Irtysh River In Koktokay Panorama In Winter Time
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The Irtysh is a
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
. It is the chief tributary of the Ob and is also the longest tributary in the world. The river's source lies in the
Mongolian Altai The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The massif merge ...
in
Dzungaria Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand'), also known as Northern Xinjiang or Beijiang, is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. Bound by the Altai Mountains to the n ...
(the northern part of
Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
, China) close to the border with
Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
. The Irtysh's main tributaries include the
Tobol The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the S ...
,
Demyanka The Demyanka () is a river in the Omsk Oblast and Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river's source lies in the Vasyugan Swamp.Ishim Ishim may refer to: *Ishim (river), a river in Kazakhstan and Russia *Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia *Ishim (angel), a rank of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy See also

*Ishimsky (disambiguation) *Ishimbay {{Disam ...
. The Ob-Irtysh system forms a major
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
in
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, encompassing most of
Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia ( rus, Западная Сибирь, p=ˈzapədnəjə sʲɪˈbʲirʲ; , ) is a region in North Asia. It is part of the wider region of Siberia that is mostly located in the Russia, Russian Federation, with a Sout ...
and the Altai Mountains.


Geography

From its origins as the ''Kara-Irtysh'' (Black Irtysh) in the
Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
n Altay mountains in
Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
, China, the Irtysh flows northwest through
Lake Zaysan Lake Zaysan or Zaisan, also known by other names in other languages, is a freshwater lake in Tarbagatay District, East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. It is the largest lake in the region. The lake is generally frozen from the beginning of Nove ...
in
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, meeting the
Ishim Ishim may refer to: *Ishim (river), a river in Kazakhstan and Russia *Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia *Ishim (angel), a rank of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy See also

*Ishimsky (disambiguation) *Ishimbay {{Disam ...
and Tobol rivers before merging with the Ob near
Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk (, lit. ''Khanty-Mansi Town''; Khanty: , ''Jomvoćś''; Mansi: , ''Abga'') is a city in west-central Russia. Technically, it is situated on the eastern bank of the Irtysh River, from its confluence with the Ob, in the oil-ri ...
in western Siberia,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
after . The name Black Irtysh (''Kara-Irtysh'' in Kazakh, or ''Cherny Irtysh'' in Russian) is applied by some authors, especially in Russia and Kazakhstan, to the upper course of the river, from its source entering Lake Zaysan. The term White Irtysh, in contrast to the Black Irtysh, was occasionally used in the past to refer to the Irtysh below Lake Zaysan; now this usage is largely obsolete.


Main tributaries

The largest tributaries of the Irtysh are, from source to mouth: * Kelan (right) * Burqin (right) * Kalzhyr (right) *
Kürshim The Kürşım (, ''Kürşım''; , ''Kurchum'') is a river in the East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small por ...
(right) *
Naryn Naryn ( ; ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,178 as of January 2021. The town was established as a fortress on the caravan route in 1868. It is situated ...
(right) *
Bukhtarma The Bukhtarma (, بۇقتىرما, ; ) is a river of Kazakhstan. It flows through East Kazakhstan Region, and is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river is long, with a basin area of .
(right) *
Ulba The Ulba (, ''Ülbı''; ) is a river of Kazakhstan. It joins the Irtysh The Irtysh is a river in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. It is the chief tributary of the Ob (river), Ob and is also the longest tributary in the world. The river's sourc ...
(right) *
Uba Uba or UBA (and diacritic variations) may refer to: Agriculture * Uba, a cultivar of '' Saccharum sinense'' Place names * Ubá, small tropical city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil * Uba, Nigeria, part of Askira/Uba Local Government Area in B ...
(right) * (left) * Chagan (left) * Om (right) * Tara (right) * Uy (right) *
Osha The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA; ) is a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The United States Congress established ...
(left) *
Shish The State Intelligence Service (), commonly known by its acronym SHISH, is the main intelligence agency of Albania. It was preceded by SHIK. After the Declaration of Independence The government decree of Ismail Qemali explicitly stated the need ...
(right) *
Ishim Ishim may refer to: *Ishim (river), a river in Kazakhstan and Russia *Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia *Ishim (angel), a rank of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy See also

*Ishimsky (disambiguation) *Ishimbay {{Disam ...
(left) *
Tobol The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the S ...
(left) *
Noska The Noska ( Russian: Носка, Siberian Tatar: Наскы, ''Nasky'') is a river in Tyumen Oblast, Russia.Article
in the
(left) *
Demyanka The Demyanka () is a river in the Omsk Oblast and Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river's source lies in the Vasyugan Swamp.Konda Konda may refer to: *Kondia or Konda, 18th century Mansi principality, Russia *Konda (river) in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Konda (Vitim), river in Buryatia, Russia *Konda, South Konawe, a kecamatan in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. ...
(left)


