Which road gave the river Kama its modern name? Where is the source of the Kama

The Kama River is the largest tributary of the Volga. It flows through the European part of the Russian Federation and originates from the Verkhnekamsk Upland near the village of Karpushata. It is characterized by a winding channel, which widens significantly after flowing into the Kama Vishera. There are a large number of islands and shoals in this area. The river flows into the Kama Bay. Its total length is 1805 km. The river is fed mainly groundwater.

Kama River on the map

Among the largest settlements, which are located on the banks of the Kama, we can highlight Solikamsk, Krasnokamsk, Perm, Sarapul, Nizhnekamsk, Naberezhnye Chelny. More than 70 thousand tributaries flow into the Kama, the most significant of which are the South Keltma, Chusovaya, Vishera, Pilva, Lupya, Polrysh and others.

Fishing and relaxation on the Kama River

The upper reaches of the Kama River are inhabited by grayling and taimen. In addition to them, the waters of the river contain sterlet, sturgeon, carp, pike perch, burbot, and catfish. Fishermen are not left without a catch; perch, ruff, and ide work well on the fishing rod. Asp, bleak, chub, pike, crucian carp, and silver bream are caught. In addition, the Kama has commercial significance: its waters are home to many fish, such as bream, sturgeon, pike perch, sterlet, carp, perch and many others.

Several reservoirs have been created on the Kama River and hydroelectric power stations operate. The largest is the Kama Hydroelectric Power Station, near which the Kama Reservoir is located. The Kama is navigable: it has many ports and marinas. Also waterways it connects with other large rivers, such as the Ob, Volga, Neva, Don and others. Numerous cruise and passenger flights pass along the river. Major sailing competitions - the Kama Cup - are also held here.

The nature of the Kama basin and the Kama River is very diverse. In the upper reaches, the mountain slopes of the Ural Range approach its banks. Then the Kama flows through the plateau and low-lying plains.

In the upper reaches the river is surrounded by Siberian taiga And coniferous forests, in the lower reaches - oak groves and mixed forests. Deciduous forests are dominated by birch, maple, ash, linden, and aspen. Hazel, bird cherry, buckthorn, honeysuckle, and euonymus grow as undergrowth.

The fauna is represented by more than 40 various types. The forests are inhabited by martens, squirrels, and weasels. There are moose, wild boars, roe deer, wolves, and hares. The lynx lives in remote, remote corners. Chipmunks and nutcrackers are found in taiga forests.

There are many forest birds: woodpecker, cuckoo, tit, bullfinches, corncrake. Inhabited by jay owl, hoopoe, sea eagle, harrier. From rare species, listed in the Red Book, there are golden eagles, saker falcons, ospreys, peregrine falcons, and black storks.

Seagulls, mallard ducks, mute swan, and woodcock nest near the water. In spring, cranes and wild geese are found in floodplain meadows. In winter, polar owls can be found in open spaces.

Aquatic vegetation is dominated by yellow capsule, water lily, cattail, and reed. Aquatic vegetation is developed on the surface of the water, in the backwaters and bays of the river. Underwater vegetation is also well developed. Photo materials used from Wikimedia © Foto, Wikimedia Commons

Which river is the main one: Volga or Kama? There are several scientific rules identifying the main river and its tributaries. The characteristics at the confluence are usually taken into account: water content, basin area, structural features river system, altitudinal position of the source and valley, its geological age and others. In terms of water content, the Volga and Kama are almost equal to each other. The Volga's drainage area is somewhat larger, but in this area it unites a smaller number of rivers. Average and absolute altitude The Volga basin is smaller, since the Kama basin contains the Ural Mountains. Ancient Valley The Kama River is older than the Volga Valley. First half Quaternary period, before the era of maximum glaciation, there was no Volga in its modern form. There was the Kama, which, uniting with the Vishera, directly flowed into the Caspian Sea. Glaciation led to the fact that the Upper Volga, which previously gave water to the Don, began to flow into the Kama, almost at a right angle. The Lower Volga even today serves as a natural continuation of the Kama, rather than the Volga, valley.

According to the given the most important indicators it is clear that the Kama is the main river, and the Volga is its tributary. However, taking into account the important historical factor - the unifying role great river in the creation of the Russian state, as well as its modern economic importance, we must admit that the Volga was, is and will be the main river and symbol of Russia. And this is far from the only case. Similar examples many: Mississippi and Missouri, Yenisei and Angara, Ob and Irtysh, Volga and Oka, Kama and Vishera. Kama - ancient river. The basin of the Kama and Belaya is much older than the basin of the Upper Volga, for the Kama already existed, and the region where the Volga originates was covered with ice. In those distant times, the Kama carried its waters to the Arctic Ocean. The bed of the ancient Kama, which scientists call the paleo-Kama, still amazes the imagination today. Its depth reached 110-120 meters, its width along the bottom was 700 meters, and at the top it was from 1650 to 3500 meters! The banks rose 200-850 meters above the water. There was another channel in which the ancestral Kama flowed. Later, these channels turned out to be buried, and the Kama, already in the post-glacial period, began to construct the modern valley. The Kama is the largest left tributary of the Volga, the main river of the Western Urals and Perm region, blue road of the Kama region. From the source in Udmurtia to the confluence with the Volga in Tatarstan - almost 2000 km. Some scientists believe that its name comes from the Udmurt word “kema” - “long” (that is, “long, long river"). Indeed, the Kama is large in length, in terms of catchment area, and in its significance for nature and humans.

