Volkhov River, the

Subject / Topography/Reservoirs and waterways
VOLKHOV, river. It flows out of Lake Ilmen in Novgorod Oblast, extends across Kirishi and Volkhov Districts of Leningrad Oblast, and it flows into the Volkhov Bay of Lake Ladoga. Length: 224 km, of which 112 km within Leningrad Oblast. The river bed width varies from 100 to 200 m, and at the mouth it is up to 600 m. Catchment area: 80,200 sq. km. Flow rate: 552 cu. m/s, prone to large variations. In its upper reach, it flows across the Ilmen Lowlands, in the middle part, in a broad flood-plain, and from Pcheva village (Kirishi District) to Staraya Ladoga, within high steep banks. The river is not much meandering, and navigable all over its length. The toponym is of a Slav origin (from the name Volkhv or from “olkha” = alder tree.) In the Middle Ages, the “trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks” extended along V. Navigation on V. was complicated by rapids: Ladoga (near Veltsa village, Volkhov District, 11 km long, and subdivided into upper, or Veltsa, and lower, or Petropavlovskoye) and Pcheva (near Pcheva village, 6 km long.) Pilots were hired to pass the rapids, who were peasants of local villages Gostinopolye, Veltsa, Porogi, Pcheva. After the Volkhov hydraulic powerplant dam was constructed in 1926, the rapids were concealed under water. Located on the banks of V. are the cities of Novgorod, Kirishi, Volkhov, and Novaya Ladoga, and Staraya Ladoga village. Main tributaries: Vishera, Pchevzha, Oskuya, Tigoda, Kerest, Polist. The Ladoga Canals connect the lower reach of V. to the Neva and Svir. Chistyakov, Anton Yuryevich
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Gostinopolye Village
Topographical landmarks/Ilmen Lake
Topographical landmarks/Kerest River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Kirishi District
Leningrad Oblast, the/Kirishi District/Kirishi Town
Topographical landmarks/Ladoga Canals, the
Topographical landmarks/Ladoga Lake
Topographical landmarks/Ladoga Rapids
Topographical landmarks/Neva River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Novaya Ladoga Town
Neighbouring Territories/Novgorod Oblast, the
Topographical landmarks/Oskuya River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Kirishi District/Pcheva Village
Topographical landmarks/Pchevzha Rapids
Topographical landmarks/Pchevzha River, the
Topographical landmarks/Petropavlovsky Rapids
Topographical landmarks/Polist River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Porogi Village
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Staraya Ladoga Village
Topographical landmarks/Svir River, the
Topographical landmarks/Tigoda River, the
Topographical landmarks/Veletsky Rapids
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Veltsa Village
Topographical landmarks/Vishera River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Volkhov Town
Topographical landmarks/Volkhovskaya Guba (Volkhov Bay, the)
Булкин В.А., Овсянников О.В. По Неве и Волхову. Л., 1981.
Ильина Л., Грахов А. Волхов. Л., 1980.
Trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks