Western Dvina (Tver region): weather and recreation. The source of the river and fishing in the Western Dvina. Western Dvina river Eastern Dvina

The Northern Dvina River is the most important water artery of the Russian North. Where does it originate, where does it flow, and into what sea does it flow? You will find answers to all these questions in this informative article.

Common Northern Dvina

With a length of 744 kilometers, the river collects its waters from a huge area, which is 357 thousand square kilometers. Administratively, these are Arkhangelsk and Russia. And if we take into account the Sukhona and Vychegda rivers, then the length of this water artery will reach 1800 kilometers!

The Northern Dvina River takes on its path a large number of other rivers, streams and streams. Hydrographers counted only about a hundred second-order tributaries of this river system. That is, these are the streams that flow directly into the Northern Dvina. Among them, the largest tributaries are: Vaga, Vychegda, Pinega and Yumizh.

There are seven Russian cities on the banks of the Northern Dvina. These are (in the direction from the source to the mouth): Veliky Ustyug, Krasavino, Kotlas, Solvychegodsk, Novodvinsk, Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk.

Features of the water regime

The Northern Dvina River is distinguished by its traditional northern rivers water regime. Food is mainly melted snow, the maximum water flow is observed in May and June (up to 15,000 m 3 /s).

The river begins to be covered with ice already at the end of October, and opens approximately in mid-April. Thus, the Northern Dvina "in the ice" stays for almost half of the year. It should be noted that the period of ice drift on the river is, as a rule, very active. Traffic jams happen quite often.

Toponym etymology

Why was the Northern Dvina named that way? On this score, researchers and historians have several interpretations, but they all come down to about the same thing. They decipher this hydrotoponym as "double river". This interpretation is given in their books by several authors at once. The fact is that the Northern Dvina River was formed as a result of the confluence of two other water arteries, so such an etymology is quite logical and justified.

It is worth noting that some researchers (in particular, A. Matveev) saw Baltic roots in the origin of this name. So, Matveev believes that it comes from the Lithuanian word "dvynai", which means "double" in translation.

Interestingly, the Northern Dvina is displayed in many literary works and poetry. So, for example, a fictional city in one of Kir Bulychev's novels is located on the fictitious river Gus, which carries its waters precisely to the Northern Dvina.

Long way to the sea...

Where is the Northern Dvina River located? The answer is easy if you look at a detailed geographical map. It clearly shows that the source of the Northern Dvina River is located where the South and Sukhona merge together. This happens in the most ancient Russian founded in the XII century.

Further, the Northern Dvina carries its waters strictly to the north and, soon, takes in itself. This happens near the town of Kotlas. At the same time, it is worth noting a curious fact: at the time of the confluence, the Vychegda is a more full-flowing river than the Northern Dvina.

Further, our water artery continues its way to the sea, gradually changing its direction from northwest to north. Having traveled a fairly long distance, the Northern Dvina takes in the waters of another major river- Pinega. Downstream, a huge delta of our river is already beginning to form.

Curious and that historical fact that the source of the Northern Dvina River is described in detail in the so-called Ustyug Chronicle. It says that "the rivers Sukhona and Yug, which merged together, produced a third river from themselves ...".

Northern Dvina

In hydrology, the mouth is the place where the river flows into the ocean, sea, lake or other body of water. IN this case, The Northern Dvina flows into the White Sea, or to be more precise, into the Dvina Bay. At the same time, the mouth looks like a huge delta, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich can be compared with the area of the city of Volgograd. It is approximately 900 square kilometers.

The delta of the Northern Dvina is a whole system of small channels, branches, straits and islands. At the same time, the width of the river valley increases to 18 kilometers.

This is a large bay of the White Sea, in its southeastern part. Depths - within 120 meters (average values - about twenty meters). More than a dozen rivers flow into the Dvina Bay, including the Northern Dvina. It should be noted that this is the most warm place Total north sea. The water in the Dvina Bay warms up to +10...+12 degrees in summer.

Shipping on the Northern Dvina

Navigation is possible along the entire length of this river. True, it is very difficult in the area of the city of Arkhangelsk. So, large-sized ships cannot go far into the depths of the mouth. As a rule, they are served in the port of Economy. Remarkably, plans to optimize navigation in the Northern Dvina delta were developed in the 19th century, but they were never really implemented. The situation at the mouth is further complicated by the fact that during the "high water" the river brings here a huge amount of sand and debris, which only complicates the passage of ships.

It is also worth mentioning that the steamship "N.V. Gogol" still runs along the river - the oldest of those that are still in operation in the country. It was built back in 1911.

So you learned about the features and location of an important water artery of the Russian North - the Northern Dvina River.

In the north of Eastern Europe, in the Tver and Smolensk regions of Russia, as well as in Belarus and Latvia.

The name comes from the ancient Baltic. "daug" - "a lot", "abundantly" and "ava" - "water".

