Like all the big rivers of Siberia, the Lena flows to the North, flowing into the Laptev Sea, the marginal sea of the North Arctic Ocean. To some extent, Lena can be called a pioneer: after the melting of the glacier and the formation of flora and fauna, it was this river that was one of the first to blaze a path to the sea, exploring the endless taiga expanses of Siberia.
The name “Lena,” familiar to Russian speakers, has nothing to do with female name- this is only a derivative of the Evenki word Tungus-Manchu language group"Elu-Ene", which translates as " Big River" The Evenki hydronym was used by the discoverer of the river, the Russian explorer Pyanda (Penda), who explored the river in 1619-1623, following downstream from the modern region of Kirensk to Yakutsk. Like all the great rivers of Siberia, the Lena flows north, emptying into the Laptev Sea, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean.
the source of the Lena from a mountain lake near Baikal
GEOGRAPHY OF THE LENA RIVER
Photos of the Lena River
The question of what exactly is considered the source of the Lena is still open." latest versions indicate a mountain stream at an altitude of 1650 m. Following further along the channel, the waters of the Lena, depending on the conditions, change their character, showing all types of temperament: choleric - at the beginning of their journey, phlegmatic - in the middle reaches, sanguine in the lower and melancholic in delta.
According to the nature of the river flow, three sections are distinguished: from the source to the village of Kachug, from Kachug to Zhigansk the middle flow, and from Zhigansk to the mouth - the lower section.
Before the Manzurka River flows into it near the village of Kachug, Lena descends along the Baikal ridge and lies in the mountainous Cis-Baikal region, here its character can be compared to choleric. At small sizes in this part (width 5-7 m), its flow speed does not fall below 9 km/h.
Next, Lena follows to Ust-Kut and lower to the confluence of the Chaya and Vitim rivers, here her character becomes closer to phlegmatic. This is especially noticeable after the Olekma flows into it and a significant expansion of the channel from the village. News to Yakutsk, where it reaches 5 km. The slopes of the river in the middle reaches are most often covered with coniferous trees with occasional meadows appearing.
Then the river, in its undisturbed movement, expands even more, reaching 7-9 km in the riverbed even before the Aldan flows into it. And with Aldan and Vilyuy, which enters later, the width of the Lena reaches 10 km (up to 20 on island sections), and the depth exceeds 16-20 m. In the Zhigansk region, the Lena narrows and therefore its character becomes sanguine: the flow becomes lively and powerful, reaching its maximum strength.
LENA RIVER DELTA
About 150 km from the Laptev Sea, the vast Lena delta begins, where it rather melancholy dissipates into many parts. This is the world's largest river delta, stretching over 45,000 km2, larger than the world's most famous delta, the Nile River. The sluggish flow is divided by thousands of islands, forming channels and lakes, forming, closer to the sea, three main channels: the western - Olenekskaya, the middle Trofimovskaya and the eastern Bykovskaya. The last of them, reaching 130 km in length, is of key importance in river navigation; it is along it that ships reach Tiksi Bay and the port of the same name.
The Lena Delta contains the most important ecological territories: Ust-Lena reserves Delta and Sokol and the largest reserve in Russia “Lena-Ustye”. The reserves contain 402 plant species, 32 fish species, 109 bird species and 33 mammals.
In the endless expanses of Siberia, human life has always seemed as rare as an oasis in the desert.
Local peoples have existed for centuries in harmony with surrounding nature without encroaching on its laws. Even the appearance of Russians here, for short term from the end of the 16th century to late XVII V. who passed “meeting the Sun” to the Pacific Ocean did not change the relationship between man and nature.
HISTORY OF THE LENA RIVER
video river Lena
The development of the Lena banks by the Cossacks began in 1619, when explorers founded the Yenisei fort, which became the point of further forays to the Lena and Baikal. By that time, rumors about the "Big River", the banks of which are rich fur-bearing animal, had been walking among the Russian people for a long time, so with the advent of the “outpost” they immediately rushed to search for her. The river was approached from the north, along the Lower Tunguska to Vilyuy and from the south - from Yeniseisk. The discovery of Lena led to rapid penetration into Yakutia. Three forts were built. In 1632, the centurion of the Yenisei Cossacks, Pyotr Beketov, founded the Yakut (Lensky) fort, which became stronghold for trips to the east, to the Pacific Ocean and to the south, to Aldan and Amur. Vilyuisk was founded in 1634, and Olekminsk in 1635.
Fortified settlements (fortresses) quickly turned into cities.
In 1643, the Lensky fort was moved to a new, more comfortable spot, to the Tuymaada valley, long ago developed by the Yakuts, and then it received the status of a city and the name Yakutsk. Now it is the largest city on the banks of the Lena. For many centuries it was a support base for the study and development of Siberia. From here Dezhnev, Atlasov, Poyarkov, Khabarov and others set off on their journey. In Yakutsk in different time Bering, the Laptev brothers, and Chelyuskin visited. Since 1954, the diamond stage of the history of Yakutia began, which turns the Siberian settlement on the Lena into a rich city living in a European way.
In addition to Yakutsk, there are five cities on the Lena: Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk. They are playing important role transport hubs, including key river ports. The most famous of them, Osetrovo in Ust-Kut, is the largest river port in Russia: its annual cargo turnover is 600 thousand tons, and the length of its cargo berths exceeds 1.5 km. In the entire Lena basin it is the only one with connections to the railway, which is why it is called the “gateway to the North”. Largest ports The tributaries of the Lena are Bodaibo (on Vitim), Khandyga and Dzhebariki-Khaya (on Aldan).
