The Republic of Mordovia is one of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation located in the European part of the country. In this article we will tell you in detail about the main natural features and hydrography of the region. In addition, here you will find a description of the rivers of Mordovia - the Sura, Moksha, Issa and other significant watercourses of the republic.
Geography of Mordovia: a brief overview
The Republic of Mordovia is located in the eastern part of the Russian Plain, 400 kilometers southeast of Moscow. It borders with Chuvashia, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Penza and Ryazan regions. The area of the region is 26.13 square meters. km, and the population is about 800 thousand people. The capital of the republic is the city of Saransk.
From the point of view of orography and relief, the territory of Mordovia can be divided into two parts: the western lowland and the eastern elevated. The maximum point on the earth's surface is 324 meters above sea level. The climate in Mordovia is temperate continental with a pronounced seasonality; up to 500 mm of precipitation falls in the region per year.
There are three types of landscapes on the territory of the republic: steppe, meadow and forest. Oaks, ash, maples, elms, birch, spruce and pine grow in the forests of Mordovia. The fauna is typical of the forest-steppe natural zone. Here moose, wild boars, hares, foxes, squirrels, muskrats, beavers, martens, jerboas and other species of animals are found.
The ethnic composition of the population of Mordovia is represented by Russians (53%), Tatars (5%), and also Mordovian ethnic groups (about 40%) - Mokshans and Erzyans. Administratively, the territory of the republic is divided into 22 districts. In Mordovia, there are seven cities, 13 urban-type settlements and over a thousand villages.
Rivers and lakes of Mordovia
The total number of natural watercourses (rivers and streams) in Mordovia is 1525. This is a rather large number for such a small region. If you look at the physical map of the republic, you can see that its surface is evenly and rather densely “decorated” with thin blue veins. Here is the deep Alatyr, and the measured Sivin, and the unusually winding Moksha …
The rivers in Mordovia feed mainly on groundwater and rainfall. Low water on them is set in early June and lasts until about mid-October. Freeze-up usually forms in the first decade of December. By the end of winter, the thickness of the ice shell on Mordovian rivers can reach 40-60 centimeters, and in particularly severe winters, up to one meter.
The main rivers of Mordovia are the Sura and Moksha. All other watercourses of the republic belong to their basins. But all of them ultimately carry their waters to the majestic Volga. The ten largest rivers of the Republic of Mordovia are listed below:
- Moksha.
- Surah.
- Insar.
- Sivin.
- Issa.
- Alatyr.
- In hell.
- Windray.
- Ore
- Drunk.
Mordovia can be safely called the lake region. The total water area of the republic’s natural reservoirs is 21, 000 ha, which corresponds to 0.9% of the total area of the region. Most of the lakes of Mordovia are elders (elders are fragments of old river channels) and are located in floodplains of rivers. The largest of them is Inerka. From the Erzyan language the name of this reservoir is translated as “the great lake”.
Next, we will briefly tell you about the largest rivers of Mordovia.
Sura
The sura flows along the south-eastern outskirts of the republic, playing the role of its natural border with the neighboring Ulyanovsk region. This is the third largest tributary of the Volga and the second longest river of Mordovia (120 km within the region).
Sura is a typical plain river, one of the most picturesque on the Volga Upland. The watercourse is characterized by moderate tortuosity, sand and pebble bottom, an abundance of shallows and braids. The right bank of the river is usually steep and steep, with outcrops in the form of chalk or limestone cliffs. The left bank is lower and gentle. Sandy beaches on it alternate with thickets of willow and shrubs.
The channel of the Surah within Mordovia is ideal for simple tourist kayaking rafting. On the banks of the river there are several children's camps and recreation centers. There are many lakes in the Sura floodplain, among which the Inerka already mentioned above.
Moksha
Moksha is the largest river in Mordovia. Within the region, its length is 320 km, which is equal to half the total length of this watercourse. Moksha begins in the Penza region. In Mordovia, it takes in a number of large tributaries - Issa, Sivin, Urey, Satis and others. The mouth of Moksha is also located outside of Mordovia. The river flows into the Oka already in the Ryazan region.
Moksha is a flat river with a calm course. Its channel forms many meanders and old ladies. The left bank of the river is steep for almost the entire length, and the right one is gentle, which is not typical for watercourses of the Northern Hemisphere. The width of Moksha varies from 5 meters in the upper reaches to a record 85 meters near the city of Krasnoslobodsk.
Alatyr
Alatyr is the largest tributary of the Sura. Within the borders of Mordovia is the middle and lower reaches of the river. The length of this watercourse within the republic is 130 kilometers.
Alatyr stands out in the relief by a fairly wide floodplain. So, near the village of Kemlya, its width reaches five kilometers. In the spring, almost all of this space is periodically flooded with water. At the same time, the width of the Alatyr channel does not exceed 80 meters. Both banks of the river are steep and steep; there are many lakes and swamps in the valley.
Insar
This is the largest inland river of Mordovia. Insar arises in the vicinity of the village of Aleksandrovka, and then flows through the central part of the republic. The watercourse is characterized by snow nutrition. Insar freezes in November, and opens - in early April.
A number of cities, towns and villages, including the capital of the Saransk region, are strung on this river, like beads. By the way, it was on the bank of Insar that the Mordovia Arena was built - a football stadium that hosted four matches of the 2018 World Cup. It is curious that the city of Insar is located not on the stream of the same name, but on the Issa River.
Drunk
Another major tributary of the Surah captures a small piece of Mordovian land - this is the Piana River. It flows through the territory of the Bolshegnatovsky district for only 28 kilometers. The width of the Drunken channel in Mordovia does not exceed 5-7 meters. Within the region, its appearance changes from “brook type” stretches to wider sections, loaded with village bridges.
The etymology of the name of the river is curious. There are several hypotheses about this. The most common and most obvious version connects the hydronym with the bizarre and unusual tortuosity of the watercourse itself. Here is how the Russian writer and publicist Melnikov-Pechersky wrote about this river:
Even the first Russian inhabitants, the Drunken River was nicknamed for staggering, it is wobbling in all directions, an evenly drunk woman, and, after walking about five hundred twigs and twists, she runs up to her source and almost spills into Sura near him.
Issa
Issa is one of the right tributaries of Moksha. The length of the river within the Republic of Mordovia reaches almost one hundred kilometers, and the catchment area is 1800 square meters. km The maximum width of Issa is 50 meters, and the depth of its channel does not exceed one and a half meters. In Mordovia, the river receives 33 small tributaries. The total length of the river system of Issa, together with all its tributaries, is relatively small - only 480 kilometers.
Sivin
Sivin is a right tributary of Moksha with a length of 124 kilometers. The river flows from a swamp near the village of Pushkino. This, by the way, is the largest river of Mordovia, the basin of which is completely located within the republic.
The river’s food is mixed, Sivinj provides its water availability both due to rain and snowmelt. During the summer low water season, it also feeds on underground sources. The width of the channel reaches 30 meters in the lower reaches. The river is quite deep (up to 3 meters). The bottom is mostly sandy, sometimes rocky (in particular, at the village of Sivin of the same name). Within Mordovia, the river receives 12 tributaries. The largest among them are Ozhga, Avgura and Shishkeevka.
