Sheksna River: description, source, mouth, tributaries. What kind of fish is found in the Sheksna River?

Great country Russia

There are many river systems in it.

There are huge, big -

There are also very small ones.

The basin of three huge oceans is replenished by the rivers of the Russian Federation. Many of them are very famous. There are also less familiar names, but they have a huge role in the country’s water system. Do you know where the Sheksna River is? It is along this road that you can go to Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga, and St. Petersburg. This small river amazes with its abundance of water, breadth and picturesque banks.

Which system does it come out of and where does it flow into?

The famous Volga River has many tributaries, one of them (on the left side) is the glorious Sheksna River. It is located in the Volgograd region. The river connects the Volga with a very important body of water - White Lake. What is this miracle of nature? It is here that the source of the Sheksna, the pearl of the Volga-Baltic waterway, is located. It has an area of ​​1290 square km. The peculiarity of White Lake is that 17 small rivers flow into it, and only Sheksna flows out.

Many people are interested in where the Sheksna River flows? This place is a huge reservoir on the Volga River called Rybinsk. People call it the sea, as its size is impressive. In addition to the Sheksna, the Mologa, the lower branch of the Suda, the Konoma, the Yagorba, the Bolshoi Bug, and others flow here.

origin of name

M. Vasmer writes that the origin of the hydronym Sheksna

unclear, but suggests comparing it with Finn.
hähnä “woodpecker”, erz. šekšej “spotted woodpecker” and others [3]; in the same region there are rivers with “bird” names: Kolp, Raven, Rooster - tracings from pre-Russian names [ source not specified 1459 days
].

As D. A. Machinsky and V. S. Kuleshov write, referring to the message of Yu. V. Otkupshchikov, the name Sheksna fits into the Baltic word-formation model: Šek-sn-à

, compare lit. šèkas "motley". This hypothesis (if true) speaks of a significant proportion of Baltic tribes in the pre-Slavic population of Poshekhonye[4]

Besides Sheksna

, the popular name of the river used to be
Shekhna (aka Shokstna, Shokhsna, Shekhon, Shekhona)
- hence
Poshekhonye
.

Characteristics of the river

Many have heard about such an area as Poshekhonye. So this is exactly how the banks of the Sheksna are named. Back in the middle of the 20th century, it had a length of 395 km, but since then its size has been reduced by three times. In addition, some of its sections are flooded by the Rybinsk and Sheksninsky reservoirs. Today the length of Sheksna is 139 km. On one side is the village of Sheksna, on the other - the city of Cherepovets.

In December the river freezes, and in April ice drift begins. Two large hydroelectric complexes were built on Sheksna: Rybinsk and Sheksninskaya hydroelectric power stations.

Description

Until the middle of the 20th century, the river had a length of about 395 km, but currently it has been preserved as a river only in a short section from the village of Sheksna to the city of Cherepovets (these are the largest settlements on it), since the upper reaches of the river are flooded by the Sheksninsky reservoir, and the lower by the Rybinsk reservoir . A small section of the old channel of the Sheksna in Rybinsk has also been preserved at its historical mouth - between the Rybinsk hydroelectric station and the Volga.

The food is predominantly snowy. The average annual water flow is 28 km from the mouth of 172 m³/s. It freezes in late October - December, opens in April - early May.

It is part of the Volga-Baltic waterway and the North Dvina water system. There are 2 hydroelectric power stations on the river - Sheksninskaya hydroelectric power station and Rybinsk hydroelectric power station.

Previously, Sheksna was rich in fish. Back in the 19th century, sterlet was caught in the river (“Sheksninsk golden sterlet” is mentioned in the poems of Gabriel Derzhavin) and transported in huge tubs on a sleigh to St. Petersburg to the royal court. In the 20th century, especially after the construction of dams, reservoirs and the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant, the river's fish stocks decreased significantly.

Rich History and Meaning of the Name

According to the main version, the name of the Sheksna River is of Baltic origin. In the language of the Baltic peoples it means “motley”. Since this name arose in the pre-Slavic period, there are other versions of its interpretation. It is believed that people used to call it Shekhna, which is where the concept of Poshekhonye came from. The Ugric origin of the word "shanges" means "sleeve". Ancient written sources mention river names such as: Shoksna, Shekhna, Sheksna, Shoksna, Shokstna.