Lena still remains the most important road in Siberia. “Northern deliveries” go along it to a large extent. The Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation on the Lena, but before the Vitim River flows into the Lena, not all of its sections are passable for large ships. Throughout the rest of its length, the Lena provides excellent conditions for water transport. True, the shipping period is limited per year to different areas rivers from 125 to 170 days.
The Lena flows in a permafrost zone, so both it and its main tributaries are fed mainly by melted snow and rainwater. During a flood, water rises by 6-8 m in the upper reaches and up to 10 m in the lower reaches. Spring ice drift turns into a powerful force and is often accompanied by large ice jams. Such congestion is precisely characteristic of rivers, the opening of which occurs from top to bottom downstream.
During freezing, ice forms on the river, which sometimes return certain sections of the river to glacial period. This happens when ice forms at the bottom, which displaces unfrozen water to the top. It gradually increases due to water freezing from above; as a result, the ice can rise several meters above the river level. The largest ice dams can stretch for tens of kilometers, turning into a kind of dam.
Among the main tributaries of the Lena (Sinaya, Vitim, Aldan, Nyuya, Olekma, Vilyui, Kirenga, Chuya, Molodo), the largest is Aldan with an average water flow at the mouth of 5060 m3/s and a basin area of 729,000 km2.
The Lena is a large river, the largest of the rivers in Russia, whose basin is entirely within the country's borders. People settle down around it, but the natural world is preserved.
GENERAL INFORMATION – Lena River
River in Russian Federation in Eastern Siberia.
Source: Baikal ridge.
Mouth: Laptev Sea.
The largest tributaries: Sinaya, Vitim, Aldan, Nyuya, Olekma, Vilyui, Kirenga, Chuya. Young, Muna.
The largest cities: Yakutsk, Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk.
The most important ports: Osetrovo (Ust-Kut), Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk, Yakutsk, Sangar. Tiksi.
The most important airports: Ust-Kut, Lenek, Yakutsk.
NUMBERS
Length: 4480 km.
Width: up to 20-30 km.
Basin area: 2,490,000 km2.
Average water flow at the mouth: 17,175 m3/sec.
Source height above sea level: 1650 m.
ECONOMY
Agriculture: crop production, livestock farming, fishing, hunting.
Service sector: tourism, transport shipping
Lena in the Irkutsk region
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Sharply continental.
Average January temperature: from -25ºС to -43ºС.
Average July temperature: from +17ºС to +30ºС.
Average precipitation: about 200 mm.
ATTRACTIONS OF THE LENA RIVER
■ Yakutsk: St. Nicholas Church (1852), tower of the Yakut fort (1685, reconstruction), former voivode’s office (1707), “Shergik mine” with a depth of 116.6 m (1828-1836), Spassky Monastery (1664)
■ Ust-Kut: water and mud therapy, local history museum.
■ Kirensk: the house of the Decembrist Golitsyn, ancient villages in the vicinity of the city.
■ Olekminsk: Spasskoye, Spassky Cathedral (1860), Alexander Nevsky Chapel (1891), memorial places of exiles.
■ Baikal-Lensky, Olekminsky, Ust-Lensky nature reserves; National natural Park“Lena Pillars”, nature reserves and resource reserves.
FUN FACTS
■ The Lena is the tenth largest river in the world in length.
■ The world market usually monitors oil and gas prices, but in the future there will be a net fresh water can become the most important strategic resource. Lena is one of the cleanest rivers in the world. There are no dams or hydroelectric power stations. In many places, river water can be drunk without boiling and without risk to health.
■ In its upper, rapid flow, over thousands of years the Lena, like a modernist sculptor, has carved bizarre forms of “fortress walls” into the rocks. Huge, majestic cliffs, the so-called “Lena Pillars,” rise along its banks just above Pokrovsk, reaching a height of 200-300 m. One of the difficult rifts was called the “Devil’s Path”, and the rock was called “Drunken Bull”!
■ Freezing of the Lena in some areas begins from the bottom. Sometimes these small pieces of ice rise to the surface and float down. Such “ice drift” is called slush. It happens that a large amount of slush completely fills the riverbed, forming jams.
■ Not far from the village of Kachug along the banks of the Lena there are unique monuments rock art - Shishkinsky writings. The complex contains more than 3 thousand drawings, the canvas of which stretches over 3.5 km. Images of animals, travel, battles, holidays, etc. were made in the period from the late Neolithic to the 19th century.
deserts (tuculans) on the Lena
■ There are many wonders in Siberia, but you probably won’t find a desert in the middle of the taiga anywhere. And on the right bank of the Lena it is. Sand dunes stretch for about 1 km and create the complete illusion of a hot and dry area, which is destroyed only by the pine trees bordering the area. There are still many versions about the origin of this phenomenon and none of them are accepted.
■ Traces of ancient man discovered in 1982 in the area of the Lena Pillars once again revived the hypothesis of the extratropical origin of man. And although scientists estimate the age of these Neolithic sites differently, the fact remains undeniable that the territory of Yakutia was inhabited by representatives of the genus Homo at least three hundred thousand years ago. Russian scientist Yu A. Mochanov even dates the age of the sites as 1.8 million years, which puts them on a par with the most ancient sites human found in the Olduvai Gorge in Africa.
