Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan. The city has a thousand-year history, original culture, developed economy, and is the scientific center of the republic. There is a large port on its territory. What river does Kazan stand on - the Volga or the Kazanka?
History of the name of the city
Few people know that in historiography there are more than twenty variants of the origin of the name of the city. One version says that a cauldron, a symbol of we alth and abundance, was allegedly buried at the construction site of the city. In another version, attention is paid to the features of the terrain, according to the ancient Turkic geographical term "Kazan-Kazgan" means a basin, the upper point of a steep bank, washed from several sides. There is a widespread version about a sorcerer who said to build a city where water would boil in a cauldron without fire. Another version says that allegedly one of the children of the ruler of the Bulgar state dropped a copper cauldron into the river, after which it became known as Kazansu. After some time, the river was called Kazanka.
Water systems located onthe territory of the city, have played and are playing an important role in its life. Several water arteries flow within it, and it is not immediately clear which river Kazan stands on.
Main river of the city
Volga flows through the European part of Russia. It is one of the largest rivers in Europe, its length is 3530 kilometers. The Volga is a river of internal flow, its source begins at the village of Volgoverkhovye, on the Valdai Upland, and it flows into the Caspian Sea. The Volga is usually divided into three parts - upper, middle and lower. It is connected by canals to the B altic, White, Azov and Black Seas.
On which river is Kazan? The Volga crosses many settlements on its way. It contains such large cities as Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Volgograd. Kazan is located on the left bank of the Volga, at the confluence of the Kazanka.
Historic waterway
The Kazanka River is a left tributary of the Volga, its length is about 142 km. The source is located near the village of Kazanbash. The channel is winding, the depth varies within 0.5-1.5 m, the current speed is 0.1-0.3 meters per second. The mouth of the river is covered with sand, so navigation along it is impossible. It flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir. Kazanka washes the northern part of the Kazan Hill, thereby destroying it.
When the Kuibyshev reservoir was created, the Kazanka flooded near the Kazan Kremlin. Here the river has becomea shallow bay, the width of which is a little more than a kilometer. The mouth of the river has shifted down the Volga. Since 1978, it has had the official status of a natural monument of the capital.
The Kazanka River flows right in the middle of the city, thus dividing it into parts: old and new Kazan. On which river is the old part of the city located, and on which is the new one?
Historical Kazan is located on the territory located between the Volga and Kazanka, the new part is a little to the west of Kazanka, but it also has access to the Volga. The rivers are interconnected by dams and bridges.
The old part of the city is historical Kazan. On which river in the city are the main historical sights located? The Kazan Kremlin, temples, monuments are concentrated along the banks of the Kazanka.
Tributaries
The tributaries of the Kazanka on the right are the following reservoirs: Iya, Verezinka, Atynka, Krasnaya, Shimyakovka, Sula, S alt, Dry. The tributaries on the left are Kismes, Kamenka, Kinderka, Knoxa, Kosinka, Bulak.
The biggest tributaries are Knoxa and Kinderka. The length of the first is 42 km, the length of the second is 26 km. Both Knox and Kinderka flow through the outskirts of the city.
The water system in the city is quite well developed, so it is very difficult to say right away which river Kazan is on.
Bulak Canal
It is located in the old part of Kazan. What river is this city on? Once the Bulak was a natural channel and connected the lake Nizhny Kaban with Kazanka. Name happensfrom the Tatar word "balak", which means "little river". The river, flowing out of Lake Kaban, was divided into two branches, one of them was filled up.
Today Bulak is two streets separated by a canal. It starts near the Kamal Theatre, passes through the streets of Kazan and ends near the Kremlin. There are six bridges across Bulak. Its length is about 1.5 km, the width of the channel is about 32 meters.
Natural sights of Kazan
Besides the rivers, the city has other natural attractions. Blue Lake is one of the unique places. This is a system of lakes located among swamps and forests. They are of karst origin and are the oxbow lakes of Kazanka. They feed on groundwater, so the temperature at any time of the year is approximately the same, it is 4-6 degrees. For this reason, the lakes are not covered with ice in winter.
No less beautiful place is the so-called Kazan Switzerland. It is located in the very center of the city, on the left bank of the Kazanka, which has not yet been touched by civilization. This area is a chain of hills with trees and other vegetation.
Another unique place in Kazan is the cedar park. More than 400 of these trees grow on its territory. The uniqueness of the place lies in the fact that cedar branches are grafted onto pine here.
Many and diverse city of Kazan. What river is he on? This question is easiest to answer after walking along its embankments,bridges and parks.
