Central Russia is rich in beautiful places with a curious history. Many unique and little known corners of nature. The Gus River is known mainly due to the city of Gus-Khrustalny. Although the drain itself deserves attention from an ethnic (name) point of view, and as an excellent object for the further development of tourism.
Description
The Central Russian Upland, where the Gus River is located, part of the East European Plain. This largely determines the nature of the current and the line of the coast. It flows through two regions - Vladimir and Ryazan, and is the left tributary of the Oka. It originates at an altitude of 127 m above sea level near the village of Arsamaki, Gus-Khrustalny district, Vladimir region, and there are several sources. The mouth (height above sea level - 83 meters) forms a small lake near the Zabeleno pier (Kasimovsky district, Ryazan region). Feature:
- length –146 km;
- pool - 3910 km2;
- depth - up to 2 meters;
- width - from 5 to 20 meters;
- height – 127meters;
- slope - 0.34 meters per kilometer;
- water system: Oka - Volga - Caspian Sea;
- shores are gentle;
- spills in spring;
- ice stays from November to April;
- the largest settlement is Gus-Khrustalny.
There are more than three hundred lakes in the region, the total area of the water surface in the region reaches 33 thousand hectares. Two navigable rivers Oka and Klyazma with numerous tributaries create a unique ecosystem. Picturesque beaches and the presence of fish make the area attractive for tourists. There are camp sites and dispensaries on the river.
The Gus River flows in a southerly direction, eventually through the Oka, and then the Volga, its waters enter the Caspian Sea. Throughout its length, it winds strongly, then speeds up, narrowing to 4 meters, then slows down, spilling up to 20 meters. The banks are mostly wooded, occasionally the river flows through the meadows. The bottom is sandy, there are magnificent natural beaches.
Tributaries
Despite its relatively small size, the Gus River (Vladimir region) is full-flowing in spring and floods a vast territory in spring. Filling with water is provided not only by its own mouths, but also by numerous tributaries. Gus cannot boast of a large number of them, but they are quite full-flowing.
Right:
- Ditch Smolyanaya – 122 km;
- Ninur – 77 km;
- Narma –20 km;
- Ninor (Barrel) – 90 km;
- Miserva – 49 km;
- Nysmur– 105 km;
- Dandur – 55 km;
- Pynsur - 100 km.
Left:
- Vekovka – 112 km;
- Sentur Creek (Black River) – 84 km;
- Kolp –12 km;
- Shershul (Enpush) – 103 km.
Reservoirs
The use of the Gus River by man is mainly for tourism purposes. Fans of outdoor activities open the river rafting season on May Day holidays. The absence of large settlements, the relatively calm flow of the river, good fishing and the presence of wild sandy beaches are the main advantages of the river.
Two artificial reservoirs in the first 24 kilometers of the watercourse can be considered human intervention. The first is called Aleksandrovskoe (or Anopino) reservoir, located half a kilometer from the village of Anopino. It was created in 1968 to irrigate fields. The second is called the city lake, it is located within the city of Gus-Khrustalny. Both are filled with spring runoff and groundwater.
At the beginning of the century, after the object was transferred to the disposal of the glass factory, the reservoir was reconstructed. Cleaning the bottom, strengthening the dam, organizing a place for swimming, car parking added to the attractiveness for tourists. However, cutting down of bushes on the banks has led to a decrease in the number of birds that nested here earlier. On the basis of the natural monument "Alexandrovskoye Reservoir" (of regional significance) in 2015, the reorganization into the "Gusevsky" reserve (complex) took place. The main task is to preserve unique objects of nature, especially valuable centuries-old trees, rare plant species.
A small lake in the center of the city is a favorite vacation spot for citizens. Attracts clear water, sandy yellow bottom, equipped city beach and boat station. An earth embankment (dam) appeared in 1850, now it is reinforced with concrete. Brief description:
- width 0.5 km;
- length 2.8 km;
- total area 0.86 km2;
- Coastline length 6.6 km;
- depth 6.5 m (maximum);
- total volume 2.31 million m³.
Floating islands are considered a curious phenomenon. In the process of erosion of the coast, small areas of soil with vegetation come off and begin to drift across the water area. Trees grow on separate islands. Up to 10 such floating objects can be observed simultaneously. Over time, the soil in them erodes and they collapse.
Flora and fauna
Plants and animals of the Gus River are typical for the Central regions of Russia. Of the mammals, there are beavers, however, already imported, the “indigenous” were completely exterminated at one time. There are muskrats and the Red Book Russian muskrat. Of the waterfowl, you can meet the mute swan, the black-throated diver, the wild duck, and the rare black stork. Fishermen are frequent visitors to the pond. Here they catch perch, pike, roach, asp, ide, verkhovka, crucian carp, loach and others.
Flora is rich with 1370 plant species. The banks are mostly occupied by shrubs and deciduous forest. There are thickets of reeds in the meadows.
Name
The Gus River is notable for its name. There are several versions regarding its origin:
- Finsko-Ugric. Some researchers believe that "goose" is consonant with the Finnish - "kuusi", which means spruce. This version is opposed by the fact that there are no spruce forests on the banks, there are pine forests, but they are not as numerous as deciduous forests. In the names of the tributaries, Avestan and Sanskrit roots are clearly traced, only the endings are Finno-Ugric.
- Slavic. The etymologist M. N. Makarov believed that the hydronym corresponds to the folk expression "water runs like a goose" - very winding. The very word "goose" has more than six thousand years. Literally translated from Sanskrit - walking on water.
- Totem. Many names of waterfowl in modern Russian came from the language of the Meshchera tribe: bittern, goose and others. The Gus River could be named after the totem of the tribe living in these places. There are many examples in Central Russia of rivers bearing the names of birds: Magpie, Hawk, Guslitsa and others.
A curious conclusion
Goose among many peoples was considered sacred, closely associated with the sun. The goose or goose was a sacrificial bird, the personification of the sun, rebirth and life itself. All three rivers are connected together by a sacred symbol:
- Goose is a sacred symbol of the sun.
- Oka - translated from the ancient Illyrian language (it is close to the language of the Proto-Slavs and B alts) - a goose, that is, a symbol of the sun, a solar sign.
- Volga, ancientname - Ra, god of the sun.
It turns out that the entire chain of rivers carries the charge of life, affirming the all-conquering power of the sun.