ARTICLE ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE LENA RIVER
Lena is one of 10 greatest rivers planets. It carries its waters over 4,400 km from its sources in the Baikal Range to the Arctic Ocean. In the middle reaches, the width of the Lena reaches 15 km, the width of the channel in the lower reaches is up to 20-25 km, and the dimensions of the Lena delta are even noted in the Guinness Book of Records.
Its tributaries Vitim, Olekma, Aldan and Vilyui are superior to many large rivers in Europe. For seven months the river is shackled with an ice shell more than a meter thick; the flood occurs in the second half of May.
There are no dams, hydroelectric power stations, or dams on the Lena, and the beautiful river flows along its natural course, just as it did millions of years ago. Here you can still drink water by scooping it from the river with your palm.
Amazing landscapes, Lena cheeks, Lena pillars, rich plant and animal world, a unique culture ancient people- all this is capable of capturing the imagination of the most sophisticated traveler.
Where did the Lena River get its name? There are many versions. One of them, a joke, attributes the “baptism” of the river to the Cossacks: “after passing the rivers Muku (where they suffered), Kupa (where they swam), Kuta (where they caroused),” they came out to a large river where they could be lazy. This is where the name of the river came from - Lena. Most researchers, however, believe that, most likely, this is the Tungus-Manchu (Even-Evenki) “Yelyu-Ene”, which means “Big River”, modified by the Russians. And indeed, with a river length of 4400 km. R. The Lena ranks 11th among the largest rivers in the world and 2nd, after the Amur with its tributaries Shilka and Onon, among the rivers of Russia.
From its drainage basin, which is almost 2,500 km2, the territory of which could accommodate Spain, France and all Eastern European states, more than 500 tributaries with a length of over 10 km flow into the Lena River, feeding it with water.
The total length of the river's tributaries. Lena is more than 50 thousand km. Its tributaries, such as the Olkma, Vitim, Aldan and Vilyui, can compete in length and water content with any major European artery. The Lena brings about 540 cubic kilometers of water per year into the Laptev Sea. And along with it - more than 5 million tons of dissolved substances, 27 million tons of suspended sediment and a huge heat reserve of the Siberian soil.
R. begins. Lena is very close, just 20 kilometers, from the legendary lake-sea Baikal. It flows like a stream along a rocky bed from a small round lake located at an absolute elevation of about 1640 m, in the watershed part of the Baikal ridge, at approximately 54°N and 107055"E.
The upper section of the river is shown in detail in the book by A. Kolesov and S. Mostakhov: “Approximately 20 km from the source, a path descends to the right bank of the large Lena of the Solntsepadsky Pass. It was laid by tourists, geologists, as well as forest inhabitants who come here to drink. Width The river here is not big yet, only 5-7 m, depth 0.2-0.4 m, but the current speed is significant (up to 7-9 km/h).From here you can sail along the Big Lena in an inflatable boat... Thresholds, shaver , spillways, sharp turns follow one after another. Soon the first named, talkative Zolotokan stream flows into Bolshaya Lena. Near its mouth, the Lena valley disappears into the distance amazing beauty view: all around are blue ridges with rocky peaks, and here and there you can see snowflakes.
However, let us return once again to its origins, or rather to one of them - to the Manzurka River, which flows into the river. Lenu is slightly higher than Kachug. If you look closely at the relief map, you will find that the upper reaches of the Manzurka River have a continuation to the southeast in the form of drainless gentle hollows, where small rivers originate - Golousnaya and Buguldeika, which flow into Lake Baikal. The greatest expert on geology and nature of the river. Lena O. Borsuk saw a huge discrepancy between the insignificant speed and flow of the modern river flow. Manzurka with a very wide, as if flattened, valley and a thick, up to 100 m thick layer of river (alluvial) sediments of sand and pebble composition. It is likely to assume that once one of these hollows connected the river valley. Manzurki and Baikal then become understandable and unusual shape the valley of the Manzurka River, and powerful accumulations of river sediments in it.
If such an assumption is correct, it is appropriate to ask when the separation of the river’s sources occurred. Lena from Baikal? The upper part of alluvial deposits of the river valley. The Manzurki are of mid-Quaternary age, although in reality they may be younger - they simply could have been washed twice by water flow before taking their current position in the section. Meanwhile, taking into account the modern tectonic activity of the earth's firmament in the Baikal Mountains, it can be assumed that this is the separation of the river. Lena from Baikal happened within human memory. After all, it fell completely unexpectedly in 1911, north of the mouth of the river. Selenga, a block of the earth's crust, forming a significant bay called "Proval". By the way, this failure also swallowed up a small village located there.
Separation of the upper reaches of the river. Lena from Baikal could have occurred as a result of the rise of the mountain ranges framing Baikal. High seismic activity this territory, manifested in quite frequent and strong earthquakes, as well as the appearance of the mountain slopes - their steepness, steppedness and exposure do not contradict this assumption. But then another river should have formed, originating from the lake. There is indirect evidence that the separation of the sources of the Lena from Lake Baikal and the formation of a new water artery occurred in the memory of the people who once inhabited those regions, which is reflected in the ancient Buryat legend about this event.
