Western Dvina source and mouth. Western Dvina. Western Dvina River on the map

River Western Dvina flows through three countries - Belarus, Russia (Tver and Smolensk regions), Latvia, covering the territory (in the west) of the East European Plain.

The route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed along this river. The Western Dvina valley arose around 13-12 thousand years BC.

Source

The source of the river begins on the Valdai Hills in the swamps. Then it turns into Lake Okhvat. Flows into the Gulf of Riga.

Characteristics

The length of the Western Dvina River is more than 1,020 km
basin area 87.9 thousand km 2
The width of the river in Belarus is 300 meters, and in Russia the channel widens to 800 meters, the river valley - up to 6 km
climate - temperate
The river's feeding regime is mixed, mainly snow and soil
average annual precipitation 550-650mm

Western Dvina River on the map

River mode

The current is tortuous. At the very bottom, the Western Dvina is divided into several branches. The water flow is more than 670 square meters per second. The direction of the current changes from east to west, forming an arc. And then it turns south, taking a slightly curved direction.

At first the river flows like a small stream, and then near Vitebsk the width gradually becomes larger and reaches almost 100 meters. During periods of spring floods, the width of the river is 1.5 kilometers, so the Western Dvina floods many valleys located near the banks.

Polotsk Western Dvina River photo

Food is supplied by snow, spring floods, rain and groundwater. The current is fast, especially in warm weather; in winter and autumn it slows down somewhat.

Plants and fish

The banks are covered with deciduous and mixed forests, pine forests, between which there are agricultural lands and fields. The plains, which are often found in the Smolensk region, contain large wetlands. The dominant trees are alder, aspen, birch and pine.

There are few representatives of ichthyofauna in the waters of the river, since it is shallow, so ordinary river fish species are found. Most of them then go to the Baltic Sea. These are dace, pike perch, catfish, bleak, perch, roach, ide, ruff, etc.

Cities

The largest settlements are Polotsk, Disna, Vitebsk, Riga, Ogre, Ikskile, Kraslava, etc.

Vitebsk Western Dvina river photo

Tributaries

They are found throughout the river basin, the largest of which are:

Ushacha;
Kasplya;
Drissa;
Mezha.

In general, all tributaries are not deep and do not represent any special economic interest. Mezha is the largest tributary, the length of which is 259 kilometers, and it also begins to flow from the Valdai Hills. Veles also comes from there, the length of which is 114 kilometers.

Western Dvina river photo

Tourism on the river

The river is a center for fishing, kayaking and rafting. In addition, there are recreation centers along the banks, so in the summer you can relax on the river, swim in it, and wander through picturesque places.

The settlement of the territory near the Western Dvina began in the Mesolithic, i.e. between 10-6 millennia BC
At the very mouth of the river there is a sunstone - amber.
In different historical periods the river was called differently - Dune, Dina, Vina, Tanair. But already as the Dvina it is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. The ancient Balts called the river Daugava - a lot of water.

The first city on my way of “real Latvia” (as opposed to “separate” Latgale) was Koknese (6 thousand inhabitants), located on the Daugava on the road from (or rather,) to Riga. In Polotsk it was called Kukeinos, among the Baltic Germans it was called Kokenhausen, and in fact its only attraction is in the introductory frame.

Koknese is no longer Latgale, about which the last dozen posts were, but Vidzeme is the southern half of the Livonia province, the land of Lutheranism, castles and deep forests, “Latvia by default”, from where Atmoda spread - the “national awakening” of Latvians. But “deep” Vidzeme is very different from the Daugava valley - its Vidzeme part is essentially a distant suburb of Riga with a 100-kilometer chain of towns Ikskile, Ogre, Kegums, Lielvarde, Aizkraukle, Koknese, Plavinas... There are not even bus stations everywhere - only stops on the highway. This is where I arrived from Jekabpils, where I left in Lielvarde:

Koknese is a really small and, frankly speaking, poor town. But - clean and with two or three supermarkets, which is so typical for Latvia. Most of Koknese looks something like this:

And instead historical center - huge park at the Daugava:

The well-keptness of the parks is something that makes me envious in the Baltics. To a greater extent in Lithuania, but also in Latvia.
The fountain at the entrance is called “Faun’s Head” and was created back in the 1930s by sculptor Voldemar Jacobson, and moved to its current location in the 1960s.

A little over 8 centuries ago, the first proto-states began to take shape in the Baltic states, mostly small principalities, among which three stood out in size on the territory of Latvia: Talava (north of the country), Gersik (prototype of Latgale) and Kukeinos. The Orthodox prince Vyachko ruled in Kukeinos - according to one version, the Slav Vyacheslav Borisovich, and according to another, a Latgalian or Liv, whose nickname simply meant Leader (Vetseke). Some consider him a vassal of Polotsk, others that he simply skillfully maneuvered between powerful neighbors, wresting benefits from Polotsk for its merchants through Orthodox Baptism, and through his marriage to a Lithuanian woman, peace with their southern neighbors. And when the swordsmen knocked on the door, Vyachko tried to negotiate with them, but was captured and taken in chains to the Bishop of Riga. I don’t know what they agreed on, but once free, the prince burned down his castle and left with his retinue for Polotsk in 1208.