Back in the 10th century, the ancient Russian city of Beloozero was formed near the upper reaches of the Sheksna. Today it is called Belozersk. Excavations and research are constantly being carried out at the site of the old city. Where the Sheksna flows into the Volga, there used to be a settlement of traders and artisans (Ust-Sheksna), now there is the city of Rybinsk. Not far away is the village of Krutik, known since the 10th century. The waters of this particular river took the life of Dmitry Ivanovich, who was the heir of Ivan VI.

The Sheksna is a very winding river. Near its banks there are magnificent water meadows. The river has a rather strong slope, so its waters rush quite quickly. For many centuries, charcoal producers worked on the banks of the Sheksna; iron ores are also present in it.

There are quite a few villages near the river, this is due to flooding and floods. In the coastal swamps there were many ducks, snipes, great snipes, and wood snipes.

Notes

• Surface water resources of the USSR: Hydrological knowledge. T. 10. Upper Volga region / ed. V. P. Shaban. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1966. - 528 p.
• Vasmer M.
  Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. T. 4. P. 422.
• Machinsky D. A., Kuleshov V. S.
  Northern peoples of the ser. IV - 1st half. VI century in “Getica” by Jordan // Ladoga and Gleb Lebedev. VIII reading in memory of Anna Machinskaya. St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya, 2004. P. 53.
• The ancient Russian city of Beloozero (undefined)
  (inaccessible link -
  history
  ).
• “Cherepovets Atlantis” (undefined)
  (inaccessible link). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021.
• New field research of medieval monuments of Belozerye
• The defeat of Novgorod the Great // Florya B. N. Ivan the Terrible

Tributaries of the Sheksna River

20 small rivers flow into the Sheksna River. On the left side, the 4-kilometer Churovka flows into it, this is the smallest tributary. Next in size are: Bozhay, Churova, Uloma, Irdomka, Kameshnitsa, Lagmach. A long tributary on the right side is Kovzha (47 km). On the left side, 50-kilometer rivers flow into Sheksna: Gnilukha, Sizma, Kishma, Slavyanka. In addition to rivers, it is joined by the Kichenovo stream and two canals: Severo-Dvinsky and Belozersky. The longest tributaries of the Sheksna are: Pidma, Borodava, Ponzha, Kargach. Their length is over 100 km. On the right side the river is filled with the waters of Gremikha, Uzboyka, Ryabinka, Nizdobka. Shosha and Slavyanka flow from the left side.

Tributaries of the Sheksna

25 rivulets, streams, and canals flow into the river. The tributaries differ among themselves in their side (left or right), length, and flow intensity. The table provides more detailed information.

Freight and tourist routes

It is necessary to say about the transport significance of Sheksna. The river connects the central regions of Russia with the northwestern lakes and is part of the Volga-Baltic water system. At the beginning of the 19th century, Sheksna and Sukhona were connected by the North Dvina Canal. At that time, it was the only way to get to the White Sea from the Volga. The cities of Vologda and Cherepovets for many years used motor ship transportation of passengers along the Sheksna. Passenger tourist ships on the river can often be seen, as there is a river route from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The five most popular stops are made by passenger ships on Sheksna: Cherepovets, Sheksna village, Goritsy, Kuzino, Irma. Short boat rides are regularly organized from Cherepovets; there is no regular passenger transportation.

Freight transport moves along Sheksna regularly. From the Moscow region, scrap metal is transported along it for the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant. Ships often transport Severstal products to St. Petersburg. Oil, sand, granite, gravel, wood, and grain crops are also transported along this river.

Borodaevskoye Lake

A large lake in the southwest of Kirillov, Borodaevskoye, creates a water system that also includes Monastyrskoye (Ferapontovskoye) and many small rivers, straits, and streams. Located on the territory of the Russian North natural zone. Borodaevskoye is the source of the Borodava River, which bypasses the monastery to the east of the banks.

Characteristics of the reservoir:

• area - 546.2 hectares;
• depth - from 3 to 11 m;
• perimeter - 22 km;
• islands - 15 pcs.

The steep banks have a relatively regular, even shape; in the south, oval outlines are cut by bays. The sandy-rocky bottom has many irregularities, furrows, depressions, and holes.

About a fifth of the water is regularly overgrown with reeds, duckweed, and lilies. The lake borders on two objects that are under state protection and are of regional value - a natural landscape park and the ensemble of the Mother of God Nativity Monastery in Ferapont.