Let us present it with some abbreviation according to N.I. Tolstikhin’s recording, made by him in 1919. Since time immemorial between the mountain ranges Southern Siberia The hero Baikal lived and he had 360 rivers - daughters, among which the most beloved was the beautiful Angara. The daughters loved their father and provided for him pure water and peace and tranquility reigned between them. But then one day, Angara saw a Yenisei young man running past in the distance. At first sight she fell in love with him and late at night ran after him. In the morning the father did not find his beloved daughter and... seeing the fugitive in the distance, he tore a huge black stone from the nearest rock and threw it after her. The stone fell exactly in the place where the Angara ran from Lake Baikal and for a long time a gloomy black rock towered at the source of the Angara until the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station raised water in Baikal. Now all that remains of this rock is a small stone island, slightly rising above the water level. Angered, Baikal tore the second stone from the mountain and threw it after his daughter with even greater force. But again the Angara managed to run dangerous place, and the stone fell into the resulting valley and crumbled into pieces and the Bratsk rapids appeared, where the Bratsk hydroelectric power station is now also built. And the third stone was thrown by Baikal after her daughter and that stone fell a little further than the mouth of the Ilim River and rapids were formed on which the Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric power station was built.
So it was in reality or not - we are not allowed to judge that. Behind the fantastic plot of ancient legends, historical facts are sometimes unusually masked, often distorted during their transmission from generation to generation, but this does not make them any less significant for understanding the events of long ago. So says the legend, but only God knows how it happened in reality. Extending to 74° N, the river valley. Lena crosses several latitudinal geographical zones and global geological structures, which predetermines the great diversity of its landscapes, and forces us to focus only on those most important features that, at least to a small extent, determine the hydrography and hydrology of the river. Lena, the outlines of the Lena valley and its sides, the work done by the mass of moving water and ice. However, in order to understand all this, it is worth touching on at least the most general outline, Lena River basin - many features of it geological structure and history and, especially, permafrost or geocryological conditions, predetermine the unique features of the Lena Valley, distinguishing it from other river valleys of our planet.
The Lena is one of the few largest rivers in Eurasia, not yet “saddled” with hydroelectric dams or other hydraulic structures. Its basin actually preserves untouched or little-disturbed landscapes. There is still something here to protect and protect from the stupid itch of nature’s transformers. The vast expanses of the Lena basin form habitats for many Siberian peoples, first of all - the Yakuts, Evens and Evenks. They are inextricably linked with natural environment, providing them with food and exchange.
Finally, the landscapes of the Lena Valley are unique. Their moral and aesthetic significance will increase with the expansion of cultural exchanges and the need to learn natural patterns. These are the internal grounds for protecting the Lena basin. Meanwhile, gold and diamonds, iron and coal, oil and gas, ornamental and facing stones, mica and apatite - these are far from full list what is contained in the bowels of the Lena land has been mined, is being mined, or is waiting in the wings. The taiga and tundra attract forest developers and commercial hunters. Fertile lands River terraces and reindeer moss forests are used for field cultivation, vegetable growing and livestock raising in the south, reindeer husbandry and transhumance horse breeding in the north. The branches of the Lena, its numerous tributaries, and countless lakes are reliable sources of fish. The river itself and its main tributaries have been transport routes since ancient times. The territory of the Lena Basin has not been spared urban trends - in cities and urban-type settlements it is concentrated industrial production and population. These are the prerequisites for further impact on Lena ecosystems.
According to various estimates, the annual flow of the river ranges from 489 to 542 km³, which corresponds to an average annual flow at the mouth of 15,500 to 17,175 m³/sec. The main food, as well as almost all tributaries, consists of melted snow and rainwater. The widespread distribution of permafrost within the watershed interferes with the feeding of rivers groundwater, the only exceptions are geothermal sources.
Due to the general precipitation regime, the Lena is characterized by spring floods, several fairly high floods in summer and low autumn-winter low water levels of up to 366 m³/sec at the mouth. During the spring flood in June, 40% of the runoff occurs, and from June to October - 91%. The highest average monthly water flow at the mouth was observed in June 1989 and amounted to 104,000 m³/sec; the maximum water flow at the mouth during a flood can exceed 200,000 m³/sec.
Average monthly water flow rates in m³/sec, averaged over 1976-1994, measurements were made in the river delta at the Stolb station.
During the winter period, 10-20 km³ of ice or 3% of its annual flow is formed on the river. In summer, its entry along with large volumes of flood water into shallow southern part The Laptev Sea leads - as in the case of other large Siberian rivers - to the phenomenon of inversion, that is, to local desalination of the sea and to the later release of ice from its nearby waters.
The minimum annual flow recorded in 1986 was 402 km³, the change over 65 years was 326 km³ or an average value of 516 km³, a change of 63%. As with most of the world's major rivers, large area basin, are characteristic of Lena periodic changes annual flow, which follow eleven-year cycles solar activity. The first type of maximum occurs at approximately next year after starting a new one solar cycle and can be explained by the intense melting of ice and permafrost formed over the past 2-3 years, as well as the development of the Arctic Oscillation and an increase in precipitation within the basin in winter. IN in this case the most noticeable increase in flow occurs - for example, in 1989, the average annual water flow was 23,054 m³/sec, which corresponds to 728 km³/year. The second type of maximum is less pronounced and occurs in the middle of the eleven-year cycle, is characterized by a smaller spring flood and is achieved due to more precipitation in the summer-autumn period.