Economic use

In Kazakhstan and Russia, tankers, passenger ships, and
cargo vessel A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usual ...
s navigate the river during the ice-free season, between April and October.
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
, home to the headquarters of the state-owned Irtysh River Shipping Company, functions as the largest
river port An inland port is a port on an inland waterway, such as a river, lake, or canal, which may or may not be connected to the sea. The term "inland port" is also used to refer to a dry port. Examples The United States Army Corps of Engineers pub ...
in Western Siberia. On the Kazakhstan section of the river there are presently three major
hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
plants, namely at
Bukhtarma The Bukhtarma (, بۇقتىرما, ; ) is a river of Kazakhstan. It flows through East Kazakhstan Region, and is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river is long, with a basin area of .
,
Ust-Kamenogorsk Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
and Shulbinsk. The world's deepest
lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...
, with a drop of , allows river traffic to by-pass the
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
at
Ust-Kamenogorsk Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
. Plans exist for the construction of several more dams. Three dams have been constructed on the Chinese section of the Irtysh as well: the Keketuohai (可可托海) Dam (), the Kalasuke (喀腊塑克) Dam (), and the
Project 635 Dam The Project 635 Dam () is one of the three dams constructed on the Irtysh River in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. The embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and comp ...
. There are also the
Burqin Chonghu'er Dam The Chonghu'er Dam () or Chonghur Dam is a gravity dam on the river Burqin in Burqin County of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China. The tall dam is constructed with roller-compacted concrete and supports a 110 MW hydroelectric Hydroelec ...
and the
Burqin Shankou Dam The Burqin Shankou Dam () is an arch dam in Burqin County of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China. The Burqin Shankou Dam is constructed in the narrow gorge of the Burqin, a right tributary of the Irtysh, in the area where it leaves the A ...
on the Irtysh's right tributary, the
Burqin River Burqin may refer to: China * Burqin County, a county in Xinjiang * (布尔津镇), a town and the seat of Burqin County * (布尔津河), in Xinjiang Palestine * Burqin, Palestine * Burqin Church See also * Burkin {{geodis ...
and the
Jilebulake Dam The Jilebulake Dam () is a concrete-face rock-fill dam on the Haba River, a tributary of the Irtysh, in Habahe County of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it suppor ...
and
Haba River Shankou Dam The Haba River Shankou Dam (, Haba River Shankou Hydroelectric Station) is a concrete-face rock-fill dam on the Haba River, a tributary of the Irtysh. It is located in Habahe County of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. The primary p ...
on another right tributary, the
Haba River Haba may refer to: * Habermaaß, a.k.a. Haba, a German toy maker * Haba, Togo, a village in the Bassar Prefecture in the Kara Region of north-western Togo * Haba Xueshan, a mountain in Yunnan, China * La Haba, a municipality located in the provinc ...
. The
Northern river reversal The Northern river reversal or Siberian river reversal was an ambitious project to divert the flow of the Northern rivers in the Soviet Union, which "uselessly" drain into the Arctic Ocean, southwards towards the populated agricultural areas of C ...
proposals, widely discussed by the USSR planners and scientists in the 1960s and 1970s, would send some of the Irtysh's (and possibly Ob's) water to the water-deficient regions of central Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
. Some versions of this project would have seen the direction of flow of the Irtysh reversed in its section between the mouth of the
Tobol The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the S ...
(at
Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...
) and the confluence of the Irtysh with the Ob at Khanty-Mansiysk, thus creating an "Anti-Irtysh". While these gigantic
interbasin transfer Interbasin transfer or transbasin diversion are (often hyphenated) terms used to describe man-made conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available, to another basin where water is less available or could be utilized ...
schemes were not implemented, a smaller
Irtysh–Karaganda Canal The Irtysh–Karaganda Canal (, ''Ertıs-Qarağandy kanaly''; ) is an irrigation canal in Kazakhstan. It connects the Irtysh River with Karaganda (Qaraghandy), a major industrial center in north-central Kazakhstan. After Kazakhstan's independenc ...
was built between 1962 and 1974 to supply water to the dry Kazakh
steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...
s and to one of the country's main industrial center,
Karaganda Karaganda (, ; ), also known as Karagandy (, ; ; ) (also sometimes romanized as Qaraghandy), is a major city in central Kazakhstan and the capital of the Karaganda Region. It is the fifth most populous city in the country, with a population o ...
. In 2002, pipelines were constructed to supply water from the canal to the
Ishim river The Ishim (; ) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly navigable in its lower reaches. The upper course o ...
and Kazakhstan's capital,
Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...
. In China, a short canal was constructed in 1987 (water intake at ) to divert some of the Irtysh water to the
endorheic An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...
Lake Ulungur Ulungur Lake is located in Fuhai County, Xinjiang, China. With an area of 1,035 square kilometers, the lake is one of China's ten largest freshwater lakes. Its main tributary is the Ulungur River. It is an endorheic lake, though the Irtysh R ...
, whose level had been falling precipitously due to the increasing irrigation use of the lake's main affluent, the
Ulungur River The Ulungur River / Urungu River or Urungu (, zh, c=乌伦古河, p=Wūlúngǔ hé), in its upper reaches in Mongolia known as the Bulgan River (), is a river of China and Mongolia. It rises in the Altai Mountains in western Mongolia, flows s ...
. (An English translation of the original paper published in the ''Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta'' in 1979). In the last years of the 20th century and the early 2000s, a much more major project, the Irtysh–Karamay–Urümqi Canal was completed. Increased water use in China has caused significant concerns among Kazakh and Russian environmentalists. According to a report published by Kazakhstan fishery researchers in 2013, the total Irtysh water use in China is about per year; as a result, only about 2/3 of what would be the river's "natural" flow (6 km3 out of 9 km3) reaches the Kazakh border.


