Yesterday I told how at one time we bought a PVC boat for walking along the Volga. I shared the link with friends and together we nostalgic for those times when several times a week we merrily and provocatively cut through the Volga expanses on our boat. It was a time of discovery of many interesting places on our section of the great river, and I will be happy to tell you about some of them.
sand bars
1. Trumpet.
Not everyone knows that a couple of kilometers after the hydroelectric power station, the vast territory of the Volga is not a deep reservoir, but a very large shallow area, where for almost all day you can freely roam, at most waist-deep in water. It is very romantic and interesting, although in most cases everyone is limited to walking near the well-known pipe sticking out of the water.
2. Ends of the spit opposite the city and dachas Peski.
Almost everyone knows that the coast of the Desert, where a boat crossing is established from the city, gives rise to a huge sandy spit, which gradually narrows and very slowly goes under water. So slowly that at different times of the day its length varies by several hundred meters and in the morning a significant part of it is covered with a layer of water of 30-50 centimeters and even pvc boats with inflatable bottom
.
But not everyone knows that at the end of this spit there are a number of underwater "islands" several tens of square meters in size. Most of them can be waded, plunging into water no more than chest deep. It is fascinating and very interesting for anyone who first gets to know the Volga expanses.
3. Spit between the Desert and Kalinikha.
Everyone who rested on the shore near Kalinikhi saw her. But few people were directly on the spit itself. Despite the fact that it is often flooded, there is a long period of time when you can not only relax on it, but also fry kebabs. It's an incredibly fresh feeling of relaxation.
4. Spit beyond the tip of the Desert.
It’s hard to believe it the first time, but across the entire width of the Desert, immediately after it ends, a wide and very long spit stretches down the river, three hundred meters long, if not more. Its level decreases very gradually and naturally it quickly overgrows with algae. To put it mildly, most boats are not recommended to go there on a motor, and whenever you want to have a little fun or when you turn right too early while going around the Desert, you have to row or even drag the boat by the anchor rope on foot.
The best beaches
The opposite, Volskaya, side opposite the Desert is completely unsuitable for swimming.
Balakovo residents have chosen a small beach right after the hydroelectric power station, but this is clearly not the zen of a person who has at least some kind of boat. At best, on the “other side” you will find a cozy secluded place, but not a beach convenient for families.
More or less convenient beaches begin in the area of \u200b\u200bgirlish hills - but there are always a lot of summer residents there.
Gorgeous beaches begin in the area of the Svetlana sanatorium and several recreation centers, but on fine days they are not called deserted.
Oddly enough, the ideal beaches are just opposite the city. But avid boaters rarely go there to swim - there are too many people and garbage. Most often, people go either way down, behind the camps, to the beaches at the lower tip of the island or to the “Volsky” side of the Desert, where there is little vegetation for shade, but gorgeous beaches and a pleasant bottom.
Good places on the shore opposite the Desert. Forest approaching the shore, a fairly wide strip of sand. True, there are few places where it is convenient to swim because of a bad day. But good places for family vacations are easy to find.
A chic and completely deserted coast - the "Balakovo" coast beyond Revyaka. True, there is also little vegetation there, but as a rule, everyone is a little too lazy to go there to swim.
Beautiful places
All Revyaka is a very beautiful and interesting place for beginners. Be sure to walk along its entire length. The depth here reaches 17 meters, and this is a very rare type of "tributary", where almost all day the water goes "backward" and the flow is not into the river, but from the river.
You will be able to go around the Desert and admire the Maiden Hills, I think, at most on the second exit to the water. But passing inside the Desert, not many. Believe me, despite the apparent simplicity, there are a lot of beautiful and breathtaking places inside the Desert.
The beaches between the Maiden Hills and the chain of recreation centers are not only good for swimming, but also very interesting. Pass by them on a boat and don't be too lazy to stick in interesting places - and you will understand what I mean. By the way, there are a lot of camps for vacationers.
And at sunset, be sure to be opposite the Maiden Hills. It's worth it.
- Photos © Yulia Demina
- 26 April, 2016
We continue to talk about the regional winners of the competition Russia 10. In previous articles, you learned about what sights the inhabitants of the western districts of the country would like to see as visual symbols of Russia. Today we will talk about candidates for this title from the Volga Federal District.