The principality and the Daugava valley in general entered the possession of the Riga Archbishopric, which (together with three other Livonian bishoprics) was actually a principality, and soon turned into perhaps the main enemy of the Livonian Order. But among the archbishop's possessions, Kokenhausen essentially became point No. 2 after Riga - a southeastern outpost that gave access to both Lithuania and Rus', and therefore, in wars with the Order, it always ultimately remained with the archbishop. The archbishop appointed the best of the best as governors here - for example, in 1229-1395, the Tyzengauzes, one of the most powerful families of Livonia and Lithuania, ruled here (see). However, not everything was smooth with the archbishop’s vassals - for example, in 1292, Hans Tyzenhaus was excommunicated for imprisoning Archbishop John II in a basement, extorting money and privileges (not without collusion with the Order), and a few years later the same procedure was followed here with his successor John III.

In 1420, Koknese even became the summer residence of the Archbishop of Riga, and from the 1520s, when the Reformation won in Riga, it became simply the center of Catholicism in Livonia, where both the archbishop himself and the monks who left Riga lived. This was the heyday of the city - there was even a mint here. Here, in Kokenhausen, in 1547, the last Riga Archbishop Wilhelm von Brandeburg from the Hohenzollern family was captured by the Livonians.

However, even after all the storms of the 16th century, Kokenhausen developed regularly, and in Swedish Livonia it was the third most important city, after Riga and Dorpat (Tartu), in fact becoming the capital of the future Vidzeme. In 1656-61, Kokenhaus even managed to be the Russian city of Tsarevich-Dmitriev - Alexei Mikhailovich planned to establish the capital of Russian Livonia here if he failed to conquer Riga, and during the war, under the leadership of the governor Ordin-Nashchekin, the city became the main supply base for the army. Well, it came to an end in 1701, with the beginning of the Northern War - with a quick blow, the Polish-Saxon-Russian troops that captured the fortress, when the main forces of the Swedish army approached, blew up the castle and left for Courland. During the years of the war and plague of 1709-10, the city also fell into disrepair, and by the middle of the 18th century it had become a backwater.
Behind detailed history I refer you to Renata Rimsha’s website, but for now let’s move on.

To the gazebo on the hill:

10.

From which there is a view of the mouth of the Perse River and the ruins of a huge castle on the cape:

11.

This is what the same place looked like a hundred years ago - the fact is that in 1960-67, down the Daugava, the second hydroelectric power station on the Plavinska river was built (after the pre-war Kegumska), the city of which was originally called Stuchka (in honor of the main Latvian Bolshevik of the times Civil), and since 1991 Aizkraukle. The water level in the river rose, as I was told in the castle museum, by 60 meters - and when looking at old photographs, it seems that this is so.

12.

On the neighboring hill, before the First World War, there stood the New Castle, built in the 1890s by Otto von Livenstern - a super-typical case for Vidzeme, the same in Cesis and Sigulda.

13a.

In 1846, an Orthodox Latvian parish was founded - in those days, many Latvians converted to Orthodoxy. Peter and Paul Church (1877) destroyed before filling the reservoir:

13b.

But now we are approaching the castle cape. Further entry is paid, although this is a classic example of “raising funds to repair a failure so that it doesn’t fail completely” - as such, the “museum” is represented by several old photographs (which is actually higher) and one stand in the same room as the ticket office, but here’s the price as elsewhere in Latvia, it’s noticeable - with our money, 120 rubles. The ladies there, however, are very nice, they told me a lot and gave me a map of the city.

14.

This is what you can't do in a castle. The third icon with Spider-Man is especially good:

14a.

Mouth of Perse, high water:

15.

But the white stone ruins are stunningly majestic and picturesque. Detailed description his devices are again available on Renata’s website - in short, the lock had a triangular shape, in different times from 5 to 7 towers, including at the “edge” Long Henning in honor of Archbishop Henning Scharpenburg, who lived here in exile. The castle took on its last appearance before destruction in 1625 after the conquest by Sweden, that is, despite the apparent Middle Ages, these walls are mainly from the 17th century.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

The castle is not big at all, but it is impressive, and the water comes close to it:

21.

22.

A cannon in the ruins of Long Henning aims downstream:

23.

The foundation was strengthened only in 1993-98 - before the walls went straight into the water, but now a narrow cornice has appeared. Walking on it is generally prohibited, but this is the most unusual sensation in the ruins of Kokenhausen.

24.

But it’s still not worth calling Koknese “Atlantis” - as can be seen from old photographs, there was nothing special under the mountain. And Koknese was not a town in the 20th century - just an estate, two churches of different faiths and a tavern near the road. Let's go back:

25.

From the castle I walked through the park, hoping to make a circle and get out to the same stop. After about ten minutes of walking along the river, past the summer theater, lonely cottages, piers with boats, you will come to the church (1681) - it still remembers the times when the city stood here.