The Lena differs from other Russian rivers in its ice regime and powerful ice jams. Strong and thick ice on the river is formed during extremely cold, long and little snowy winters. Spring ice drift is very powerful and is often accompanied by ice jams and flooding of large areas. First of all, at the end of April, the spring flood begins in the Kirensk region - on the upper Lena - and, gradually moving north, advancing on even more frozen in ice river, reaches the lower reaches in mid-June. During a flood, water rises 6-8 m above the low-water level. In the lower reaches the water rise reaches 18 m.
Paleozoic section on the banks of the Lena, Arctic part of the river
Infrastructure and settlements
Shipping
The Lena River is an important transport route.
Lena to this day remains the main transport artery of Yakutia, connecting its regions with the federal transport infrastructure. The main part of the “northern delivery” is carried out along the Lena River. The Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation, however, upstream from the port of Osetrovo, only small ships pass through it. Below the city of Ust-Kut, right up to the confluence of the Vitim tributary on the Lena, there are still many difficult areas for navigation and relatively shallow places, forcing annual dredging work.
The navigation period lasts from 125 to 170 days. Main ports on the Lena (from source to mouth):
Osetrovo (3500 km from the mouth of the Lena; 3620 km from Cape Bykov, Ust-Kut) is the largest river port in Russia and the only one in the Lena basin connected to the railway, for which it is called the “gateway to the north”;
Kirensk (3319 km from Cape Bykov);
Lensk (2648 km; 2665 km from Cape Bykov) - serves the diamond mining industry of Mirny;
Olekminsk (2258 km from Cape Bykov);
Pokrovsk (1729 km from Cape Bykov);
Yakutsk (1530 km; 1638 km from Cape Bykov)) - plays a major role in the transshipment of goods coming from the port of Osetrovo (Ust-Kut, Lena railway station);
Sangar (1314 km from Cape Bykov)
Tiksi (0 km; sea port Laptev Sea).
Note: In order to ensure river navigation on the river. Lena, the mileage of settlements and other objects is carried out from Cape Bykov (72°0"0"N 129°7"1"E).
The largest ports of the Lena tributaries: Bodaibo at 292 km from the mouth (Vitim River), Khandyga at 456 km, Dzhebariki-Khaya at 511 km from the mouth (Aldan River).
Bridges on the Lena River
From source to mouth:
In 2009, on the Kuragino - Zhigalovo highway near the village of Ponomareva (Irkutsk region), the construction of a bridge across the Lena was completed, replacing the outdated pontoon bridge.
In the area of the village of Zhigalovo, on the Zhigalovo - Magistralny highway, there is a pontoon automobile bridge.
The railway bridge in Ust-Kut (Irkutsk region, on the western section of the Baikal-Amur Mainline) was commissioned in 1975
The automobile bridge in Ust-Kut was commissioned in 1989.
Downstream, as of 2014, there are no bridges. In populated areas, ferries (in summer) or winter roads (in winter) are used to cross the river. In Yakutia, it is planned to build a combined railway-road bridge across the Lena River, 3.2 km long, as part of the construction of the Amur-Yakutsk railway.
The banks of the Lena are very sparsely populated. With the exception of the approaches to Yakutsk, where the population density is relatively high, the distances between neighboring settlements can reach hundreds of kilometers occupied by remote taiga. Often there are abandoned villages, sometimes - temporary rotational camps.
There are 6 cities on the Lena (from source to mouth):
Ust-Kut;
Kirensk - oldest city on Lena, founded in 1630;
Olekminsk;
Pokrovsk;
Yakutsk is the largest settlement on the Lena, founded in 1632. With a population of 303 thousand people. is also the largest city in the northeast of Russia;
Two historical settlements:
Sottintsy - Lena Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Friendship"; the site of the original founding of the city of Yakutsk.
Zhigansk - founded in 1632. In 1783-1805. - county town.
The main tributaries: Chaya, Vitim, Olekma, Aldan, Vilyui, Kirenga, Mama.
Mainly flows through the territory of Yakutia, some of the Lena tributaries belong to the Irkutsk and Chita regions and to the Republic of Buryatia.
The source of the Lena River is considered to be a small swamp 10 kilometers from Lake Baikal, located at an altitude of 1470 meters. The entire upper reaches of the Lena (up to Vitim), that is, almost a third of its length, falls in the mountainous Cisbaikalia region.
The middle current includes its section between the mouths of the Vitima and Aldana rivers, 1415 km long. Near the confluence of the Vitim, the Lena River enters Yakutia and flows through it to the very mouth. Having accepted Vitim, Lena turns into a very large, high-water river. Depths increase to 10-12 m, the channel expands, and numerous islands appear in it, the valley expands to 20-30 km. The valley is asymmetrical: the left slope is lower; the right one, represented by the northern edge of the Patom Highlands, is steeper and higher. On both slopes grow dense coniferous forests, only occasionally replaced by meadows.
From Olekma to Aldan, the Lena River does not have a single significant tributary. For more than 500 km, the Lena flows in a deep and narrow valley cut into limestone. Below the village of Pokrovsk there is a sharp expansion of the Lena Valley. The current speed slows down greatly; nowhere does it exceed 1.3 m/s, and for the most part drops to 0.5-0.7 m/s. The floodplain alone has a width of 5-7, and in some places 15 km, and the entire valley has a width of 20 or more kilometers.
