Psel is a river flowing through the expanses of the East European Plain. Left tributary of the Dnieper-Slavutich. Since ancient times, people have settled on the banks of this picturesque river. And today it attracts the attention of fishermen, tourists and ordinary vacationers.
Psel: a river with a strange name
The seventh longest river in Ukraine has a rather unusual name. Historians and linguists have not yet come to a consensus regarding the origin of this hydronym. Slavic, Greek, Finno-Ugric and even Adyghe roots are attributed to him.
Where does the outlandish word "Psel" come from? The river was first mentioned in the famous work of Nestor the chronicler "The Tale of Bygone Years" dated 1113. Some researchers associate its name with the Old Slavic root "pys", which means "moist place". Others suggest that it comes from the Greek word "psellos" (dark).
Psel is a mysterious, mysterious and very beautiful river. It is no coincidence that the outstanding director Alexander Dovzhenko often shot it for his films (near the villageJaresky). By the way, the beauty of this river was revealed to the director by another famous figure of Ukrainian culture - artist and architect Vasily Krychevsky.
Geographic description of the river
Where does the river Psel flow? The Poltava region is a region that accounts for half of its entire length (350 km). The total length of the river is 717 km.
Psel originates in Russia, on the slope of the Central Russian Upland (near the village of Prigorki). In its upper reaches, the river flows through the territory of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Then Psel crosses the Russian-Ukrainian state border near the ancient village of Zapselya. Further, the river flows mainly in a southwestern direction until it reaches the Dnieper.
Total area of the river basin - 22800 sq. km. Like many other lowland rivers, the channel of the Psla is winding, complicated by numerous oxbows and branches. The main source of the river's nutrition is melted snow water. Psel usually freezes completely by mid-December.
This river has one very unusual feature. After the village Shishaki, its left bank is much higher than the right one, which contradicts the law of the Coriolis force. According to this geographical rule, all the rivers of the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth have a steeper and higher right bank.
Economic use of the river
In the developed countries of the West, it has long been understood that it is profitable to build hydroelectric power plants only on mountain rivers. But in the Soviet Union they did not always think about expediency, and even more so about ecology. As a result: Psel in the second half of the twentieth century "overgrown"locks and small hydroelectric power plants, which significantly affected the organic world of the river.
Psel today is used for irrigation of agricultural land, water supply and recreation. The lower reaches of the river are navigable.
The largest settlements on the banks of the Psla: Sumy, Nizy, Gadyach, Bolshiye Sorochintsy, Shishaki, Balakleya, Belotserkovka.
Recreation and fishing on the river Psel
On Psle you can have a great rest and go fishing. In its waters, there are at least 35 species of fish, although the ichthyofauna of the river is highly heterogeneous. This means that for a good catch you need to find a good place. Nevertheless, bream and white bream are found in large quantities in Psla. On the reaches you can catch carp, and in the thickets - pike.
There are many different attractions along the banks of the river. These are sites of the Chernyakhov culture, mysterious Scythian settlements, ancient wooden temples and nature reserves.
Thus, the village of Gornal, Kursk region, is known for the complex of the Belogorsky St. Nicholas Monastery, founded on the banks of the Psla in 1672. Near the village of Miropolye, Sumy region, the river exposed the most beautiful chalk deposits.
There are many places along Psla that are associated with the creative activity of Ukrainian and Russian writers, composers, directors. So, for example, Anton Chekhov twice rested in Sumy, and Tchaikovsky worked in the village of Nizy for several years in a row. The famous Ukrainian writer Panas Mirny was born in Mirgorod, and in Velikie Sorochintsy- Nikolai Gogol.
Provincial and beautiful Sumy
Psel flows through dozens of different settlements. And the most interesting among them is the city of Sumy, founded in the middle of the 17th century.
Sumy is often called the most comfortable regional center of Ukraine. The city is very green and well-groomed. In addition, many architectural monuments of the 18th-19th centuries have been preserved here. Among them, it is worth highlighting the Transfiguration Cathedral - a real masterpiece of Ukrainian baroque. The chimes for the bell tower of the cathedral were specially made in England. In Sumy there is another beautiful temple - Trinity. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and combines several architectural styles at once.
The symbol of the city is also considered the Sumy gazebo. This openwork wooden structure was erected in 1905. During city holidays, a brass band plays in the gazebo.
In conclusion…
The Psel River flows through two regions of Russia and two regions of Ukraine. Its total length is 717 kilometers.
Like many other flat rivers of Eastern Europe, Psel is very beautiful and picturesque. On its green shores it is pleasant to go fishing or just take a break from life's hardships. Along the river there are many ancient cities, villages, as well as interesting tourist attractions.