26.

I don’t know what time these portals are - but I want to believe that this is not an “antique” decoration from the times of the Livenshterns. The bicycle belongs to the caretaker who was sitting next to me - he invited me to climb the tower, but I was too lazy - it was hard, and anything interesting was hardly visible from there.

27.

Church decoration. Nothing extra:

28.

Then I went out into the city, bought some pies at the nearest supermarket and had them for breakfast, and then the bus arrived. The day started off very well. Finally, here’s a sketch: I admit that with wheels as solar signs

Geographical encyclopedia

I in Latvia Daugava, a river in Eastern Europe, flows through Russia, Belarus, and Latvia. 1020 km, basin area 87.9 thousand km2. It begins on the Valdai Hills, flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea, forming a delta... encyclopedic Dictionary

City (since 1937) in Russian Federation, Tver region, on the river. Zap. Dvina Railroad station. 11.4 thousand inhabitants (1992). Wood processing plant, flax plant...

- (Latvian Daugava), a river in Russia, Belarus and Latvia. Length 1020 km. Its sources are on the Valdai Hills and flows into the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. Main tributaries: Disna, Drissa, Aiviekste, Ogre. Navigable in some areas. On the Western... ... Modern encyclopedia

- (in Latvia Daugava Daugava), a river in the East. Europe. It flows through the territory of the Russian Federation, Belarus, and Latvia. 1020 km, basin area 87.9 thousand km². It starts at Valdai Vozd, flows into the Riga Hall. Baltic Sea, forming a delta... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., number of synonyms: 3 city (2765) Daugava (2) river (2073) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin... Synonym dictionary

Western Dvina- WESTERN DVINA, a river, originates in the lake. Dvintse, Ostashkov. uez., Tver. lips., on the slopes of Central Russia. elevation, not far from the sources of the Volga and Dnieper and flows into Riga. Bay near the village of Ust-Dvinsk. Length 938 ver. Z. D. enters Berezin. water… Military encyclopedia

Western Dvina- 1) city, district center, Tver region. Originated as a village. at Art. Western Dvina (opened in 1901); name by location on the river Western Dvina. Since 1937 the city. Probably, regardless of the considered name Dun, Dina in the middle and upper reaches of the river... ... Toponymic dictionary

1. WESTERN DVINA (in Latvia Daugava, Daugava), a river in Eastern Europe, flows through Russia, Belarus, and Latvia. 1020 km, pl. basin 87.9 thousand km2. It begins on the Valdai Hills, flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea, ... ... Russian history

I Western Dvina River in the RSFSR, BSSR and Latvian SSR (within the latter it is called the Daugava). Length 1020 km, basin area 87,900 km2. It originates on the Valdai Hills, west of the sources of the Volga, flows into the Gulf of Riga... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

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I usually don’t retype texts that aren’t my own, but I found this interesting description of the Western Dvina River, also known as the Daugava, which flows into the Baltic Sea in the Riga area, which is useful to have on hand - there are also links to historical studies of the river bed, some data on its width and depth in different places ah, what is often necessary for conversation. And to “revive” the dry text, I added three dozen photographs of the river from different years and different places. There are photos that I took on film in the last century :-), there are also digital photos recent years. And in the title of the post I wanted to put this romanticized painting by a local artist:

1.5. Description of the river from source to mouth

The first description of the Western Dvina - Daugava by sections was undertaken in the 18th century. In 1701, a description of the river from its source to the city of Polotsk was completed at the behest of Peter the Great by steward Maxim Tsyzarev. Later, projects were drawn up for local improvement of the river or for the establishment of a direct waterway between the Baltic, Caspian and Black Seas. In 1783-1785 engineer Trosson carried out surveys of the Western Dvina from the city of Surazh to the mouth of Luchosa (near Vitebsk), drew up plans of the river on a scale of 200 fathoms in 1 inch and a longitudinal profile. In 1809, General de Witte drew up a plan of the river from source to mouth on a scale of 100 fathoms in 1 inch, with depths indicated along the fairway. In 1812, Major General Ivashevich drew up plans for the rapids part of the Daugava for 140 miles. In 1826, engineer-captain Volkov carried out detailed surveys of the river over 140 miles from the source from Lake Okhvat. In 1827, engineer-captain Zagoskin studied the Daugava in the area from the city of Jekabpils to the island of Dole (above Riga). Among the data he received was a table showing the location of the rapids, the drop and the speed of the current on them. In 1857-1861. Surveys were carried out between Disna and Riga under the leadership of engineer Lieutenant Colonel Iovets.

Daugava embankment in Riga in 2006

From 1886 to 1888, the Daugava from Vitebsk to Mazumprava (above Riga) - a distance of 561 versts - was studied by the Western Dvina Party under the command of engineer N.F. Shelyuta. The purpose of the research was related to the project of connecting the Black and Baltic seas. The upper section of the river was studied to determine the feeding conditions of the river. Detailed plans of the river were drawn up on a scale of 50 fathoms by 0.01 fathoms, as well as a longitudinal profile of the river. These plans are the last filming of the Daugava over such a long distance. Only in certain areas near some cities, especially near Riga, more detailed surveys were later carried out.