Yakutsk was founded by a detachment of Cossacks under the leadership of Pyotr Beketov in 1632 on the right bank of the Lena under the name of the Yakut or Lena fort, and in the early 40s it was moved to the left bank of the river. now this The largest city northeast of Russia.
Below Yakutsk, the Lena receives its two main tributaries - Aldan and Vilyui. Now it's gigantic water flow; even where it flows in one channel, its width reaches 10 km, and its depth exceeds 16-20 m. Where there are many islands, the Lena River overflows 20-30 km. The banks of the river are harsh and deserted. Settlements are very rare.
In the lower reaches of the Lena River, its basin is very narrow: from the east, the spurs of the Verkhoyansk Range, the watershed of the Lena and Yana rivers, advance; from the west, insignificant elevations of the Central Siberian Plateau separate the Lena and Olenek basins. Below the village of Bulun, the river is compressed by the Kharaulakh ridges coming very close to it from the east and Chekanovsky from the west.
About 150 km from the sea, the vast Lena delta begins.
The banks of the Lena are very sparsely populated. From village to village the taiga stretches for hundreds of kilometers, and only as you approach Yakutsk do you feel the revival: the villages are becoming more frequent, going up and down the river motor boats, barges, large passenger ships are more common. The river is the main transport artery of Yakutia, the Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation on the Lena, however, only small ships pass along it up to Osetrovo, and only below it does the “real water road” to the ocean begin.
The main supply of the Lena River, as well as almost all of its tributaries, is melted snow and rainwater. The widespread occurrence of permafrost interferes with the supply of groundwater to rivers. Due to the general precipitation regime, the Lena is characterized by spring floods, several fairly high floods in summer and low autumn-winter low water. Spring ice drift is very powerful and is often accompanied by large ice jams. Lena freezes in the reverse order of opening - from the lower reaches to the upper reaches.
Most researchers believe that the name of the river is the Tungus-Manchu (Even-Evenki) “Yelyu-Ene”, modified by the Russians, which means “Big River”.
The Great Siberian River Lena is one of the longest rivers on the planet. Its source is located near Baikal, then the river makes a huge bend towards Yakutsk, and then turns north and flows into the Laptev Sea, forming a wide delta.
More precisely, the Lena is the tenth longest river in the world. True, sometimes there are disputes about this, related to the determination of the starting point (source) of different rivers. The length of the Lena River is 4400 km. The area of the drainage basin is 2,490 thousand sq. km. The Lena River flows in the permafrost zone. The Lena is fed mainly by melting snow and rainwater. Permafrost prevents groundwater from replenishing the drainage of this river.
Flows through the territory of Yakutia in the Irkutsk region.
IN North-Eastern Siberia The Lena River is the largest water artery. Some of its tributaries bring water from Transbaikalia, and Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as from Buryatia. The Lena River is located only on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The name of the Lena River comes from the Even word Elyu-Ene, which means “Big River”. It was discovered by the explorer Pyanda in 1619 - 1623 and recorded exactly this name. In Russian, this name has not gotten along well and it is simply called the Lena River.
Where is the source of the Lena River
The source of the Lena is a small lake near Baikal. I have not found the name of this lake. That's it, the greatest Siberian river nameless source. This source is located near Lake Baikal. Different distances to Lake Baikal are indicated from 12 to 7 km. But the coordinates of the source are given exactly: 53°56′20.4″ N. w. 108°05′08″ E. (G), and to be sure, here you will find a small chapel with a corresponding sign. 
The height of the place where the Lena River originates is 1470 meters above sea level.
The nature of the flow of the Lena River
This river is divided into three sections. They are distinguished precisely by the nature of the flow:
- the first (upper) section is located from the source to the confluence of the Vitim River,
- second (middle) - from the confluence of the Vitim to the mouth of the Aldan,
- third (lower) - from the mouth of the Aldan to the delta with the Laptev Sea.
The main tributaries of the Lena River are Sinaya, Vitim, Aldan, Nyuya, Olekma, Vilyui, Kirenga, Chuya, Molodo. The largest is the Aldan River.
All top part The current of the Lena is located in the mountainous Pre-Baikal region.
middle part The current has a length of 1415 kilometers. The middle reaches of the Lena River are the territory of Yakutia. After the Vitim flows into the Lena, the size of the river becomes enormous. Its depth in some places reaches 12 meters, the channel widens significantly and flows around many islands. 
The width of the river valley also increases (reaches 20–30 kilometers). The left slope of the river floodplain here is gentle, and the right slope is high and steep.
The slopes are covered with coniferous forests and rare meadows. After Pokrovsk, the Lena valley expands further, as the river enters the plain. The speed of the Lena current here is significantly reduced and does not exceed 1.3 m/s, and in most cases it is no more than 0.7 m/s.
In this part of the Lena River, on its right bank, the famous Lena Pillars are located - one of the main attractions of the Lena River .
Lower reaches The Lena River receives water flows from two main tributaries: Vilyui and Aldan. Having merged with Vilyuy, the Lena River forms a huge floodplain with many swamps and lakes. The channel is 10 km wide. The depth of the river increases to 15-20 meters. In some places numerous channels have formed. The banks are lined with harsh taiga, and human settlements are very rare. The Lena Delta is very extensive and begins approximately 150 kilometers from the mouth.
