The volga was known to the ancient greeks as the rha, but little was known about the river until the early middle ages, when slavic tribes settled along its upper course, the bulgars see bulgars, eastern along its middle course, and the khazars in the south. A big part of the book huckleberry finn by mark twain is set on the mississippi river. Catherine the great recruited thousands of colonists to populate her lower volga river frontier with dependable permanent settlers who not only would bring stability to this lawless, underdeveloped, and uncharted region, but also would reclaim the vast wasteland therean area larger than the state of. The drainage basin of the volga includes most of western russia, an area that is home to 11 of the 20 largest cities in russia. On july 22, 1763, catherine the great issued a manifesto inviting germans to come settle in her country. Together, the stories in two arabic travel books illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the abbasid empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by their observant beholders. The volga flows forever book series center for volga german. The volga river delta is one of the most productive regions of the world for fish, particularly caviarproducing sturgeon, 25 percent of which live in the volga river. History by the river is a monthly panel event with a social buzz for lovers of books, history and good beer. If youre looking for a trip to russia, consider a volga river cruise. Welcome to the concordia university librarys center for volga german studies. Europes longest river and the principal waterway of russia, the volga arises in the valdai hills northwest of moscow and flows southeastward for 2,325 miles 3,740 kilometers to empty into the caspian sea. Heres the moorage mine, and here are my friends, all that is neccessary for life span.
The volga has many tributaries, most importantly the kama, the oka, the vetluga, and the sura rivers. Germans in the land of the volga germans from russia heritage. The center supports preservation of and education about the heritage, history and accomplishments of the german population who once lived in colonies established near the volga river in russia. The empress of russias invitation came at a time when the provinces of germany were ravaged by the seven years war, famine and crippling poverty. The volga freezes for most of its length during three months of each year. This book has supplied me with such a wealth of history about my ancestors. Jan 04, 2018 100 mustread books about the middle ages erika harlitzkern jan 4, 2018 the ideas we tend to have about the middle ages are mostly based on how the time period has been interpreted through fantasy fiction and games, and the romanticizing of the era by intellectuals, scholars, politicians, and artists in the nineteenth century. The volga germans, the second volume, continues the story of the german immigrants and their descendants who civilized the bleak russian frontier of the.
It rises in the black forest mountains of western germany and flows for some 1,770 miles 2,850 km to its mouth on the black sea. Russias troubled waters flow with the mighty volga the 2,300mile volga river is russias pride and lifeblood. The volga germans are ethnic germans who colonized and historically lived along the volga. Sep 04, 2015 the volga river slices through the heartland of russia and covers a diverse set of cultures. This is a personal, cultural journey down one of the greatest waterways in th. Along russias volga river, back to the simple life the. Apr 01, 2005 other classmates had the mississippi river but my son got a river i had never heard of. Crooked like an elbow, the volga passes from the valdai hills near moscow down to astrakhan by the. History of german colonies walter and rothammel on the river volga. What makes these books so impressive is that at times it almost feels like they didthe books read so well you could think they were fiction. Buy the volga river rivers in world history library binding by tim mcneese isbn. The story of the volga germans and how their history is. Dreiling, lawrence weigel, blaine burkey volga german centennial association, 1976 social science 159 pages. It is also europes largest river in terms of discharge and watershed.
River to the volga is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 9 times. The volga river name has baltic origin as majority russias western toponyms, latvian valga moist, humid, the baltic word ir. The volga region, is the large region of russia in the volga basin, centered along the volga river. It flows throu central roushie, an is widely viewed as the naitional river o roushie.
Rebecca nab young shares volga german recipes and stories. The 2300mile volga river is russias pride and lifeblood. Volga river, russiamy german ancestors came to america from the volga region. Mission to the volga is also the earliest surviving instance of sustained firstperson travel narrative in arabica pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value. Introduction to the history of the germanrussian volga. Volga river cruises can start in moscow and end in st.
Lots of information about the protestant colonies and next to nothing about the catholic onesan important division in the 18th and 19th centuries. Wherever you see an old sugar factory in northeast colorado, you can probably find a krautburger nearby. Stop and stop again a red rose petal in winter frozen shatters when it hits the stone floor. In finnish neva it means poor fen, in karelian neva watercourse and in estonian nova waterway. The river begins in the valdia hills northwest of moscow and empties into the caspian sea. Interesting facts about the volga river just fun facts. Ivan, owner of an antiquarian bookshop on kirov street, saratovs main retail street, suggested i would have better luck searching in moscow for information on this vanished community, even though we were just across the river from what used to be the volga germans own republic a history of distant bashkortostan, meanwhile, stood proud on. Soviet union, the volga germans represented the single largest group expelled from their historical homeland. On the river volga in 1867 photographs by mikhail nastyukov.