Stone Bridge (Akmens Tilts) in Riga, 2008*

We will follow the flow of the Western Dvina - Daugava from its source to its mouth.

The river begins among the forests and swamps of the Valdai Upland near the village of Koryakino. Near the source of the Western Dvina are the sources of the Volga (14 km) and the Dnieper (140 km), giving water to the Caspian and Black Seas. At the very upper reaches of the Western Dvina, a small stream passes through Lake Dvinets, located at an altitude of 220 m above the average level of the Baltic Sea. After less than 10 km, a river with a width of 5-6 m flows into the upper end of Lake Okhvat (length - 20 km, width - about 1.3 km, mirror area - 13.6 km2, drainage area - 586 km2). It should be noted that in terms of water content, the Western Dvina in this section is inferior to many other rivers flowing into Lake Okhvat, for example, Volkota (61 km), Netesma (36 km).

Since we don’t yet have photographs of the river outside Latvia, I will give a few photos from Riga. Cable-stayed bridge, 2007

Flowing from Lake Okhvat, the Western Dvina already has a width of up to 40 and a depth of 1-2 m. The channel is replete with islands. The banks are mostly wooded. Velocities at the source of the river are about 0.4-0.9 m/s. In spring, current speeds here are more significant, as water rushes out of the lake under greater pressure. Reach areas alternate with small rapids. At a distance of 2-3 km from Lake Okhvat there are the first rapids: Krasny Kamen and Medved, then the third rapid follows - Baran, then Ostrovki, etc. At the rapids, the river bottom is composed of limestone, which in some places is covered with a layer of sand; Sometimes blue clay is exposed at the bottom of the river. In these places, the river banks abound with numerous springs.

Panorama of Riga, 2006*

Some sections of the Western Dvina are winding, but the valley to the river. White is not wide. In spring, the water rises by 1.8-2.3 m. Near the mouth of the Verezhunitsa there are the Verezhunsky rapids, and the river bed in this place is so winding that it makes rafting impossible. Therefore, at one time a excavation was made here. Below the excavation, the Verezhunsky rapids stretch for 1.5 km; they consist of three braids separated by clear reaches. The width of the river at the rapids is 30-40 m. Below the Verezhunsky rapids, the depth is 0.5-1.8 m, the flow speed is 0.8-1.4 m/s (at the rapids the speed is about 2 m/s). Toward the mouth of the Velesa the banks become lower. Here the Western Dvina has a width of 35-40 m, and below the confluence of the Velesa it already reaches 55 m. Along with the width, the depth also increases, it reaches 1.8-2.2 m, and the flow speed is 0.7 m/s. The width of the river bed continues to gradually increase and in some places at the fords reaches 80 m.

Further, the river passes through two small lakes: Luka and Kalakutskoye, which are, in essence, river floods that do not disappear in the summer. The current here is insignificant, and many areas are overgrown with reeds. The shores are hilly, composed of moraine deposits with significant accumulations of boulders. In this area, a characteristic feature of the right bank of the Western Dvina is a large number of large and small lakes located directly next to the river and connected to it by small rivers and channels. Some lakes lie on the path of tributaries of the Western Dvina, for example, Toropa, with which more than 35 lakes communicate.

View in Riga from the Stone Bridge, 2008*

In the area of the mouth of the Luzhesyanka (above Vitebsk), dolomites appear in the riverbed, forming a series of rapids, the largest of which are Krestov, Yastreb, Medvedsk, Tyakova, Verkhovsk, Bervin, etc. The width of the river in this section is already approaching 100 m, the depth is predominantly 1 .2-2.0, at the rapids - 0.3-0.5 m.

Near Vitebsk and below, rapids and sandy shoals are even more common. Here the river flows through an ancient valley. From Vitebsk to the confluence of the Ulla, 33 rapids can be counted. In this area, the width of the river valley is about 800 m, the slopes are steep with narrow strips of terraces. The highest current speeds - up to 1.2 m/s - are observed on the Vyazhitsa and Konek rapids. To improve navigation in rapid areas, buoys were built and dredging was carried out, resulting in depths that allowed maintaining a fairway for ships with a draft of 0.6 m.

The Daugava embankment in Riga near the Sun Stone building (Saules Akmens) in 2008*

Below the Vitebsk rapids, the Western Dvina valley expands to 1.5-1.8 km, and in the Beshenkovichi area, turning in a northwestern direction, the river enters the Polotsk lowland. Here in the river bed up to Polotsk there are separate sandbanks; its width on average is 100-150 m, in some places - about 200, depth - mainly up to 3, in the shallows - 0.8-1.0 m.

Apart from some local dredging and other measures to improve timber rafting and navigation in the area of the Vitebsk rapids and the installation of groynes, we can say that the Western Dvina from its source generally retains its natural state.

