VOLGA, the most important river of Russia, and the longest in Europe, has its origin in a marshy plain among the Valdai hills, in the government of Tver; lat. 57° n., long. 33° 10' east. From its source, which is 550 ft. above ordinary sea-level, and 633 ft. above the level of the Caspian sea, into which it falls, the river flows s.e. to Zubzov, then n.e. past Tver and Koliazin to Mologa, where it turns e.s.e., and flows in that direction past Jaroslav, Kostroma, Nijni-Novgorod, and Kazan, 50 m. below which, on receiving the Kama, it turns s., passing Simbirsk, Stavropol, and Samara. Here its course again changes to s.w., and in this direction the river flows until it reaches Tzaritzin, when it bends to the s.e., and reaches the Caspian sea, which it enters by manymouths, and after a course of 2,320 miles. The Volga waters 9 governments—those of Tver, Jaroslav, Kostroma, Nijni-Novgorod, Kazan, Simbirsk, Saratov, Samara, and Astrakhan; but besides these, 12 other governments are watered by its tributaries. The course of the 'stream is generally divided into three parts—the upper part reaching from its source to its confluence with the Szeksna, and, though presenting many hindrances to navigation, yet capable of being traversed from Tver to Rybinsk by craft of and 2 ft. draught; the middle part, from Rybinsk in Jaroslav to Nijni-Novgorod, navigable for larger craft; and the lower Volga from Nijni-Novgorod to Astrakhan—where it is about 90 ft. deep— navigable for the largest vessels. Below Astrakhan the Volga is very much shallower —in some places only 1+ ft. deep. At Tver the breadth of the river is 720 ft.; at
Mologa, 2,060 ft.; at Nijni-Novgorod, 2,069 ft., but sometimes in the spring 21 m.
broad; at Simbirsk, about a mile broad; between Samara and Sysran, from 1 to 3 rn. broad. Below Tzaritzin, at the confluence of the Sarpa, the river affords few facilities for navigation, end is remarkable for the number of branches into which it divides itself before it enters the Caspian sea. The banks of the Volga, which are elevated in the upper and middle reaches, become much lower as the river approaches its embouchure. The chief ferries and commercial towns on the Volga are: Rjev, Zubzov, Tver, Koliazin, ]itch, Malaga, Rybinsk (the great center of the corn trade), Jaroslav, Kostroma, Nijni-Novgorod, Kazan, Simbirsk,- Samara, Tzaritzin, and Astrakhan. The system of water-communication established by the Volga and its tributaries, is of the greatest importance to the commerce of Russia, connecting as it does the central districts of the Gauntry with the White sea by means of the canal of the prince of Wiirtemberg; with the Baltic by the three canal-systems of Tiehvin, Vishni-Volotchek, and Mariinsk ; with the Black sea by the Upa canal, which connects the Oka and the Don; with the Caspian sea by the great stream of the Volga itself; and with Siberia by the rivers Kama and Tchussovaia. The principal affluents on the right are the Oka•(q.v.) and the Sura; on the left, the Tvertza, Malaga, Szeksna, and Kamm (q.v.).