River banks have always been a place of concentration of human settlements, as they were a source of water, fish, and waterfowl. The Pinega River is no exception in this regard, since the oldest known reports that a settlement of the same name was located on its banks date back to the 12th century.
Name controversy
Scientists have not come to a consensus on the translation of the name of the river. Some of them were inclined to believe that it belongs to the Finnish language and consists of two words - "peni", which meant "dog", and "joki" - a river. There are no reasons why the first settlers called Pinega that way, since it does not at all resemble this animal in its outlines or shores.
Another opinion that the name is based on the same root, but from the B altic-Finnish ancient dialect, meaning "small", which again is not true, given that the length of the Pinega River is 779 km.
Whatever dialect this name comes from, it has taken root and continues to personify the beautiful river in the Arkhangelsk region.
Geographiclocation of the river
The confluence of two rivers - Belaya and Chernaya - on the right elevated bank of the Northern Dvina gave "life" to Pinega. Most of its channel is located in the floodplain, through which it slowly carries its waters, overflowing in spring floods and becoming shallow in summer.
In its lower reaches, the Pinega is very close to the Kula River, once there was a portage between them, and in our time they are connected by a canal built in the 20s of the XX century. Since time immemorial, merchants have used this portage to drag boats across a small land gap between rivers, which allowed them to get along the Kula to the Mezen Bay, which flows into the White Sea.
After the “meeting” with Kuloi, the Pinega River rushes southwest to the mouth of the Palenga. Passing her, she takes the western direction.
For more than 600 km, the Pinega River (Arkhangelsk Region) is navigable, which makes it included in the register of Russian waterways.
Water mode
With a basin of 42,000 km2, 90% forested, Pinega has a width of 20 m in the upper reaches and up to 190 m in its mouth, but everything changes during the flood. As a rule, the flood of the river is accompanied by a very rapid rise in water caused by the melting of snow. The peak of the Pinega flood occurs in May, and in general, the water discharge can range from 430 m3/s to 3000 m3/s. The maximum flood occurs during rain floods.
The first ice on the river forms a thin film at the endOctober, gradually turning into ice drift, but by the end of November it binds water and lasts an average of 180 days, acquiring a meter thickness.
When the ice begins to melt, sometimes the ice drift forms traffic jams, due to which the water level in the river rises from 1 m to 3 m, which most often happens in the area of the village of Pinega. That is why special ice cutters were installed here at one time, which should break hummocks and prevent flooding of the area.
In terms of chemical components, Pinega water is included in the class of hydrocarbonates, and its mineralization in winter is more than 300 mg/l, while in summer it is only 70 mg/l. If we talk about its purity, then the river is classified as moderately polluted, since the turbidity is 50 g/m3.
Description of the Pinega River
Where the banks of the river are 90% covered with forest, it can be called picturesque, but the feature of Pinega is the constantly changing relief of the coastline. This is due to the fact that in the middle and lower reaches it consists of gypsum and limestone deposits. Constantly washed away during floods, the banks slightly change their shape every year, either becoming higher or slightly falling off. In some places, steep banks form a beautiful canyon, reaching a height of 20 meters and forming, as it were, natural walls with a forest above, protecting the peace of its waters.
In the immediate vicinity of the water there are 2 villages - Pinega and Karpogory, which, despite their remoteness from civilization, are popular with lovers of extreme tourism and skiing.
No less interesting are the tributaries of the Pinega River, of which it has 12 from the left bank, and 7 from the right bank, but the main ones are Vyya, Ezhuga, Yula, Ilesha, Pokshenga, Shuiga, Yavzora and Tinga.
Vyya
Maybe in the language of the ancient Slavs the word "vyya" meant "neck", but today this name is associated with the designation of the left tributary of the Pinega River. With its length of 181 km, it covers 2 districts - Pinezhsky and Verkhnetoemsky, washing the Vyysky settlement with its middle and lower course.