Cities

Major cities along the Irtysh, from source to mouth, include: * in China: Fuyun, Beitun, Burqin * in Kazakhstan:
Oskemen Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
,
Semey Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...
, Aksu,
Pavlodar Pavlodar (; ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located northeast of the national capital Astana and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a popul ...
* in Russia:
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
, Tara,
Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...
,
Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk (, lit. ''Khanty-Mansi Town''; Khanty: , ''Jomvoćś''; Mansi: , ''Abga'') is a city in west-central Russia. Technically, it is situated on the eastern bank of the Irtysh River, from its confluence with the Ob, in the oil-ri ...


Bridges

Seven railway bridges span the Irtysh. They are located in the following cities: * About 15 km downstream from
Serebryansk Serebryansk (, ''Serebriansk''; ) is a town in Zyryan District in East Kazakhstan Region of eastern Kazakhstan. Population: The town is located on the right bank of the Irtysh River, downstream of the Bukhtarma Hydroelectric Power Plant. Histo ...
(on the dead-end branch line from
Oskemen Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
to
Zyryanovsk Altai (, ), until 2019 known as Zyryan () or Zyryanovsk () is a town of regional significance in East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan, and the administrative center of the Altai District. It was established in 1791 and was granted town status ...
) *
Oskemen Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
*
Semey Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...
, on the
Turkestan–Siberia Railway The Turkestan–Siberian Railway (commonly abbreviated as the ''Turk–Sib'', , , ; ) is a Russian gauge, broad gauge railway that connects Central Asia with Siberia. It starts north of Tashkent in Uzbekistan at Arys, Kazakhstan, Arys, where it ...
*
Pavlodar Pavlodar (; ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located northeast of the national capital Astana and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a popul ...
, on the South Siberian rail line (
Nur-Sultan Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...
to
Barnaul Barnaul (, ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob (river), Ob rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As of the Russian Censu ...
) * near Cherlak, on the Middle Siberian rail line ( Среднесибирская магистраль) *
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
, on the
Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...
. Opened in 1896, this is the oldest bridge on the river. *
Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...
, on the
Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura ( ...
-
Surgut Surgut ( rus, Сургу́т, p=sʊrˈgut; Khanty: Сәрханӆ, ''Sərhanł, Сө̆ркут, sörkut'') is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River. It is one of the fe ...
line As the Kuytun–Beitun Railway in China's Xinjiang is being extended toward
Altay City Altay or Aletai is a county-level city in Altay Prefecture within Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, in far Northern Xinjiang, China. The city centre is located on the banks of Kelan River. Administrative divisions Altay City is divided into ...
, a railway bridge over the Irtysh at Beitun will need to be constructed as well. Numerous highway bridges over the Irtysh exist in China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The last bridge downstream on the Irtysh, a highway bridge opened in 2004, can be found at Khanty-Mansiysk, right before the river's confluence with Ob.