Sunset over the Daugava in Riga, 2008*

In the section from Polotsk to Disna the river has no rapids. Below they appear again. The Disnyansky rapids have the following names: Nachsky, Blizne, Rozboynik, Nikolskaya Gol, Minvo and Dog Hole.

In the area from the mouth of Ulla to Daugavpils, the width of the river is on average 100-150 m, in some places - 200-300, the depth is mainly up to 3 m, in rapids areas - about 0.8 m. Above the village of Piedruja there are several islands in the river, and the width of the channel here it reaches 700 m. Below the confluence of the Druya, the channel of the Western Dvina again narrows to 100-150 m.

On the territory of Latvia, the river first flows between the Latgale and Augšzeme uplands, using ancient valley, which at one time was formed by the melt waters of the glacier.

But starting from these places, the flow of the river can be illustrated with our photos!

The width of the valley is about 1 km. The river formed several terraces in it, especially well preserved on the concave side of the bends. The site is characterized by significant bank collapses with many springs, small tributaries and streams. There are several shallows and rapids in the channel, for example, the Indrica, Krovatka and Zaklidnya shallows and the long Kraslava rapids formed by boulders. They also have several sand islands. Below Kraslava there are the rapids Dvorishte, Ostera, Kaplavas, Alsanskas.

Daugava in the Indritsa area, 2000

On the approach to Daugavpils, the river makes five bends, three large bends below the village of Jaunborne stand out especially. The largest rapids in this area are Krivets. Below Daugavpils, the Daugava flows through the East Latvian Lowland. The character of the river changes dramatically. The banks become flat and low, the floodplain, especially the left bank, expands. In some places in the valleys of the Ilukste and Dviete rivers it reaches a width of 5-6 km. The river bed is sandy. There are sandbanks and islands, for example, opposite the village of Vaikulany. Above the mouth of the Dviete, the Berezovka shoal formed, and below - the island of Glaudanu. These shoals usually cause ice jams to form, resulting in large areas of flooding. The next islands where ice jams often form are Molugols, below the villages of Nicgale and Jersika, and Plonju, below the village of Dunava.

Further, the sandy bed and banks disappear and gray dolomites are exposed, forming rapids. In some places there are islands in the river. For example, between the cities of Livani and Jekabpils you can count 10 islands, the largest of which is Abelu. In the Jekabpils area there are several inhabited islands in the river, connected by bridges to the banks. Saka Island is approximately 6 km long and 3 km wide. There are about 60 farms on it. The main channel of the Daugava runs along the right side of this island, the left channel - the Saka - passes less than 1/5 of the water flow.

At Jekabpils an exclusively rapid section of the riverbed begins. The Zvanitai threshold is located directly within the city limits. Below the city along the island of Saka are the Pirkazhu rapids, which, occupying a stretch of more than 3 km, consist of individual rapids: Širinas, Guskas, Pečinyas, Greiza, Kanepaites, Ozolnicas, Udupa, Stirniņas. The section ends with the Razbainieku shoal.

Daugava in Stukmani, 2000

If the average drop from Daugavpils to Livana is only 5 cm/km, and near Jekabpils it increases to 25 cm/km, then in the three-kilometer rapids section near Jekabpils the drop reaches 2 m/km.

Water rushes violently down the dolomite steps at a speed of 1.5-2.0 m/s. At these thresholds, at the normal level of the reservoir of the Plavinska HPP, the retaining level becomes pinched out. The pinch-out boundary is located approximately 163.5 km from the mouth. At this level, the Razbainieku shoal and the Stirniņas and Udupa rapids are already backed up, and pinching occurs in the area of the Ozolnicas and Kanepaites rapids; at the same time, the upper part of the Pirkazhu rapids - the Greiza, Pecinyas, Guskas and Širinas rapids - remain outside the influence of backwaters.

Daugava in the Koknese region, 1999

From the rapids of Pirkazhu to the site of the Plavinska hydroelectric power station, at a distance of 56.5 km, the drop of the river in its natural state reached 40 m, on average 0.7 m/km. Such a large drop is due to the geological structure of the riverbed.

Daugava near Selpils, 2000

In order to cross the Seli swell, the Daugava to the Staburags rock had to pass through the ancient valley of the waters of the East Latvian Lowland basin, which flowed into Lake Lielupe basin. Here the river cut deeply into the ancient valley. The shores, formed by dolomite rocks, rise to a height of up to 30 m.

This section was one of the most beautiful on the river. Beautiful views opened up from the cliffs of Olinkalns and Avotinkalns, from the ruins of Selpils, Altene and Koknese castles. The Liepavots spring, the Staburags and Krauklja rocks, the Krustalitsis bend, etc. were covered in historical memory and legends. The high banks were cut by deep erosional ravines, which formed impressive canyons on the tributaries and beautiful waterfalls(b. Perse). In this area, the Daugava has several terraces, on the carbonate soils of which many interesting and rare plants grew.

