The Volga

 My non-fiction holiday reading was Janet Hartley's, The Volga, A History of Russia's Greatest River. 

The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of 3,531 km (2,194 mi), and a catchment area of 1,360,000 km2 (530,000 sq mi). It has a rich history, which the author captures well in this book.

The author begins with the early history of the Volga, which has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In antiquity, it was a key route for trade and cultural exchange between the Vikings, Slavs, and other peoples. The early Slavs settled along the river, utilising it for transportation and fishing. During the Middle Ages, the Volga became an important part of the Russian principalities. It facilitated trade with the Vikings and Persians, and the city of Volgograd (formerly Tsaritsyn) grew as a strategic trading hub.

In the 16th century, the river's significance increased with the expansion of the Russian state. It served as a major artery for commerce, particularly in the trade of salt, grain, and minerals. The construction of cities like Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan along the Volga boosted its economic importance. This also involved significant conflict as the Russian state colonised the huge territory on both sides of the river. There were also religious differences between the Orthodox Church, which sought to convert the Old Believers, and the Tatar tribes, which were mainly Islamic. This is not simply a narrative history; she also covers the way of life in towns and villages along the river.

The Volga played a key role in the Civil War that followed the Bolshevik Revolution. In the 20th century, large-scale infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Volga-Don Canal and numerous hydroelectric dams, significantly transformed the river's landscape. These developments supported industrial growth and energy production. Probably the most famous battle of WW2, Stalingrad, is on the Volga. Today, the Volga remains crucial for Russia’s transportation, industry, and energy sectors. Sadly, pollution and damming have posed significant environmental challenges, prompting efforts to conserve the environment.

This is a fascinating study of an important feature of Russian history, its rivers. Not a quick read, but well worth the effort.

I was going to insert some Cossacks, but the Tatars were much more important, and are still a significant minority community along the river today.