That is, somewhere at the bottom of the Volga, completely silted up, dozens of military mines from the Great Patriotic War were equipped with various fuses, including acoustic fuses, and are still there today.

It seems that many Russians' native Volga has been extensively studied. Since ancient times, people have traveled and transported goods along this natural transportation artery. The course of this great river is entirely controlled by a series of reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations. However, reports of various accidents on the Volga often appear in the media. Beneath its waves lurk many dangers, most of which are of people's own making.

German Mines

In 1942-1943, fascist pilots dropped hundreds of bottom mines on the stretch of river from Saratov to Astrakhan. The fact is that Soviet tankers transported Azerbaijani oil up the Volga River and then transported it by water to the central region of the country. The German command intended to completely prevent the possibility of transporting oil for the Soviet Union. In order to achieve victory, the Germans had to deprive the Red Army of fuel. As a result, German pilots bombed tankers, river docks, and waterways.

Co-author of the book "The Shadow of the Air Force in the Volga Region". German air raids on the industrial centers of the USSR in 1942-1943" (Moscow, 2014) Dmitry Degtev and Dmitry Zubov. They noted that after the completion of hostilities in this area of ​​the front, Soviet engineers and minesweepers managed to destroy 242 Mines. Another 20 fascist shells recorded by our observation post were also missing: some German planes dropped their deadly cargo, which may have gone unnoticed, somewhere at the bottom of the Volga. Completely silted dozens of military mines from the Patriotic War period, equipped with various fuzes, including acoustic fuzes, are still there today. According to researchers, each such projectile contains 300 to 680 kilograms of TNT, etc. Effectively powerful charges, which are guaranteed to destroy almost all river vessels in the event of an explosion

Ice Jam

writer Alexander Chernyshev in his book "They died without fighting." Disasters of Russian ships from the 18th to the 20th centuries. (Moscow, 2012) talks about several cases of ships in the Volga Estuary being damaged or destroyed by ice. For example, in March 1743, the Chepura and Swan shmaks met such an unenviable fate. The ship "Nightingale" was also covered in ice, it happened in October 1778. And in November 1919, the steamer "Communist" was almost lost for the same reason.

In fact, ice jams seriously complicated navigation on the lower Volga River. This question is the subject of a joint article by Vladimir Novikov, a graduate student at Astrakhan State Technical University, and Petr Bukharitsin, a doctor of geographical sciences, "The impact of hydrometeorological factors on Astrakhan Impact on the operation of port complexes in the Khan region", the article was published in the magazine "Vestnik ASTU" (2nd in 2009).

Researchers pointed out that periodic severe frosts in the Volga estuary can lead to sharp fluctuations in water levels, ice formation on ships themselves and port mechanisms. For example, if the ferry is at a dock, it can easily freeze to the dock and lose the opportunity to leave the shore.

In addition, ice on a ship reduces its stability, which can cause the ship to capsize in a storm.

bottom current

Candidate of technical sciences Elena Shumakova wrote the article "Special hydrodynamic effects through hydroelectric power installations", which was published in the Samara Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences Journal" (Volume 12, Issue 1). 1, 2010). The researchers pointed out that due to the operation of hydroelectric power stations, a series of long-wave disturbances appeared in the water of the Volga River.

The discharge of water from hydroelectric power plants seriously increases the speed of water flow in this place, not only on the surface of the Volga, but also at its bottom. Although these wave disturbances gradually receded, recording ceased only 8 km from the spillway dam. As a result, soil and unreinforced banks can erode in shallow water.

Shipwrecks

Another hidden danger in the waters of the Volga is related to the many sunken ships and piles of rotting logs that drifted along the river during Soviet times. Rusting shipwrecks polluted the water, as did the remains of diesel fuel seeping from crumpled fuel tanks. Operating ships and cargo ships may run the risk of encountering iron piles that can seriously damage the bottom of the ship.

No one knows how many sunken ships are hidden deep in the river. There are hundreds, even thousands. In the 1990s, for example, many owners of ships in a state of disrepair preferred to simply flood them when necessary to avoid spending money on expensive disposals. Old ferries, ships, fire boats, fishing boats - they're all rotting away somewhere underwater, slowing the flow of water.

By the way, in 2003 on the Kizan River, a tributary of the Volga estuary, the floating plant "Don" sank. Five years later, attempts were made to lift the 72-meter-long ship using powerful Volga cranes, but to no avail - the weight of the floating equipment was too great and the cables simply broke.

Shoals and Placer Mines

Although Russia spends a lot of money on its annual dredging budget, there are frequent media reports about ships running aground on the Volga River.

Overall, this great river has never been easy to navigate. Therefore, even the famous "Brockhouse and Efron Encyclopedia Dictionary" of the early 20th century told readers that the large shoals located in the lower reaches of the Volga River are called placer mines. They even have their own names: "Knyazhya", "Kharbaiskaya", "Shadinskaya" and "Rakushinskaya". These placer deposits greatly impede navigation.

Today many shoals are formed on the Volga, as mentioned in the above article by V.I. Novikov and P.I. Bukharitin. Researchers noted that during the summer, many ships were forced to idle due to insufficient water levels. In addition, inaccurate loading and unloading of bulk materials measured in tonnes falling into the river resulted in shoals in the port area.

Chemicals and Wastewater

VolgaRiver water is also dangerous because it contains highly toxic chemicals. This is not surprising, since almost half of Russia's industrial and agricultural enterprises are concentrated in large river basins. Sewage from many cities polluted the Volga River.

The scientific book "Ecological Conditions of the Volga River" co-authored by Astrakhan State Technical University graduate student Tatyana Dedikova and Professor Petr Bukharitsin was published in the "ASTU Bulletin" (Issue 1, 2010). It said the water quality of the river was deteriorating every year due to increased human loading.

"Environmental pollution in the Volga basin is 3-5 times higher than the average level of the Russian Federation. The proportion of environmentally friendly water resources in the total surface water resources does not exceed 3%," T.N. Dedikov and P.I. Bukharizin.

Researchers found that the permissible concentrations of chloride, sulfate, ammonium , nitrite and nitrate, as well as phosphate and petroleum products in the Volga River water are many times higher.