Great Mother Volga:
| Cruise Schedule: | |
| Great Mother Volga Classic: | |
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Rostov-on-Don - Moscow: April 26 - May 15, 2009 (20 Days) |
Rostov-on-Don - St. Petersburg: April 30 - May 19, 2009 (20 Days) |
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Moscow - Rostov-on-Don: September 18 - October 7, 2009 (20 Days) |
St. Petersburg - Rostov-on-Don: September 22 - October 11, 2009 (20 Days) |
| From St. Petersburg to Astrakhan, from Astrakhan to Moscow | |
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Moscow - Astrakhan: September 21 - October 04, 2009 (14 Days) |
Astrakhan - Moscow: May 11 - May 24, 2009 (14 Days) |
Volga River Cruises
Click on a cruise date you are interested in to the right to find out more information.
The Volga is the largest river in Europe. It is often called the national river of Russia. No wonder, that 11 out of the 20 largest cities of Russia, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga basin.
Russians explain hydronym Volga from slavic word “vlaga” that means "wetness". The Russians’ deep feeling for the Volga is reflected in their culture and literature, starting from the 12th century.
The Volga is the longest river in Europe. Its length equals to 2,294 miles. Rising 738 ft above sea level north-west of Moscow and about 199 mi south-east of Saint Petersburg, the Volga heads east, then it turns south and discharges into the Caspian Sea at 92 ft below sea level. The Volga has many tributaries, and together they form the Volga river system. Major tributaries are Kama River at the left and Oka River at the right. The Volga delta is the largest one in Europe, and it is the only place in Russia where one can find pelicans, flamingoes, and lotuses. During the years of Stalin's industrialization the Volga has been widened for navigation purposes. The river plays a great role in inland shipping and transport. All the dams are equipped with large ship locks to let the vessels of large dimensions travel from the Caspian Sea to the upstream end of the river.
The Volga-Don Canal enables the connection with the Don River and the Black Sea, while connections with the northern lakes Ladoga and Onega, Saint Petersburg and the Baltic Sea are possible through the Volga-Baltic Waterway. The way to Moscow is available through the Moscow Canal, which connects the Volga and the Moskva rivers.
Such an infrastructure for large vessels stretches for many thousands of kilometers. A number of companies operate passenger and cargo vessels on the river.The improving contacts between the European Union, the United States and Russia have contributed to a deeper access to the Russian inland waterways.