Informations
The Volga, the longest river in Europe, stretches for nearly 3,530 kilometers across western Russia, shaping the country’s landscapes, cities, and history.
Rising in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow, the Volga flows through emblematic regions such as Tver, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Volgograd, and finally Astrakhan, before majestically emptying into the Caspian Sea via a vast delta.
A sacred river to the Russian people, it is often affectionately called “Mother Volga” (Матушка Волга), due to its vital economic, cultural, and spiritual importance.
Its basin covers one-third of the European part of Russia and is home to nearly half of the country’s population. Thanks to a network of dams and canals, the Volga is a major navigational artery, linking the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea.
The river plays a key role in agriculture, industry, and hydroelectric power generation. Massive reservoirs, such as those at Kuybyshev and Rybinsk, help regulate its waters and supply energy to large regions.
But the Volga is also a treasure trove of cultural heritage. Lined with historic cities and centuries-old monasteries, it once formed the core of the ancient trade route between the Vikings and the Arabs.
The ethnic and religious diversity along its banks—Slavs, Tatars, Chuvash, Volga Germans, Kalmyks—reflects the complex history of this corridor of passage and exchange.
Even today, river cruises, traditional villages, sandy beaches, nature reserves, and local festivals attract visitors in search of authenticity and breathtaking scenery.
The Volga is much more than a river: it is a living artery of Russia, a witness to glorious eras, conflicts, revolutions, and a culture both rich and deeply rooted.