The first mention of the Western Dvina is found in the annals of a monk. In ancient times, the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed along this river.

The Western Dvina originates on the Valdai Upland, flows into the Gulf of Riga Baltic Sea called Daugava. The length of the river is 1020 km (of which 325 km, or 31.8% on the territory of Russia), the basin area is 84.4 thousand km 2 (42.2%). In terms of basin area, the Western Dvina ranks second among the rivers of the Smolensk (after the Dnieper) and Tver (after the Volga) regions and 24th in Russia.

The relief of the Western Dvina basin is characterized by an alternation of relatively large uplands and lowlands. The river basin is located in the area of excessive moisture. The annual amount of precipitation is 550−750 mm. On the western slopes of the ridges and uplands, the amount of precipitation increases to 800–900 mm. Pine and spruce-broad-leaved forests, young birch and aspen forests are widespread. main feature drainage basin landscapes - a dense river network (up to 0.45 km / km 2), an abundance of lakes and swamps. Main tributaries: Usvyacha, Toropa, Obol, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Perse, Ogre (right), Veles, Mezha, Kasplya, Luchesa, Ulla, Disna (left). The lakes are mostly small, of glacial origin.

IN upstream The Western Dvina is a small watercourse with a general direction to the south and then to the north. This is a lake river crossing flowing lakes. Dvinets and Reach-Hunger. Below the lakes, the riverbed expands to 15 m, flows in a relatively deep valley with steep banks in a section of the river 150 km long from the source. In the areas of the location of flowing lakes. Luka and Kalakutskoye, the valley of the Western Dvina expands to 3–4 km, in some places up to 10–15 km. Below the lakes, the valley and the riverbed widen. The height of the terrace above the floodplain is 7–8 m above the low water level. The floodplain is missing. In a moderately winding, slightly branched riverbed, there are many riffles formed by accumulations of boulder material, and rapids in the zones of exposure by the flow of outcrops of bedrocks (dolomites).

The average long-term water flow near Vitebsk (Belarus) is 221 m 3 /s (about 6.97 km 3 /year), at the mouth - 678 m 3 /s (about 21.398 km 3 /year). The Western Dvina has a mixed supply: the share of snow supply is 46% of the annual water flow, underground - 36%, rain - 18%. According to the water regime, the river belongs to the Eastern European type, which is characterized by a high spring flood, a low summer low water with frequent rain floods, and a stable winter low water. The period of spring high water accounts for 56% of the annual runoff, and the summer-spring and winter low waters account for 33 and 11%, respectively. In some years there are floods caused by thaws. The Western Dvina freezes in the first decade of December. Freeze lasts from December to March. The maximum ice thickness (50–80 cm) forms in February–March. The river opens up in the first decade of April. Spring ice drift lasts for several days. average temperature water in June–August is 18.7–19.2°C.

The waters of the Western Dvina are used for water supply and sanitation. Below the city of Velizh, the river is navigable in some areas. Upstream the riverbed is used for rafting. Pike perch, perch, roach, bream, golden carp, bleak, silver bream, pike live in the river.

On the banks of the Western Dvina are Russian cities Andreapol, Western Dvina, Velizh.

N.I. Alekseevsky

Western Dvina

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This term has other meanings, see Western Dvina (meanings).

"Daugava" redirects here; see also other meanings.

Western Dvina

Latvian. Daugava

Belarusian Zakhodnaya Dzvina

Western Dvina in Riga

Characteristic

Length 1020 km

Basin area 87,900 km²

Baltic Sea basin

Water flow 678 m³/s (at mouth)

source Valdai Upland

Location Andreapolsky district of the Tver region

Height 215 m

Mouth of the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea

· Location Riga

· Coordinates Coordinates: 57°03′43″ s. sh. 24°01′33″ e. / 57.061944° s. sh. 24.025833° E (G) (Y) 57.061944, 24.02583357°03′43″ s. sh. 24°01′33″ e. / 57.061944° s. sh. 24.025833° E d. (G) (I)

Location

Western Dvina basin

Country Russia, Belarus, Latvia

Western Dvina at Wikimedia Commons

Western Dvina in Vitebsk

Western Dvina in Polotsk

Zapadnaya Dvina (Belarusian Zakhodnaya Dzvina, Latvian Daugava, Latg Daugova, lit. Dauguva) is a river in the north of Eastern Europe, flowing through the territory of Russia, Belarus and Latvia. Connected by the inactive Berezinsky water system with the Dnieper River. Ancient names - Eridan, Khesin.

Geographical position

The length of the Western Dvina River is 1020 km: 325 km are in the Russian Federation, 328 in Belarus and 367 in Latvia.

The source of the Western Dvina was finally discovered only in the 1970s. The Western Dvina originates in swamps near a small lake Koryakino, Penovsky district of the Tver region on the Valdai Upland, a few kilometers after the source it flows into Lake Okhvat, then flows first to the southwest, but after Vitebsk it turns to the northwest. The Western Dvina flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea, forming an erosional delta.