The center of the district is Nizhny Novgorod, so it is quite reasonable that the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, the historical center of this city, was on the top line of the district top. In general, the Kremlin of Russia, the former city fortifications and places of concentration of all the main spheres of life in ancient Rus', today turned out to be quite popular tourist sites. Among the sights participating in the second round, we counted seven kremlins. And today, all of them, except for the Astrakhan Kremlin (55th place), confidently keep in the top thirty favorites, led by the Kolomna Fortress. There are, however, some disputes as to which structures can be considered the Kremlin. Therefore, one might count only five such objects on the list. Even the absence of the Moscow Kremlin does not overshadow, the central district compensates for it with three others.
A desperate struggle unfolded in the last days of voting in the first round for tenth place. Buzuluk Forest and Razval Lake changed places several times two or three days before the end of voting. But in the end, the forest area of federal significance, having collected 178,458 votes, was only 31 votes ahead of the salt lake, and continues to fight. True, so far only on the 33rd meta.
Sights of the Volga region - PHOTOS.
The stone fortress rises on the banks of the Volga at the top of a mountainous cape. The city, founded in 1221, was initially protected by earthen and wooden fortifications. During the hostilities of Moscow against Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod acquired an important military significance. And in the period from 1508 to 1515, a grandiose construction was launched, the result of which was a two-kilometer wall with 13 towers. In the 16th century, the massive walls were attacked several times by the enemy, but remained impregnable. After the fall of the Kazan army, the fortress lost its strategic importance. Today, the Kremlin houses many historical monuments, a memorial complex, and administrative buildings. The oldest building is the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky Cathedral of 1631.
Shikhans are called lonely standing high hills, well distinguished from the surrounding terrain. In Russia, the most famous is the unique geological monument of nature Bashkir shikhans. Four isolated hills (Tratau, Yuraktau, Kushtau and Shakhtau), forming a 20-kilometer chain, stand near the Belaya River near Sterlitamak. The highest among the four brothers is Shihan Tratau - 402 meters above sea level. More than 300 million years ago, there was an ocean in the place of Bashkiria, and shikhans were reefs. On the slopes of the mountains, you can still find the fossilized remains of ancient marine organisms.
Monument to the people's poet of Bashkortostan and the hero of the Pugachev uprising Salavat Yulaev rises on the banks of the Belaya River in the city of Ufa. The height of the equestrian statue is 9.8 meters - the largest in Europe. The monument, which has become the hallmark of the city, was made by the sculptor Soslanbek Dafayevich Tavasiev, the opening took place in 1967. Despite the huge size and weight of 40 tons, the monument looks very dynamic. Salavat Yulaev, holding a whip in one hand, stops the horse, which seems to have just raced through a huge field. The area around the monument is equipped and well maintained. Newlyweds from Ufa have a tradition of laying flowers at the monument.
An open-air museum on the territory of the Chistye Prudy recreational complex, one of the largest sculpture parks in the world. The Center for Contemporary Art, which presents 275 different works by artists from 59 countries, is located in the Penza region near the village of Ramsay. The park, which began to be created in 2008 and is of great cultural importance for the country, has already received great world fame and recognition. International sculptural symposiums are held here every year, the attendance of the park is more than 30 thousand people a year.
Juma Mosque on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The main mosque of the city and the republic. The construction was carried out as a reconstruction of the shrine destroyed by Ivan the Terrible during the assault on Kazan in 1552. The opening, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the city, took place in 2005. The complex consists of three buildings - the mosque itself and two pavilions, which contain a museum of the history of the spread of Islam in the Middle Volga region, a collection of editions of the Koran in different languages of the world, an imam's room and books with the names of donors for the construction. The mosque was named after Kul-Sharif, an imam who defended part of the city together with his companions in the 16th century.
Four kilometers from Glazov, on Mount Soldyr at the confluence of the Cheptsa and Pyzep rivers, there is an ancient settlement of the northern Udmurts Idnakar (Soldyr settlement). In the 9th-13th centuries, the city founded by Prince Idna was a major cultural, craft and administrative center. Its area is 4 hectares. During the excavations, the remains of ancient dwellings and fortifications were discovered, a large number of items were found that reveal the material and cultural side of the life of the northern Udmurts and allow reconstructing the life of that time. Today, Idnakar is a popular tourist brand in Udmurtia. The museum-reserve is of great national importance as a monument of archeology, history and culture.
