over 40% of Russians residing in its vicinity. Its delta is notably the largest inland delta in Europe, rich in nutrients and vital for both fishing and the caviar industry.
The river is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including numerous species of fish and birds, making it an important ecological region. However, the Volga faces numerous environmental challenges, including pollution, water diversion, and declining wildlife populations, especially several species of sturgeon. These issues not only threaten the river's health but also impact the livelihoods of local communities that depend on its resources. Despite these challenges, the Volga River remains a crucial artery for transportation, industry, and cultural heritage in Russia.
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Volga River
The Volga River is the largest river in Europe in length, discharge, and watershed. Flowing through Russia, the river is considered by many to be the national river of Russia. Some of Russia’s largest cities lie on the banks of the river, including Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kazan, Volgograd, and Yaroslavl. More than 40 percent of all Russians, including about half of Russia’s farmers, live and farm near the river.
The Volga and its delta have been an important part of the region since ancient times. It has helped shape the history, culture, and lifestyle of European Russians. Today, the river provides the area with many resources, contributes to several industries, and offers a habitat for many species of plants and wildlife. However, the river and the people and wildlife living in the region experience many threats, including water diversions, pollution, and the near extinction of certain species of sturgeon, a kind of fish.
Overview
The Volga River flows through Russia, stretching for about 2,300 miles. It begins in the glacial Valdai Hills near the capital city of Moscow. This area experiences cold winters and hot summers. The river then flows east, passing by Moscow and other Russian cities, including Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod. Near Kazan, the river turns south, passing by Samara, Volgograd, and Astrakhan before emptying into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has many tributaries, or smaller rivers that feed a larger river. These tributaries include the Oka, Sura, Kama, and Vetluga rivers.
The Volga River, which has been called several different names such as Ra, Itil, Atil, Ethel, and Idil, has a rich history. In ancient times, the river helped the development of the Proto-Indo-European civilization. In the first century, the Slavics, the Bulgars, and the Khazars used the river for trade and transport. The Volga was also pivotal in the rise in trade with central Asia and in the increase in the cultivation of wheat and other crops.
The Volga has also experienced a number of conflicts throughout its history. In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded the area near the southern part of the Volga. During the Russian Civil War, warships were used on the river. Adolf Hitler of Germany attempted to use the river to his advantage during World War II. He had intended to weaken the Russian army by blocking Volga routes and taking petroleum resources near the Caspian Sea. However, during the Battle of Stalingrad, the opposite proved to be true, and Germany soon surrendered.
The river’s delta, or the land area at the river’s mouth, is the largest inland delta in Europe. It covers an area of 10,511 square miles, is about 99 miles wide, and stretches into the Asian country of Kazakhstan. More than 500 channels, arms, and rivulets flow into the delta, forming shallow lakes. The delta experiences very little rainfall, with less than three centimeters of rain annually.
The Volga delta is rich in nutrients, providing one of the most productive areas for fishing in the world. Furthermore, the delta contributes to the region’s caviar industry, as the city of Astrakhan is known for its caviar trade. Caviar is a delicacy consisting of fish eggs. Oil deposits in the delta allow for a significant petroleum industry. The delta also provides wheat, natural gas, salt, and potash. In addition, the river has large reservoirs, which provide irrigation and hydroelectric power. Navigable waterways, including the Moscow Canal, the Volga-Don Canal, and the Volga-Baltic Waterway, connect Moscow to the White Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea.
The Volga River and its delta boast a wide variety of plants and wildlife, with about 430 different plants, 400 vertebrates, 850 aquatic invertebrates, and more than a thousand species of insects. Among these are 127 species of fish, including white-eyed bream, the Volga lamprey, whitefish, herrings, and Russian, beluga, sterlet, and stellate sturgeons. Sturgeons are known for their caviar. The river also has about 260 species of birds, including swans, ducks, herons, terns, and ibis. In addition, the delta is the only place in Russia where certain species of birds can be found, including pelicans, flamingoes, and lotuses. Some of the more unusual birds living in the delta include the Dalmatian pelican, the great white egret, and the penduline tit. Furthermore, the ecoregion has been named a Wetland of International Importance for its wealth of migratory birds.
Although the Volga provides many resources, contributes to different industries, and offers a habitat for an array of plants and wildlife, the area faces some threats. Planned impoundments, water diversions, and industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollution have endangered the health of people in the region. The productivity of the delta and its wildlife has been threatened by dams upstream, which have altered the natural flow of the river. Other threats that are negatively affecting the river are an increase in cyanobacterial blooms and deoxygentation, poor water quality, weak basin management, and a lack of public awareness and participation in the decision-making process. In addition, poaching has caused a near extinction of certain species of sturgeon living in the river. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reports that of all the species of sturgeon, six are “critically endangered,” eight are “endangered,” six are “vulnerable,” and one is “near threatened,” leaving just two species that are not classified as threatened.
Bibliography
Dobrovidova, Olga. “The Soviets Turned the Volga River Into a Machine. Then the Machine Broke.” MIT Technology Review, 15 Dec. 2021, www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/15/1041312/volga-river-dams-russia-soviets-infrastructure/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.
“Interesting Facts about Volga River.” Maps of World, www.mapsofworld.com/travel/blog/facts/interesting-facts-about-volga-river. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.
Mineeva, Natalya, et al. "The Volga River." Rivers of Europe. Elsevier, 2022. 27-79.
Olson, Kenneth Ray, and Sergey Stanislavovich Chernyanskii. "The Volga River Is Russia’s Lifeline and in Need of Maintenance, Mitigation and Restoration." Open Journal of Soil Science 14.3 (2024): 159-179.