Description of the river

The area of the Western Dvina basin is 87.9 thousand km². The total fall of the river on the territory of Belarus is 38 m, the density of the river network is 0.45 km / km², the lake content is 3%.

The river valley is trapezoidal in shape, in some places deeply incised or inexpressive. The width of the valley in the upper reaches is up to 0.9 km, on average 1-1.5 km, in the lower reaches 5-6 km. The floodplain is predominantly bilateral. The channel is moderately winding, slightly branched, with rapids in places. Above Vitebsk, the outcrop of Devonian dolomites forms rapids 12 km long.

The width of the Western Dvina River behind the lake Coverage is 15-20 meters, the banks are wooded, moderately steep sandy loamy with boulders, low on the coastal plain. The channel is rocky, with separate rifts and small rapids.

On the section Andreapol - Zapadnaya Dvina, the width of the river increases to 50 meters, and outside the city of Zapadnaya Dvina, having overcome another rapid section, the river takes major tributaries- Veles, Torop and Mezh, after which it expands to 100 meters.

Behind the mouth of the Mezha is a large pit, intended for collecting timber, rafted along the Mezha. Below the flood, the river flows in high banks covered with mixed forest. The forest disappears in front of the city of Velizh. Beyond Velizh the river is navigable.

Between the Latgal and Augshzem uplands, the Western Dvina flows through an ancient valley. Here the width of the Western Dvina reaches 200 meters. On the section from Kraslava to Daugavpils there is nature Park Daugavas Loki (Bends of the Daugava). Bypassing the Daugavpils, the Western Dvina enters the East Latvian lowland. Here the flow of the river slows down and the banks become low, because of this, during the spring flood, ice jams often form in this area and the water floods large territories.

From Jekabpils to Plavinas, the Western Dvina flows in steep banks, with sheer cliffs made of gray dolomite. The river valley from Plavinas to Ķegums was especially interesting and beautiful. There were many rapids and shoals in the channel. The shores were adorned with beautiful rocks Olinkalns, Avotinu-Kalns, Staburags. After the construction of the Pliavinska HPP, the water level rose by 40 m and the entire section of the ancient valley was flooded with the waters of the Pļaviņa Reservoir.

From Jaunjelgava to Ķegums, the reservoir of the Ķegums hydroelectric power station extends, and near Salaspils, the road to the river is blocked by the dam of the Riga hydroelectric power station.

Below the island of Dole, the river flows through the Primorskaya lowland. Here its valley is formed by loose deposits Quaternary period. The banks of the river in this section are low, and the valley is filled with river sediments. Alluvial sandy islands appear in the Riga region - Zakusala, Lucavsala, Kundzinsala, Kipsala, etc.

The width of the river at the Riga bridges is about 700 m, and in the area of Milgravis it reaches 1.5 km. The depth of the river here is approximately 8-9 m. The average water flow is 678 m³/s. The concentration of a number of pollutants exceeds 10 MPC.

Observations for hydrological regime on the territory of Belarus have been systematically conducted since 1878 (16 posts). In 1983, the posts of Surazh, Vitebsk, Ulla, Polotsk, Verkhnedvinsk operated.

Etymology and history

Left bank, right bank

Our Daugava;

Kurzeme, Vidzeme,

And Latgale is a state.

Oh, fate is fate!

All - not half!

The spirit is one and the speech is one,

And the earth is one.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, following other historians, identified Eridanus with the Western Dvina. At the mouth of the Western Dvina, you can find "tears of Heliad" - amber.

Throughout history, the Western Dvina River had about 14 names: Dina, Vina, Tanair, Turun, Rodan, Dune, Eridan, Western Dvina and others. Thus, in the 15th century, Gilbert de Lannoa notes that the Semigals called the Dvina Samegalzara (Semigals-Ara, i.e., Semigals water). In ancient times, the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed along it.

The current name "Western Dvina" was first mentioned by the chronicler monk Nestor. At the beginning of his chronicle, he writes: “The Dnieper will flow from the Volkovsky forest and will flow at noon, and the Dvina will flow from the same forest at midnight and enter the Varangian Sea.”

The name "Daugava" was formed, apparently, from two ancient Baltic words, daug - "many, plentiful" and ava - "water".

According to legend, Perkons ordered the birds and beasts to dig the river.

The settlement of the Western Dvina basin began in the Mesolithic era.

Major tributaries

The largest tributaries of the Western Dvina are the rivers Netesma, Velesa, Mezha, Kasplya, Ushacha, Disna, Lautsesa, Ilukste, Kekavinya, Volkota, Torop, Luchosa, Obol, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Perse (river) and Ogre.