A picturesque cliff 35-40 meters high is located 5 kilometers south of the village of Belogorskoye in the Saratov region on the banks of the Volga River. The lower part of the cliff consists of quartz-glauconite sands, the upper 20-meter layer is white chalk rocks. on the one hand, it is divided in half by the Slave ravine, on the other, it is limited by Datura Mountain. Near the cliff, several Old Believer caves were found. The cliff is part of the Shcherbakovsky archaeological natural park. There are many legends and legends among the people about the treasures allegedly buried here, although the very fact of Stepan Razin's stay in these places is not confirmed.
A landmark of the Perm Territory, known far beyond the borders of Russia, is located near the Sylva River in Ice Mountain. It has been established that back in the 17th century, local residents took visiting tourists to the cave. It is one of the ten longest gypsum caves in the world, its length reaches 5700 meters. The Kungur cave is very picturesque, underground labyrinths are equipped with tourist routes more than one and a half kilometers long. There are 70 lakes inside the cave. Near the cave, a modern tourist complex "Stalagmit" was built, which is visited annually by about 100 thousand people.
The bell tower is part of a single complex of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Monastery, which is located in the Chuvash city of Alatyr. It is made as a single concrete monolith, finished with pink brick and white marble. The height of the bell tower is 81.6 meters, the belfry is located at a height of 26 meters from the ground level. The monastery was founded in 1584, the construction of the bell tower began in 2006. In total, the bell tower has 14 floors. Its uniqueness, in addition to reinforced concrete masonry, is in the presence of an elevator and mechanical chimes. The bell tower is above the gate, it houses the gates to the monastery, as well as the temple and various rooms.
Pine forest, which received the status of a national park in 2008, is located in a river basin with a depth of 100-150 meters near the Borovka River, 15 kilometers from the city of Buzuluk. The pure pine forest growing here was formed 3-4 thousand years ago. Experienced forestry has been working in these places since 1903, so the Buzuluk forest is one of the most studied forest areas. In the thicket of the forest there is an attraction - two pine trees 300 years old, one of them reaches 1.5 meters in diameter and 30 meters high. There are several recreation centers on the territory of the forest. The right bank of the river floodplain is very picturesque, there are many streams with beaver dams and small oxbow lakes.
More than 700 objects claimed the title of the best sights of Russia. After the completion of the first stage of the competition, only 80 of them remained, 10 from each federal district. After the second stage - 30 attractions.
Posted Sun, 15/01/2017 - 08:41 by Cap
Volga. It is difficult to find another such toponym that would be so strongly associated with Russia. Russian megacities and small cozy towns have found a place for themselves on the banks of this amazing river. Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Astrakhan, Volgograd - these are the main places you can visit during a cruise on the Volga.
Hundreds of large and small towns are combined along the banks of the Volga into one region - the Volga region. The Volga region today has every chance of becoming a landmark place on the tourist map of Russia. Even now, a cruise on the Volga is an exceptionally popular tourist service for those wishing to admire the beauties of the Volga.
A mixture of cultures, peoples, religions and different traditions! The beautiful Kremlin, churches and monasteries interspersed with mosques and minarets. The old corners of this ancient city are preserved.
The city attracts many visitors and tourists.
The Kazan Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city has a registered brand "the third capital of Russia". Unofficially and semi-officially, it is called the "capital of Russian federalism" and "the capital of all the Tatars of the world."
In 2005, the millennium of Kazan was celebrated.
The length of the city from north to south is 29 km, from west to east - 31 km. The city in the western, central and southwestern parts overlooks the Volga River for about 15 km. In Kazan, there is one bridge across the Volga - at the extreme western border of the city.
The Kazanka River flows from northeast to west through the middle of the city and divides Kazan into two parts comparable in territory - the historical one to the south of the river and the newer beyond the river to the north. The two parts of the city are connected by five dams and bridges, as well as a subway line. 
