The Republic of Mordovia is one of the subjects of the Russian Federation, located in the European part of the country. In this article, we will tell you in detail about the main natural features and hydrography of the region. In addition, here you will find a description of the rivers of Mordovia - Sura, Moksha, Issa and other significant watercourses of the republic.
Geography of Mordovia: a brief overview
The Republic of Mordovia is located in the eastern part of the Russian Plain, 400 kilometers southeast of Moscow. It borders on Chuvashia, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Penza and Ryazan regions. The area of the region is 26.13 sq. km, and the population is about 800 thousand people. The capital of the republic is the city of Saransk.
From the point of view of orography and relief, the territory of Mordovia can be conditionally divided into two parts: the western plain and the eastern elevated. The maximum point on the earth's surface is 324 meters above sea level. The climate in Mordovia is temperate continental with a pronounced seasonality, up to 500 mm of precipitation falls in the region a year.
On the territory of the republicThere are landscapes of three types: steppe, meadow and forest. Oaks, ash-trees, maples, elms, birches, spruces and pines grow in the forests of Mordovia. The fauna is typical for the forest-steppe natural zone. Moose, wild boars, hares, foxes, squirrels, muskrats, beavers, martens, jerboas and other species of animals are found here.
The ethnic composition of the population of Mordovia is represented by Russians (53%), Tatars (5%), as well as Mordovian ethnic groups (about 40%) - Mokshans and Erzyans. Administratively, the territory of the republic is divided into 22 districts. There are seven cities, 13 urban-type settlements and over a thousand villages in Mordovia.
Rivers and lakes of Mordovia
The total number of natural watercourses (rivers and streams) in Mordovia is 1525. This is quite a large number for such a small region. If you look at the physical map of the republic, you can see that its surface is evenly and quite densely “decorated” with thin blue veins. Here is the full-flowing Alatyr, and the measured Sivin, and the unusually winding Moksha…
Rivers in Mordovia are fed mainly by groundwater and rainfall. Low water on them is established in early June and lasts until about mid-October. Freeze usually forms in the first decade of December. By the end of winter, the thickness of the ice shell on the Mordovian rivers can reach 40-60 centimeters, and in especially severe winters - up to one meter.
The main rivers of Mordovia are the Sura and Moksha. All other watercourses of the republic belong to their basins. But they all eventually carry their waters to the majesticVolga. The ten largest rivers of the Republic of Mordovia are listed below:
- Moksha.
- Sura.
- Insar.
- Sivin.
- Issa.
- Alatyr.
- Wad.
- Windray.
- Rudnya.
- Drunk.
Mordovia can safely be called a lake region. The total water area of natural reservoirs of the republic is 21,000 hectares, which corresponds to 0.9% of the total area of the region. Most of the lakes of Mordovia are oxbow lakes (the oxbow lakes are fragments of old river channels) and are located in floodplains. The largest of them is Inerka. From the Erzya language, the name of this reservoir is translated as “great lake”.
Next, we will briefly tell you about the largest rivers of Mordovia.
Sura
Sura flows along the southeastern outskirts of the republic, playing the role of its natural border with the neighboring Ulyanovsk region. It is the third largest tributary of the Volga and the second longest river in Mordovia (120 km within the region).
Sura is a typical flat river, one of the most picturesque on the Volga Upland. The watercourse is characterized by moderate sinuosity, a sandy-pebbly bottom, an abundance of shoals and spits. The right bank of the river is usually steep and precipitous, with outcrops in the form of chalk or limestone rocks. The left bank is lower and more gentle. Sandy beaches on it alternate with thickets of willow and shrubs.
The Sura channel within Mordovia is ideal for simple tourist kayaking. There are several children's camps and recreation centers on the banks of the river. There are many lakes in the floodplain of the Sura, including the already mentioned Inerka.