Impact on culture

The first mention of Sheksna was in The Tale of Bygone Years. The famous story “About the toothy pike” and Alexander Bashlachev’s song “Egorkina Valley” also contain the name of the river.

In 1964, the Volga-Baltic Canal was built, due to which the level of White Lake and Sheksna rose significantly. This led to the flooding of nearby villages, from which residents fled. In one such abandoned place there remains the Church of the Nativity of Christ (Krokhino). In the photo above you can see this unique monument of the 18th century. Today, a project is being implemented to preserve and revive this temple, into which our ancestors contributed their labor. This project was supported by the famous journalist Leonid Parfenov and proposed installing a lighthouse on this site.

Another attraction on the Sheksna River is the Goretsky Resurrection Monastery. This monument has federal significance; it was founded back in the 16th century by Princess Euphrosyne Staritskaya. This convent consists of 3 stone churches, as well as outbuildings and residential buildings. Today the church is inactive and requires restoration work.

On the right bank of the Sheksna River is the small village of Kargulino, with only 23 residents. It amazes with its wonderful views.

Ecological situation of the Sheksninsky reservoir

On the banks of the Sheksninsky reservoir there is a large industrial city of ferrous metallurgy - Cherepovets. This could not but affect the state of water resources and the ecological situation of the area. Thanks to the dumping of waste into the sea, the situation cannot be called favorable. Due to the presence of heavy metal salts in waste, the natural biobalance is disrupted and fish stocks are reduced. Recently, environmentalists and representatives of heavy industry, with the help of state environmental organizations, have managed to reach a compromise to improve the environmental situation in the reservoir and stop the loss of valuable and rare fish species.

Interesting fact: The other day a meeting of the commission to improve the environmental situation at the Rybinsk and Sheksninsky reservoirs took place. The following figures were given: over the past 5 years, the overall quality of water in Vologda reservoirs has improved by 2 times, and in the Cherepovets region, the norms for the content of harmful substances in water have increased by 65%.

Attractions

On the banks of the northwestern part of the reservoir lies the Russian North National Park, founded in 1992 by ecologists and historians to preserve and increase the wealth of the forests of the north.

The zone of cultural and historical heritage includes the Ferapontov Monastery and the most ancient temples of the Vologda region; tourist routes to these places are popular. Since the Sheksna Reservoir is a navigable body of water, trips along lakes and rivers on motor ships are organized for everyone.

At the Sheksninsky Reservoir there is a unique opportunity to actively relax and gain strength. In winter, recreation centers offer snowmobiling and ice skating, and winter sport fishing competitions are organized. A large ice rink has been built where performances are given for children and adults. In summer you can play volleyball on open areas and beaches, there are places for swimming, there is a great opportunity to walk through the forest and go quiet hunting. Those interested can take a ride on a river bus on the water.

Interesting fact: All settlements on the banks of the Sheksna River and the Sheksninsky Reservoir are more often called Poshekhonye, ​​which means “spotted woodpecker” in Finnish.

Cherepovets cable-stayed bridge

There is a unique structure in Cherepovets. There, in 1979, a cable-stayed bridge was built across the Sheksna River. “Cable-stayed” means suspended on cables, hanging. This design is a candidate for the “Wonders of Russia”.

The bridge's supporting pillars (pylons) support the structure, which has an impressive weight. The pylons are attached to steel cables. Based on this design, one can judge the width of the Sheksna, because the bridge is significantly long and is 781 m. A similar structure is found only in Germany. A similar bridge was built across the Rhine River in Cologne. In severe frosts (over 30°C), traffic on the bridge over the Sheksna is stopped for safety reasons.

The steel cables for the bridge were made in Volgograd, and the structure itself is entirely made of metal. The Cherepovets cable-stayed bridge is quite wide and has 6 vehicle lanes. For the support, one main pylon was taken (can be seen in the photo above), which has the shape of the letter A. The height of this support is 83.5 m. In general, all the cables weigh over 500 tons. The Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant was engaged in the manufacture of parapet fencing. The lattice for the fence is made in the style of the Vologda lace ornament. Young couples regularly leave “locks of happiness” on the bridge fence on their wedding day. This is how this bridge glorifies the glorious Sheksna even more.