Volga River

"About 2,300 miles long, the Volga—sometimes referred to as “Volga-matushka,” or “Mother Volga”—is the longest river in Europe and the biggest by water flow, arcing from northwest of Moscow around and down to the Caspian Sea. Some 60 million people—about 40% of Russia’s population—live in its basin, which spans almost a tenth of the country’s vast territory. Moscow, with its 12 million people, gets most of its drinking water from the Volga via the Moscow Canal . . . As an artery of commerce, a source of energy and drinking water, and a conveyor of history, the Volga touches nearly every aspect of life in Russia." The Volga supports a diverse array of wildlife, including various species of fish such as sturgeon, perch, and pike. The river is also home to beavers, otters, and a variety of bird species, including herons, eagles, and ducks. Despite being a vital source of water, transportation, and ecological resources, the Volga River faces numerous threats. "The river has become polluted, silted up, and overwhelmed by invasive species . . . Widespread toxic algal blooms are now common. As global temperatures rise, the Volga basin is getting less and less rainfall in the spring and summer, and more snow in the winter . . . In a way it isn’t really a river anymore—it no longer flows naturally. It is now so mediated by human intervention that it is better thought of as a machine."