Pinega River
Encyclopedia
The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky
, Pinezhsky
, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast
in Russia
. It is a right tributary
of the Northern Dvina River. It is 779 kilometres (484 mi) long, and the area of its basin 42600 square kilometres (16,448 sq mi). Its main tributaries are the Ilesha
, the Vyya
, the Yula
, the Pokshenga
, and the Yezhuga
.
The Pinega is the main waterway of the Pinezhsky District, with many of the settlements in the district located on the river banks. The river basin includes the north-western part of the Krasnoborsky District, the eastern part of the Verkhnetoyemsky District, the eastern part of the Vinogradovsky District
, the major part of the Pinezhsky District, the eastern part of the Kholmogorsky District, and minor areas in the Leshukonsky District
and in the Udorsky District of the Komi Republic
. The Pinega flows in the hilly landscape, on the western border of the Timan Ridge
, in the coniferous forest (taiga
). It freezes up in mid October - early November and stays under the ice until mid April - early May.
The etymology of the name Pinega is unclear.
The Pinega starts in Verkhnetoyemsky District, close to the boder with Krasnoborsky District, at the confluence of the Belaya River and the Chyornaya River. There it flows to the north-west, then turns north. The first village on the Pinega is Belorechensky, still in Verkhnetoyemsky District. North of Belorechensky, the river meanders, and after accepting the Okhtoma River from the left, turns east. From this point downstream, the valley of the Pinega is populated, and the villages are grouped by several into mini-agglomerations. The Pinega accepts the Ilesha
from the south and turns north again, emerging as a broad river with high banks. Further downstream it accepts the Vyya
from the west, in the village of Ust-Vyyskaya, and after accepting the Nyukhcha from the right, in the village of Zanyukhcha, turns north-west. From this point on, the unpaved road appears from the Komi Republik, and follows the right bank of the river. Downstream from Zanyukhcha, the Pinega passes historical selos of Sura and Verkola, accepts the Yula
from the west, and passes the selo of Kevrola, which was the historical center of the area before 19th century, on the left bank, and the selo of Karpogory
, which is the current administrative center of the Pinezhsky District, on the right bank. Several kilometers downstream from Karpogory, the Pinega accepts the Pokshenga
and turns north. In the village of Shilega, there is a railway bridge on the railroad connecting Arkhangelsk
and Karpogory
.
Downstream from the mouth of the Yezhuga
the Pinega suddenly turns west, and in the settlement of Pinega
, which served as the administrative center of the area, turns south-west. On the right-hand bank Pinezhsky Nature Reserve
has been established. Further downstream, the Pinega crosses into the Kholmogorsky District. Its mouth is in the historical settlement of Ust-Pinega.
The river is navigable within 580 km from its mouth, downstream from the village of Gorka, however, there is no passenger navigation. At one point, several kilometers upstream from the settlement of Pinega
, the river comes within a distance of several kilometers to the course of the Kuloy
. In this place, the Kuloy-Pinega Canal
was constructed in 1926—1928, however, currently the canal is pretty much neglected.
and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic
. In 13th century the Novgorod merchants already reached the White Sea
. The Pinega was used by Novgorod merchants as the source of fur and also as the trading route to the basin of the Pechora River
.
From the Northern Dvina, there were a number of ways into the basin of the Mezen
(from where the merchants could get to the basin of the Pechora
and the Ob
). Two options included going upstream the Pinega and taking the boats by land to the Kuloy
and to the Mezen, or using the Pukshenga
and the Pokshenga River
s to get to the Pinega, and then from the Yezhuga
taking boats by land to the Zyryanskaya Yezhuga and the Vashka.
Verkhnetoyemsky District
Verkhnetoyemsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Verkhnetoyemsky Municipal District...
, Pinezhsky
Pinezhsky District
Pinezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pinezhsky Municipal District...
, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....
in 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 a right 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 Northern Dvina River. It is 779 kilometres (484 mi) long, and the area of its basin 42600 square kilometres (16,448 sq mi). Its main tributaries are the Ilesha
Ilesha River
The Ilesha is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky and Krasnoborsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast and in Udorsky District of Komi Republic in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
, the Vyya
Vyya River
The Vyya is a river in Pinezhsky and Verkhnetoyemsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
, the Yula
Yula River
The Yula is a river in Vinogradovsky and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, the Pokshenga
Pokshenga River
The Pokshenga is a river in Vinogradovsky and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, and the Yezhuga
Yezhuga River
The Yezhuga is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributary is the Yeyuga...
.
The Pinega is the main waterway of the Pinezhsky District, with many of the settlements in the district located on the river banks. The river basin includes the north-western part of the Krasnoborsky District, the eastern part of the Verkhnetoyemsky District, the eastern part of the Vinogradovsky District
Vinogradovsky District
Vinogradovsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Vinogradovsky Municipal District...
