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Northern Dvina

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Northern Dvina is a large and important river in northern Russia.

Severnaya Dvina eng
Severnaya Dvina eng

It flows through the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions. The river eventually flows into the White Sea at a place called Dvina Bay. It is part of a system that drains much of Northwest Russia into the Arctic Ocean. Along with the Pechora River, it helps move water toward the north. This river is quite long. When you join it with the Sukhona River, it is about as long as the Rhine River in Europe.

Dvina quay
Dvina quay

The river works by gathering water from many smaller paths. First, the Sukhona River flows east and meets the Yug River at Veliky Ustyug. At this meeting point, the water becomes the Northern Dvina. It then flows north for about 60 km. The Vychegda River joins it at the city of Kotlas.

Севрная Двина у Котласа. Вид из окна поезда, идущего по мосту
Севрная Двина у Котласа. Вид из окна поезда, идущего по мосту

After that, the river turns northwest. It picks up more water from rivers like the Vaga and the Pinega. Finally, it reaches a delta where it splits into many channels before hitting the sea.

People have lived near this river for a very long time. Long ago, Finnic peoples lived in the area. Later, the Novgorod Republic controlled much of the land. The river was a very busy place for trade. Merchants traveled these waters to trade valuable furs. Some towns, like Veliky Ustyug, were mentioned in records as far back as 1207. Other places, like Solvychegodsk, were started in the 1300s. The river helped these towns grow and stay connected to the rest of the world.

There are many interesting facts about the size and cities of this river. The basin has a shape that looks roughly like the letter T. Many important towns sit right on the river banks. Arkhangelsk is a very large port city near the end of the river. Another big city is Severodvinsk, which is a naval base. The river is also used for moving wood during the summer. There is even a canal that connects the river to the Volga–Baltic Waterway. This allows ships to travel between different parts of Russia.

You can think of the Northern Dvina as a giant liquid highway. In the past, it was the main way to reach the sea from central Russia. For a long time, the town of Kholmogory was the most important trading spot. Later, Arkhangelsk took over that job. Things changed when Peter the Great built Saint Petersburg in 1703. He also built a highway that made the river less central for trade. Even though things changed, the river remains a huge part of the landscape in northern Russia.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Severnaya Dvina eng.svg
Severnaya Dvina eng.svg
File:Dvina quay.jpg
Dvina quay.jpg
File:Severnaya Dvina 002.jpg
Severnaya Dvina 002.jpg
File:Севрная Двина у Котласа. Вид из окна поезда, идущего по мосту.JPG
Севрная Двина у Котласа. Вид из окна...
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