The natural length of the Kama was 2032 km. It was because with the creation of reservoirs - Kama, Botkin and Nizhnekamsk on the Kama and Kuibyshevsky on the Volga - in the lower reaches the river straightened and decreased. IN reference publications its length is 1805 km. In terms of length, the Kama ranks 7th in Europe (after the Volga, Danube, Ural, Dnieper, Don and Pechora). The river is divided into two main parts: in a natural and regulated state. At the same time, the Upper Kama (from the source to the mouth of the Veslyana), the Upper Kama (up to the backwater of the Kama reservoir, and in fact - to the mouth of the Vishera), the Middle Kama (Kama and Botkinsk reservoirs), the Lower Kama (Nizhnekamsk reservoir) and the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev reservoir are distinguished. From the source to the mouth of the Kama in a straight line 445 km, and it, subject to the slope earth's surface and relief, runs almost 2000 km, forming the famous Kama Arc, which looks like a giant question mark. There are also places on the Kama (near the city of Nytva) that are less than 100 km from the source, if you count in a straight line. And she chooses a path 12 times longer, while collecting water from many tributaries. There are few such “return” rivers in nature. In the upper reaches of the Kama flows mainly through the territory of the Kirov region. First, it runs in a northwest direction, skirting a natural barrier - the Verkhnekamsk Upland, then abruptly, almost at a right angle, turns to the northeast. Its path passes through wooded areas with low banks. Only 320 km from the source do small hills appear on the left bank, which after a hundred and fifty kilometers move to the right bank. The blue ribbon of the Kama winds about 500 km through the territory of Udmurtia and the Kirov region. Within the Perm region, the Kama passes half of its route - 910 km, flows through 15 districts and territories subordinate to three cities.

In the European part of Russia it flows main tributary Volga - Kama River, which is one of the largest waterways of the region and the country. There is an opinion that it is not the Kama that serves as a tributary of the Volga, but vice versa. The majestic Kama begins its flow from a source located in Udmurtia in the village of Kuliga from four streams. The river source is located on the Verkhnekamsk Upland at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level. In the Kuibyshev reservoir on the Volga, the Kama completes its long haul, with a length of 1805 km.

general description

In the upper reaches, the Kama channel is winding and forms numerous oxbow lakes - floodplain lakes. For 125 km, the river flow moves in a northwest direction, after which it turns to the northeast (another 200 km). A sharp bend in the stream directs the Kama waters into south direction across the territory of the Perm region. Initially, the narrow river flow overflows into a full-flowing river after the Pilva (Komi Republic) and Vishera (borders of the Sverdlovsk region) rivers flow into the Kama.

The most important facts:

• The Kama River is land
• There are 3 reservoirs on the Kama
• Water nutrition - melt water
• Freeze-up occurs in November
• 73,000 different rivers flow into the Kama

The Kama catchment area is 507 sq. km. Most of the tributaries flowing into the Kama are small streams up to 10 km long. The largest flowing rivers are: mountain rivers - Vishera, Chusovaya, Kosva, Yayva, lowland rivers - Kosa, Urolka, Veslyana, Leman, Kondas. To be precise, 73,718 rivers will flow into the Kama. In addition to meltwater and tributaries, the river is fed by underground springs and rain. Greatest depth water artery is noted in the Kama Reservoir - 30 m, and average fluctuations in water level - 7-8 meters.

Reservoirs and farming

Historically, the development of the Kama began in the Volga basin. Before the construction of the dams, the length of the river reached 2000 km. The water streams of the Volga and Kama, which previously flowed in parallel, were separated by a 12-kilometer stone ridge. Now the river flows into the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, the width of which in some areas reaches 40 km. The local natural attraction Tanaevsky floodplain pockets on the territory is also located here national park"Lower Kama".

Reservoirs of the Kama River

Kamskoye- Starts with r. Urolki with a length of 140 km, the right tributary of the Kama. The Kamkoy hydroelectric power station dam is located in Perm. The length of the Kama Reservoir is 350 km, width – 14 km, depth – 30 m.

Nizhnekamsk- The dam of the Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric power station is located in Naberezhnye Chelny. The length of the reservoir is 185 km, its width is 20 km, and its depth is 22 m.

Votkinskoe- The dam of the Votkinsk hydroelectric power station is located in Tchaikovsky, a medium-sized city. The dimensions of the Votkinsk reservoir are 365 km long, 9 km wide, and 29 m deep.

Kama Photos

After the construction of dams on the Kama, the river’s flow speed decreased by one and a half times, and water flow changed color and became darker. It is interesting that the Kama does not have a mouth, since it is formed by the waters of the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga. Historically, the Volga is considered the main Russian river flowing into the Caspian Sea, although the Kama is deeper and wider.

The Kama is famous for its picturesque banks; the shipping route extends from the mouth to Solikamsk and the village of Kerchevo. Until 1995, there was the largest timber rafting raid here. You can sail along the Kama to Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan and Volgograd. River tourists love the Kama - in terms of its deep water and picturesque banks, it rivals the mighty Volga.

Kama

Kama- a river in the European part of Russia, the left and most major influx Volga River.

Above the confluence of the Belaya Kama River, it has a Tatar name Chulman(Cholman)

Geography

Length 1805 km, basin area 507 thousand km?. The height of the source is 331 m above sea level, at the mouth 36 m. The average slope is about 0.011%. The current speed at low summer levels is 0.32-0.93 m/sec, at elevated levels - up to 1 m/sec or more. Originates in the central part of the Verkhnekamsk Upland from four springs at former village Karpushata, now part of the village of Kuliga, Kez district Udmurt Republic . Flows mainly between hills High Trans-Volga region along a wide, sometimes narrowing valley. In the upper reaches (from the source to the mouth of the Pilva River) the channel is unstable and winding, on the floodplain of an oxbow lake. After the confluence of the Vishera River it becomes a high-water river; the banks change: the right one remains low and is predominantly meadow in nature, the left one almost everywhere becomes elevated and in places steep. There are many islands in this area, and there are shoals and rifts. Below the confluence of the Belaya River at the Kama, the right bank becomes high and the left bank low. In the lower reaches of the Kama flows in a wide (up to 15 km) valley, the width of the channel is 450-1200 m; breaks into sleeves. Below the mouth of the Vyatka River, the river flows into the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir (the backwater from which sometimes reaches the mouth of the Belaya River).

At the confluence of the Kama and the Volga, the water flow in the Kama is 4300 m?/sec, and the water flow in the Volga in the same place is 3100 m?/sec, thereby the Kama is more powerful river than the Volga. However, the length of the Kama is less than the length of the Volga from the source to the mouth of the Kama, so the Kama is considered a tributary of the Volga, and not vice versa.

Tributaries

There are 73,718 rivers in the Kama basin, of which 94.5% are small rivers less than 10 km long. The main tributaries on the left are the South Keltma, Vishera with Kolva, Chusovaya with Sylva, Belaya with Ufa, Ik, Zai; on the right - Kosa, Obva, Vyatka. All the right tributaries of the Kama (Kosa, Urolka, Kondas, Inva, Lysva, Obva) and some of the left ones (Veslyana, Lunya, Leman, South Keltma) are lowland rivers flowing from the north. Mountainous, cold and swift rivers originate in Ural mountains ah and flow into the Kama from the left (Vishera, Yayva, Kosva, Chusovaya and a number of their tributaries).

Hydrology

Food is predominantly snow, as well as underground and rain; behind spring flood(March - June) more than 62.6% of the annual flow passes, in summer and autumn - 28.3%, in winter - 9.1%. The range of level fluctuations is up to 8 m in the upper reaches and 7 m in the lower reaches. Average consumption at the Kamskaya hydroelectric station 1630 m?/sec, at the Votkinsk hydroelectric station about 1750 m?/sec, at the mouth about 3500 m?/sec, the largest about 27,500 m?/sec. Freezing is accompanied by abundant formation of inland ice and ice drift for 10 to 20 days. Freeze-up occurs from early November in the upper reaches and late November in the lower reaches until April. Spring ice drift from 2-3 to 10-15 days.

Economic use

Line railway along the Kama in Perm

3 reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been created on the river: from the mouth of the Urolka River (996 km from the mouth of the Kama) the Kama Reservoir (Kama Hydroelectric Power Station) begins, immediately below it is the Votkinsk Reservoir (Votkinsk Hydroelectric Power Station), followed by the Nizhnekamsk Reservoir (Nizhnekamsk Hydroelectric Power Station).

Shipping

The creation of reservoirs improved navigation conditions. The Kama is navigable to the village of Kerchevsky (966 km) - the largest raft roadstead, and in high water - another 600 km. Navigable depths on the lower Kama are maintained by dredging. Main ports and marinas: Solikamsk, Berezniki, Levshino, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Tchaikovsky, Sarapul, Kambarka, Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhnekamsk, Chistopol. From Perm there are regular passenger flights to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan and Ufa. The picturesque banks of the Kama attract a large number of tourists.

Nature

The river is inhabited by sterlet, sturgeon, bream, carp, crucian carp, asp, silver bream, ide, chub, bleak, pike perch, perch, ruff, pike, burbot, catfish, etc. In the upper reaches (and in places in tributaries) taimen and grayling are found. Aquatic vegetation is well developed, especially in numerous bays and backwaters. Currently, the Kama River is heavily polluted by industrial wastewater.

Kama
Characteristic
Length	1805 km
Pool area	507,000 km?
Pool	Caspian Sea
River basin	Volga
Water consumption	4100 m?/s (near Chistopol)
Watercourse
Source	Verkhnekamsk Upland
· Location	With. Kuliga (Kezsky district of Udmurtia)
· Height	331 m
Estuary	Kuibyshev Reservoir
· Height	36 m
· Coordinates	Coordinates: ? / ? (G) (I)55°21?50? With. w. 49°59?52? V. d.? / ? 55.363889° N. w. 49.997778° E. d.(G) (I)55.363889 , 49.997778
River slope	0.11 m/km
Location

It is difficult to imagine a person who would not have an idea of ​​such a Shishkin painting as “Morning in pine forest", who would not know Shishkin's "Rye" or "Ship Grove". On a number of his canvases, the painter depicted the surroundings of his native Yelabuga. At a short stop, go to the local museum. The museum has exhibitions of local history and a stand dedicated to the heroine of the Patriotic War

War of 1812 to Nadezhda Durova. The extraordinary fate of the “cavalry girl” attracted different time writers and playwrights. After retiring, Durova settled in Yelabuga and wrote my own here

memories that Pushkin highly appreciated. Durova's grave is located in the old city cemetery.

The Belaya River comes to the Kama between the low-lying banks of the floodplain, and perhaps from a steamship the mouth of the tributary would be poorly visible if not for the color of the water. Here the difference in color is especially sharp and noticeable. The waters of the Belaya River crash into the Kama River and crowd them with its wide stream, over which seagulls circle. The length of the Belaya, the main tributary of the Kama, is 1,420 kilometers. Starting in the mountains Southern Urals, Belaya then rushes to the plains of Bashkiria, connecting a number of cities of this autonomous republic and its center Ufa with the Kama. Essentially, the Belaya basin contains almost all flat part Bashkiria. A lot of timber, grain and oil are transported along the river.

The steamer goes under the bridge of the Kazan railway, and almost immediately you can see the still distant Sarapul. The low island initially covers the low-lying part of the city. But then the island ends, and the whole of Sarapul is visible. This is one of the most attractively located cities in the Kama region. Against the backdrop of a dense green forest, the white blocks occupy the slopes of the valley of the Sarapulka River, which crosses the city. The central part of Sarapul is built up with stone houses, among which the buildings of the City Council and the vocational school, with their facades facing us, stand out. All this is dominated by a mountain with steep slopes, ending in a sharply defined cape. Sarapul arose at the end of the 16th century. The riverine part of the city has preserved to the greatest extent the features of the distant past.

Here you can see traces of an ancient settlement, ancient monastery walls. By the way, the very name of the city in the language of the ancient inhabitants of the Kama region meant “yellow fish,” that is, sterlet, which, obviously, was found here in abundance. When walking around the city, you should pay attention to the wooden carved decorations of window frames, gates and even the walls of houses: Sarapul craftsmen were especially famous for wood carving.

In two hours the ship will complete its voyage at Molotovsky river station, but closeness big city is clearly felt.

Here is the Zakamsk pier on the left. This is already the Kirovsky district of Molotov, located beyond the river. It goes far along the coastal ravine Pinery. But take a closer look: pine trees remain only near the very shore, and further inland, everything is occupied by blocks of residential buildings and workshops of enterprises. In some places the pine trees are denser; under them there are either dacha-type houses or light buildings of pioneer camps. Overflights clearly loomed over the Kama

railway bridge, built more than half a century ago. Both before it and immediately after it, to the right of us the coast is occupied by piers industrial enterprises. Smoke from factory chimneys spreads over the river. The elevator rose up like a cliff. The cranes are visible again - this is one of the sections of the old Molotov port.

In this area there are still many unsightly houses and warehouses built by Kama steamship workers. But then the Molotov berths for suburban traffic began. The tower of the art gallery and the standing

at the very edge of the slope, a tall building with columns is the Hammerwood Department. The city of Molotov, the largest industrial and Cultural Center Prikamye is much younger than many Ural cities.

The lock world of the Kama River. The ship goes to the lock. It doesn't look like any of the buildings that

meet on the way from the capital. The fact is that the Kama is the first sluice river in the country with a huge rafting of timber. A conventional gateway could never allow those 10-12 million to pass through for navigation.

cubic meters of wood that go through the “stairs” of the Kama hydroelectric complex. The right downstream, or, as it is called, the “Western thread” of the lock is intended exclusively for launching rafts along the Eastern, or left; Depending on the need, both ships and rafts are allowed through. All gateway structures stretch over 2.5 kilometers in length. Our ship is heading to the left "thread".

NIZHNEKAMSK - PRISTAN - RED KEY

LEGENDS ABOUT THE KAMA RIVER

This was in those distant times, when in the space from White Sea The ancient Vedic Gods lived to the Ural Mountains and from the Ural Mountains to the Black Sea. They were born, developed the land, enlightened people, and replaced each other. And what happened in heaven necessarily left traces on Earth. The time has come when Zlata Maya and God Vyshny, born from the rays of the Golden stars, had a son, Kryshen. The Star Book of the Vedas shone in his forehead, and in his hands. He revealed a lot of knowledge to the Gods and did many good deeds in heaven. Ra grew from the goddess of Waters Vodynya and the God of the sun beautiful daughter Glad. Kryshen and Rada met and fell in love. When their son Kama was born, all nature rejoiced, flowers bloomed, nightingales sang, there was a great feast in heaven. Once Kama was riding along a pole - the rider Oka sees in the field, the horse is playing, the helmet is sparkling, there is a nightingale on his arm. They began to shoot love arrows at each other. And in a love match, both died. Where the blood of the Kama flowed, the Kama River flows, where the blood of the Oka flows, the Oka River flows. In heaven, God Kama became the God of love. The star book of the Vedas was accepted by the Magi and passed it on to people. The roof appears in the sky as a light, golden cloud, the Rada turns around and brings joy to people. The Kama River has become a source and symbol of pure water, giving strength and pleasure. In the old days in Rus', a shaman was called Kam. Kamlanie is a ritual action of a shaman. Now there is a debate among scientists about where the Kama really begins. Some claim that in the neighboring village of Zhernokovo, others have found that the first right tributary of the Kama, the Kamka, is fuller and longer. But in Kuliga there is the most turbulent spring (a 6-meter well fills and flows out like a stream).

MOUTH RIVER ZAY- TATARSTAN

Myths and legends of the Slavs - Ra, Oka, Kama and Alatyrka

When the god Ra grew old, he said to the Heavenly Cow: “I live, only my heart is tired of living... Lift me up on your horns! I will become a heavenly river - the one that separates Yav and Nav.”

And it flowed like the Ra River from the mountains, which were later called the Ural Mountains, because they are located near the Ra River. Nowadays this river is called the Volga, in the upper reaches - the Belaya Volozhka, in the lower reaches - the Don (in ancient times Volga and Don converged near the Volga-Don Canal).

On Sunny Island, Rada and Kryshny had a son - the god of love Kama. Black Raven stole Kama and carried him over the sea, and then dropped him from a height.

God Kama was swallowed by a whale, but Kama asked for help from the Almighty and was heard. The Almighty commanded, and the whale cast out the god Kama to Earth. And Kama went to Iriy. All the gods greeted him there.

Kryshen gave him a bow and stirrups,

Rada brought him a horse,

I Svarog gave Kama a ring.

Mother Lada - scarlet rose.

If Kama shoots in the heart -

the heart will flare up with love passion.

Kohl puts a ring on his finger -

This means they will have a wedding soon.

If he gives you a scarlet rose -

love will bloom forever!

“The Book of Kolyada”, 11th

One day, while driving through a clear pole, Kama met beautiful goddess love Oku. They fell in love with each other. And soon they got married.

At the wedding, Kama and Oka argued - whose love spell is stronger? Then Kama suggested going to the pole and shooting arrows at each other in order to find out who would kill whom with a love arrow. Their spell turned out to be so strong that as soon as the arrows, and they were scarlet roses, struck the hearts of Kama and Oka, they fell to the ground and died of love. Streams of blood flowed from their hearts and became the rivers Kama and Oka.

And the Alatyrka River was formed like this. One day Kryshen rode to Alatyr Mountain on a White-maned horse. Suddenly he saw that the Black Raven was sitting on Alatyr. Kryshen took out a golden arrow and pulled his bow. But Raven told him:

Don't hit me, don't shoot me! Listen to my message! The Almighty is calling you! The water has flowed out of the roof - and the time of the roof has ended! A different time is coming! The wheel of heaven has turned.

Kryshen did not listen and shot an arrow, but the arrow turned around and hit Kryshen’s heart. The blood flowing from the heart of the Roof became the Alatyrka River.

And when Rada and Maya came to Alatyr Mountain, they saw Kryshen ascending the mountainside to the throne of the Almighty.

Ra - ancient Slavic name God of the Sun, as well as the name of the Ra River (Volga) in the “Book of Veles”, the Vedas of India (Rasa) and the Avesta (Rankha), in the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans (Ra, Ros).

The myth about the god Ra and his son Horse was most fully preserved by Egyptian mythology (“Book of the Cow”), which speaks of the common source of this myth for the Slavs and Egyptians, which lies in Atlantis. Ra was married to Amelfa when he flowed into the Black Sea, then flowed into the Caspian (Khvalyn) and became married to Volyn. The Wedding of Ra and Volyn (Vyalkani) is described in the “Veda of the Slavs” (I volume)

Kama and Oka are rivers flowing into the Volga. The text about Kama and Oka was restored from various accounts of epics about the Danube (option - Don) and his wife. Note that the Don in ancient times was also often called Ra-river, for there was a time when the Ra River flowed not into the Caspian Sea, but into the Black Sea. This means that the epic about the Don-Danube is related to the Volga, and to the Kama (the old name is Belaya Volozhka), and to the Oka. In ancient times, the source of the Ra River (Volga) was considered not to be a source near Lake Seliger, but to the Urals. That is, the Kama was then called the Volga (in the Avesta, the Rankha River flows from Mount Khukarya, that is, from the Urals), and the Kama was then called the river flowing from a source near Seliger.

In India, Kama is revered as the god of love. Oka is similar to the Indian Lakshmi (on the Klyazma, which flows into the Oka, today there is a city of Lakinsk).

MOUTH OF THE IZH RIVER Kama River

HISTORY OF NAVIGATION ON THE KAMA

Since ancient times, man has inhabited its shores, used it as a profitable and convenient transport route, and, finally, created legends and traditions about the Kama. Guides to the Kama of famous shipping companies not only invited gracious gentlemen to go on a trip along one of the most beautiful rivers East European Plain, but they talked about the history of the Kama cities, large villages and small towns. In these guidebooks they called the Kama the river of past legends, a formidable rival of the Volga...

“The Kama argued with the Volga for a long time - it didn’t want to flow into it. At first she wanted to beat off the water, she beat off half of it, but she couldn’t continue. Kama decided to use cunning. I made an agreement with the kite: “You, kite, shout when I’m on the other side so that I can hear, and I’ll fight near the Volga and come out somewhere else.” “Okay,” the kite answers. So Kama began to rummage under the Volga. She rummaged and rummaged, and meanwhile the golden eagle noticed the kite and chased after it. He got scared and screamed just above the middle of the Volga. Kama heard this cry, thought that she was already on the other side, jumped out of the ground and landed straight in the Volga.” This is how the Kama carries its waters into the distance, towards the Volga, just like hundreds of years ago.

RAF ON ROCK

The settlement of the region, the development of its riches - all this is inextricably linked with the river. Ancient chronicles They mention that fourteen centuries ago, trade caravans from the Middle East sailed along the Kama to Perm the Great and Perm Vychegda. Although who can now say with confidence that this was precisely the beginning of navigation on the Kama. For the river itself is much older.

In Arabic sources it was usually called Kama - Agi-del. You can also come across the statement that in the old days the Kama bore the name Idel, and, moreover, hardly for the length that it is given now, that is, before meeting the Volga, but until the very end, until it flows into the Caspian Sea, where there was a famous city of the same name.

Along the Kama from the north, Novgorod and Moscow people came to the forest region. In Russian chronicles, the name “Kama” was first mentioned in 1220, when “Vasilko Konstantinovich from Rostov sent an ambassador’s regiment, and others from Ustyug to the top of the Kama.” But the most ancient settlers in the upper and middle reaches of the river were the Finno-Ugric tribes, and in the lower reaches of the Kama - the Bulgars.

bsp; KAMA RIVER NEAR THE GREAT BULGARS

Thanks to the Kama, the Urals, starting from the 14th century, supplied the Russian state with furs, and later with salt. With the fall of the Kazan Khanate in 1552, a through route along the Kama was opened. This contributed to the expansion of trade relations between the Urals and other Russian lands. And from the second half of the 16th century, the banks of the Kama began to be actively populated by the Russian population, largely thanks to the Stroganovs, who founded their saltworks here. In the upper reaches of the Kama, “towns” and “fortresses” appeared, and along with them monasteries (Pyskari Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, founded on the site of the old Stroganov monastery in the city of Kangor). The founding of several monasteries in the middle and lower reaches of the river also dates back to this time. Thus, in the 17th century, the Assumption, formerly Likhotin, monastery was founded in the village. Yaromaska.

However, navigation in the 16th century along the Kama was associated with very great dangers. Robbery was commonplace at that time, as can be seen from the “Life of Saint Tryphon,” written in the 17th century: “Ships are robbed along the Kama River and merchants of all ranks are killed...” The voyage of Saint Tryphon took place on a plow in 1572 up the river to Pyskor. And the ships, which were then used mainly for transporting goods, were not self-propelled. The already mentioned plows, boats, planks, and belyans became widespread. And they were built here, on Chusovaya and on the Kama.

ARROW AT THE CONFERENCE OF THE KAMA AND CHUSOVAYA RIVERS

The river itself determined the nature of the rafting vessels: short period navigation - only six months a year, and the shallow waters of most of the Kama's tributaries. The most advanced type of cargo ship for its time was well adapted for navigation on the Kama and Volga, both with and against the current, and was called the bark. The bark was spacious and carried from eight to twenty-five thousand pounds of cargo.

The ships went downstream under sail and oars, and upstream they were pulled by tow barges. The coastal inhabitants of the Volga and its tributaries were engaged in barge hauling. IN major cities such as Perm, Chistopol and others, there was even something like burlatsky bazaars. Typically, the owner of the ship hired barge haulers based on the total weight of the cargo. And for every thousand poods there were from two to six barge haulers, depending on the rafting conditions. And if the ship was large, then the size of the artel of barge haulers reached 60 - 100 people. The barge haulage industry received its greatest development in the first half of the 19th century, especially before the introduction of shipping.

MOUTH OF THE SHESHMA RIVER - TATARSTAN

Emergence and development in the 17th - 18th centuries. large factories and fisheries, the lack of other types of cargo transportation - all this forced talented engineers and mechanics to look for a way to mechanize the movement of ships. So, back in 1804 I.P. Kulibin proposed the idea of ​​a “navigable vessel”, driving force for which would be the strength of the river current. However, this idea has not found practical application.

