The Salgir River in Crimea is considered one of the most important water arteries of the peninsula. In terms of its length, the watercourse ranks first. The riverbed crosses the capital of Crimea - the city of Simferopol. Let's take a closer look at this water stream.
Hydronym
The word "salgir" for a long time was associated not with this stream, but with all channels, both temporary and permanent. For example, these are the rivers that flow in such settlements as Y alta, Alushta, etc. Also, the Crimeans assigned this name to the channels, which, after prolonged precipitation in the form of rain, were filled with water.
There are two ways to decipher the word "salgir" as a hydronym for this river. The first is the Turkic dialect "salgyr" and "salgur". It is worth noting that this version is used even in several local directories. The second option is the translation from the Circassian language of the lexeme "sal" meaning "tributary", and "gir" - the beginning or source of water.
The river has many names - Salgir (basic), Salgir-baba, Salgir-father.
Meaning of the river
Territorially, the Salgir River is located in the center of the peninsula. Its capital is located on the bankswatercourse. For Simferopol, the significance of Salgir cannot be underestimated. The locals remember those times when the river was very clean. Some of the names of the city streets and the central avenue testify to its importance. Also, for a long time, a fairly popular socio-political publication was published, which was called "Salgir".
Location
At the junction of the two watercourses Kyzylkobinka and Angara, which are located on the Crimean peninsula, at an altitude of more than 390 meters above the Black Sea level, the Salgir River begins. Not far from Simferopol there is a large reservoir. The length of the stream is about 230 km. It includes more than 450 sources. The total area is almost 4 thousand square meters. km (3750 sq. km - according to some data, 4010 sq. km - according to others). But where does the Salgir river flow? It belongs to the basin of the Sea of Azov. It flows into the Sivash Bay, which separates the mainland from the peninsula.
The river covers the slopes of the Crimean mountains - Demerdzhi, Chatyr-Dag, Karabi-yayla. It flows along the Simferopol-Alushta highway. The largest source - Ayan, is located near the village of Zarechnoye (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir). It makes up almost all the underground waters of the Chatyr-Dag massif. The river flows into the Small Salgir. The river flows through the entire peninsula to the Sivash Bay and overflows with another large tributary called Biyuk, although earlier, on the contrary, the latter was considered the main channel.
The course of the Salgir River near the source is swift, as it passes through the mountains, but towards the middle it becomes much calmer.
Animal world
Not so long ago Salgir belongs to high-water streams. However, nowadays the river bed often dries up during the summer season. And only in the season of heavy rains it is filled with water, and the watercourse becomes full-flowing. Naturally, this feature was reflected in the fauna of these places. Professor N. A. Golovkinsky, at a forum of geologists back in 1895, expressed this about the animal world of the water stream: “In the 18th century, the Salgir River was so full of water that such fish species as sea trout, shemaya and goby were found in it.” Now here you can observe only unpretentious representatives. These are perch, roach, crucian carp, but trout has become a very rare guest.
Attractions
The main attraction and feature of the river is its size. The exact place where this river begins and ends is not known. There are several versions about the length indicator. On one - 232 km, on the other - 204 km.
Kyzyl-Koba cave, about which mystical legends go, is also very interesting and mysterious. The nature here is unique: there is also a mountain stream with a rapid current, in another place there is a fast waterfall, in a third place there is a smooth, calm and peaceful river. Tourists will have something to see.
The picturesque landscapes of the coastline and the Salgir River itself are displayed in many paintings, postcards, and are also described in poems and poems by famous authors. The peoples living in these places came up with many legends and tales, trying to explain certain events that occur with this watercourse.
Salgir as a source of water
Salgir irrigation system, which includes the Salgir watercourse, provides drinking water to the main city of Crimea - Simferopol. Also, the river, or rather its waters, are used for the needs of the thermal power plant. Crimean agricultural enterprises widely use Salgir resources for irrigation.
Existing problems
The Salgir River is currently going through hard times. The environment here is not the best. The coastline is very polluted, there is a lot of garbage everywhere, a significant proportion of which appears due to the irresponsibility of vacationers.
In addition, the constant scorching sun greatly affects the water artery of Crimea - it dries up, and only when precipitation falls (mainly in autumn), the watercourse replenishes its reserves.
The Salgir River is a place for tourism. Here you can combine several types of recreation from swimming to climbing to the tops of the mountains of the beautiful Crimea. Locals often have picnics and set up tent cities for the weekend. Also on the river bank you can find many architectural monuments, memorials, museums, thematic libraries, picturesque landscapes and, of course, take a walk in a beautiful park, breathing clean and he althy air.