Rising in the valdai hills 225 meters 738 ft above sea level northwest of moscow and about 320 kilometers 200 mi southeast of saint petersburg, the volga heads east past lake sterzh, tver, dubna, rybinsk, yaroslavl, nizhny novgorod, and kazan. Special attention is paid to the development of the mechanism of inviting and settling foreign colonist on the volga. Rivers figure prominently in a nations historical memory, and the volga and mississippi have special importance in. A river runs through it the volga at the junction of the the tmaka river. I value the ability of this book to quicky distill a sense of russian history in a. Can this woman conquer the volga and change the history books. Volga river students britannica kids homework help. The volga river slices through the heartland of russia and covers a.
All of these questions are answered for my ancestors colony and for the other volga germans as well. Bulletin of the american fraternal insurance society, 1957, 915. Should you need a book on the volga river this is the best one published. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. Around 200 tributaries join the volga along its route as the river basin drains an area of 1,380,000 square kilometers.
The book includes an autobiography of peter sinner and a bibliography of. The story of the volga germans and how their history is now preserved at concordia. The word neva is widely spread in finnic languages with similar meanings. With a country as rich in history as russia, give yourself the time to explore the entirety. Among the 104 original colonies founded between 1764 and 1767, this group included both the first and last of the colonies established. The volga river slices through the heartland of russia and covers a diverse set of cultures. Battle of the volga alive in russian memory nowhere is the volga river more hallowed than in the city named after it.
A journey revealing the people and heartland of postperestroika russia. Volga river, russian volga, ancient greek ra or tatar itil or etil, river of europe, the continents longest, and the principal waterway of western russia and the historic cradle of the russian state. The fascinating, yet chequered history of kochis volga. But, at nearly 2300 miles, the volga river takes the crown for the longest river in europe. Volga river state recreation area fayette 2020 all you. The volga, one of europes great rivers, winds for some 3530km through russias heartland and has been a part of the continents longest highway since time immemorial. Welcome to the center for volga german studies center. The volga and its tributaries form the volga river system, which drains an area of about 1. Established between 17641766, a cluster of nine colonies populated by germans of the lutheran faith were established by the russian government on the west side of the lower volga river. In russia and the americas, from 1763 to the present. The volga delta has a length of about 160 kilometres. Along russias volga river, back to the simple life by james estrin dec.
A century ago population pressure forced many volga germans westward to the americas, or eastward to turkestan and siberia somewhat later. The volga and its tributaries form the volga river system, which flows through an area of about 1,350,000 square kilometres 521,238 square miles in the most heavily populated part of russia. The 10 of the greatest true stories ever writtenread. Following the volga thom wheelers journey through 500. But of course, these books are history at its most interesting. The area of the neva river was originally inhabited by finnic people. Their chief crops were winter rye, wheat, sunflowers from which oil was produced, potatoes, and millet. The volga finns are not to be confused with the finns. More than 500 channels flow from the river into the sea, creating a web of wetlands that supports hundreds of species of birds, fish, and plants. Although ethnically german, their people lived on the volga river in russia for several generations before coming to colorado. A powerful kingdom of volga bulgaria thrived were the kama river met the volga, whole the kingdom of khazaria controlled the lower parts of the mighty river.
The volga delta is the largest river delta in europe, and occurs where europes largest river system, the volga river, drains into the caspian sea in russias astrakhan oblast, northeast of the republic of kalmykia. Danube river, the second longest river in europe after the volga. Official centennial history of the volga german settlements in ellis and rush counties in kansas, 18761976 norbert r. Its basin, sprawling across about twofifths of the european part of russia, contains almost half of the entire population of the russian republic. Not many may be aware of its history, but as mathew alexander says, volga is a name that still resonates with an old timer in kochi. This film focuses attention on the impacts of war, urban development, industrialization, shipping and agriculture and what can be done to restore the danube river. Volga valge, means white river in finnic languages. You could probably travel its length in a week if you jumped on trains. He calls it the rha, which was the scythian name for the river. Other crops grown in the volga german colonies included oats and barley for animal fodder. Since the 1970s, the countries along the river, especially china, have been pressing to build a series of hydroelectric and irrigation dams on the salween river, some of which would be among the largest in the world if constructed. River volga article about river volga by the free dictionary.
Eleiven o the twinty lairgest ceeties o roushie, includin the caipital, moscow, are situatit in the volgas drainage basin. The hidden history of colorados germans from russia. The volga delta has a length of about 160 kilometres 99 miles and includes as many as 500 channels and smaller rivers. Volga river rivers in world history and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The volga is europes longest river and the primary waterway of western europe. If she succeeds in navigating the russian volga river, this will make. In terms of long rivers, europe isnt anywhere near the top among the six main continents. George valko has assembled a great collection of volga information under one roof, so to speak. Although lenin established a volga german autonomous republic, stalin abolished it in 1941 during the nazi invasion and deported its population to siberia and central asia. Our countrymen under the soviet regime and in soviet exile. The volga has many tributaries, most importantly the rivers kama, the oka, the vetluga, and the sura. Feb 16, 2017 small town but beautiful and quite volga this river is near by my college, uiu, which is in a very small town called fayette.