The relief of the city is flat and hilly.
In the central part of the city there are low-lying plains Zabulache, Predkabanye, Zakabanye, the elevated plain Arskoye Pole and separate hills stand out - the Kremlin (Kremlin-Universitetsky), Marusovsky, Fedoseevsky, First and Second Mountains, Ametyevo, Novo-Tatarskaya Sloboda, etc. In the direction of southeast and east, the territory of the city as a whole gradually rises, and large residential areas of Gorki, Azino, as well as Nagorny, Derbyshki are located at isoheights of 20-40 meters and higher than part of the historical center, southwestern regions and Zarechye. Zilantova Gora stands out in the District, as well as hills of settlements in the north of the city. In different places there are ravines and similar local elongated depressions in the terrain.
The territory of the city is characterized by a very significant proportion of water surfaces. A strip of a part of the Volga water area more than 2 km wide (along the western border of the city), as well as a predominantly shallow end and a new mouth of the Kazanka River about 1.5 km wide (completely inside the city) were formed when the Kuibyshev reservoir appeared in the middle of the 20th century instead of many times more narrow natural widths of rivers.
Kazan is one of the largest cultural centers of Russia, preserving the classical achievements, and also contributing to the development of modern, avant-garde trends in many areas of culture. The capital of Tatarstan is traditionally called "multicultural", meaning the mutually beneficial enrichment of the peacefully coexisting Russian and Tatar cultures. With the support of UNESCO, the world's first Institute for the Culture of Peace was established in Kazan.
SHAMIL'S HOUSE - GABDULLA TUKAY MUSEUM 
Kazan annually hosts international festivals of Shalyapinsky’s opera, Nurievsky’s ballet, Rachmaninovsky’s classical music, Kazan Autumn open air opera, Concordia contemporary music, Creation of the World folk and rock music, literary Aksyonov Fest, and Muslim cinema. "Golden Minbar" (since 2010 - Kazan International Muslim Film Festival), role-playing games "Zilantcon", numerous festivals and competitions at the federal and republican levels. The only Kazan film studio in the Volga region operates in the city.
Starting from the 9th century, there was a gradual peaceful colonial movement of the Slavs along the upper Volga to the lands inhabited by the Finno-Ugric peoples. By the end of the 11th century, Rus' owned the entire upper Volga almost to the mouth of the Oka. The borders of the Volga Bulgaria began a little lower, and the right bank of the Volga up to the mouth of the Sura was inhabited by the Erzya. At the same time, Gorodets was the “last” Slavic city on the Volga until 1221.
In 1221, Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, at the confluence of the Volga and Oka, founded a stronghold for the defense of the borders of the Vladimir principality from the Moksha, Erzi, Mari and Volga Bulgars called Novgorod of the Nizovsky land (the Novgorodians called the Vladimir principality the Nizovsky land) - later this name was transformed into Nizhny Novgorod , and remained in the imperial title until 1917.
NIZHNY NOVGOROD KREMLIN - MILITARY EXHIBITION 
There are more than 600 unique historical, architectural and cultural monuments in the city. The main one is the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. Until 2010, Nizhny Novgorod had the status of a historical settlement, however, by Order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation dated July 29, 2010 N 418/339, the city was deprived of this status.
In total, there are about two hundred cultural institutions of regional and municipal significance in Nizhny Novgorod. Among these institutions are 13 theaters, 5 concert halls, 97 libraries, 17 cinemas, 25 children's clubs, 8 museums, the digital Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium, 8 enterprises that ensure the functioning of parks.
There are three academic theaters in Nizhny Novgorod (drama, opera and ballet named after A. S. Pushkin and a puppet theater), theaters of comedy, a young spectator, etc.
There are 3 regional and 92 public municipal libraries in Nizhny Novgorod. There are also libraries at organizations, educational institutions and enterprises of the city.
NIZHNY NOVGOROD KREMLIN - VIEW FROM THE VOLGA 
One of the largest is the Nizhny Novgorod State Regional Universal Scientific Library. V. I. Lenin, opened in 1861. A legal information center has been established on its basis.