Relief of the Lena River
The Lena River basin represents the border of two different landscapes. On the western side lies the Central Siberian Plateau, and on the eastern side there are the Chersky and Verkhoyansky ridges, as well as the Suntar-Hayat ridge. The largest tributaries of the Lena River are the Olekma, Vitim, Vilyuy and Aldan rivers.
Vitim has a length of 1820 km and a water regime characteristic of all Far Eastern rivers, that is, a mountain stream passing through a narrow valley, and its bed contains a large number of rocky rapids.
The Olekma River has a length almost equal to the length of Vitim, that is, 1810 km. The river valley is sandwiched between mountains, and at the mouth there are many rapids.
The longest tributary of the Lena, as already written, is the Aldan. Its length is 2240 km. In the upper reaches of the Aldan there is a plateau on both banks, and in the lower reaches there is an intermountain plain.
The Lena River basin includes twelve reservoirs with a total volume of 36,200 million cubic meters. m.
Human use of the Lena River
The Lena River freezes entirely from the lower reaches to the upper reaches. Revealed at reverse order, i.e. from the upper reaches. Navigation on the Lena River lasts 130-170 days. Lena is the main waterway connecting Yakutia with the rest of the country. Small vessels sail almost anywhere waterway. But large river vessels are only capable of moving along the lower reaches of the river.
High water occurs in the spring. The spill begins in the middle reaches at the end of April in southern regions. As the snow melts, the flood moves north. It reaches the lower reaches only by mid-June. At the same time, the water level rises very significantly: by 7-8 meters, and in some places - by 10 meters.
Ice drift is always accompanied by ice jams. The river opens up gradually and naturally from south to north. It freezes from north to south. It is noteworthy that in some areas the water freezes at the bottom and then on the surface. This causes the formation of ice, which sometimes reaches a height of several meters. During the summer these ice cliffs melt.
The inhospitable banks of the Lena are sparsely populated; its bed, with rare exceptions, is bordered by impassable thickets. Here, like thousands of years ago, nature reigns, which is in no hurry to give up its place to man. In the endless expanses of Siberia, human life has always seemed as rare as an oasis in the desert.
Fishing on the Lena River
Since ancient times, the Lena River and its tributaries have attracted fishermen. There are no platinums on the Lena River and there is a rich food supply. Such circumstances create excellent living conditions for many species of fish.
The Siberian sturgeon is the largest and most valuable fish found in the Lena River. People here remember the times when this fish reached a length of two meters and a weight of about 200 kilograms. However, civilized people have made certain efforts and now it is not possible to catch a sturgeon weighing more than twenty kilograms.
In addition, in Lena you can easily catch taimen and lenok. There are large individuals (0.7 m in length and weighing up to eight kilograms). You can fish very effectively with regular whitefish, muksun, broad whitefish, peled, as well as Siberian vendace. Grayling can be a common catch. Those who like to catch predatory fish have the opportunity to fish for pike and pike perch. A particularly experienced fisherman can try to pull out a burbot. There are also smaller predators: dace, Siberian spined loach.
Attractions in cities located on the Lena River
In Yakutsk
- St. Nicholas Church (1852),
- tower of the Yakut fort (1685, reconstruction),
- former voivode's office (1707), "
- Shergik mine" with a depth of 116.6 m (1828-1836),
- Spassky Monastery (1664)
- Water and mud therapy,
- Museum of Local Lore.
- House of the Decembrist Golitsyn,
- ancient villages in the vicinity of the city
Olekminsk
- Spasskoye, Spassky Cathedral (1860),
- Chapel of Alexander Nevsky (1891),
- memorial places for exiles.
Nature of the Lena River
The Lena delta contains the most important ecological territories: the Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve, the Ust-Lena nature reserves Deltovy and Sokol, and the largest reserve in Russia “Lena-Ustye”. And of course the Lena Pillars National Natural Park. The reserves contain 402 plant species, 32 fish species, 109 bird species and 33 mammals.
The places here, as already written, are quite wild and harsh. So, without a guide or serious experience of independent travel, there is nothing to do here, or rather, it is dangerous.
The Lena River is the largest river in North-Eastern Siberia and flows into the Laptev Sea. The tenth longest river in the world and the eighth largest river in the world, it flows through the territory of the Irkutsk region and Yakutia, some of its tributaries belong to the Transbaikal, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk Territory and to the Republic of Buryatia. The Lena is the largest of the Russian rivers, whose basin lies entirely within the country. It freezes in the reverse order of opening - from the lower reaches to the upper reaches. Geographical position According to the nature of the river’s flow, three sections are distinguished: from the source to the mouth of Vitim; from the mouth of the Vitim to the confluence of the Aldan and the third lower section - from the confluence of the Aldan to the mouth.