History

A number of
Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
and Turkic peoples occupied the river banks for many centuries. In 657,
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
general
Su Dingfang Su Dingfang () (591–667), formal name Su Lie () but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing (), was a Chinese military general of the Tang dynasty who succeeded in destroying the Western Turkic Khaganate in 657. He wa ...
defeated
Ashina Helu Ishbara Khagan (Old Turkic: 𐰃𐱁𐰉𐰺𐰀𐰴𐰍𐰣, Ïšbara qaγan, , personal name Ashina Helu - ) (ruled 651–658) was the last khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Name The khagan's underlying Turkic name, transcribed with C ...
, qaghan of the
Western Turkic Khaganate The Western Turkic Khaganate () or Onoq Khaganate () was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after the split of the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century o ...
, at the Battle of Irtysh River, ending the
Tang campaign against the Western Turks The Tang campaigns against the Western Turks, known as the Western Tujue in Chinese sources, were a series of military campaigns conducted by the Tang dynasty against the Western Turkic Khaganate in the 7th century AD. Early military conflicts w ...
. Helu's defeat ended the Khaganate, strengthened Tang control of
Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
, and led to Tang suzerainty over the western Turks. In the north-east of Irtysh, there is the Yenisei Kingdom, ruled by the Melig family from the Ögedei dynasty of the
Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
, which ruled until 1361. It was destroyed by the
Oirats Oirats (; ) or Oirds ( ; ), formerly known as Eluts and Eleuths ( or ; zh, 厄魯特, ''Èlǔtè'') are the westernmost group of Mongols, whose ancestral home is in the Altai Mountains, Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. ...
. In the 15th and 16th centuries the lower and middle courses of the Irtysh lay within the Tatar
Khanate of Sibir The Khanate of Sibir (; ) was a Tatar state in western Siberia. It was founded at the end of the 15th century, following the break-up of the Golden Horde.Сибирское ханство // Большая советская энцикл ...
; its capital,
Qashliq Qashliq, Isker or Sibir () was a medieval (14th–16th century) Siberian Tatar fortress, in the 16th century the capital of the Khanate of Sibir, located on the right bank of the Irtysh River at its confluence with the ''Sibirka'' rivulet, some ...
(also known as Sibir) was located on the Irtysh a few kilometres upstream from the mouth of the
Tobol The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the S ...
(where today's
Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...
is situated). The Khanate of Sibir was
conquered Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or legal prohibitions against conquest ...
by the Russians in the 1580s. The Russians started building fortresses and towns next to the sites of former Tatar towns; one of the first Russian towns in Siberia (after
Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura ( ...
) was
Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...
, founded in 1587 at the fall of the Tobol into the Irtysh, downstream from the former Qashliq. Farther east, Tara was founded in 1594, roughly at the border of the
taiga Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. In North A ...
belt (to the north) and the
steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...
to the south. In the 17th century the
Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate ( Mongolian: ), also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyz ...
, formed by the Mongol Oirat people, became Russia's southern neighbor, and controlled the upper Irtysh. As a result of Russia's confrontation with the Dzungars in the
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
's era, the Russians founded the cities of
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
in 1716,
Semipalatinsk Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...
in 1718,
Ust-Kamenogorsk Oskemen ( ) or Ust-Kamenogorsk ( rus, Усть-Каменогорск, p=ˌʊsʲtʲ kəmʲɪnɐˈgorsk) is the largest city in the east of Kazakhstan and the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Name The city has two ...
in 1720, and
Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...
ovsk in 1752. The Chinese
Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
conquered Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or legal prohibitions against conquest ...
Dzungaria Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand'), also known as Northern Xinjiang or Beijiang, is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. Bound by the Altai Mountains to the n ...
in the 1750s. This prompted an increase in the Russian authorities' attention to their borderland; in 1756, the
Orenburg Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is close to the ...
Governor Ivan Neplyuyev even proposed the annexation of the
Lake Zaysan Lake Zaysan or Zaisan, also known by other names in other languages, is a freshwater lake in Tarbagatay District, East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. It is the largest lake in the region. The lake is generally frozen from the beginning of Nove ...
region, but this project was forestalled by Chinese successes. Concerns were raised in Russia (1759) about the (theoretical) possibility of a Chinese fleet sailing from Lake Zaysan down the Irtysh and into Western Siberia. A Russian expedition visited Lake Zaysan in 1764, and concluded that such a riverine invasion would not be likely. Nonetheless, a chain of Russian pickets was established on the
Bukhtarma River The Bukhtarma (, بۇقتىرما, ; ) is a river of Kazakhstan. It flows through East Kazakhstan Region, and is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river is long, with a basin area of .
, north of Lake Zaysan. Thus the border between the two empires in the Irtysh basin became roughly delineated, with a (sparse) chain of guard posts on both sides. In the summer of 1828, the Prussian explorer
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
visited the Irtysh region on his journey through Russia and Central Asia; he came face-to-face with Chinese and Mongol border guards. The situation in the borderlands in the mid-19th century is described in a report by A. Abramof ( ru; 1865). Even though the Zaysan region was recognized by both parties as part of the
Qing empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
, it had been annually used, by fishing expeditions sent by the Siberian Cossack Host. The summer expeditions started in 1803, and in 1822–25 their range was expanded through the entire Lake Zaysan and to the mouth of the Black Irtysh. Through the mid-19th century, the Qing presence on the upper Irtysh was mostly limited to the annual visit of the Qing ''
amban Amban (Manchu language, Manchu and Mongolian language, Mongol: ''Amban'', Standard Tibetan, Tibetan: ་''am ben'', zh, t=昂邦, Uyghur language, Uighur:''am ben'') is a Manchu language term meaning "high official" ( zh, t=大臣, p=dàchén ...
'' from Chuguchak to one of the Cossacks' fishing stations (''Batavski Piket''). The border between the Russian and the Qing empires in the Irtysh basin was established along the line fairly similar to China's modern border with Russia and Kazakhstan by the
Convention of Peking The Convention of Peking or First Convention of Peking is an agreement comprising three distinct unequal treaties concluded between the Qing dynasty of China and Great Britain, France, and the Russian Empire in 1860. Background On 18 October ...
of 1860. The actual border line pursuant to the convention was drawn by the Protocol of Chuguchak (1864), leaving Lake Zaysan on the Russian side. The Qing empire's military presence in the Irtysh basin crumbled during the 1862–77 Dungan Revolt. After the fall of the rebellion and the reconquest of Xinjiang by
Zuo Zongtang Zuo Zongtang (左宗棠, Xiang Chinese: ; Wade-Giles spelling: Tso Tsung-t'ang; November 10, 1812 – September 5, 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and army officer of the late Qing dynasty. Born in Xian ...
, the border between the Russian and the Qing empires in the Irtysh basin was further slightly readjusted, in Russia's favor, by the
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) The Treaty of Saint Petersburg or Treaty of Ili was an unequal treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qing dynasty that was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on . It provided for the return to China of the eastern part of the Ili River, Ili ...
.