Moksha
Moksha is the largest river in Mordovia. Within the region, its length is 320 km, which is equal to half of the total length of this watercourse. Moksha begins in the Penza region. In Mordovia, it receives a number of large tributaries - Issa, Sivin, Urey, Satis and others. The mouth of the Moksha is also located outside of Mordovia. The river flows into the Oka already in the Ryazan region.
Moksha is a flat river with a calm flow. Its channel forms many meanders and oxbow lakes. The left bank of the river is steep almost throughout its entire length, and the right bank is gentle, which is not typical for the watercourses of the Northern Hemisphere. The width of Moksha varies from 5 meters in the upper reaches to a record 85 meters near the city of Krasnoslobodsk.
Alatyr
Alatyr is the largest tributary of the Sura. Within the boundaries of Mordovia is the middle and lower reaches of the river. The length of this watercourse within the republic is 130 kilometers.
Alatyr is distinguished in the relief by a fairly wide floodplain. So, near the village of Kemlya, its width reaches five kilometers. In the spring, almost all of this space is periodically flooded with water. At the same time, the width of the Alatyr channel itself does not exceed 80 meters. Both banks of the river are steep and precipitous, and there are many lakes and marshes in the valley.
Insar
This is the largest inland river of Mordovia. Insar originates in the vicinity of the village of Aleksandrovka, and then flows through the central part of the republic. The watercourse is characterized by snow feeding. Insar freezes in November, andopens - in early April.
A number of cities, towns and villages are strung on this river, like beads, including the capital of the region, Saransk. By the way, it was on the banks of the Insar that the Mordovia Arena, a football stadium that hosted four matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, was built. It is curious that the city of Insar is not located on the watercourse of the same name, but on the Issa River.
Drunk
Another major tributary of the Sura captures a small piece of Mordovian land - the Pyana River. It flows through the territory of the Bolsheignatovsky district for only 28 kilometers. The width of the Pyana channel in Mordovia does not exceed 5-7 meters. Within the region, its appearance varies from brook-type stretches to wider sections dammed by village bridges.
The etymology of the name of the river is curious. There are several hypotheses about this. The most common and most obvious version associates the hydronym with the bizarre and unusual sinuosity of the watercourse itself. Here is how the Russian writer and publicist Melnikov-Pechersky wrote about this river:
Even by the first Russian inhabitants, the Drunken River was nicknamed for the fact that it staggers, dangles in all directions, like a drunken woman, and, having passed five hundred miles in twists and turns, runs up to its source and almost pours into Sura near it.
Issa
Issa is one of the right tributaries of the Moksha. The length of the river within the Republic of Mordovia reaches almost a hundred kilometers, and the catchment area is 1800 square meters.km. The maximum width of Issa is 50 meters, and the depth of its channel does not exceed one and a half meters. In Mordovia, the river takes in the waters of 33 small tributaries. The total length of the Issa river system, together with all its tributaries, is relatively small - only 480 kilometers.
Sivin
Sivin is the right tributary of the Moksha, 124 kilometers long. The river flows out of a swamp near the village of Pushkino. This, by the way, is the largest river in Mordovia, the basin of which is located entirely within the republic.
The river is fed by mixed, Sivin provides its water content both due to rain and snowmelt waters. During the summer low water period, it also feeds on underground sources. The width of the channel reaches 30 meters in the lower reaches. The river is quite deep (up to 3 meters). The bottom is mostly sandy, sometimes rocky (in particular, near the village of the same name Sivin). Within Mordovia, the river receives 12 tributaries. The largest among them are Ozhga, Avgura and Shishkeevka.
Wad
Vad is another major tributary of the Moksha, the source and mouth of which are located outside of Mordovia. The river begins in the Penza region and flows into the Moksha already on the territory of the Ryazan region. The total length of the watercourse is 222 km, within the borders of the republic - 114 km. In Mordovia, Vad receives the waters of several tributaries. The largest among them are Partza and Yavas.
The feeding of the river is mixed, with a predominance of snow. The depth of the channel varies from one meter to 20-30 centimeters in the riffles. In Mordovia, Vad flows mainly through wooded and swampyarea.
