The Upa River is one of the most picturesque tributaries of the Oka. It flows through the Tula region of Russia and is very popular with fishing enthusiasts. In addition, there are many interesting sights on its banks that deserve the attention of lovers of history and architecture.
Description
The Upa River, sung in the works of the great Russian writers Tolstoy, Turgenev and Bunin, has a basin area of 9,510 sq. km, its length is 345 km, and its width varies between 30-40 meters. It begins on the Volovsky Plateau and flows within the borders of the Central Russian Upland. Before Tula, the waters of Upa, which forms several large loops, move north. Then its channel turns to the west and flows into the Oka near the village of Kuleshovo.
The river is mostly fed by snow. The high water lasts from the last days of March to the beginning of May. At the same time, the average annual water consumption at a distance of 89 km from the mouth of the Upa is up to 40.2 cubic meters. m/s. The freezing of the river occurs at the end of November during December and opens around the end of March - at the beginning of April.
OnOn the banks of the Upa are the cities of Tula and Sovetsk, as well as the village of Odoev.
Current
At first, the Upa is narrow and flows northward through open country. Near the city of Sovetsk, a reservoir with an area of 5.7 square meters was built on it. km. Behind its dam, Upa has a stable level and steep picturesque banks, overgrown with mixed forest. Beyond the village of Prilepy, the river is crossed by the Tula highway.
Below the confluence of the right tributary of the Shata into the Upa, it leaves the zone of green massifs and continues to flow between the fields. Further along its path is Tula, and it becomes a rather full-flowing river with steep, open banks and a wide valley.
After passing the village of Ketri, Upa makes a turn and, changing the direction of the current, moves to the southwest. This section, up to the village of Novoe Pavshino, is a great place for fishing.
Below the village of Nikolskoe, rapids and rapids begin, and then the Upa flows through the Krapivenskaya notch. In this area, the floodplain of the river is swampy in some places, and the banks are covered with dense mixed forest. Having passed the village of Yartsevo, Upa leaves the notch and creates several meanders. The river flows into the Oka just above the city of Chekalin.
History
Researchers believe that the name Upa comes from the B altic word "upe", which translates as "river".
It is known that the basin of this tributary of the Oka was already inhabited at the beginning of the Iron Age. There, about 6 c. BC e lived East B altic carriers of the Upper Oka culture, who founded the ancient settlement of Radovishte. Later, inIn the 5th-7th centuries AD, they were assimilated representatives of the golyad tribe, and 500 years later they suffered the same fate, and they disappeared into the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi.
Upa and its tributaries in Tula
In 1741-1831, 10 rivers flowed through the city. Among them, besides Upa, were Tulitsa, Khomutovka, Funnel, Bezhka, Rogozhnya, Rzhavets, Trostyanka, Serebrovka and Sezha. At the moment, only 6 rivers have survived, and some are more like streams. Relatively recently, the Upa River was navigable, and barges moved along it. Today it has become much shallower and divides Tula into 2 unequal parts.
Interesting facts
At the beginning of the 18th century, when locks were built on the Oka, Upa became part of the shipping route leading from central Russia to the sea along the Oka, Shat and to the Don through Ivan Lake. The first caravan of ships passed along this route in 1707. However, after the attention of Peter the Great switched to the B altic, the route lost its relevance. At the same time, the Upa River was intensively used as a transport artery to meet local needs until the middle of the last century.
Street
This is the right tributary of the Upa. It has a length of 38 km and a meandering channel. The river flows through the city from the village of Medvenki to the confluence with the Upa River at the Zarechensky Bridge. The Tulitsa floodplain is quite swampy and is a place potentially dangerous for flooding. For this reason, it is not built up and is a corner of virgin nature within the city limits.
Sights on the banks of Upa
Tula is a city famous for its monuments. Among them there are those that are located on the banks of the Upa. In particular, this river flows through the territory of the park named after Demyan Poor, and also near the Chulkovsky cemetery, where the famous Levsha was buried in the 19th century. In addition, a few years ago, the embankment of the Upa River was decorated with a beautiful snow-white rotunda, from the platform in front of which a magnificent view opens up. It quickly became a favorite place for Tula newlyweds who come there to be photographed. The rotunda is also notable for the fact that opposite it, on the other side of the Upa, there is one of the main tourist sites of the city - the Museum of Weapons. By the way, the “joint” photograph of these two architectural symbols of Tula, together with the adjacent section of the embankment, is the main decoration of most tourist brochures dedicated to the region.
Upa River: fishing
The rivers of the Tula region are very popular with those who like to sit with a fishing rod. In particular, this river is found tasty, fatty and large roach. Moreover, the largest specimens are caught, as a rule, closer to the Oka. You can successfully catch roach for spinning near the village of Sergeevskoye, where Upa is crossed by the Tula highway and the entrance to the river can be made without problems at any time of the year. The main fish are perch and small pike, which can be caught in fairly large quantities.
Chubs, minnows, ruffs, catfish, breams, burbots, zanders, carps and bleaks are also found in the waters of the Upa River.
Alloy
Outdoor enthusiasts canadmire the beauty of Upa's landscapes, overcoming it in a kayak. The best place to start such a mini-trip is the Upa (Tula) river embankment near the railway bridge, which is located 0.5 km from the station.
On the section from the city to Krapivna you will meet several active and destroyed dams. Therefore, approaching them, you will need to pull the kayak out of the water and carry it out. Below the city of Tula, the Upa River is polluted with sewage for about 25 km, and this section should be tried to pass quickly.
There are practically no beaches on the banks of the river. In addition, for a significant part of the way, it will be difficult for you to find a place to exit. At the same time, the bottom of the river is for the most part rocky-silty, and after Odoev, thickets of willow come across very often near the water's edge. The most interesting begins after overcoming the mouth of the Upa, as there are already many beaches and open shores. You can complete your journey on the right bank of the Oka, reaching the bridge on the Kozelsk-Kaluga highway.
Now you know the name of one of the most beautiful rivers in the Tula region. The sights located on its banks, as well as luxurious landscapes, deserve to be seen. Almost all areas of the Upa River can be easily reached by boat, so it is best to explore everything from the water.