At the same time, the foreman of the Ogurdinsky sawmill on the Kama A.I. Durbazhev designed and built a “horse-drawn machine.” This “horse-drawn machine” is popularly called “horse-drawn machine”.

The “Horseway” consisted of a flat-bottomed vessel, in the middle of which it was installed in vertical position gate At the level of the lower deck, levers extended radially from the gate shaft, each of which harnessed several horses. Continuously moving in a circle, the horses rotated the shaft, on the upper end of which a rope was wound. The line was pulled up by the rope to the anchor, and at this time the second anchor was brought in. It was in this way that the ship moved upstream almost continuously. “Horse guides” often led a caravan of ships, and the number of horses they carried reached two hundred.

The invention of “horse wires” was also attributed to the French engineer Poudebar, who served at the Vsevolozhsky factories. Thus, in the “Chronicle of the provincial city of Perm” compiled by F.A. Pryadilnikov, it was said that in 1816, “during the rafting of salt caravans, horse-drawn vehicles appeared for the first time.”

However, the harnesses were soon replaced by capstans, in which steam (forty-power) gates replaced horse traction. The speed of movement of the capstans against the current was 2.5-3 versts per hour, which was only slightly more than the speed of the “horse guide” (on average about 2 versts per hour). The use of capstans also did not solve the problems of navigation and turned out to be short-lived.

The first half of the 19th century was marked by significant development of shipping. In 1815, the first steamship in Russia appeared on the Neva, built in St. Petersburg at the Berda plant. In 1817, the first steamship was built in the Volga-Kama basin at the Pozhevsky plant V.A. Vsevolozhsky. In the spring of 1819, residents of Perm were surprised by the appearance of two steamships from Vsevolozhsky on the Kama. It was V.A. Vsevolozhsky became the first builder and owner of steamships on the Kama and Pozhva. This event overturned the entire system that existed before and marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of shipping.

The first Pozhevsky steamship had a narrow wooden hull. The machine's power was only 24 horsepower. The use of steam ships has proven an advantage over horse guides and capstans. Soon two more steamships of 36 and 6 horsepower were built.

The first voyage of these ships (“steamboats” or “steamboats”, as they were called then), however, was unsuccessful. In August 1817 they set off on a voyage to the Volga. It was understood that they would reach Nizhny Novgorod and proceed further to Moscow. But the early onset of winter forced the ships to return to the Kama, where they spent the winter. And in the spring of 1818 they were cut off by ice drift.

SOROCHI MOUNTAINS - THE LONGEST BRIDGE IN TATARSTAN

Often the pioneers of the steamship business were the merchants. Merchants and factory owners sought to have ships to provide their own cargo transportation. So, in 1839, one of the merchant Kiselev’s steamships with a load of goods rose from the Volga to the Kama to the city of Perm, and went back to the Volga. Kupets A.V. In 1841, Tatarinov carried grain on his ship “Experience”. Together with Tatarinov, his relative, the Sarapul merchant I.S., entered the company. Kolchin. And together they built the ship “Vera”. However, during the construction of the third steamship, the partners failed, as a result of which Tatarinov went bankrupt, and the contract he took to deliver 150 thousand bags of flour to Kronstadt by water was not fulfilled.

In 1846, the Perm Steamship Partnership was formed in Perm. This fact became significant because this steamship partnership built the Perm steamship, and an announcement was made about the opening of regular service down the Kama. Subsequently, the formation of shipping companies only gained momentum. Not a single year passed without a new shipping company or company appearing on the Kama. At the end of the 40s. XIX century opened their own shipping companies - I.S. Kolchin and P.A. Savage.

Soon, following the towing shipping company, in 1858 a passenger service was opened between Perm and Nizhny Novgorod, and in 1860 upstream the Kama - from Perm to Usolye. But it was difficult to find passengers on these ships. There was a belief that it was a sin to sail on such a “fiery self-propelled vehicle.” They didn't even agree for free. One of the first passengers to return to Sarapul in 1858 from a pilgrimage trip to Kyiv was the Sarapul merchant D.G. Izhboldin and tradesman V.I. Smagin. They traveled on the ship of the Caucasus and Mercury company.

By the way, the first passenger ships were not particularly comfortable. Up until the 70s. In the 19th century, steamships were built without a second deck. All cabins of both first and second classes were located in the building: one common for men and the second for women. The cabins were heated with iron stoves and lit with candles. It was more difficult for third class passengers - the ships did not provide any amenities for them. Passengers were accommodated on the open deck as in summer heat, and in the pouring rain. But perhaps the most significant inconvenience was the sparks, soot and small pieces coal that burned through the hats and dresses of passengers. And only starting from the navigation of 1856, iron roofs began to be used on passenger ships, and at first they tried to cover the sides of steamships with canvas curtains, and later to block them with slats.

Constant competition between the owners of shipping companies and shipowners led to the improvement of the fleet, and, consequently, the creation of comfortable conditions for passengers. Over time, the wooden hulls of steamships were replaced by iron ones; firewood, used as fuel and previously loaded at almost every pier, was replaced by fuel oil. The total capacity of such ships was already about 80-100 passengers.