Largest cities

The following cities are located on the banks of the Western Dvina River: Andreapol, Western Dvina, Velizh, Vitebsk, Beshenkovichi, Verhnedvinsk, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Kraslava, Daugavpils, Livani, Jekabpils, Ogre, Salaspils and Riga.

Thanks to the hydroelectric power station built during the Soviet era, the Western Dvina is the only large own source energy for Latvia, giving the country up to 3 billion kWh per year.

The following HPPs have been built on the Western Dvina River:

* Plavinskaya HPP

* Riga HPP

* Ķegum HPP

The construction of the Daugavpils hydroelectric power station was started, but suspended. Jekabpils HPP was designed. The unused potential of the river exceeds 1 billion kWh per year.

In the 2000s, a project for the construction of the Polotsk hydroelectric power station was considered in Belarus.

Western Dvina in the town of Ulla

Wiktionary-logo-ru.png Western Dvina in Wiktionary?

Notes

1. Kulakovsky Yu., Map of European Sarmatia according to Ptolemy

3. Popov A. The mystery of the Amber River. Local history journey to the source of the Western Dvina. M.: Profizdat, 1989.

4. 1 2 Encyclopedia of nature of Belarus. In vol. 5. Vol. 2 / Redkal.: I. P. Shamyakin (gal. ed.) and insh. - Minsk: BelSE, 1983. - T. 2. - 522 p. - 10,000 copies.

5.lifeofpeople.ru

Literature

* Nature of Belarus: Popular Encyclopedia / Ed.: I. P. Shamyakin (editor-in-chief) and others - 2nd. - Minsk: BelSE named after Petrus Brovka, 1989. - S. 163. - 599 p. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-85700-001-7

* Encyclopedia of nature of Belarus. In vol. 5. Vol. 2 / Redkal.: I. P. Shamyakin (gal. ed.) and insh. - Minsk: BelSE, 1983. - T. 2. - 522 p. - 10,000 copies.

* Byelorussian SSR: Brief Encyclopedia. In 5 volumes / Ed. coll.: P. U. Brovka and others - Minsk: Ch. ed. Belarusian. Owls. Encyclopedia, 1979. - Vol. 2. - 768 p. - 50,000 copies.

Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins

Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins (map/graphic/illustration)

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Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins. Overview over the transboundary Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins in North Eastern Europe. These basins span the countries of Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Poland, and the rivers drain to the Baltic Sea. This map was prepared for the DatabasiN project, which will coordinate spatial information for transboundary river basin management.

Designer Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Appears in ENRIN Archive

July 2006

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Western Dvina river. Description and route map. Ryzhavsky G.Ya. M. FiS, 1985.

Quotes. In this book-lots are brief geographical information: the nature of the area through which the river flows, the length of individual sections, the nature of the channel and banks, possible places for bivouacs. Mentioned are the main obstacles, ways of approach and departure, intermediate points at which it is convenient to interrupt or start the route. For many objects (villages, forests), the marks “l” or “p” indicate the coast on which they are located. Brief information is given about the monuments of culture, architecture, history, for which there is local history literature.

General review. The Western Dvina (on the territory of Latvia - Daugava), originates on the Valdai Upland at an altitude of 245 m and flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. It flows out in a stream from the lake. Dvinets and flows through the lake. Coverage. The length of the river is 1020 km, the basin area is 87,900 km2. The average annual flow is 678 m3/s, the average flow velocity is 3-4 km/h. Main tributaries: left - Veles, Mezha, Kasplya, Luchesa, Berezka, Ulla, Ushacha, Diena; right - Volkota, Torop, Zhizhitsa, Uevyacha, Luzhesyanka, Sosnitsa, Polota, Drissa, Saryanka, Rositsa, Dubna, Aivikste. The river is very winding, the banks are mostly high, hilly, often rising slopes - slopes. In the Smolensk region, the river flows along a slightly undulating lacustrine-glacial plain with areas of moraine hills. Medium absolute heights 140--160 m. Part of the lowland is swampy. The river valleys of the plain are slightly indented, the channels abound with boulders. The floodplain is not expressed or absent. There is only one terrace above the floodplain, which rises 7-8 m above the low water level. The forests here are pine or spruce-broad-leaved, and young birch-aspen forests also occupy significant areas. The meadows are predominantly low-lying, overgrown with shrubs, swampy in places. In Belarus, from the village. Surazh to the village. Ruba in front of Vitebsk, the Surazh lowland stretches. Once it was the bottom of a glacial lake. In some places, a moraine emerges on the surface, forming low hills. Round and ribbon-like lakes Tiosto, Vymno, Yanovichskoye have sheltered in the flat basins of the lowlands. Near the river stretch numerous villages, fields of rye, flax, potatoes. Pine and spruce forests with an admixture of birch, aspen and oak are rich in berries and mushrooms. Sometimes among the forests there are swamps with stunted trees on a carpet of brown-green sedges and mosses. At Vitebsk, the Nevelsk-Gorodok and Vitebsk uplands come close to the Western Dvina. Between Vitebsk and Polotsk it flows in a narrow valley. Steep turns of the channel give way to long, almost straight stretches. A narrow floodplain with water meadows interspersed with sandbars. Boulder-pebble placers often protrude from the water. Polotsk and Novopolotsk are located in the center of the Polotsk lacustrine-glacial lowland, stretching from the Braslav upland to the Nevelsk-Gorodok upland. In the west, the lowlands are clayey, often swampy soils, quite fertile and therefore plowed. There are few forests here. On the contrary, in its northern and northeastern parts, the soils are poor, sandy and sandy loamy. There are fewer plowed lands, but there are many pine, spruce, mixed and small-leaved forests. Irregular cargo navigation is carried out along the Western Dvina in the sections Velizh - Vitebsk and Vitebsk - Verkhnedvinsk. The forest is rafted from the mouth of the Mezha to Vitebsk. Railways and highways allow in most cases to quickly get to the beginning of the route or end the journey. There are few obstacles on the Western Dvina. Mostly they are natural. In most of the shoals, rifts, rapids are passable afloat, sometimes, for example, on the Verezhuy rapids, a preliminary inspection is required. There are more artificial obstacles on the tributaries of the Western Dvina: dams, low footbridges, and floods. The author crossed the Western Dvina in late April - early May, and the description refers to this time. The descriptions of the routes along the tributaries refer to the low water level. Naturally, at a different level, at a different time of the season, the conditions and time of passage, the nature of the obstacles, general form rivers will be somewhat different from those described. The passage of rifts, rapids, throwing stones, shallows is much more difficult at low water. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the first half of summer. It is advisable to set up camp in windy places, have tents with gauze canopy, and mosquito repellent.

