In many countries there are rivers that have become not just transport routes or water sources, but a kind of spiritual aorta that feeds folk art and national culture. The Rhine, the Mississippi, the Danube, the Amazon, the Nile, the Ganges, the Yangtze are the same characters in fairy tales and legends as their other heroes. Songs are composed about these rivers, and those who were lucky enough to be born and grow up on their banks return, at least for a short time, wherever their fate takes them. Such is the main river of our country - the Volga.
The Great River crosses our country, carrying huge masses of water from north to south, absorbing numerous tributaries. Perhaps we have yet to evaluate the significance of the impact of such energy on a person, but the fact remains that the cities on the Volga have become the birthplace of many outstanding people.
Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Syzran, Samara - these names sound like a song for lovers of Russian history, some of these places are included in the Golden Ring of Russia.
Cities on the Volga River are very beautiful and surrounded by picturesque nature. The islands on the left bank are so numerous that some of them are sometimes not visited by people for decades, natureremains pristine.
If you take a cruise on a ship that stops only in major river ports, you can miss out on a lot. The special charm of small county centers in this case becomes inaccessible. Small cities on the Volga, such as Syzran, Kamyshin, Volsk, are very beautiful, rich in architectural and cultural monuments, they usually have excellent theaters and art galleries, local history and archaeological museums rich in historical exhibits.
In recent years, a new type of cruise has become widespread - sailing along the Volga on yachts. Travelers stop at the islands, set up camp, fish, visit the nearest town and continue down the river. Such a vacation is affordable for people who are not poor, but among them there are many who want to enjoy the nature and culture of their native country, and, apparently, they like it no less than a trip to the notorious Canaries.
Cities on the Volga have repeatedly become a film set for famous film directors, just remember Eldar Ryazanov's Cruel Romance, which was filmed in Kostroma. In the city of Gorokhovets, Vladimir Region, Nikita Mikhalkov filmed most of his new film Sunstroke. The main thing that attracts creative people in these places is the preserved atmosphere of old Russia, its unique atmosphere.
Probably every Russian needs to visit at least once in his life the hero city on the Volga - Volgograd, the site of the Battle of Stalingrad. Memorial on Mamaevmound dedicated to the defenders of this stronghold leaves no one indifferent. It was created by sculptor E. V. Vuchetich and engineer N. V. Nikitin in 1967.
The city was practically destroyed during the fighting. In memory of those dramatic and heroic events, one of the houses was left in the form in which it was after the battle. The best way to get to this city on the Volga is by river, passing through the locks of the Volga-Don canal.