Daugava in Altena, 2000

The width of the river in the area now occupied by the Plavina Reservoir ranged from 135-280 m, the depth at the rapids reached about 1, between them - 3-6 m; The current speeds on the rapids were 1.0-2.0, on the reaches, especially in the lower section, about 0.2-0.5 m/s.

Before the reservoir of the Plavinska HPP was filled, there were a number of rapids in the riverbed, mainly in the upper part. The famous rapids were lower railway bridge, on the road Jelgava - Krustpils, where above the mouth of the river. Aiviekste began the 2.5-kilometer rapids section of Priedulais with a total drop of 5 m and with individual particularly fast sections, well mastered by raftsmen. They also gave names to the rapids. Priedulais consisted of rapids Lielgailu - Oli, Chuchia, rapids Greiza, Sten, Kukainiu - Oli, Latsis, Zala.

Directly below the mouth of Aiviekste in the riverbed of the Daugava on small area a huge pool up to 8 m deep, the so-called Pagars, formed. Behind it, the depth of the river sharply decreased, and opposite the town of Plavinas there was one of the most grandiose rapids - the Roughe step rapids, or Plavinas Rumba with the Velna (Devil's) whirlpool and the Naras (Mermaid) rock.

Beyond Plavinyas began the rapids section of Bebruleya with separate rapids: Brodnya, Pechinya, Vilka, Dambis, Street. The Bebruleya section was followed by separate rapids and rapids: Vedzere, Sobachinya, Olinkrats, Aldiņu narrows, Kapu shoal. In this section, the drop was 10 m. Further, downstream, large rapids were Stuchkas-Grube, Lazdas-Galva, below the Staburags rock - Augshas-Puslis and Leyas-Puslis, the Aizelkshnu rapids, at the mouth of the river. Perse - the Perseus and Zvirbulya rapids, even lower - Radalka.

Daugava in Lielvarde, 2008

This is what the river looked like before the construction of the Plavinas hydroelectric power station. Now, from the Pirkazhu rapids to the hydroelectric dam, the ancient valley is filled with the waters of a reservoir with a calm surface, the normal level of which is 72 m above sea level. The high rocky shores have disappeared.

The place where the Perse River flows into the Daugava near Koknese, 2005

The depth has increased sharply: at Pļaviņas it is now about 10 m, near the Olinkalns cliff, which has now turned into a small island - about 20, at the Staburags rock, almost flooded - about 30, at the ruins of Koknese castle - almost 38 and at the hydroelectric dam - 42 m.

View of the ruins of Koknese Castle, 2008

Downstream, the width of the reservoir gradually increases. The Daugava in this area had high banks (up to 30 m), so flooding of large areas did not occur. The width of the reservoir varies in the upper reaches within 300-500 m, in the middle section - 400-800 m, in the lower reaches - about 1 km and only directly above the hydroelectric dam reaches 2 km.

River bank in Lielvārde, 2001

The depth and width of the reservoir varies somewhat over time due to the drawdown of the reservoir. Under intense conditions of power generation, the discharge occurs up to the mark of 70 m, i.e. 2 m. In such cases, in the area where the reservoir level pinches out, all the rapids of the Pirkazhu rapids come out of the backwater, and the fall along Saka Island becomes natural.

In the spring, before the ice drift, in order to prevent flooding of the town of Plavinas, it is necessary to carry out pre-flood drainage of the reservoir to the level of 67 m. Of course, in such cases, the depth of the reservoir decreases by 5 m, in some places its width decreases somewhat, and in the area where the reservoir level pinches out, the Priedulais rapids are exposed.

Below the Plavinas hydroelectric power station there is the next reservoir of the Daugava cascade - Kegumskoe (length - 42 km). Before the formation of the reservoir in this area, the river bed was constrained by relatively high dolomite banks, especially in the lower part. In the upper part, individual small rapids alternated with stretch areas. Here, above the town of Jaunelhava near the ruins of the Aizkraukle castle, there was the Chuibinyas rapids, above the village of Jumprava - the Winkelmanu rapids and below - the Kazhumates rapids.

Daugava near Aizkraukle Castle, 1999

The main decline was concentrated on the Kegums rapids, on which the hydroelectric power station was built. There were several in this area large islands. One of them, Ozolu, below Jaunelgava, survived even after the reservoir was filled. But the once inhabited islands of Lielvardes and Rembates, 5 km above the dam, are located several meters under water. New Island formed at Jumprava.

Daugava beyond Jaunelgava, 2008

Due to the high banks and the fact that the level at the Kegums hydroelectric power station dam was raised only by 16 m, big lake not formed. Water has filled the valley cut into the dolomite, and the width of the reservoir, especially in its upper part, is only slightly greater than the natural width of the river. Thus, in the Jaunelgava - Jumprava section, the width of the reservoir is 250-450 m, below Jumprava it increases to 700-900 and near the dam it reaches 1500 m. The depth gradually increases from 8 m at Jaunelgava to 17 m at the dam.

Daugava in Ikskile, 1999

Below the hydroelectric station, the Daugava continues its path along the Central Latvian slope. The river bed here also cuts into dolomites, but the banks are much lower than in the previous section.

