Oka is one of the most important rivers in the European part of Russia. A number of cities grew on its shores. Where and how does it flow? Where does it flow, and where is the source of the river?
The Oka is the largest tributary of the Volga. The river begins its “race” of one and a half thousand kilometers in the Oryol region, and finishes in Nizhny Novgorod.
The exact length of the watercourse is 1498.6 kilometers.The total area of the basin is 245 thousand square meters. km Oka's slope is small: only 0.1 m / km, which fully corresponds to the orographic conditions in which it flows. Where is the source of the river?
Oka originates on the outskirts of a smallAleksandrovka village, located within the Glazunovsky district of Orlovschiny. On the territory of the same village on the Oka several artificial ponds were created. 52 ° 21 ′ 45 ″ N and 36 ° 13 ′ 20 ″ e. - these are the exact coordinates of the point where the source of the river is located. The eye on the map looks like this (the source and mouth of the watercourse are marked on the diagram with a blue and red circle, respectively):
In the upper reaches of the Oka, like a fastidious youngyoung lady, not just change the direction of his run. Then she runs to the north, then to the east, then again - to the north. Accepting the waters of the capital of the Moscow River, the Oka turns to the south-east.
In the hilly Ryazan region, the river beginsnoticeably dodge. Near the town of Kasimov, the Oka makes a deep loop, merges with the Moksha and then flows strictly in the north direction up to its mouth. The river ends its long journey in the old and beautiful Nizhny Novgorod. The cape at the confluence of the Oka and the Volga is called the Strelka. This part of the city is decorated with the majestic church of Alexander Nevsky, 87 meters high.
We have already figured out what is the length of the Oka, where is sheflows, and where is the source of the river. Oka - the watercourse is not only large, but also very interesting. And, above all, the origin of the name of this river is curious.
One of the versions makes the name Oka Latin aqua,which means "water". Other researchers believe the origin of this hydronym is Mari or Baltic. The latter theory, in particular, is supported by the famous linguist and philologist Vladimir Toporov. So, for example, in the Latvian language there is the word aka (“well”), and in Lithuanian - the word akis, which translates as “eye” or “hole”. Remarkably, in Latvia and Lithuania there are a number of hydronyms with such a root.
The Oka River flows through the territory of seven Russianareas. On it are major cities - Orel, Kaluga, Serpukhov, Kolomna, Ryazan, Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod and others. On the banks of the Oka are several famous attractions. Among them - the old Russian city of Old Ryazan XII century, the estate Polenovo, Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan Kremlin.
Opposite shores of the Oka in totalconnects 31 bridges. The most remarkable and most beautiful of them are the Red Bridge in Orel, the cable-stayed Murom and Kashira railway bridges, the Kanavinsky bridge in Nizhny Novgorod.
The most unusual building on the Oka can be consideredShukhov Tower near the city of Dzerzhinsk. This hyperboloid iron structure was built in 1929 by renowned engineer Vladimir Shukhov. The height of the tower is 128 meters.
The beginning of the Oka River is also popular andvisited tourist attraction. The source in the village of Aleksandrovka is recognized as a natural monument. It is from it and the river flows. A modest wooden chapel was built nearby, and the area around the source is decorated with numerous carved sculptures. Bioenergy and creative people like to visit this place, considering it a powerful "place of power".
Now you know where the source isrivers. Oka is the largest watercourse in the European part of Russia. On the banks of this river are such cities as Orel, Kaluga, Murom, Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod. Making a water trip along the Oka River, you can admire the domes of the churches of the Ryazan Kremlin, contemplate the Nizhny Novgorod Annunciation Monastery beautifully inscribed in the slope of a river valley, or see the futuristic Shukhov Tower.
