The Mologa River stretches within three Russian regions: Tver, Novgorod and Vologda. She is equally loved by both fishermen and kayaking tourists. What are the main natural features of this river? How are its resources used today? This will be discussed in this article.
Mologa River: geography and major tributaries
If we talk about natural diversity, then our country has no equal on the whole planet. The richest bowels, fertile soils and huge water resources - that's what Russia is rich in! The Mologa River flows within the three administrative regions of the country. Its total length is 455 kilometers.
Tver, Novgorod and Vologda Oblasts - the Mologa River stretches within the borders of precisely these administrative units. The source of the river is considered a swamp near the village of Klyuchevaya. But the Rybinsk Reservoir (or the Russian Sea) is its mouth - it is here that the Mologa River (Tver Region, near the city of Vesyegonsk) carries its waters today.
By the way, before the construction of the Rybinsky Knot in the 30s, the length of this water artery was much larger than now. As many as 607 kilometers - such was the Mologa River!
Tver region now borders with the Vologda region along the Mologa riverbed. On the river there are three cities (Ustyuzhna, Pestovo, Bezhetsk) and one village (Maksatikha).
The largest tributaries of the Mologa are the rivers Keza, Kobozh, Chagodoshcha, Zaragozh, Ostrich and others.
Natural features of the aquatic artery
The river bed is covered with ice in November, and the ice drift begins around the beginning of April and can last up to 8-10 days.
In its upper, middle and lower reaches, the Mologa River is very different. And indeed this river is striking in its diversity. So, having gone downstream even one kilometer, one may be surprised to find that the river has changed beyond recognition! That's why water tourists love her so much, because here you can organize an amazing rafting.
The Mologa River in the upper reaches looks like a smoothly flowing and very winding watercourse with an average channel width of about 15 meters. It spreads widely near Bezhetsk, forming a whole series of lakes. In some places, the width of Mologi reaches 500-600 meters. And in some sections the river is divided into several branches.
In the area of Pestovo on Mologa, there are many beaches, and the coast is occupied by forests. Having absorbed the Chagodoshcha tributary, the Mologa course becomes almost invisible: the proximity of the Rybinsk reservoir affects it.
River shipping development
It should be noted that ships on the Mologa can be seen infrequently. Today the river is navigable up to the village of Zhelyabovo. There is a small river fleet on it.
In 2008, a major reconstruction of the pier in the city of Vesyegonsk began, and a year later the first ship with tourists arrived in the city.
In 2011, for the first time in an 80-year period, a river expedition was carried out above the city of Ustyuzhna. Then the ship reached Safrontsevsky rifts on the river.
The ghost town of Mologa
Talking about this river, one cannot but mention the ghost town of Molog.
Mologa was founded in 1777. The city was flooded in the 30s of the twentieth century with the waters of the Rybinsk reservoir. At that time, its population was at least 7 thousand people.
The construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric complex began in 1935. Initially, it was planned that the level of flooding will be 98 meters above sea level (Mologa was just at this height), but later this parameter was increased by four meters. Thus, the city was completely under the water of the river.
In total, about 130 thousand inhabitants were evicted from the flood zone. The eviction lasted 4 years. Most of the migrants ended up in the village of Slip, near Rybinsk.
Since the early 70s, residents of the former Mologa annually gather to honor the memory of their hometown. Although it was strictly forbidden in Stalin's times, the authorities tried to erase the flooded city even from people's memory.
An amazing event happened in 2014, in the summer. The water level in the artificial sea dropped significantly, and part of the once flooded city was on the surface. In particular, one could see the walls and foundations of houses, the city cemetery, and even entire streets of Mologi. In connection with these events, the community of former residents of Mologa decided to visit the ruins of their hometown.
Rafting on the Mologa River
Mologa is on the list of the most suitable rivers of Russia for a water tourist. Rafting on boats and kayaks here is not at all a rare occurrence.
Rafting on the Mologa River is always an exciting and memorable adventure. The most popular river section in this regard: from the village of Maksatikha to the city of Pestovo. Mologa here is quite winding, narrow and diverse. And what could be better for a full-fledged rafting?
The rafting on this site is very comfortable, along the way there are no destroyed bridges, dams or any blockages. There are no rapids on the river, except in the low water in some areas minor rifts may appear.
After an active and energetic rafting along the river, you can settle down on one of the banks of the Mologa for relaxation. As a rule, the left banks of this river are rather gentle, and the right banks are more abrupt and steep. Nevertheless, from any of them a gorgeous panorama of the river will open. Most of the tourist camps are located in pine forests, which only enhances the pleasant experience of relaxing on the Mologa River.
Features of fishing at Mologa
Mologa is a river, fishing on which also leaves many positive emotions.
The ichthyofauna of Mologa is generally typical of the moderate river of Russia. Here you can find perch, pike, dace, bream and ide, roach and asp, rudd and other types of fish. If you're lucky, you can also catch a burbot, common carp, catfish or round goby. The size of the fish directly depends on the level of the spring water of the river.
You can fish at Mologa by various methods. But, according to experienced fishermen, the best method here is spin fishing. Many people prefer this method, because it successfully combines sport and aesthetics, excitement and science. In addition, spinning offers the fisherman wide opportunities for various kinds of experiments and inventions.
Perch, ide, asp and pike - these are the types of fish that may interest the spinning fisherman here. Those who prefer a fishing rod will be able to try fishing on the Mologa roach, dace or bream. As bait, you can use peas, canned corn or ordinary earthworms.