The volga river is europes largest river and the principles waterway of western russia with a length of 3,692km. Ptolemy believed the don and the volga shared the same upper branch, which flowed from the hyperborean mountains. There flows the river volga, there flows the river volga without edge or end. History of german colonies walter and rothammel on the. It has also been argued that the name derives from the indoeuropean adjective newa which means new. Volga river simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. From its source in the valdai hills, northwest of moscow, the volga flows east into the rybinsk reservoir, then turns southeastward on its way to the caspian sea. It is the longest river of europe and the principal waterway of russia, being navigable with locks bypassing the dams almost throughout its course. A voyage down the great river by lesley chamberlain. Thom wheelers new book about his volga journey, the way a river went, is out.
In the 16th century the russokazan wars swept through the many empires of russia around the volga. The volga germans were german settlers who were invited to live and farm in the volga river valley in central russia in the eighteenth century by catherine the great. The volga river is the longest river in europe, at 2,294 miles. Nov 01, 2010 russias troubled waters flow with the mighty volga the 2,300mile volga river is russias pride and lifeblood. It provides water, power and transport and has played a key role in russias history. This is not just a journey of the river or indeed a travelogue but a history of russia to in a way. The journey follows the river starting at volgaverkhovye, staritsa, tver, yaroslavi, nizhy novogorod, kazan, ulyanovsk, samara, saratov, volgograd and the finally to astrakhan. Jun 09, 2015 on the river volga photographs by mikhail petrovich nastyukov 1867 here i present an album of photographs by the russian photographer, mikhail petrovich nastyukov, taken in 1867 along the river volga.
Twain also wrote a book called life on the mississippi, which had some stories about how he used to work on a steamboat images for kids. The volga delta has a length of about 160 kilometres and includes as many as 500 channels and smaller rivers. There was no information in encyclopedias except very basic information. Again, i have read several historical books about the volga germans which i found to be very informative and wellwritten. It was all about the shepherds moon the line it crossed grappling with ghosts in a forest of fog. And most folks probably wouldnt guess that russia is the location of europes longest river. Explore volga region holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book traced the history of the germans on the volga in the second half of the eighteenth century, and it presents a rich source of archival material. It provides water, power and transport and has played a key role through russias early imperial. The river served as an important trade route for empires up and down the volga connecting scandinavia, rus and volga bulgaria with khazaria and persia. Using a wide variety of sources, which he credits generously, george relates the stories of those volga germans who lived along the karaman river. From distant stretches of the riverbed the other young boys singing song as yet.
Kaiser presents his series of books on the history and development of the germanic peoples and the germanrussians of the volga colonies. We enjoyed learning together and this book is permanently a part of our library. It has its source in the valdai hills about 200 miles from st. Apr 25, 2017 the volga river rises in the valdai hills northwest of the russian capital of moscow, and continues flowing south until it drains into the caspian sea, covering a distance of 3,530 kilometers along this course. That the storyteller was creating the story to fit their purposes and not the other way around. Volgograd, better known as stalingrad, site of one of world war iis most. The ripple in the pond is eternity maybe maybe not maybe never. Catherine the great imported millions of germans to russia to farm the land and teach farming to the russians. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The tragic saga of the volga germans languages of the world. Can this woman conquer the volga and change the history.
Its importance as a trade route dates from that time. Otto pohl, ethnic cleansing in the ussr, 19371949, greenwood publishing group, via books. The river is 3,692 kilometers 2,294 miles long and is located entirely in russia. Location of the river volga or jul, idel, atal, edil, sarisu. Known as mother volga, it is a symbol of russia and a central theme in songs and stories. Volga river, river of europe, the continents longest, and the principal waterway of western russia and the historic cradle of the russian state. The river rises and falls which is the new blood and which is the old. Russias river of revolution the 2,300mile volga river is russias pride and lifeblood. World history family history history books volga germans irish catholic irish. The average flow rate of the volga river is 8,060 cubic meters 284,636 cubic feet per second. This book is more a personal history of the authors ancestors than a full treatment of the volga germans as a whole. The ancient scholar ptolemy of alexandria mentions the lower volga in his geography book 5, chapter 8, 2nd map of asia.
The delta is located in the caspian depressionthe far eastern part of the delta lies in kazakhstan. A travel writer who took the mother volga river and traveled two thosand miles. The term is a backderivation from the linguistic term volga finnic, which in turn reflects an older usage of the term finnic, applying to most or whole of the finnopermic group, while the group nowadays known as finnic were referred to as balticfinnic. Russias troubled waters flow with the mighty volga. Pdf mission to the volga download full pdf book download. Following the volga thom wheelers journey through 500 years of. Between the crops rape so, between the white snows i look a you, volga, for seventy years long. Volga germans from russia to kansas collection by kathy eberle. Its a chance to get together with fellow readers and authors to hear about the best new historical writing, then discuss it all over a drink afterwards. Unique factseuropethe volga river sheppard software. Volga bulgaria was a multiethnic state with large numbers of turkic bulgars, a variety of finnic and ugrian peoples, and many east. When and why they left germany for russia, when and why they left russia for the u. Despite its modest length of 74 kilometres 46 mi, it is the fourth largest river in europe in terms of average discharge after the volga, the danube and the rhine.
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