| Sheksna | |
|---|---|
 Goritsky Monastery by the river | |
 Map of the Rybinsk Reservoir basin. The Sheksna is shown on the map | |
 | |
| Native name | Шексна (Russian) |
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Lake Beloye |
| • coordinates | 60°04′N38°00′E / 60.067°N 38.000°E /60.067; 38.000 |
| • elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Mouth | Rybinsk Reservoir |
• coordinates | 59°05′11″N37°45′45″E / 59.0863°N 37.7624°E /59.0863; 37.7624 |
| Length | 139 km (86 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 19,000 km2 (7,300 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 172 cubic metres per second (6,100 cu ft/s)[1] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Rybinsk Reservoir→Volga→Caspian Sea |
TheSheksna (Russian:Шексна́) is a river in theBelozersky,Kirillovsky,Sheksninsky, andCherepovetsky districts ofVologda Oblast in Russia. It is a lefttributary of theVolga. It is 139 kilometres (86 mi) long, and the area of its basin 19,000 square kilometres (7,300 sq mi).[1][2] The principal tributaries of the Sheksna are theSizma (left) and theKovzha (right).
According toMax Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary, the origin of the river's name is unclear, but it may originate from aFinnic language meaning "a woodpecker" or more specifically "a spotted woodpecker".[3]Theurban-type settlement of Sheksna and Sheksninsky District are named after the river.
The source of the Sheksna is in the southeastern end ofLake Beloye. The river flows south and subsequently turns east. It joins the northern part of theRybinsk Reservoir of the Volga near the city ofCherepovets. Cherepovets, as well as the urban-type settlement ofSheksna, are located on the Sheksna.
Most of the present course of the river was accommodated as theSheksna Reservoir, with the dam constructed in Sheksna. Previously, the length of the Sheksna was some 400 kilometers (250 mi), and the mouth of the river was located in the city ofRybinsk,Yaroslavl Oblast. The part of the river between Cherepovets and Rybinsk disappeared when theRybinsk Reservoir was constructed between 1935 and 1947. Currently, the only natural stretch of the course of the Sheksna is located between the urban-type settlement of Sheksna and the city of Cherepovets.
The river basin of the Sheksna comprises vast areas in the west and in the northwest of Vologda Oblast, including parts ofVytegorsky,Vashkinsky, Kirillovsky, Belozersky, Sheksninsky, and Cherepovetsky Districts, as well as minor areas inKargopolsky District ofArkhangelsk Oblast. This area includes the towns ofKirillov andBelozersk, as well as the urban-type settlement ofChyobsara and theselo ofLipin Bor, the administrative center of Vashkinsky District.
The Sheksna is a part of theVolga–Baltic Waterway and is used for both cruise and cargo traffic. Both theNorthern Dvina Canal, which connects the basins of the Volga and the Northern Dvina viaLake Kubenskoye, and theBelozersky Canal, bypassing Lake Beloye, connect to the Sheksna.
Media related toSheksna River at Wikimedia Commons