Daugava - Western Dvina

The Western Dvina, in Latvia, the Daugava, has served man since ancient times as a transport highway, along which the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed, described in 1114-1116. chronicler Nestor in the famous Tale of Bygone Years.

The Daugava is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Russia, Belarus and Latvia. The length is 1020 km, the basin area is 87.9 thousand km. The river originates on the Valdai Upland, in the Andreapolsky district of the Tver region, flows out of Lake Okhvat, initially flows mainly to the southwest, after Vitebsk - to the northwest. It flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea, forming a delta. The average water consumption is 678 m3/s. Connected by the Berezina water system (not operating) with the Dnieper. Navigable in some areas. The concentration of a number of pollutants exceeds 10 MPC. On the Western Dvina, the Kegumska, Plavinska, and Rizhska HPPs were built.

The river originates from Lake Koryakine on the Valdai Upland and carries its waters through the lowlands and hilly plains left by the ancient glacier. Every year it carries up to 20 km3 of water into the Baltic Sea. About 4 km3 of fresh water is stored in the lake systems of the basin. Nature has generously endowed this region with extraordinary attractiveness. This is the realm mixed forests covering a quarter of the territory. The upper reaches of the basin are forested areas with a predominance of spruce, in the middle reaches birch, alder and aspen are more common. There are magnificent pine forests in the Polotsk lowland.

DaugavaOn the banks of the river are the cities of Andreapol, Western Dvina, Velizh, Vitebsk, Polotsk, Kraslava, Daugavpils, Livani, Jekabpils, Salaspils, Riga. The largest tributaries: Veles, Mezha, Kasplya, Ushacha, Disna, Laucese, Ilukste, Kekavinya; Torop, Obol, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Perse, Ogre.

On the geographical map, attention is drawn to the saturated gamut of green, which characterizes the numerous lowlands that were once glacial lakes, and the narrow sections of the valley, where the river crosses the moraine ridges, testify to the places where these lakes descend. One of the vast former reservoirs is the modern Polotsk Lowland. Its surface is almost flat, gently undulating, often marshy, composed of sand and banded clays.

The river valley was formed only about 13-12 thousand years ago and has unformed features. Within Belarus, the width of the channel varies from 100 to 300 m, rapids and rifts are common. In some places, the river valley is narrow, canyon-like with a depth of up to 50 m. Entering the Baltic plain, the river becomes full-flowing, the width of the channel reaches 800 m, and the valley expands to 5-6 km.

The river basin is formed by 12 thousand large and small rivers. The length of the largest tributary, the Mezha, reaches 259 km with a catchment area of 9080 km2. Most of the tributaries originate or flow through numerous lakes, forming complex hydrographic systems. The blue scattering of lakes is combined into groups - Braslav, Ushach, Zarasai. Lakes stand out as large blue spots on the map: Osveiskoe, Lukomskoe, Drivyaty, Drisvyaty, Razna, Lubanskoe, Zhizhitskoe. Their total area exceeds 2 thousand km2, or about 3% of the catchment area of the Western Dvina.

