The southernmost of the largest waterways of Russia - the Kuban River - is rightfully considered the main river of the North Caucasus.
Having made a long (almost a thousand-kilometer) journey from the picturesque slopes of Elbrus through the vast expanses of Stavropol and Krasnodar Territory, she brings her waters to the Temryuk Bay of the Sea of Azov. Almost all tributaries of the Kuban begin on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus and carry their waters from its left bank. On the right side, not a single influx of any significance flows into it, and therefore the river basin is distinguished by its pronounced asymmetric structure. Starting from the source, the Kuban is a mountain river, and in the middle and lower parts it is a flat one. The water in it is distinguished by its turbidity. Every year, the flow to the mouth carries about 9 million tons of suspended sediment. About a hundred kilometers from the mouth of the Kuban River, it is separated by the navigable right arm of the Protok. From this place begins a wide delta, the area of which is more than 4 thousand sq. Km. This wetland, often flooded during floods, is called the Kuban Plains.
Where the Kuban River took its name from is not fully understood. It is believed that it comes from a modified pronunciation of the Turkic name of the Kuman River (which means "river"). In more ancient times, it was called Gopanis (translated from ancient Greek - "violent, strong river"). It was also called Psyzh (which is translated from Adyghe as "ancient river", another option is "mother river").
Over time, not only the name of the river changed, but also its channel. Where the Kuban delta is currently located, there used to be a large bay of the Sea of Azov, stretching from Taman to Krasnodar. However, over time, mainly due to tectonic reasons and due to mud volcanoes, the territory of the Taman Peninsula changed its landscape. As a result, instead of the bay, a lagoon was formed, delimited by the isthmus of land, which eventually became even larger. The result was that now there is a delta in place of the sea. But even in the XIX century, the Kuban River flowed into the Black Sea Kiziltash estuary through Old Kuban. Subsequently, her path in this direction was closed.
The river is important for the entire North Caucasus region. Notable for its violent disposition and rapid flow in the upper part, as it approaches the Sea of Azov, it becomes more calm, and the Kuban is navigable downstream from the city of Ust-Labinsk. In addition, the Kuban River is a source of fresh water, and also drives the turbines of several hydroelectric power stations, providing the region with electricity. The prevailing tradition of settling on the banks of rivers, in particular, on the Kuban, gave birth to large and small cities: Armavir, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Slavyansk-on-Kuban and many others.
Kuban is a great place to relax. The river is extremely popular among rafting enthusiasts. In addition, she is famous for her fish. Stellate stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, bream, perch, ram, roach, Jericho, common carp, crucian carp, perch and many other species of fish are found here.
