Severnaia Dvina

a river in the northern part of the European USSR.

Formed by the confluence of the Sukhona and lug rivers, the Severnaia Dvina empties into Dvina Inlet on the White Sea. It is 744 km long and drains an area of 357,000 sq km. From its source to the mouth of the Vychegda River, the river is called the Malaia Severnaia Dvina: below the Vychegda, its volume of water more than doubles. To the mouth of the Vaga River, the Severnaia Dvina flows through a broad valley with steep, sometimes precipitous, slopes; shoals, river bars, and islands abound. Below the Vaga to the mouth of the Pinega River, the valley narrows abruptly: the river banks are steep and composed of limestones. Below the Pinega, the Severnaia Dvina divides into several branches, which rejoin in a single stream near Arkhangel’sk. Below Arkhangel’sk, the delta of the Severnaia Dvina spreads over approximately 900 sq km. The major branches are the Nikol’skii, Korabel’nyi, Kuznechikha, Mai-maksa (the deepest), and Murmanskii. Sea tides reach as far as the mouth of the Pinega.

The Severnaia Dvina is fed principally by snow. The mean flow rate at the confluence of the Sukhona and lug is 770 cu m per sec. and at the mouth, 3,490 cu m per sec. The water level between the mouths of the Vaga and Pinega fluctuates by as much as 14 m. The river freezes in late October or early November, and the ice breaks up from early April to early May. The breakup of ice is tumultuous, and ice jams are frequent. The principal right tributaries are the Vychegda and Pinega; the principal left tributary is the Vaga. Approximately 30 species of fish inhabit the river, including sterlet, nelma, cisco, and bream.

The Severnaia Dvina connects with the Volga through the Sukhona River, Lake Kubena, and the Sheksna River and with the Kuloi River through the Pinega River. It is navigable for about 160–190 days per year. Lumber makes up most of the freight traffic. The principal cities and landings on the Severnaia Dvina are Velikii Ustiug, Krasavino, Kotlas, Krasno-borsk, Cherevkovo, Verkhniaia Toima, Kholmogory, and Arkhangel’sk (see).