On the territory of the city there is a museum of A. M. Gorky, which includes the Literary Museum; the scene of the autobiographical story "Childhood" Kashirin's House; a museum-apartment in which work was carried out on several works of the writer. The city also houses the only museum in Russia of N. A. Dobrolyubov in the former apartment building of the Dobrolyubov family, as well as a house-museum in the wing of the Dobrolyubov estate, where the critic spent his childhood and youth; Museum of A. S. Pushkin; museum-apartment of A. D. Sakharov, Russian Museum of Photography.
A rare cruise along the Volga is not complete without a visit to the South Russian river port in Astrakhan. Astrakhan is a famous city in the south of Russia, one of the largest and most interesting places on the Volga.
Astrakhan is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the Astrakhan region, 1500 km southeast of Moscow. The city is located on 11 islands of the Caspian lowland, in the upper part of the Volga delta.
There are about 38 bridges in the city. The main part of the city is located on the left bank of the Volga, about 20% of the city's inhabitants live on the right bank.
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Both parts of the city are connected by two bridges across the Volga.
The total area of the city is about 500 km². The length of the city along the Volga is 45 km. On two coasts it is over 45 km. The city is divided into 4 administrative districts; in the future, due to the large area of its districts, comparable to the Moscow districts, it is planned to be divided into 7 administrative districts. Astrakhan is assigned to the same time zone as Moscow, although local real time is 42 minutes ahead of Moscow. The flight time to Moscow is a little over 2 hours, up to 7 flights fly daily, the train to Moscow takes from 27.5 hours (No. 85/86 Makhachkala-Moscow) and more (including fast branded train No. as well as transit trains to Baku.
Up to 5 trains leave Moscow for Astrakhan daily. By bus from Astrakhan to Moscow can be reached in about 24 hours. Traveling along the Volga by boat takes 8 days to Moscow (with stops in the cities). Astrakhan has 21 large and small ports, 15 shipbuilding and ship repair yards. .jpg)
the building of the former Azov-Don Bank, and now the building of the State Bank of Russia for the Astrakhan Region, 1910, architect Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval
Gubin's mansion, late 19th century;
the hipped tower of the fence of the Transfiguration Monastery (beginning of the 18th century) with inserts of polychrome tiles;
Demidov Compound (XVII-XVIII centuries); Church of St. John Chrysostom (1763; “octagon on a quadrangle” with rich sculptural decoration; rebuilt in the 19th century);
cathedral of st. Vladimir, 1895-1904 (in Soviet times, the building housed a bus station, in 1999 the temple was transferred to the Orthodox Church);
house of the Astrakhan Cossack army, 1906 (architect V. B. Valkovsky); cinema "October" with a unique winter garden-arboretum;
Indian trading compound; wooden houses in the "Russian" or "Ropetov" style;
Regional Scientific Library named after N. K. Krupskaya;
Swan Lake in the city center;
White Mosque; Black Mosque; Red Mosque; Persian mosque;
Monument to the Turkmen poet Magtymguly Fragi Monument to Kurmangazy
Illuminated tower of the Astrakhan television center
On the right bank of the Volga between Kostroma and Kineshma, a small town nestled - Plyos. He knew the days of the highest rise of his fame - and experienced the streaks of complete oblivion.
Plyos was known not only here, but also in the West. It was the time (80-90s) when Plyos accidentally entered the history of art and became, as it were, the spokesman for the sentiments of a part of the Russian intelligentsia. This, however, will be discussed in more detail below.
Plyos, first of all, is beautiful. The beauty of Plyos is special, original and multifaceted. The stretch is beautiful as a whole, like an amazing panorama, beautiful in every detail, in every bend, in every nook and cranny. Walking through the hills of the city, you come across new and new effects that amaze and enchant you.
Almost four and a half centuries ago, the son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fedor Ioannovich, decided to protect himself from foreign surprises of a military format and began to build up the Volga with fortress cities. This is how Samara and Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) appeared. And in 1590 between these two cities, Saratov was erected by the princely hand of Grigory Zasekin.
This city received many harsh lessons - it burned down several times, it was rebuilt, it was ruined by Pugachev, it was plundered by Kalmyks and Kubans ... It was tested by the diabolical power of Russian history, which was rarely merciful to its latitudes.