The Western Dvina is a flat river, its main flow is formed due to the melting of snow cover accumulated over winter period. Hence the characteristic distribution of runoff during the year. In spring, an abundant, high-water flood passes along the river with significant spills and flooding of the river floodplain. This happens within only two months - the flood begins most often at the end of March, and at the beginning of June there is already a decrease in water. During the rest of the year, the flow of the river depends on groundwater and rainwater. During rainy periods in summer and autumn, small floods pass along the river. In winter, the flow decreases, the water level is the lowest, since groundwater is the basis of nutrition.

However, the life of the river in the winter low water is not so serene. In late autumn, when the river begins to freeze over, a snowmobile passes. It creates dangerous phenomena on the river - floods, when the channel in some areas is completely clogged with sludge, while the water level rises sharply, creating extensive spills and floods upstream. In the spring, when the channel is clogged with ice floes, jams form, while the level of the river also rises sharply, flooding large sections of the valley.

Since ancient times, man has tried to tame the wayward nature of the river and adapt it for economic purposes. At present, a cascade of three large reservoirs has been created on the working river. The wealth of its waters is used for hydro and thermal power, for water supply, for transport purposes, for fish farming and for recreation of the population.

In these places there are many monuments of ancient architecture, witnesses of many historical events. The oldest city in Belarus - Polotsk adorns Saint Sophia Cathedral, an architectural monument of the XI-XVII centuries. The great sons of Belarus - Georgy Skorina and Simeon Polotsky - lived and worked in this city, and Peter I stayed in one of the houses during the war with the Swedes. The second millennium went to the city of Vitebsk, the most important shopping center on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks".

Between the Latgale and Augshzem uplands, the Daugava flows in a deep ancient valley. The width of the river here is about 200 m. Bypassing the Daugavpils, the Daugava enters the East Latvian lowland. Here the flow of the river slows down and the banks become low, therefore, during the spring flood, ice jams often form in this area and water floods large areas. From Jekabpils to Plavinas, the Daugava flows through an ancient valley. Its shores are steep here, with sheer cliffs made of gray dolomite. The river valley from Pļaviņas to Ķegums was especially interesting and beautiful. In the bed of the Daugava there were many rapids and shoals. The shores were adorned with beautiful rocks Olinkalns, Avotinu-Kalns, Staburags. After the construction of the Pliavinska HPP, the water level rose by 40 m and the entire section of the ancient valley was flooded with the waters of the Pļaviņa Reservoir.

From Jaunjelgava to Ķegums, the reservoir of the Ķegums hydroelectric power station extends. At Salaspils, the road to the waters of the Daugava was blocked by the dam of the Riga hydroelectric power station.

Below Dole Island, the river flows through the Primorskaya lowland. Here, its valley is formed by loose deposits of the Quaternary period. The banks of the Daugava in this area are low, and the valley is filled with river sediments. Alluvial sandy islands appear in the Riga region - Zakusala, Lucavsala, Kundzinsala, Kipsala, etc.

The width of the Daugava at the Riga bridges is about 700 m, and in the area of Milgravis it reaches 1.5 km. The depth of the river here is about 8-9 m.

Wiki: en:Western Dvina

River Zapadnaya Dvina 182 km north of Smolensk - description, coordinates, photos, reviews and the ability to find this place in the Tver region (Russia). Find out where it is, how to get there, see what's interesting around. Check out other places on our interactive map, get more details. Know the world better.

Only 2 editions, the last one was made 9 years ago anonymous #21924991 from Moscow

The Western Dvina River (Belarusian. Zakhodnyaya Dzvina, Dzvina, in Latvia - Daugava, Latvian. Daugava) belongs to the category of the great rivers of Europe. It flows through Russia (325 km), Belarus (328 km) and Latvia (367 km). The total length is 1020 km, the basin area is 87.9 thousand sq. km.

Dug to the source

The source of the Western Dvina was finally found only in the 1970s. expedition of the magazine "Tourist" under the leadership of A.S. Popov.

History reference

The source of the Western Dvina is located in the Pyanishnik bog on the Valdai Upland, at the Main European watershed separating the Baltic and Caspian slopes of the runoff, in the Penovsky district of the Tver region. It enters the stream into Lake Dvinets (Koryakino) and leaves it as a river several meters wide. After a few kilometers, it flows into the flowing lake Okhvat and, taking in the Volkota and Netemma tributaries, becomes a full-flowing river. The Western Dvina flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea.

The width of the Western Dvina beyond Lake Okhvat is 15–20 m, the width of its valley in the upper reaches is up to 0.9 km. In the section of the river flow between the cities of Andreapol and the Western Dvina, the width of the river increases to 50 m. Below the city of the Western Dvina, having overcome the rapids, the river receives large tributaries within the Zapadnodvinsky region: Veles (left), Torop (right) and Mezha (left), after which it expands to 100 m. Beyond the mouth of the Mezha, the Western Dvina leaves the Tver region.

