The Volga Waterway

The Volga Waterway is the backbone of Russia’s inland navigation system. Russia has many developed waterways, but the Volga stands out as one of the most important. The key reason is its sheer scale: the Volga provides a navigable waterway of 11,200 kilometres. It drains into the Caspian Sea, which is a large inland sea.

Two major canals extend the reach of the Volga Waterway far beyond the river itself. The Volga-Moscow Canal connects the Volga with the Moscow region, giving the capital city direct access to the waterway. The Volga-Don Canal links the Volga with the Black Sea. This connection is strategically vital because it creates a continuous water route from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, and from there to the world’s oceans via the Mediterranean Sea.