Kivach Falls (russian: Кивач, from Karelian ''kiivas'', "impetuous") is a 10.7-m-high cascade

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. It is located on the

Suna River The Suna (, ) is a river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. The length of the river is 280 km. The area of its basin is 7,670 km2.

in the

Kondopoga Kondopoga (russian: Ко́ндопога; krl, Kondupohju; fi, Kontupohja) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kondopozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located by the northern tip ...

District,

Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia (russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия, Respublika Kareliya; ; krl, Karjalan tašavalta; ; fi, Karjalan tasavalta; vep, Karjalan Tazovaldkund, Ludic: ''Kard’alan tazavald''), also known as just Karelia (ru ...

and gives its name to the

Kivach Natural Reserve Kivach Nature Reserve (russian: Кивач заповедник) (also Kivach) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) established in 1931 to study and protect taiga of the Republic of Karelia. The site includes the famous 10.4 meter K ...

, founded in 1931.

History

Kivach owes much of its fame to

Gavrila Derzhavin Gavriil (Gavrila) Romanovich Derzhavin ( rus, Гаврии́л (Гаври́ла) Рома́нович Держа́вин, p=ɡɐˈvrilə rɐˈmanəvʲɪtɕ dʲɪrˈʐavʲɪn, a=Gavrila Romanovich Dyerzhavin.ru.vorb.oga; 14 July 1743 – 20 ...

, a Russian poet who was inspired by its "unruly stream" to write "Waterfall", one of the most important Russian poems of the 18th century. Many other eminent visitors followed Derzhavin to see the famed waterfall. One of these was

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...

, who commissioned a new road to Kivach, a pavilion on the right bank of the stream and a bridge slightly downstream. In 1936, the Soviets diverted part of the river to feed a local hydroelectric power station, which affected the waterfall negatively, while its rivals — Girvas (14.8 m) and Por-Porog (16.8 m) — were destroyed altogether. Although it is not as spectacular as it used to be, Kivach is still considered a major sight in Karelia.

References

Information for touristsInteractive photo with many angles
{{Authority control Waterfalls of Russia Landforms of the Republic of Karelia WKivach Tourist attractions in the Republic of Karelia Cascade waterfalls