One of the most beautiful rivers in the Ulyanovsk region, the Sura, begins in the Surskaya Shishka area. This hill, giving rise to a turbulent river, has been declared a natural monument. Just below the Surskaya Shishka, the Sura river crosses the eastern part of the Penza region, and then, after a sharp bend near the village of Sursky Ostrog, again
is returning to the Ulyanovsk region. Flowing through a trapezoidal valley, the Sura gives life to eleven tributaries, including the large Barysh, and flows into the mighty Volga.
Sura is a stormy river. It is famous for its rapid current, sharp turns in the channel, long sandy spits and steep banks. The river is fed by melted snow, numerous small springs and underground waters. Due to this, the water in the sources of the Sura is very clean and cold. The banks of the river were overgrown with tall golden pines, and in its floodplain and at the watersheds many small lakes and forest swamps formed. In the spring, Sura leaves its shores and overflows for two kilometers or more.
Before the revolution, this river was known for its fish - it was very tasty and valued much more than fish from the Volga. In those days, huge catfish, pikes, chubs, sterlet and smaller species such as roach were found in the river. Barbaric and uncontrolled capture depleted her we alth. Now the blue Sura is interesting mainly for tourists and athletes, because it is through it that one of the most picturesque kayaking routes in Russia runs. In the spring, during the flood, the river is “conquered” mainly by professional athletes, and novice tourists visit Sura in the summer, when the river calms down a little
i.
The route starts in the village of Tyukhmenevo, passes by Chaadaevka, Penza, Alatyr and Shumerlya, and ends in Vasilsursk. The length of the Sura from Tyukhmenevo to Vasilsursk is 850 kilometers. The beginning of the route is always difficult, because at the source of the Sura River is especially obstinate. The brave ones who decide to go the route in early spring will have to kayak their way through the flooded bushes. The river returns to its permanent course after the May holidays.
At the source, the river bed is very narrow, in some places its width does not exceed three meters. The Sura River becomes much wider after the Trueev tributary flows into it. The river calms down, its flow becomes slower, and the banks are covered with pine forests. However, the curves in Sura are still steep and make the route difficult. They become larger and smoother after the place where the Teshnjar flows into the river. Further, Sura becomes even wider, and small sands appear along its banks
some beaches.
The twenty-kilometer Penza reservoir fed by Sura begins beyond Kanaevka, and numerous obstacles await tourists in front of Penza - sand bars, islands and shoals. Beyond Penza, the banks of the river become gentle, and the Sura flows smoothly and calmly. Sura is especially good in the spring, near the village of Prokazna. There the river is surrounded by flowering gardens, and near Aleksandrovka it adorns itself with imposing limestone and chalk cliffs. Below the river is surrounded by rocky banks, it becomes deep and navigable. The lower reaches of the river are calm but fast.
Each high water changes the face of the river. It "acquires" new shoals, spits and oxbow lakes. Thanks to such changes, the route is not boring. Constantly renewing, the Sura River brings new experiences to tourists every year.