Vyya is as picturesque as Pinega, which was noted by the Russian artist Vereshchagin during his journey through the Russian north. Framed by wooded hills, a calm current, sometimes interrupted by rifts due to single stones, makes rafting along this river a real holiday.
Vyisky settlement, formed in 2006, actually consists of the first villages, equipped here at the beginning of the 18th century. The first settlers were engaged in fishing, hunting and agriculture and were few in number. Today, the Vyyskoye settlement is inhabited by only 644 people, forming the Vyyskoye municipality.
Ezhuga
This right tributary of the Pinega, 165 km long, flows through the Arkhangelsk region, then passing to the lands of the Komi Republic. The name was also given to it by the Komi people, and it means "meadow river", which is completely true.
Indeed, with its lower part, the tributary passes through the swampy flat terrain, only getting into the upper reachesinto the "embraces" of the picturesque hills. The gently sloping banks of the river are suitable for fishing and camping. This is where you can really take a break from civilization, devoting time to nature - fishing, picking mushrooms and berries in the forests surrounding the river.
Sura River
At 395 km from the mouth of the Pinega, the Sura River flows into it, formed by the confluence of the Yuroma with the Surosora. Despite the small length of only 92 km, this river is quite densely populated. So on its banks in the lower reaches are the villages of Gora and Sluda, Pakhurovo and Markovo, while at the mouth there is a village of the same name, which is the center of the Sursk municipality.
In the widest part of the Sur does not exceed 37 m, and the depth is 0.5 m. The name meant that the Chuds (Finno-Ugric tribes) lived beyond the portage. Much later, people settled here who did not want to accept Christianity and did not renounce their pagan gods. The Chud culture and their customs, according to some ethnologists, are still alive in some settlements.
The name "Sura" first appears in the Novgorod chronicles of the beginning of the 12th century, as "The filthy Sura", which indicates the attitude towards those who did not want to accept Christianity. Of course, after a long time, the locals adopted a new faith for them, and the village of Sura became the birthplace of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt.
Ilesh tributary
In fact, this tributary of the Pinega has two names at once: in the eastern part of the Verkhnetoemsky district, where it originates, it is called the Small Ilesha, and only afterthe waters of Pinega Yentalu join him, he becomes Ilesha.
The largest settlement on the river is the village of Krasny, located 43 km from its mouth.
Sights of Pinega
This river is loved by fishermen, rafting enthusiasts, hunters, and just those who prefer the untouched beauty of their native land to overseas resorts. There are wonderful places for parking, and limestone steep banks (photos of the Pinega River confirm this) and impenetrable forests seem to take guests into the depths of centuries.
Tourists are especially interested in the famous karst caves, which for thousands of years have been carved into the limestone of the waters of the river. Their visit is possible mainly in winter, as they are flooded during the rest of the year, and the names speak for themselves about their beauty. There is a cave of the Snow Queen, Winter's Tale, Ice and Crystal, and they fully justify their names.
Ice stalactites and stalagmites welcome guests in their halls. In fact, there are a huge number of caves that are still waiting to be discovered by speleologists. To protect these natural monuments back in 1974, a reserve was organized in this place, the main task of which was to protect and preserve karst caves.
Salmon fishing on the Pinega River is no less interesting. In fact, sterlet, grayling, chub, roach, perch, dace, burbot and pike are also found here, so no one is left without a catch. Those who are accustomed to a comfortable stay can useservices of a tour operator and spend an unforgettable summer in a guest house in the village of Verkola or a tent camp right on the river bank. The nature in these parts impresses with a variety of reliefs. The village is located on a steep bank, surrounded on one side by hills and forests, and on the other by meadows.
The village is located in the middle reaches, but if you wish, you can rent a boat and go to the upper reaches of the Pinega River. Casting will not take long, but the fishing here is also excellent.
The famous prose writer Fyodor Abramov was born, worked and died in these places, whose house became his memorial museum.
The Pinega River is a beautiful and unspoiled corner of nature, where you should go if you want to take a break from the noise of civilization.