Throughout history, the Western Dvina river had up to 14 names: Dina, Vina, Tanair, Turun, Rodan, Dune, Eridan, Western Dvina and others. The name "Dvina" was first mentioned by the chronicler monk Nestor in early XII in. in the annals "To spend temporary years." At the beginning of the chronicle, he writes: “The Dnieper will flow from the Volkovsky forest and will flow at noon, and the Dvina will flow from the same forest at midnight and enter the Varangian Sea ...” The etymology of the name Dvina (Latvian Daugava ‘much water’) has not been finally established. Some researchers consider the primary Finnish-language name, elevating it to "quiet, calm", others attribute it to the Indo-European languages \u200b\u200bwith the meaning "river", bringing it closer to the hydronyms Don, Dnieper, Dniester, Danube. In ancient times, a section of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed along the Upper and Middle Dvina.

The Western Dvina is attractive for fishing. It contains pike, perch, pike perch, catfish, chub, asp, burbot, ide, tench, dace, rudd, roach, bream, silver bream, bleak, crucian carp. This stretch of the Western Dvina is exceptionally attractive for water tourism. It is very picturesque, full of small rifts, shivers and sills, but not difficult for kayaking and is ideal for beginner water tourists and family groups. There are many convenient places for parking on the banks of the river.

How to get there

Above the city of Western Dvina, the river is crossed by the Moscow-Riga M9 highway. There are entrances to the coast every few kilometers, with the exception of the section between the mouths of Toropy and Mezha, where there are few of them. In the basin of the Upper Dvina within the limits of the Zapadnodvinsk region - on the banks of its tributaries and the shores of lakes - there are many wonderful places for recreation and active types of tourism.

The source of the Western Dvina River is located on the Valdai Upland in the Penovsky District of the Tver Region at an altitude of 215 m, 2.1 km northwest of the village of Scheverevo in the Penovsky District of the Tver Region. Anuchinsky stream flows from the southern part of the Koryakinsky swamp, which is the source of the Western Dvina.

After about five hundred meters it merges with the Koryakinsky stream, and after six hundred meters it flows into a small picturesque forest lake Koryakino (Dvinets), with an island in the middle. The Dvinets stream flows from its southeastern part. If you go downstream, then after four kilometers it will lead to the northern tip of Lake Okhvat (Afoto). Having passed almost 10 kilometers through Okhvat, having absorbed the waters of the Netem and Volkota rivers, the Western Dvina flows out of the lake, already wide (10 - 15 meters).

In 2001, Penov's enthusiasts installed a three-sloped log pavilion-arch as a symbol of the fact that the Western Dvina carries its waters through the territory of three states - Russia, Belarus and Latvia. This is evidenced by three steps that lead along a wooden deck-bridge, bordered by a railing, to the pavilion.

The Western Dvina (Belarusian Zakhodnaya Dzvina, in Latvia - Daugava, Latvian Daugava, Latg. Daugova, Liv. Vēna) is a river in the north of Eastern Europe, flowing through the territory of Russia, Belarus and Latvia. Connected by the inactive Berezinsky water system with the Dnieper River. Ancient names - Eridanus, Rudon, Bubo, Rubon, Sudon, Khesin.

The Western Dvina flows through Lake Okhvat, then flows first to the southwest, but after Vitebsk it turns to the northwest. The Western Dvina flows into the Gulf of Riga (Riga) of the Baltic Sea, forming an erosive delta at former island Mangalsala, which today is a peninsula, since the mouth of the second branch was filled up in 1567.

The length of the Western Dvina River is 1020 km: 325 km are in the Russian Federation, 328 in Belarus and 367 in Latvia. Basin 87,900 km², Water discharge 678 m³/s (at mouth). The total fall of the river on the territory of Belarus is 38 m, the density of the river network is 0.45 km / km², the lake content is 3%.

On the Andreapol - Western Dvina section, the width of the river increases to 50 meters, and outside the city of Western Dvina, having overcome another rapid section, the river receives large tributaries - Veles, Torop and Mezha, after which it expands to 100 meters.

Behind the mouth of the Mezha is a large pit, intended for collecting timber, rafted along the Mezha. Below the floodwaters, the river flows in high banks covered with mixed forest. The forest disappears in front of the city of Velizh. Beyond Velizh the river is navigable.

Between the Latgale and Augshzem uplands, the Daugava flows through an ancient valley. Here the width of the Daugava reaches 200 meters. On the section from Kraslava to Daugavpils there is a natural park Daugava Loki (Daugava Bends). Bypassing the Daugavpils, the Daugava enters the East Latvian lowland. Here the flow of the river slows down and the banks become low, because of this, during the spring flood, ice jams often form in this area and water floods large areas.