But the times of aggression and chaos died down. Legality was strengthened, the city began to rebuild. Schools, hospitals, printing houses, theatres, cathedrals, offices - Saratov was filled with its infrastructure, philosophy, great geniuses. The merchant center of the Volga region developed rapidly, carving many victories on massive plates of personal biography. And now the emotional outcry in Griboedov's play has ceased to have any basis. .jpg)
in which the thirst for activity boils like hot lead. Here is one of the best universities in the country, offering an innovative education, and at the same time, carefully preserving its research heritage. In total, there are more than a dozen higher educational institutions in the city.
The streets of the central part of the city enthusiastically represent all the diversity of architectural styles and forms of old Russia. From 17th century cathedrals to neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau. From the Stalinist baroque to the configurations of modern fantasies. Behind the windows of each house are hidden mystical stories about time and fate, which so often change the real course of things.
Museum spheres absorb real masterpieces of art. There is always a chance to admire the finest work of French masters on Sèvres porcelain of the 18th century. The best collection of paintings and drawings in the country by A.P. Bogolyubova has long attracted lovers of fine art. As well as the works of world-famous masters: V.E. Borisov-Musatov, P.N. Kuznetsova, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin.
You can talk about the natural beauty of the Saratov region for a very long time. But only by feeling its invisible atmosphere of peace, you can fully indulge in spiritual rest. Saratov. .jpg)
Upper Volga (from the source to the mouth of the Oka) - Tver, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod regions;
Middle Volga (from the right tributary of the Sura to the southern edge of the Samara Luka) - Chuvashia, Mari El, Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk and Samara regions;
The Lower Volga (from the confluence of the Kama [officially, but not hydrologically] to the Caspian Sea) - the Republic of Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd regions, the Republic of Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region.
After the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the boundary between the middle and lower Volga is usually considered to be the Zhigulevskaya HPP upstream of Samara.
Attractions
Almost all regional and capital cities located on the Volga are major centers of educational tourism: Kostroma with the magnificent Ipatiev Monastery; rapidly developing Nizhny Novgorod with a complex of buildings of the medieval Kremlin, with a unique monument to Valery Chkalov and a permanent exhibition of Russian weapons produced during the war years; the capital of Chuvashia, Cheboksary, where everyone will be shown a monument and a house-museum to the legendary V. I. Chapaev; ancient Kazan, the capital of now sovereign Tataria; the birthplace of the organizer-inspirer of the October Revolution, V. I. Lenin, is the city of Ulyanovsk, where the largest memorial and museum complex still operates.
Tourists will also remember the magnificent embankments of Samara, the longest pedestrian street in Russia in Saratov, and the well-preserved Astrakhan Kremlin. It is impossible to walk past the majestic monument to the Motherland on Sapun Gora in the hero city of Volgograd without heart trepidation.
There are many places in the Volga region associated with the names of I. A. Goncharov, N. G. Chernyshevsky, A. M. Gorky, I. I. Shishkin, A. D. Sakharov and other prominent people of the Russian state.
Geographic Information
Volga basin
The Volga originates on the Valdai Upland (at an altitude of 228 m), flows into the Caspian Sea. The mouth lies 28 m below sea level. The total fall is 256 m. The Volga is the world's largest river of internal flow, that is, it does not flow into the oceans.
The river system of the Volga basin includes 151 thousand watercourses with a total length of 574 thousand km. The Volga receives about 200 tributaries. The left tributaries are more numerous and more abundant than the right ones. There are no significant tributaries after Kamyshin.
The Volga basin occupies about 1/3 of the European territory of Russia and extends from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands in the west to the Urals in the east. The main, feeding part of the Volga drainage area, from the source to the cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, is located in the forest zone, the middle part of the basin to the cities of Samara and Saratov is in the forest-steppe zone, the lower part is in the steppe zone to Volgograd, and to the south - in the semi-desert zone . It is customary to divide the Volga into 3 parts: the upper Volga - from the source to the mouth of the Oka, the middle Volga - from the confluence of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama, and the lower Volga - from the confluence of the Kama to the mouth.