KAMA - NIZHNEKAMSKY - CHISTOPOLSKY AREAS

More and more large three-story steamships, illuminated by electricity, sailed along the Kama. These giants already offered their passengers the maximum possible range of services and necessary comfort at that time. Premises of classes I, II and III were heated with steam during the cold season. The most comfortable cabins of classes I and II, in addition to common rooms, also had separate single, double and triple cabins. Class IV, which appeared on passenger ships, provided accommodation for workers traveling on artel tickets. First class passengers were offered a piano as a service, which passengers could use from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The new ships already had baths and showers.

The buffets of steamships of that time are worthy of special attention. Typically, passengers were offered a 2, 3 or 4 course lunch with a choice of seven dishes from the daily lunch menu (including: 2 hot, 1 sauce, 2 fries and 2 cakes). And the menu was capable of surprising the most sophisticated gourmet. No less interesting is the fact that passengers who brought their own drinks to the buffet were charged...for each cork. And quite significant. Thus, passengers paid 2 rubles for a cork of foreign champagne, 1 ruble for Russian champagne, and 50 kopecks for a bottle of vodka. And this is at a cost of 1 ruble for a set lunch of 4 courses with a cup of coffee. 10 kopecks They also paid a fee to the buffet for playing cards with their own deck. This pleasure cost 40 kopecks.

KAMA - PERM REGION

Kama River

But all this did not mean that all the efforts of shipping companies were now aimed at developing only passenger traffic. Still important look Freight rafting, especially timber, also remained a major transportation option. They tried to float round timber on rafts, and other types of timber (timber, boards, etc.) were transported on ships (belyans, nasads, barges).

Marinas were part of the entire shipping life of the Kama River. As on other rivers, they were simultaneously intended to serve river transport, and sometimes became centers of trade and fishing areas. There were both small marinas, which operated, as a rule, in the spring, and large marinas, which had multi-million dollar turnover. On such piers for a long time winter period a significant amount of goods was accumulated, intended to be sent with the beginning of navigation to Nizhny Novgorod, Rybinsk, Yekaterinburg and Siberia.

This was the Sarapul pier.

...They talked a lot about her, more often they scolded her. They were scolded for the dirt, lack of infrastructure and inattention of the city society to the needs of a large navigable river, which actually did not distinguish Sarapul from a number of other similar port cities.

Closer to the bank of the Kama there were wooden storage sheds, stone warehouses and shops, canvas tents, taverns, rows of fish and other food. In the summer, the fair was noisy, hawkers were scurrying around, a carousel with wooden horses was spinning, which delighted the local children. Here, on the pier, sailors and passengers stocked up on Sarapul-made black bread, which has rightfully gained the reputation of being the best in this region, and quite well-written open letters with views of the city and its environs. The Sarapul public flocked here as the ship approached.

The plan of the pier itself was approved by the Kazan District Administration of Communications in 1847. However, back in 1816, the documents of the range keeper Mungalov stated that the pier in Sarapul not only existed, but had the largest cargo turnover of all the piers included in the distance. Consequently, the pier existed before.

WINTER ON THE KAMA RIVER

According to the approved plan, the pier was located above the Yurmanka River, opposite the Opolzino settlement. Previously, on the site of the settlement, there were residential huts of fishermen, barge haulers, and longshoremen - all those whose lives were closely connected with the river. Here, almost right next to the water, there are also private piers (berths) with offices of shipowners and agents of shipping companies. Thus, forty fathoms of shore were allocated to each private pier. The Kamensky Brothers shipping company located its representative offices here. Joint-Stock Company"Lyubimov and Co" and others. A little below the Yurmanka River there were four berths common use and urban transportation.

Throughout the history of the pier, the topic of its improvement was the most important. In 1872, the Sarapul district police officer, Mr. Volkovich, addressing the City Duma, wrote: “The passage of the pier is cluttered, clogged, not leveled and not paved, impassable dirt along the cluttered road and the stench unpleasantly affects every passenger who steps on city ​​land Sarapula..."

And it will not be difficult for the respected reader to imagine all the dirt and disorder that characterized the city pier. Shipowners and merchants, who received significant capital from cargo transportation, were nevertheless in no hurry to invest in the improvement of the very pier on which they were so dependent. Until, finally, in 1878, the City Duma decided to “level the entrances and fill them with gravel and sand, and build two-board sidewalks for pedestrians.” From that moment on, at least its relative improvement began. Already in the 1890s. The entrances to the pier were partially paved with stones and the banks from the Yurmanka River to the carriage were strengthened with piles.

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SOURCE OF MATERIAL AND PHOTO:

Nomadic Archives

Wikipedia website

http://www.geocaching.su/

http://www.uraltravel.com/

http://nordural.ru/article/reka_kama/

http://clubs.ya.ru/

http://www.trip-guide.ru/

http://www.legendy.net/

photo by Mikhail Plotnikov, Vladimir Prokoshin, Dmitry Shchukin.

http://club.foto.ru/

http://fotki.yandex.ru/

http://mozhga18.ru/

http://www.pronk.ru/photo/

http://images.esosedi.ru/panoramio/