From Jekabpils to Plavinas, the Daugava flows in steep banks, with sheer cliffs made of gray dolomite. The river valley from Pļaviņas to Ķegums was especially interesting and beautiful. There were many rapids and shoals in the channel. The shores were adorned with beautiful rocks Olinkalns, Avotinu-Kalns, Staburags. After the construction of the Pliavinska HPP, the water level rose by 40 m and the entire section of the ancient valley was flooded with the waters of the Pļaviņa Reservoir.

From Jaunjelgava to Ķegums, the reservoir of the Ķegums hydroelectric power station extends, and near Salaspils, the road to the river is blocked by the dam of the Riga hydroelectric power station.

Below the island of Dole, the river flows through the Primorskaya lowland. Here, its valley is formed by loose deposits of the Quaternary period. The banks of the river in this section are low, and the valley is filled with river sediments. Alluvial sandy islands appear in the Riga region - Zakusala, Lucavsala, Kundzinsala, Kipsala, etc.

The width of the river at the Riga bridges is about 700 m, and in the area of Milgravis it reaches 1.5 km. The depth of the river here is approximately 8-9 m. The average annual water flow is 678 m³/s. The concentration of a number of pollutants exceeds 10 MPC.

Observations of the hydrological regime on the territory of Belarus have been systematically conducted since 1878 (16 posts). In 1983, the hydrological posts Surazh, Vitebsk, Ulla, Polotsk, and Verkhnedvinsk operated.

High water, low water. In 2015, on June 30 in Daugavpils (since 1876) and Jekabpils (since 1906), the most low level rivers for the entire time of observations in these cities.

At the mouth of the Western Dvina, you can find "tears of Heliad" - amber.

Throughout history, the Western Dvina River had about 14 names: Dina, Vina, Tanair, Turun, Rodan, Dune, Eridan, Western Dvina and others. Thus, in the 15th century, Gilbert de Lannoa notes that the Semigals called the Dvina Samegalzara (Semigals-Ara, that is, Semigals water). In ancient times, the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed along it.

The name "Dvina" was first mentioned by the chronicler monk Nestor. At the beginning of his chronicle, he writes: “The Dnieper will flow from the Volkovsky forest and will flow at noon, and the Dvina will flow from the same forest at midnight and enter the Varangian Sea.”

According to V. A. Zhuchkevich, the hydronym Dvina is of Finnish origin with the semantic meaning “quiet, calm”.

The name "Daugava" was formed, apparently, from two ancient Baltic words, daug - "many, plentiful" and ava - "water".
According to legend, Perkons ordered the birds and beasts to dig the river.

The settlement of the Western Dvina basin began in the Mesolithic era.

The main largest tributaries flowing into the Western Dvina, the rivers: Volkota, Netesma, Velesa, Mezha, Kasplya, Ulla, Ushacha, Disna, Lautsesa, Ilukste, Kekavinya, Torop, Luchosa, Obol, Polota, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Perse and Ogre .

Left tributaries of the Western Dvina (Daugava): Goryanka, Netesma, Fedyaevka, Veles, Medveditsa, Fominka, Usoditsa, Mezha, Kasplya, Vitba, Krivinka, Ulla, Turovlyanka, Ushacha, Nacha, Disna, Volta, Meritsa, Druika, Lauce, Ilukste, Eglaine, Sala, Laucese,

Right tributaries of the Western Dvina (Daugava): Krivitsa, Volkota, Zhaberka, Gorodnya, Grustenka, Lososna, Okcha, Svetly, Toropa, Zhizhitsa, Dvinka, Stodolskaya, Oleska, Usvyacha, Luzhesyanka, Obol, Sosnitsa, Polota, Drissa, Uzhitsa, Saryanka, Rositsa, Indritsa, Liksna, Dubna, Nereta, Aiviekste, Perse, Brasla, Ogre.

The following cities are located on the banks of the Western Dvina River: Andreapol, Western Dvina, Velizh, Vitebsk, Beshenkovichi, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Disna, Verhnedvinsk, Druya, Kraslava, Daugavpils, Livani, Jekabpils, Plavinas, Aizkraukle, Jaunelgava, Lielvarde, Kegums, Ogre, Ikskile, Salaspils and Riga.

HPS.
Thanks to the HPPs built during the Soviet era, the Western Dvina is the only major source of its own energy for Latvia, giving the country up to 3 billion kWh per year.
The following HPPs have been built on the Western Dvina River:
- Plavinskaya HPP
- Riga HPP
- Kegum HPP (built before the Soviet era - in 1939)
- The Polotsk and Vitebsk hydroelectric power stations are being built, agreements have been signed on the construction of the Verkhnedvinsk and Beshenkovichi hydroelectric power stations (all on the territory of Belarus). - - The construction of the Daugavpils HPP was started, but suspended. Jekabpils HPP was designed. The unused potential of the river exceeds 1 billion kWh per year.

Coordinates: 56°52′11″N 32°32′3″E