The source of the Volga is the key near the village of Volgoverkhovye in the Tver region. In the upper reaches, within the Valdai Upland, the Volga passes through small lakes - Small and Big Verkhity, then through a system of large lakes known as the Upper Volga lakes: Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo, united in the so-called Upper Volga reservoir.
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Today, one of the largest Russian and European rivers, the Volga, celebrates its holiday. In honor of this day, we decided to talk about the 5 most curious cities and places that are located on the banks of the legendary river.
The Volga, one of the largest rivers in the world, originates in the Tver region (more precisely, on the Valdai Upland) and flows into the Caspian Sea. The total length of the central water artery of Russia is more than 3.5 thousand kilometers. Geographically, the river basin includes many areas and, of course, many interesting cities and places can be found on the banks of the river.
Zhiguli
The Zhiguli Mountains have long attracted tourists with their picturesque landscapes. No wonder the local beauties inspired great artists. For example, in the mid-80s of the 19th century, Aivazovsky painted the painting “Volga at the Zhiguli Mountains”, and Repin here a decade earlier created sketches for his famous work “Barge Haulers on the Volga”. In the area of the hill, located in the bend of the Samarskaya Luka, there really is something to see. A significant part of the area is occupied by the Zhiguli State Reserve, where the rarest species of flora and fauna are still preserved. You can also find here the Stone Chalice landscape complex, famous for its three springs with spring water. Locals say that spring water is the tears of the Mistress of the Zhiguli Mountains, mourning her loneliness. And one of the sources, named after Nicholas the Wonderworker, according to legend, is able to give longevity and health.
In addition, the Zhiguli Mountains are of interest to lovers of paranormal phenomena. Luminous pillars have been repeatedly observed above the mountains, and some said that they saw an entire city hidden in the mountains. By the way, ufologists agree that UFOs over the Zhiguli mountains can be seen more often than anywhere else on the planet.
Samara
Samara is located on the left bank of the Volga opposite the Samarskaya Luka. It is customary to attribute Stalin's Bunker to the favorite tourist places of the city - one of the oldest defensive structures built in 1942. The bunker was declassified about two decades ago, and now you can see for yourself the shelter, the depth of which can be compared to a 12-story building. After the cold bunker, you can walk along the legendary Volga Embankment, a 5-kilometer stretch lined with many beaches and cozy cafes. In the city itself, historical buildings and monuments await you, and if you have free time and desire, you can visit the Krasnaya Glinka sanatorium, a hospital for members of the USSR Central Executive Committee, built in the 30s of the last century. Despite the fact that today the building is in disrepair, you can still enjoy the views of the unique architectural building of the Stalin era.
Mologa
There are also tragic monuments on the banks of the Volga. For example, where the Mologa tributary flows into the river, there used to be a once prosperous city, which was founded at the end of the 12th century. Until the 19th century, the city was actively developing and was considered a fairly large trading center; by the beginning of the 20th century, its population crossed the mark of 5 thousand inhabitants and, it would seem, nothing boded trouble. However, in the 30s of the last century, the construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric complex began, for the completion of which it was necessary to flood about 700 settlements, among which was Mologa. Residents were evacuated, but not everyone wanted to leave their homes. It was rumored that a wave of suicides swept through the city, but the city was still flooded. As a result, the construction of the hydroelectric complex was completed, and some of the remaining residents were evicted to the north of Russia. However, the city has not disappeared - several times a year, the dilapidated buildings of the ghost town appear above the Volga, reminding tourists of the events that once took place here.
Kazan
On the banks of the Volga is Kazan - a city with more than a thousand years of history, which is rightfully considered one of the most ancient and beautiful cities on the river coast. Here you can find the Kremlin - an architectural ensemble, included in the UNESCO heritage list in 2000, take a walk along the local Arbat - Bauman's pedestrian street, the commercial and business artery of the city. The Kul Sharif Mosque, the main mosque of Kazan and Tatarstan since 2005, can also be attributed to the remarkable places of the city. By the way, there is a special attitude to religion here. Mosques, Orthodox churches, Hare Krishna temples and synagogues peacefully coexist on the streets of Kazan. The city even has the Temple of All Religions, a structure in which you can find architectural elements of a variety of religious buildings. Of course, there are also monuments, historical buildings, museums and institutions here, which are unlikely to leave the guests of the city indifferent.
