Where does the Don river begin and end?
The Don river begins its journey in the town of Novomoskovsk, located southeast of Tula and south of Moscow. This source marks the start of a 1,870-kilometre flow that eventually empties into the Sea of Azov.
Questions about Don (river)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the historical significance of the Don river for ancient geographers?
Ancient Greek geographers viewed the Don river as the border between Europe and Asia during antiquity. Byzantine merchants used this waterway as a major trading route for centuries while Pliny recorded the Scythian name of the Tanais as Silys.
When did Slavic nomads settle the fertile valley of the Don river?
Slavic nomads settled the fertile valley of the river during the 16th and 17th centuries to form the distinct Don Cossack community named after the waterway itself. The fort of Donkov was founded by princes of Ryazan in the late 14th century before being destroyed by Crimean Tatars on the 2nd of May 1568.
How long is the Volga-Don Canal connecting the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea basin?
The Volga-Don Canal spans 101 kilometres connecting the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea basin. This broad deep waterway transports oil tanker size vessels through three dam-and-ship-lock complexes including the Nikolayevsky Ship Lock, Konstantinovsk Ship Lock, and Kochetovsky Ship Lock.
Who wrote And Quiet Flows the Don about the history of the river basin?
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov wrote And Quiet Flows the Don about the history of the river basin while living in the stanitsa of Veshenskaya. He received a Nobel Prize for this work which immortalized the cultural legacy of the region surrounding the Don.