Volga

For other uses, see Volga (disambiguation).

The Volga is the longest river in Europe. In Russian it is called Волга, in the Tatar language its name is İdel.

Volga
Mouth	Caspian Sea
Length	3,531 km (2,194 mi)
Mouth elevation	−28 m (−92 ft)

Many people see it as the national river of Russia. It flows through the western part of the country. It is Europe's longest river, with a length of 3,530 kilometres, and forms the core of the largest river system in Europe.

It rises in the Valdai Hills of Russia, 225m above sea level north-west of Moscow. The Kama, Oka, Vetluga and the Sura are its main tributaries. The Volga and its tributaries form the Volga river system, which drains an area of about 1.35 million square kilometres in Russia. The Volga Delta has a length of about 160 kilometres. It includes 555 channels and small streams. It is the largest estuary in Europe. It is the only place in Russia where pelicans, flamingoes, and lotuses may be found. The Volga freezes for most of its length for three months each year. Some of the biggest reservoirs in the world can be found along the river.

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  Rzev is the first town on the banks of the Volga. Photo from the early 20th century

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  The Volga, near Ulyanovsk

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  Satellite image of the Volga

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  Volga in Yaroslavl

Volga Media

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  Rybinsk Reservoir. Cruise ship "Maksim Litvinov"

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  View of the Volga Delta from the International Space Station

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  The confluence of the Oka (to the left) and the Volga in Nizhny Novgorod

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  The Saratov Bridge by night, Saratov Oblast

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  The upper Volga in the vicinity of Staritsa, 1912

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  The Starovolzhsky Bridge in Tver

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  Volga Hydroelectric Station

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  Many Orthodox shrines and monasteries are located along the banks of the Volga

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  Ilya Yefimovich Repin's painting Barge Haulers on the Volga

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  Soviet Marines charge the Volga river bank.

Other websites

Media related to Volga River at Wikimedia Commons