Angara
Encyclopedia
The Angara River is a 1779 kilometres (1,105.4 mi) long river in Irkutsk Oblast
and Krasnoyarsk Krai
, south-east Siberia
, Russia
. It is the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal
, and is the headwater tributary
of the Yenisei River
.
Leaving Lake Baikal near the settlement of Listvyanka (at 51.867°N 104.818°E), the Angara flows north past the Irkutsk Oblast's cities of Irkutsk
, Angarsk
, Bratsk
, and Ust-Ilimsk
. It then turns west, enters the Krasnoyarsk Krai
, and falls into the Yenisei near Strelka (at 58.102°N 92.991°E, 40 km south-east of Lesosibirsk
).
Below its junction with the Ilim River
the Angara has been known in the past as the Upper Tunguska
Confusingly, some maps (e.g., 1773 atlas by Kitchen - see illustration) referred to this same section of the Angara as Nizhnyaya Tunguska, i.e. the Lower Tunguska - the name that's currently applied to another river.
Khanate of Sibir (Turkish: Sibir Hanlığı) was created in western side of the river in 1464.
A number of villages along the Angara and its tributaries (including the historic fort of Ilimsk
on the Ilim), as well as numerous agricultural areas in the river valley, were flooded by these reservoirs. Due to its effects on the way of life of the rural residents of the Angara valley, dam construction has been criticized by a number of Soviet intellectuals, in particular the Irkutsk writer Valentin Rasputin
both in his novel Farewell to Matyora and in his non-fiction book, Siberia, Siberia
.
The Angara is navigable by modern watercraft on several isolated sections:
The section between the Ust-Ilimsk Dam and the Boguchany Dam has not been navigable due to rapids. However, with the completion of the Boguchany Dam, and filling of its reservoir, at least part of this section of the river will become navigable as well.
Nonetheless, this will not enable through navigation from Lake Baikal to the Yenisei, as none of the existing three dams has been provided with a ship lock or a boat lift
, nor will the Boguchany Dam have one.
Despite the absence of a continuous navigable waterway, the Angara and its tributary the Ilim
were of considerable importance for Russian colonization of Siberia since ca. 1630, when they (and the necessary portages) formed important water routes
connecting the Yenisey with Lake Baikal and the Lena River
. The river lost its transportation significance after the construction of an overland route between Krasnoyarsk
and Irkutsk
and, later, the Trans-Siberian Railway
.
(formed by the merging of rivers Biryusa
och Chuna
), Irkut
, Oka
, Iya
, Ilim
, Kova, Chadobets and Irkeneyeva.
Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...
and Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
, south-east Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
, and is the headwater tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Yenisei River
Yenisei River
Yenisei , also written as Yenisey, is the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is the central of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Leaving Lake Baikal near the settlement of Listvyanka (at 51.867°N 104.818°E), the Angara flows north past the Irkutsk Oblast's cities of Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
, Angarsk
Angarsk
Angarsk is a city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Angara River, from Moscow. It serves as the administrative center of Angarsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population:...
, Bratsk
Bratsk
Bratsk is a city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River near the vast Bratsk Reservoir. Population: Although the name sounds like the Russian word for 'brother' , it actually comes from 'bratskiye lyudi', an old name for the Buryats.-History:The first Europeans in the area arrived...
, and Ust-Ilimsk
Ust-Ilimsk
Ust-Ilimsk is a town in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River. Population: 53,000 .-History:An ostrog was built on the present site of the town in the 17th century; however, the modern town was not founded until 1966, during the construction of the Ust-Ilimsk Hydroelectric Power...
. It then turns west, enters the Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
, and falls into the Yenisei near Strelka (at 58.102°N 92.991°E, 40 km south-east of Lesosibirsk
Lesosibirsk
Lesosibirsk is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. Population:...
).
Below its junction with the Ilim River
Ilim River
Ilim River is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Angara River. It flows north between and parallel to the Angara and Lena Rivers, and then swings west to join the Angara 40km south of Ust-Ilimsk....
the Angara has been known in the past as the Upper Tunguska
Tunguska River
There are three rivers in Eastern Siberia that share the name Tunguska . All three are right tributaries of Yenisei.* Upper Tunguska, or Angara* Stony Tunguska River* Lower Tunguska RiverThere is also the Tunguska River in the Russian Far East...
Confusingly, some maps (e.g., 1773 atlas by Kitchen - see illustration) referred to this same section of the Angara as Nizhnyaya Tunguska, i.e. the Lower Tunguska - the name that's currently applied to another river.
Khanate of Sibir (Turkish: Sibir Hanlığı) was created in western side of the river in 1464.
Dams and reservoirs
The Angara is dammed by the dams of three major hydroelectric plants that have been constructed since the 1950s.- Irkutsk Dam (Иркутская ГЭС), forming the Irkutsk Reservoir, which floods the valley of the river from its source to Irkutsk, and slightly raises the water level in Lake Baikal.
- Bratsk DamBratsk hydroelectric plantThe Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station is a concrete gravity dam on the Angara River and adjacent hydroelectric power station. It is the second level of the Angara River hydroelectric stations cascade in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. Located in Bratsk...