, the major part of the Pinezhsky District, the eastern part of the Kholmogorsky District, and minor areas in the Leshukonsky District
Leshukonsky District
Leshukonsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Leshukonsky Municipal District...
and in the Udorsky District of the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
. The Pinega flows in the hilly landscape, on the western border of the Timan Ridge
Timan Ridge
The Timan Ridge is a highland in the far north of European Russia. Most of the Timan Ridge is situated in the Komi Republic, but the northernmost part is in Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Arkhangelsk Oblast. The highest point in the Timan Ridge is Chetlassky Kamen .The Timan Ridge is situated west of...
, in the coniferous forest (taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
). It freezes up in mid October - early November and stays under the ice until mid April - early May.
The etymology of the name Pinega is unclear.
The Pinega starts in Verkhnetoyemsky District, close to the boder with Krasnoborsky District, at the confluence of the Belaya River and the Chyornaya River. There it flows to the north-west, then turns north. The first village on the Pinega is Belorechensky, still in Verkhnetoyemsky District. North of Belorechensky, the river meanders, and after accepting the Okhtoma River from the left, turns east. From this point downstream, the valley of the Pinega is populated, and the villages are grouped by several into mini-agglomerations. The Pinega accepts the Ilesha
Ilesha River
The Ilesha is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky and Krasnoborsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast and in Udorsky District of Komi Republic in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
from the south and turns north again, emerging as a broad river with high banks. Further downstream it accepts the Vyya
Vyya River
The Vyya is a river in Pinezhsky and Verkhnetoyemsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
from the west, in the village of Ust-Vyyskaya, and after accepting the Nyukhcha from the right, in the village of Zanyukhcha, turns north-west. From this point on, the unpaved road appears from the Komi Republik, and follows the right bank of the river. Downstream from Zanyukhcha, the Pinega passes historical selos of Sura and Verkola, accepts the Yula
Yula River
The Yula is a river in Vinogradovsky and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
from the west, and passes the selo of Kevrola, which was the historical center of the area before 19th century, on the left bank, and the selo of Karpogory
Karpogory
Karpogory is a rural locality and the administrative center of Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River. It also serves as the administrative center of Karpogorsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is...
, which is the current administrative center of the Pinezhsky District, on the right bank. Several kilometers downstream from Karpogory, the Pinega accepts the Pokshenga
Pokshenga River
The Pokshenga is a river in Vinogradovsky and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
and turns north. In the village of Shilega, there is a railway bridge on the railroad connecting Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
and Karpogory
Karpogory
Karpogory is a rural locality and the administrative center of Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River. It also serves as the administrative center of Karpogorsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is...
.
Downstream from the mouth of the Yezhuga
Yezhuga River
The Yezhuga is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributary is the Yeyuga...
the Pinega suddenly turns west, and in the settlement of Pinega
Pinega
Pinega is a settlement, formerly a town, in Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River . It serves as the administrative center of Pinezhsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is administratively divided...
, which served as the administrative center of the area, turns south-west. On the right-hand bank Pinezhsky Nature Reserve
Pinezhsky Nature Reserve
Pinezhsky Nature Reserve, Pinezhsky Zapovednik is the nature reserve in the north of Russia, located in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, on the right bank of the Pinega River and on both banks of the Sotka River, the source of the Kuloy River. It was established August 20, 1974...
has been established. Further downstream, the Pinega crosses into the Kholmogorsky District. Its mouth is in the historical settlement of Ust-Pinega.
The river is navigable within 580 km from its mouth, downstream from the village of Gorka, however, there is no passenger navigation. At one point, several kilometers upstream from the settlement of Pinega
Pinega
Pinega is a settlement, formerly a town, in Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River . It serves as the administrative center of Pinezhsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is administratively divided...
, the river comes within a distance of several kilometers to the course of the Kuloy
Kuloy River (White Sea)
The Kuloy is a river in Pinezhsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Kuloy are the Kyolda , the Nemnyuga , and the Soyana...
. In this place, the Kuloy-Pinega Canal
Kuloy-Pinega Canal
Kuloy-Pinega Canal is a canal connecting the Kuloy River and the Pinega River in Northern Russia at their closest points. The length of the canal is...
was constructed in 1926—1928, however, currently the canal is pretty much neglected.
History
The area was originally populated by Finno-Ugric peoplesFinno-Ugric peoples
The Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. In 13th century the Novgorod merchants already reached the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
. The Pinega was used by Novgorod merchants as the source of fur and also as the trading route to the basin of the Pechora River
Pechora River
The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
.
From the Northern Dvina, there were a number of ways into the basin of the Mezen
Mezen River
The Mezen is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Leshukonsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. Mezen is one of the biggest rivers of European Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...
(from where the merchants could get to the basin of the Pechora
Pechora River
The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
and the Ob
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
). Two options included going upstream the Pinega and taking the boats by land to the Kuloy
Kuloy River (White Sea)
The Kuloy is a river in Pinezhsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Kuloy are the Kyolda , the Nemnyuga , and the Soyana...
and to the Mezen, or using the Pukshenga
Pukshenga River
The Pukshenga is a river in Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
and the Pokshenga River
Pokshenga River
The Pokshenga is a river in Vinogradovsky and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
s to get to the Pinega, and then from the Yezhuga
Yezhuga River
The Yezhuga is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributary is the Yeyuga...
taking boats by land to the Zyryanskaya Yezhuga and the Vashka.