The southernmost of the largest water arteries in Russia - the Kuban River - is rightfully considered the main river of the North Caucasus.
Having made a long (almost thousand kilometers) journey from the picturesque slopes of Elbrus through the endless expanses of Stavropol and the Krasnodar Territory, it brings its waters to the Temryuk Bay of the Sea of Azov. Almost all tributaries of the Kuban begin on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus and carry their waters from its left bank. On the right side, not a single significant tributary flows into it, and therefore the river basin stands out for its pronounced asymmetric structure. Starting from the source, the Kuban is a mountain river, and in the middle and lower parts it is flat. The water in it is distinguished by its turbidity. Every year, about 9 million tons of suspended sediments are carried to the mouth by the current. Approximately a hundred kilometers from the mouth of the Kuban River, it is separated by the navigable right arm of the Channel. From this place begins a wide delta, the area of which is more than 4 thousand square kilometers. This swampy area, often flooded during the flood period, is called the Kuban plavni.
Where the Kuban River got its name from is not fully understood. It is believed that itcomes from a modified pronunciation of the Turkic name of the river Kuman (meaning "river"). In more ancient times, it was called Gopanis (translated from ancient Greek - "violent, strong river"). She was also called Psyzh (which is translated from Adyghe as “ancient river”, another option is “mother river”).
With the passage of time, not only the name of the river changed, but also its course. Where the Kuban Delta is currently located, there used to be a large bay of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, stretching from Taman to Krasnodar. However, over time, mainly due to tectonic reasons and due to mud volcanoes, the territory of the Taman Peninsula changed its landscape. As a result, instead of a bay, a lagoon formed, delimited by an isthmus of land, which eventually became even larger. The result was that now there is a delta in place of the sea. But back in the 19th century, the Kuban River flowed into the Black Sea Kiziltash estuary through the Old Kuban. Subsequently, her path in this direction was closed.
The river is important for the entire North Caucasus region. Distinguished by a violent temper and a fast current in the upper part, as it approaches the Sea of Azov, it becomes more and more calm, and downstream from the city of Ust-Labinsk, the Kuban is navigable. In addition, the Kuban River is a source of fresh water, and also drives the turbines of several hydroelectric power plants, providing the region with electricity. The established tradition to settle on the banks of rivers, in particular, in the Kuban,gave life to big and small cities: Armavir, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Slavyansk-on-Kuban and many others.
Kuban is a great place to relax. The river is extremely popular among lovers of rafting. In addition, it is famous for its fish. Stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, bream, pike perch, ram, roach, zherikh, carp, crucian carp, perch and many other species of fish are found here.