Before the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station was filled, there were sections of rapids in the river even lower, for example the Ogres and Slankaines rapids near the town of Ogre; Berkavas rapids near the village of Ikshkile; Aidukrace, Vedmeru-Kauls and Gluma-Kratse, or Reznas-Kauls, above the island of Dole.

The bed of the Daugava near the village of Ikskile during the release of water at the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station, 2008

The island of Dole divided the Daugava into two branches: Galvena - and Sausa-Daugava (left branch). The largest rapids in the Galvena-Daugava branch were Martyņa-Kauls, Livirgas, Lidakas-Kauls, Pendera-Kauls, Rumba, Nozums, Akyu-Kauls, in the Sausa-Daugava branch - Damba-Krane, Berzamentes-Kauls, Impes-Kauls, Kines- Kauls, Sterkelyu-Kauls, Kishu-Kauls, Doles-Augshkauls and Doles-Lejaskauls.

In the section of the river below the Kegums hydroelectric power station there were several inhabited islands: Ogres, Ikskiles, Macitaja, Dole, Martinya, Andreja, etc. The largest of them is Dole Island (length - 8.5, width - 2.4 km).

Dole Island and medieval settlements and castles in the near course of the Daugava. Photo from the Daugava Museum on the island. Dole, 2000

Before the flooding, in the area from the Kegums hydroelectric power station to the lower tip of Dole Island, the width of the river was already significantly greater than in the overlying area. On average it was approximately 400, and at the upper end of Dole Island it reached 700 m or more. The depth at the rapids was less than 1 m, and between them - 3 m or more. The dip along Dole Island exceeded 1 m/km.

Despite the fact that the dam of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station increased the water level of its reservoir (length - 34 km) by approximately the same amount (16 m) as the dam of the Kegums Hydroelectric Power Station, the surface area of the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station is 42.2 km2, i.e. 17.3 km2 is larger than the Kegums hydroelectric power station (length - 41 km). Already a few kilometers below the Kegums hydroelectric power station, near the mouth of the river. Lachupe, the width of the reservoir exceeds 2 km, then narrows in the area of the town of Ogre to 0.5, but lower, near the village of Ikskile, in some places it reaches 2.5 km. Above Dole Island the reservoir is about 1 km wide, and above the dam the flooded upper part of Dole Island is about 4 km wide.

Dam of the island of St. Maynard in Ikskile, 2008

Since quite large areas of the banks were flooded, the depth of the reservoir is not the same. Along the former fairway of the river, it ranges from a few meters at the downstream of the Kegums hydroelectric power station to 17 m at the dam of the Riga hydroelectric power station. In those places where the width of the reservoir is large, the depth on the flooded floodplain and terraces is in some places insignificant.

Along the banks of the reservoir, quite large areas are protected from flooding by dams (the areas of Ogre, Ikskile, directly above the dam, etc.). If we compare all the reservoirs of the Daugava cascade by average width (the quotient of dividing the surface area by the length of the reservoir), it turns out that the Kegums and Plavins reservoirs have almost the same width - 607 and 612 m, respectively, and the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station is twice as large - 1241 m. Dam The Riga hydroelectric power station crosses Dole Island in the middle; below the Galvena- and Sausa-Daugava branches remained untouched.

View from Ikskile towards Salaspils at the moment of the release of the river waters at the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station, 2008

Below the island of Dole, the last section of the Daugava begins - the port of Riga. Here, on the coastal slopes, Devonian deposits - dolomites - are no longer found. The river flows through a sandy coastal lowland and is bounded by granite embankments.

Lead waters of the Daugava... View of the Port of Riga from under the Cable-stayed Bridge in 2007*

Before the construction of the port of Riga, when the banks were not strengthened, the channel changed its position several times. Old sections of the channel and branch have been preserved in some places. Back in 1967, when a powerful ice jam formed near the village of Salaspils, the waters of the river flowed along the old branch, which began between the islands of Martinu and Andreya, into Lake Jugla.

Martinsala Island is now here, under the waters of the Daugava, photo from 2008*

Now the small river Pikyurga flows into Lake Jugla along this old channel. Some of these old branches form islands in the area of the port of Riga, for example, Zvirgzdu, Libiesu, Zaku, Lucavas, Kipsala, Kundzinsala, etc.

The island of Zakusala and the branches of the Daugava, 2006*

Remains of the old branches are preserved in Riga in the Pardaugava area near Arcadia Park, and on the right bank in the area of the former hippodrome, as well as in the lower reaches (Vecdaugava), where a large fishing port was built.

View from the television tower on the island. Zaku towards the Old Town of Riga, 2006*

At the Kvadrat plant the river becomes wider and deeper. The width in the area to the Riga bridges is about 600 m, below, at cement plant, decreases to 450, and even lower, near the Daugavgriva, it increases again to 700 m. The depth to the bridge area is about 6-7, and below, before it flows into the sea, it is up to 12-15 m.