The source of the Lena is considered to be a small lake 12 kilometers from Lake Baikal, located at an altitude of 1470 meters. At the source on August 19, 1997, a chapel with a memorial plaque was installed. The entire upper reaches of the Lena up to the confluence of the Vitim, that is, almost a third of its length, falls in the mountainous Cisbaikalia region. Water flow in the Kirensk area is 1100 m 3 /sec. The middle current includes its section between the mouths of the Vitima and Aldana rivers, 1415 km long. Near the confluence of the Vitim, the Lena enters Yakutia and flows along it to the very mouth. Having accepted Vitim, Lena turns into a very large, high-water river. Depths increase to 10-12 m, the channel expands, and numerous islands appear in it, the valley expands to 20-30 km. The valley is asymmetrical: the left slope is lower; the right one, represented by the northern edge of the Patom Highlands, is steeper and higher. On both slopes there are dense coniferous forests, only occasionally replaced by meadows. From Olekma to Aldan, the Lena does not have a single significant tributary. For more than 500 km, the Lena flows in a deep and narrow valley cut into limestone. Below the city of Pokrovsk there is a sharp expansion of the Lena Valley. The current speed slows down greatly, nowhere does it exceed 1.3 m/s, and for the most part drops to 0.5-0.7 m/s. The floodplain alone is five to seven kilometers wide, and in some places even 15 kilometers wide, while the entire valley is 20 kilometers or more wide. Below Yakutsk, the Lena receives its two main tributaries - Aldan and Vilyui. Now it is a gigantic stream of water; even where it runs in one channel, its width reaches 10 km, and its depth exceeds 16-20 m. Where there are many islands, the Lena overflows for 20-30 km. The banks of the river are harsh and deserted. Settlements are very rare. In the lower reaches of the Lena, its basin is very narrow: from the east, the spurs of the Verkhoyansk Range, the watershed of the Lena and Yana rivers, advance; from the west, insignificant elevations of the Central Siberian Plateau separate the basins of the Lena and the Olenyok River. Below the village of Bulun, the river is compressed by the Kharaulakh ridges coming very close to it from the east and Chekanovsky from the west. About 150 km from the sea, the vast Lena delta begins.
The earliest, at the end of April, the spring flood begins in the Kirensk region - on the upper Lena - and, gradually moving north, advancing on the still ice-bound river, reaches the lower reaches in mid-June. During a flood, water rises 6-8 m above the low-water level. In the lower reaches the water rise reaches 10 m. wide open spaces The Lena River and in the places where it narrows, the ice drift is formidable and beautiful. Major tributaries Lenas noticeably increase its water content, but, in general, the increase in flow occurs from top to bottom quite evenly. Economic use To this day, Lena remains the main transport artery of Yakutia, connecting its regions with the federal transport infrastructure. The main part of the “northern delivery” is carried out along the Lena River. The Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation, however, upstream from the port of Osetrova, only small ships pass through it. Below the city of Ust-Kut, right up to the confluence of the Vitim tributary on the Lena, there are still many difficult areas for navigation and relatively shallow places, forcing annual dredging work. The navigation period lasts from 125 to 170 days.
Lena is one of the greatest rivers in the world. The length of the Lena is 4270 km, the width in the middle reaches, together with the islands, reaches 25 km, the average depth in most areas is from 10 to 21 m. The Lena originates on the western rifts of the Baikal ridge at an altitude of about 930 m above sea level. The drainage area of the Lena basin is huge. France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Finland taken together could fit on its territory!
The river network of the Lena basin is well developed: there are especially many tributaries in the upper reaches. In the lower reaches of the river there are significantly fewer tributaries. The Lena flows to the city of Kirensk in a deep valley, cutting into a high plateau.
Everyone driving along the Lena involuntarily pays attention to the Lena rocks, which have the most bizarre outlines. The rocks located between Olekminsk and Yakutsk are called “pillars” for their shape. The Lena “pillars” rising high up resemble some kind of petrified legendary giants, or the remains of dilapidated cities with carved pointed towers. The river here is wide. A steamship sailing along the Lena at the foot of these majestic “pillars” seems dwarfed.
Lena River on the map
Many travelers admire the “pillars,” comparing the beauty of the banks of the Lena River with the beauty of mountainous Switzerland.
From the confluence of the Vitim, the Lena significantly increases its size. In some places the mountains move away, and the river, breaking into many branches and channels, fills almost the entire valley. The width of the channel here with the islands is 10-15 km. Hence the Lena is a powerful navigable river, along which ships of any river draft can pass during the entire navigation period; The only obstacle is the area opposite the mouth of the Aldana River, which has many rapids.
Lena river. Map
Lena becomes especially majestic, having received Aldan on the right and Vilyuy on the left.
At the mouth of the Vilyuy, the Lena is especially wide. IN strong winds Huge waves rise here and passengers on small ships get pumped up, causing seasickness. In this place, the river flow is smooth and quiet, there are many calm bays and reaches.
Below the mouth of the Vilyuy, the Lena sometimes splits into numerous channels (in one place a cluster of 70 islands is known), sometimes it flows with only 2-3 channels, sometimes, constrained by mountains, it flows for tens of kilometers in one channel. When the Lena flows into the Laptev Sea, it forms a branched huge delta, which reaches 200 km in width and has an area of about 30 thousand square meters. km.
For 2,500 km, the Lena flows through Yakutia, a harsh region with a cold climate, where winter frosts reach -68° C. Therefore, navigation on the river is possible only for four to four and a half months. Nevertheless, Lena, as the main shipping artery of the entire region, has great value for a developing economy of a vast territory.
Due to the general economic growth of the region, the Lena River, in the absence of railway, has become the most important water transport route. This was largely facilitated by the development of the Great Northern Sea Route.
Currently, the main flow of cargo goes along the Lena from top to bottom. Along with timber, oil and grain, the most important goods are machinery and equipment for various industries industry.
The power and carrying capacity of the Lena fleet is growing rapidly.