Plyos
There is a small town on the banks of the Volga, which stands a little away from the modern bustle. Plyos, whose history goes back more than 600 years, has not yet lost its originality and some fabulousness. Here you will find clean streets, neat houses and friendly residents. The place is unique and its climate. Due to its special location, a special microclimate has formed in the city, and the local air, saturated with ions, is compared with the best Swiss resorts. This also affects the local flora - in the vicinity of Ples you can find 12 species of northern orchids, which are practically gone in nature. By the way, orchids begin to bloom very soon - in July. And there is also the only museum of landscape in Russia, an old dream of the famous artist Levitan, who, by the way, painted about two hundred of his works in Plyos. In addition, despite the relative obscurity and small size, the city periodically hosts international events, for example, the Zerkalo film festival named after the legendary director Andrei Tarkovsky. In a word, if you have the opportunity to visit Plyos, do not miss this chance. It is likely that after that you will begin to have a completely different attitude to the concept of “Russian hinterland”.
In the center of the Yaroslavl region on the Volga River there is a small provincial town - Tutaev. And it seems to be no different from thousands of other small Russian towns, but still there is something in it that invites the traveler to stop, linger here for a moment.
2. It is located on the two banks of the Volga, but it was not always so. Once upon a time, these were two different cities, facing each other - Romanov and Borisoglebsk. Later they were combined into one, and the name Romanov-Borisoglebsk sounded for a little less than a century.
With the new Soviet power that came at the beginning of the twentieth century, the new name Tutaev also came. Probably, this is one of the few Soviet names that were chosen successfully. Of course, the old is better, but if you do not know the history, it may seem that it has always been called that. 
3. The historical center is very compact. Exaltation of the Cross Church and well-preserved ramparts. 
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5. View of Borisoglebskaya Sloboda. 
6. Former manor. Well, how can one not remember Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard". 
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8. Spring time, the beginning of May, the big water has not yet had time to descend, and the river seems quite wide for these places. 
9. For more than a hundred years, the two sides have been united, but there is still no bridge, and construction is not even planned. 
10. Instead, a ferry crossing and motorboats are the whole message. By the way, boats carrying people are also equated to urban transport. The price is a chervonets.
Yes, low fares, a distinctive feature of the Russian provinces, which is the best way to say that metropolitan prices are excessively high. 
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12. Many churches have been preserved here and most of them are in good condition, however, not all of them are active. 
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16. As you can see, this church is not active, and the house stands so close, as if it was built right next to it. 
17. An interesting feature of the small towns of Russia in the northeast of Moscow is the well-preserved fire tower of the 19th century. Similar ones can be found in Ostashkov, Rybinsk, Kostroma.
And here she is in Tutaev. 
18. Although the tower itself is no longer used for its intended purpose, the fire department is still located in this building around the corner. 
19. And in front of us is a former bank. It can be seen that the word on the plate under the visor used to be with a solid sign. Apparently, this inscription is more than a hundred years old, like many other buildings.
Probably, wealthy philistines and merchants kept their savings in this bank. 
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24. Citizens, however, are not without a sense of humor and patriotism. 
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26. There is something Russian in this photo. 
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29. I just want to sit on the grass on a high bank and look at the overflowing river, at a calm and measured life and just listen to the silence. 
30. An amazing feature of the Volga - a high, steep left bank and a gentle right bank, without exception, manifests itself here. 
31. Here we are on the other side. 
32. We have just observed the red church close up, now let's look at it from the other side. From a distance, she is no worse. 
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35. Borisoglebsk side is not much different. All the same quiet streets with wooden houses immersed in greenery. 
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(To view photos in slideshow mode, click on any of them)
Despite the close proximity to Moscow and the beauty of nature, this place did not become a "tourist Mecca", like Suzdal, which, of course, allowed it to preserve its unique provincial flavor and originality.
Time here is not something that would stop, didn't it go back?
But this is what the city is good for, quiet, calm, there is no worldly fuss and dirt, as in modern megacities, and, at the same time, Tutaev cannot be called a backwater. And the exceptional picturesqueness of this place is undoubtedly the main attraction, because of which you will want to come back here again and again.
