The Volkhov ( ; ; ) is a river in Novgorodsky and

Chudovsky District Chudovsky District () is an administrativeLaw #559-OZ and municipalLaw #368-OZ district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Novgorod Oblast, twenty-one in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is located in the north of the oblast and borders wit ...

s of

Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located in the oblast. The historic m ...

and Kirishsky and

Volkhovsky District Volkhovsky District () is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #56-oz district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Leningrad Oblast, seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the central eastern part of the ...

s of

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 2,000,997 (2021 Russian census, 2021 Census); up from 1,716,868 recorded in the 2010 Russian census ...

in northwestern

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 ...

. The

Volkhov Volkhov () is an industrial types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov (river), Volkhov east of Saint Petersburg, St. Petersbu ...

, which forms part of the basin of the

Neva The Neva ( , ; , ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it is the fourth- ...

, is the only outflow of

Lake Ilmen Lake Ilmen (, ) is a large lake in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Veliky Novgorod, which is a major trade center of the ro ...

, and connects it with

Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake located entirely in Europe, the second largest lake in Russia after Lake ...

. The length of the Volkhov is , and the area of its

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, ...

is . The city of

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the ...

, the towns of Kirishi,

and Novaya Ladoga, and the historically important village of

Staraya Ladoga Staraya Ladoga ( rus, Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, r=Stáraya Ládoga, t=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the ...

are located along the Volkhov.

Etymology

A number of etymologies, none universally accepted, have been proposed for the name of the river. In his ''Etymological dictionary of the Russian language'',

Max Vasmer Max Julius Friedrich Vasmer (; ; 28 February 1886 – 30 November 1962) was a Russian and German linguist. He studied problems of etymology in Indo-European, Finno-Ugric and Turkic languages and worked on the history of Slavic, Baltic, ...

doubted some philologists' opinion that the river's name is related to the Finnish ''velho'' ("magician") or Russian ''volkhv'' ("pagan priest").

Geography

The Volkhov flows out of

north into

, the largest lake in Europe. It is the second largest

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of Lake Ladoga. It is

navigable A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Navigability is also referred to in the broader context of a body of water having sufficient under ...

over its whole length. Discharge is highly variable depending primarily on the level of Lake Ilmen. The Volkhov is reported to reverse the direction of its flow in its upper section in exceptional circumstances. The river freezes up in late November, and breaks up in early April. The level of water is regulated by the dam of the Volkhov hydroelectric plant (the first

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

regional

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 ...

dam opened on December 19, 1926, in the framework of the

GOELRO plan GOELRO () was the first of Soviet Russia's plans for national economic recovery and development. It became the prototype for subsequent Five-Year Plans drafted by Gosplan. GOELRO is the transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for "State Com ...

) situated 25 km upstream from the mouth of the river. Apart from hydroelectric generating purposes, the dam serves to facilitate navigation in the lower part of the river previously known for its

rapids Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...

. The upstream part of the Volkhov is connected to the

Msta The Msta () is a river in Tver and Novgorod Oblasts of northwestern Russia, a tributary of Lake Ilmen. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Msta are the Berezayka (left), the Uver (right), the Peretna (left ...

by the Siversov Canal (or Sievers Canal, named in honour of Baltic German statesman

Jacob von Sievers Jacob Johann Graf von Sievers (; 30 August 1731 – 23 July 1808) was a Baltic German statesman of the Russian Empire from the Sievers family. Biography After serving the Russian army during the Seven Years' War as quartermaster general, ...

) bypassing Lake Ilmen. The downstream part is connected with the Neva, the Syas, and the

Svir The Svir (; ; Karelian language, Karelian and Finnish language, Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky District, Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky District, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky District, Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad O ...

by the

Ladoga Canal The Ladoga Canal () is a historical water transport route, now situated in Leningrad Oblast, linking the Neva River, Neva and the Svir River so as to bypass the stormy waters of Lake Ladoga which lies immediately to the northwest. It is about ...

bypassing Lake Ladoga. The main tributaries of the Volkhov are the Vishera (right), joins the

Maly Volkhovets The Maly Volkhovets () is a right (eastern) armlet of the Volkhov (river), Volkhov in Novgorodsky District of Novgorod Oblast in Russia. It splits from the Volkhov below its outflow from the Lake Ilmen, bypasses the city of Veliky Novgorod (so t ...

armlet; the Kerest (left); the Oskuya (right); the Pchyovzha (right); the Tigoda (left); the Chyornaya (right); the Vloya (left); the Olomna (left). The drainage basin of the Volkhov includes large parts of Novgorod and Leningrad Oblasts, as well as areas in

Tver Oblast Tver Oblast (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was known as Kalinin Oblast (). Population: Tver Oblast is a region of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much o ...

