Saratov

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The Volga river is the longest river of Europe, stretching 3,531 km (2,194 mi) in length. From its source in a small lake among the Valday Hills the Volga flows north to a point above Moscow, south-east to Kazan, generally south to Volgograd, then south-east to its mouths in the Caspian Sea. The Volga is the largest of the rivers that follow a southerly course, and it is the one most drastically redirected through a series of dams, primarily to furnish hydroelectric power for industry but also to irrigate farmland.  A succession of 12 reservoirs impounds water with a total surface area of approximately 28,500 square kilometres.

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