, forming the Bratsk ReservoirBratsk ReservoirBratsk Reservoir is a reservoir on the Angara River, located in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is named after the city of Bratsk, the largest city adjacent to the reservoir. It has a surface area of and a maximum volume of 169.27 × 1012 litres .The concrete dam of the Bratsk hydroelectric plant was...
. - Ust-Ilimsk Dam (Усть-Илимская ГЭС), at Ust-IlimskUst-IlimskUst-Ilimsk is a town in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River. Population: 53,000 .-History:An ostrog was built on the present site of the town in the 17th century; however, the modern town was not founded until 1966, during the construction of the Ust-Ilimsk Hydroelectric Power...
, forming the Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir. - Boguchany Dam (Богучанская ГЭС) (under construction), at KodinskKodinskKodinsk is a town and the administrative center of Kezhemsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Angara River, north of Krasnoyarsk. Population:...
A number of villages along the Angara and its tributaries (including the historic fort of Ilimsk
Ilimsk
Ilimsk was a small town in Siberia, within today's Irkutsk Oblast of Russia. The town was flooded by the Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir in the mid-1970s....
on the Ilim), as well as numerous agricultural areas in the river valley, were flooded by these reservoirs. Due to its effects on the way of life of the rural residents of the Angara valley, dam construction has been criticized by a number of Soviet intellectuals, in particular the Irkutsk writer Valentin Rasputin
Valentin Rasputin
Valentin Grigoriyevich Rasputin is a Russian writer. He was born and lived much of his life in the Irkutsk Oblast in Eastern Siberia. Rasputin's works depict rootless urban characters and the fight for survival of centuries-old traditional rural ways of life...
both in his novel Farewell to Matyora and in his non-fiction book, Siberia, Siberia
Siberia, Siberia
Siberia, Siberia is a non-fiction book by the Russian writer Valentin Rasputin. It was originally published in Russian in 1991 by Molodaya Gvardiya Publishers. The second and third editions appeared in 2000 and 2006; an English translation is available as well.Rasputin is a Russian novelist based...
.
Navigation
- from Lake Baikal to Irkutsk;
- from Irkutsk to Bratsk;
- on the Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir;
- from the Boguchany Dam (Kodinsk) to the river's fall into the Yenisei.
The section between the Ust-Ilimsk Dam and the Boguchany Dam has not been navigable due to rapids. However, with the completion of the Boguchany Dam, and filling of its reservoir, at least part of this section of the river will become navigable as well.
Nonetheless, this will not enable through navigation from Lake Baikal to the Yenisei, as none of the existing three dams has been provided with a ship lock or a boat lift
Boat lift
A boat lift, ship lift, or lift lock is a machine for transporting boats between water at two different elevations, and is an alternative to the canal lock and the canal inclined plane....
, nor will the Boguchany Dam have one.
Despite the absence of a continuous navigable waterway, the Angara and its tributary the Ilim
Ilim River
Ilim River is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Angara River. It flows north between and parallel to the Angara and Lena Rivers, and then swings west to join the Angara 40km south of Ust-Ilimsk....
were of considerable importance for Russian colonization of Siberia since ca. 1630, when they (and the necessary portages) formed important water routes
Siberian River Routes
Siberian River Routes were the main ways of communication in the Russian Siberia before the 1730s, when roads began to be built. The rivers also were of primary importance in the process of Russian exploration and colonisation of vast Siberian territories...
connecting the Yenisey with Lake Baikal and the Lena River
Lena River
The Lena is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean . It is the 11th longest river in the world and has the 9th largest watershed...
. The river lost its transportation significance after the construction of an overland route between Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
and Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
and, later, the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
.
Tributaries
Angara has the following tributaries: TaseyevaTaseyeva River
right|thumb|250px|Angara and Upper YeniseiTaseyeva is a river in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is a left tributary of the Angara River, and is 72 miles long...
(formed by the merging of rivers Biryusa
Biryusa River
Biryusa is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. The Biryusa is 1,012 km long, with a drainage basin of 55,800 km².The river has its sources in the far southwestern areas of Irkutsk Oblast, at 2,500 meter altitude, on the northern slopes of the Sayan Mountains. From the source area the...
och Chuna
Chuna River
Chuna above the settlement Chunsky) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia. It is long, with a drainage basin of 56,800 km²....
), Irkut
Irkut River
Irkut is a river in the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk Oblast of Russia; Angara's left tributary. The length of the river is . The area of its basin is . The Irkut River freezes up in late October - mid-November and stays icebound until late April - early May. The city of Irkutsk is located at the...
, Oka
Oka River (Siberia)
The Oka is a river in Siberia, left tributary of the Angara River. It originates in the Sayan Mountains in western Buryatia and flows through Irkutsk Oblast. It flows for 630 km , into the Bratsk reservoir....
, Iya
Iya River
Iya River is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. The length of the river is 486 km. The area of its basin is 18,100 km². The Iya flows into the Okinsky Bay of the Bratsk Reservoir. The river freezes up in late October - early November and stays icebound until late April - early May. Its...
, Ilim
Ilim River
Ilim River is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Angara River. It flows north between and parallel to the Angara and Lena Rivers, and then swings west to join the Angara 40km south of Ust-Ilimsk....
, Kova, Chadobets and Irkeneyeva.