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...

of Russia and Vitebsk Oblast of

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

. The main rivers belonging to the river basin of the Volkhov are the

, the Lovat, the Pola, and the

Shelon The Shelon () is a river in the northwest part of European Russia, in Dedovichsky, Porkhovsky, and Dnovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast and Soletsky and Shimsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast. The Shelon is one of the principal tributaries of Lake ...

History

Despite its relatively small size, Volkhov has played a large role in Russian history and economy: in recognition of that, a figure representing the Volkhov appears among the allegorical monuments to the four major rivers of Russia (the others are:

Volga The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

and

) on the

rostral column A rostral column is a type of victory column originating in ancient Greece and Rome, where they were erected to commemorate a naval military victory. Its defining characteristic is the integrated prows or Naval ram, rams of ships, representing ...

s in the ensemble of the

Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange (also '' Bourse'') and Rostral Columns, located in Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation, are significant examples of Greek Revival architecture. Designed by French architect Thomas de Thomon, and i ...

. Its role in facilitating trade is due to its position as the only river penetrating deep into inland Russia that flows north towards the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

, rather than south towards the Caspian or Black Seas. In the mid-9th century, the Volkhov was a heavily populated trade artery of the

Varangian The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian
," Online Etymology Dictionary were

Rus' Khaganate Rus' Khaganate (, ''Russkiy kaganat'', , ''Ruśkyj kahanat''), or Kaganate of Rus is a name applied by some modern historians to a hypothetical polity suggested to have existed during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe b ...

. It was a vital part of the most important trade route connecting Northern Europe to the Orient, by way of the

(

Volga trade route In the Middle Ages, the Volga trade route connected Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia with the Caspian Sea and the Sasanian Empire, via the Volga River. The Rus' (people), Rus used this route to trade with Muslim history#The Umayyad Calipha ...

) and

(

trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empire ...

). The ancient Russian capital

and one of the most significant Russian medieval cities

are located along the Volkhov. The river carried a significant portion of the trade between Novgorod and Western Europe. After entering the Volkhov near Gorchakovshchina and

Lyubsha : ''For the Ukrainian military facility, see Lyubsha (air base).'' Lyubsha () is an archaeological site situated on the right bank of the Volkhov, about 1,500 metres downstream from Staraya Ladoga. As was determined by the 1997 excavations, Lyubsh ...

, commercial vessels of the Vikings cast anchor at the major trade emporium of

Aldeigja Staraya Ladoga ( rus, Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, r=Stáraya Ládoga, t=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Vo ...

(Ladoga). Then they rowed upstream past a series of rapids, guarded by the fortified settlements at Novye Duboviki and Gorodishche. There was another outpost at Kholopy Gorodok, 13 km north of present-day Velikiy Novgorod, or rather Holmgard, which was founded near the point where the Volkhov flows from Lake Ilmen. "Most of these were initially small sites, probably not much more than stations for re-fitting and resupply, providing an opportunity for exchange and the redistribution of items passing along the river and caravan routes". It seems on the whole likely that such pre-urban settlements gave the country its Norse name of '' Gardariki''. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the stretch of the Volkhov north of Veliky Novgorod separated Soviet (right bank) and German (left bank) troops between 1941 and 1944. German soldiers built extensive "underground cities" along the battlefront. Local birch was used for constructing shelters and hundreds of miles of

corduroy road A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the best ...

in the swampland. Buildings were on slopes to allow for drainage. "Six or eight men occupy each hut and there are also underground stables and storage places for coal and supplies."

Transportation

The entire Volkhov River is navigable; however, there is no passenger navigation. As with other navigable rivers, the navigability of the Volkhov makes it possible to transport bulky pieces of equipment which are inconvenient to ship by rail or road due to their size. In 2015, the Volkhov was part of a route of a river barge transporting a

VVER-1200 The water-water energetic reactor (WWER), or VVER (from ) is a series of pressurized water reactor designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress. The idea of such a reactor was proposed at the Kurchatov Insti ...

nuclear reactor vessel from the

Atommash Atommash () is a multidisciplinary engineering company located in Volgodonsk, Rostov Oblast, Russia. It was established in 1976 as a nuclear engineering corporation. Following Privatization in Russia, privatization and bankruptcy in 1999, the ...

plant in

Volgodonsk Volgodonsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located in the east of the oblast on the west bank of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir. Population: 28,000 (1970). History Volgodonsk was founded in 1950 as ...

. After being moved by the barge up the Volkhov to Novgorod, the reactor was taken across the city to the train station, and then shipped by a special rail car to Belarus.В Белоруссию привезли первый реактор для строящейся АЭС
(The first reactor for the nuclear power plant under construction has been delivered to Belarus), 2016-01-12

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Leningrad Oblast Rivers of Novgorod Oblast