{"id":14697,"date":"2021-10-04T22:50:48","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T22:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=14697"},"modified":"2021-10-04T22:50:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T22:50:48","slug":"the-mother-of-all-rivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/the-mother-of-all-rivers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mother of All Rivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the old song goes, \u0428\u0438\u0440\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u044f\u0301 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u044f<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>wide is my home country<\/span>. Russia is the largest country in the world by far. Its borders stretch from its westernmost to easternmost points over 9,000 kilometers (over 5,000 miles), covering a total area of over seventeen million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles), which is one-eighth of the total land area on earth. This massive land area encompasses many different climates, landmasses, and bodies of water. However, Russia does not have significant access to any major oceans, which has caused the nation to historically rely on its many rivers to travel around the country and to grow and develop.<\/p>\n

\"\"

\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Denis Ovsyannikov: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u0420\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>(pl. \u0440\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043a\u0438<\/strong>) is probably the first geographical feature that anyone learns the Russian word for, if only because rivers in Russia have always been the lifeblood of the country. Every \u0440\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>has a \u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0301\u043a <\/strong>source<\/em> and an \u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u0435<\/strong> mouth<\/em>. Along its path a river may have another, smaller river join it called a \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0442\u043e\u0301\u043a<\/strong> tributary<\/em>. What does a river do? From the word \u0442\u0435\u0447\u044c<\/strong> to flow<\/em> \u2013 \u0420\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0447\u0451\u0442<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A river is flanked by \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u0430\u0301<\/strong> banks<\/em> (singular \u2013 \u0431\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0433<\/strong>, see declension here<\/a>). Just like in English, there is a \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0433<\/strong> right bank<\/em> and a \u043b\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0433 <\/strong>left bank<\/em>. For example, \u0413\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0434 <\/strong>\u042f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u043b\u044c <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u0443\u0301 <\/strong>\u0412\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0433\u0438.<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>The city of Yaroslavl sits on the right bank of the Volga.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we are traveling by river, we use the word \u043f\u043b\u044b\u0442\u044c to swim, travel by water<\/em> + \u043f\u043e + dative case. \u042f <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u044b\u0432\u0443 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0435.<\/strong>3<\/a><\/sup>I am sailing down the river.<\/span> \u0422\u0435\u043f\u043b\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0434 <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u044b\u0432\u0451\u0442 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0410\u043d\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0435\u0301<\/strong>4<\/a><\/sup>The steamboat is sailing down the Angara (river in eastern Siberia).<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The concepts of \u201cupstream\u201d and \u201cdownstream\u201d are reflected in the terms \u0432\u044b\u0448\u0435<\/strong> higher up<\/em> and \u043d\u0438\u0436\u0435<\/strong> lower down<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Sometimes along a river a \u0433\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u0440\u043e\u044d\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f (<\/strong>\u0413\u042d\u0421)<\/strong> hydroelectric station<\/em> is built. This is made by building a large \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> dam<\/em>, which, of course, floods a large area of land behind it and creates a \u0432\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0449\u0435<\/strong> reservoir<\/em> (from the words \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0301<\/strong> water<\/em> and \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> to save, to keep<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Now that we have learned a bit of the vocabulary associated with rivers, I would like to state some interesting facts about one of Russia\u2019s most prominent rivers.<\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0433\u0430 <\/strong>Volga<\/em><\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0433\u0430 \u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c \u0440\u0435\u043a\u0430\u043c \u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c.<\/strong>5<\/a><\/sup>The Volga is mother to all the rivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can see from the above saying, Volga River occupies a special place in the mindset of Russian people. I will give you a few facts about the river below:<\/p>\n

\u0418\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0301\u043a \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0301\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u0422\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0439 \u043e\u0301\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong>.6<\/a><\/sup>The source is found in Tver Oblast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0442\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043a\u0438 <\/strong>\u0412\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0433\u0438 \u2013 <\/strong>\u0422\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0446\u0430\u0301, <\/strong>\u041e\u043a\u0430\u0301, <\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/strong>.7<\/a><\/sup>Some tributaries are the Tvertsa, Oka, and Kama.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u041d\u0430 \u0412\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0433\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0301\u0436\u0435\u043d\u044b \u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0301 \u041d\u0438\u0301\u0436\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u041d\u043e\u0301\u0432\u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434, \u0412\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0434, \u041a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043d\u044c \u0438 \u0421\u0430\u043c\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0430<\/strong>.8<\/a><\/sup>The cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Kazan\u2019 and Samara are located on the Volga.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0433\u0430 \u0432\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0430\u0301\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u041a\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0301\u0440\u0435<\/strong>.9<\/a><\/sup>The Volga flows [lit. falls into] into the Caspian Sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0433\u0430 \u2013 \u0441\u0430\u0301\u043c\u0430\u044f \u0434\u043b\u0438\u0301\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0440\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301 \u0415\u0432\u0440\u043e\u0301\u043f\u044b<\/strong>.10<\/a><\/sup>The Volga is the longest river in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The area of land around the Volga is known as \u041f\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0436\u044c\u0435<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Even though it doesn\u2019t flow through any of Russia\u2019s past or present capitals, the Volga was essential in the development of Russia as a state. Its sheer size and importance have inspired many, and travel along it was an important part of the Russian economy until only a few decades ago. The Volga is so significant to Russia that it lent its name to an iconic Soviet car make:<\/p>\n

\"\"

\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Artem Lysenko: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

I will leave you with a very famous song about the Volga, performed by \u041b\u044e\u0434\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0417\u044b\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/strong> Liudmila Zykina<\/em> in her booming mezzo-soprano, kicked off by the words \u0418\u0437\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301, <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0433\u043e, <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0447\u0451\u0442 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>\u0412\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0433\u0430!<\/strong>11<\/a><\/sup>From far and for a long time flows the river Volga!<\/span><\/p>\n