Some photos of Riga bridges:

Daugava near the Island Bridge, 2008*

Fragments of the Zheleznodorozhny and Kamenny bridges, 2008*

Cable-stayed bridge, 2005*

Information about the depths and difficult places for navigation on the Daugava is given in the research materials of 1886-1888. West Dvina inventory party under the command of engineer N.F. Shelyuta. They note that the upper and middle sections of the river are most suitable for navigation, but even here there are many obstacles to navigation. For the first 150 versts, shoals and sandbanks serve as obstacles to navigation, then rocks begin, of which there are especially many near the village of Krest. Near the village of Sekach, a stone ridge blocks almost the entire river; near the village of Rubi, 20 versts above Vitebsk, there are also many obstacles to navigation. From Vitebsk to the mouth of Ulla there are many shoals and stones; near the town of Disna there are rapids; near the town of Kraslavki (Kraslava) there are rapids, below there are shallows. Between Livenhof (Plavinas) and Jakobstadt (Jekabpils) - 16 rapids and 5 fences; from Friedrichstadt (Jaunelhava) to the island of Dalena (Dole) there are 9 rapids, near the island of Dalena there is the Bolvanets rapid. The 8 rapids of Kokenhusen (Koknese) are considered the largest; the drop on them reaches 1.35 fathoms per mile.

Steamboats on winter lay-up in the Gulf of Agenskalns, 2005*

A complete list of obstacles to navigation on the Daugava is given in Appendix 1.

In party materials big picture The longitudinal profile of the river is presented in the following form. From Vitebsk to Polotsk, over 145 versts along the highway, the longitudinal profile is a smooth straight line with small fractures, of which the largest is located below Beshenkovichi. The average slope of this entire section, related to the highway, is 0.00011, while the highest local slope of 5 versts below Beshenkovichi is 0.00018. Between the 145th and 180th versts the slopes are very insignificant: on average 0.000049; between the 180th and 185th versts (near the town of Disna) there is a rapids place - the Disnyanskie rapids with slopes from 0.0003 to 0.0006. From Disna to the city of Druya, for about 60 versts, there is a smooth surface line of water with a slope of 0.00005-0.00006.

From Druya to the village of Stary Zamok (245-315th verst), the surface profile of the river is a very uneven line with a fall of 539 fathoms throughout this 70-verst section, and the slopes vary from 0.00045 (Krivets threshold) to 0.00003. From the 315th to the 399th verst, the longitudinal profile looks like a very smooth line with slopes of 0.00002-0.00004 and not higher than 0.00007. From the 399th verst to the mouth there is again a rapids section with slopes:

rapids Dubok and Klavki - 0.0004-0.00055; threshold Glinovets - 0.00156; rapids Skovoroda, Kosaya Golovka, Pechina and Mozolovy - 0.00166-0.0011; rapids Green Ruba and Tikhaya Ruba - 0.0022; Brodish threshold - 0.003; threshold Thinking - 0.0015; threshold Gusar - 0.00128; Keggum threshold - 0.00212; rapids Booblet and Skull - 0.00123. In other rapids the slopes are smaller and are usually 0.0004-0.0006.

It should be noted that since the 19th century. toponymy underwent quite dramatic changes; the names of the rapids, shoals, fences, and settlements along the river; This especially applies to the territory of Latvia. Some objects, mainly in names populated areas, disappeared, many appeared again. For example, according to N.F. Shelyuta, on the rapids section between Yakobstadt and the village of Adminan (419-424th versts) the rapids were named in turn: Vorozhya, Koleno, Gusak, Frying Pan; on the same section the fences had the following names: Oblique Head , Pechiny, Bekova Tin, Mozolova, Belyan and individual Vorobyi stones. Currently, the rapids area between the town of Jekabpils and the Admineni farm has the general name Pirkazhu rapids, which consist of rapids Šariņas, Guskas, Pečinyas, Greiza, Kanepaites, Ozolnicas, Udupa, Stirniņas and the Razbainieku shoal. As you can see, only the names of the rapids Guskas and Pecinyas have been preserved from the previous names in a slightly modified form, the rest are called differently.

The same thing with the rapids between 433 and 434 versts. Previously, they were called Popuski, Pike Head, Blednivets, Bear's Head, Green Ruba. Now this section has the common name of the Priedulais rapids. Some rapids are called Lielgailiu-Oli, Greiza, Siena, Kukainiu-Oli, Latsis, Zala. The Pike Head is called Chuchiya, the Bear Head is Latsis, and the Green Ruba is Zala.

Similar changes are found in the names of other thresholds. In Fig. 1.10 shows the longitudinal profile of the Western Dvina - Daugava in current state, i.e., taking into account the constructed cascade of hydroelectric power stations. Appendix 2 provides a list of all tributaries of the Daugava and a description of the main ones.

Description of the Western Dvina River from source to mouth\\Western Dvina-Daugava. River and time. L.S. Anosova and others; under general ed. V.F.Loginov, G.Ya.Segal. - Minsk: Belarus. science, 2006. - 270 p.