Cultural references

The Irtysh River serves as a backdrop in the epilogue of
Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian literature, Russian and world literature, and many of his works are consider ...
's 1866 novel ''
Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal '' The Russian Messenger'' in twelve monthly installments during 1866.
''. In Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's ''
The GULAG Archipelago ''The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation'' () is a three-volume nonfiction series written between 1958 and 1968 by Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Soviet dissident. It was first published in 1973 by the Parisian ...
'', the chapter "The White Kitten" details Georgi Tenno's escape from a camp along this river.


Other uses

*
FC Irtysh Omsk FC Irtysh Omsk () is a Russian football club based in Omsk, Russia. It plays in the third-tier Russian Second League. History Their best result in the 1992 season was 2nd in the Eastern Group of the Russian First Division. It was relegated to t ...
, a soccer team in
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
, Russia. *
FC Irtysh Pavlodar FC Irtysh () is a Kazakh professional football club based at the Central Stadium in Pavlodar. Irtysh won the Kazakhstan Premier league in 1993 (as ''Ansat''), 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003. The club was also founding members of the top league and ...
, a soccer team in
Pavlodar Pavlodar (; ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located northeast of the national capital Astana and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a popul ...
, Kazakhstan. *''Irtysh'' (''Иртыш''), a Russian military hospital ship, used at the Bering Strait Swim 2013.


See also

*
Geography of China China has great physical diversity. The eastern plain and southern coasts of the country consist of fertile lowlands and foothills. They are the location of most of China's agricultural output and human population. The southern areas of the ...
*
Geography of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, with a small portion in Eastern Europe. With an area of about Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, more than twice the combined size of the other four Central Asian states and 60% larger ...
*
Geography of Russia Russia () is the largest country in the world, covering over , and encompassing more than one-eighth of Earth's inhabited land area. Russia extends across eleven time zones, and has the most borders of any country in the world, with sixteen ...


Notes


Citations


General literature

* ''
Great Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; , ''BSE'') is one of the largest Russian-language encyclopedias, published in the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the later ''Great Russian Enc ...
'' *


External links

* {{Authority control Altai Mountains Braided rivers in Russia International rivers of Asia Rivers of China Rivers of Kazakhstan Rivers of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Rivers of Omsk Oblast Rivers of Tyumen Oblast Rivers of Xinjiang Turkic toponyms West Siberian Plain