Onega River
Encyclopedia
The Onega is a river in Kargopolsky, Plesetsky, and Onezhsky District
Onezhsky District
Onezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Onezhsky Municipal District...

s of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....

 in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. The Onega connects Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Kargopolsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia, south of the town of Kargopol. It is the biggest lake in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

 with the Onega Bay
Onega Bay
The Onega Bay is located in [the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Mezen Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The area of the bay is...

 in the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...

 southwest of Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...

, flowing in the northern direction. The discharge at the source is 74.1 m3/s and at the mouth is 505 m3/s. The river is 416 kilometres (258.5 mi) long, and the area of its basin 56900 square kilometres (21,969.2 sq mi). Its main tributaries are the Voloshka
Voloshka River
The Voloshka is a river in Konoshsky and Kargopolsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Onega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...

 (right), the Kena
Kena River
The Kena is a river in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Onega River. It is long, and the area of its basin . The source of the Kena is at Lake Kenozero....

 (left), the Mosha
Mosha River
The Mosha is a river in Plesetsky and Nyandomsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Onega River. It is long, and the area of its basin . The main tributaries of the Mosha are Iksa River , Lim River , Lepsha River , and Lelma River...

 (right), the Kodina
Kodina River
The Kodina is a river in Primorsky and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Onega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...

 (right), and the Kozha (left). The major tributary of the Lake Lacha is the Svid
Svid River
The Svid is a river in Kargopolsky District in the south-west of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It connects Lake Vozhe and Lake Lacha and belongs to the river basin of the Onega River...

.

The name of the river is traditionally explained as related to Finnish Enojoki - the main river, stream.

In terms of both area of the basin and the average discharge, the Onega is the third river basin of the White Sea (behind the Northern Dvina and the Mezen
Mezen River
The Mezen is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Leshukonsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. Mezen is one of the biggest rivers of European Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...

. The river basin of the Onega is spread over the west of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....

, north-west of Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...

, and also includes minor areas in the east of Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...

. The Onega basin includes some of the biggest lakes of Arkhangelsk and Vologda Oblasts, such as Lake Vozhe
Lake Vozhe
Lake Vozhe, also known as Lake Charondskoye , is a lake in the northern part of Vologda Oblast in Russia. The area of the lake is , and the are of its basin is and the area of its basin is . The average depth is around . Lake Vozhe drains through the Svid River into Lake Lacha, from which the...

, Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Kargopolsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia, south of the town of Kargopol. It is the biggest lake in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

, Lake Lekshmozero
Lake Lekshmozero
Lake Lekshmozero is a freshwater lake, located in the north-west of Kargopolsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the second biggest in Kargopolsky District . The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is . Lake Lekshmozero...

, Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south-west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the biggest one in Plesetsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is . Lake Kenozero is the source...

, Lake Undozero
Lake Undozero
Lake Undozero is a freshwater lake, located in the west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the second biggest one in Plesetsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

, and Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and biggest one in Onezhsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

, as well as Kenozyorsky National Park
Kenozyorsky National Park
Kenozyorsky National Park is the national park in the north of Russia, located in Kargopolsky and Plesetsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast. It was established December 28, 1991. Since 2004, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.- History :Kenozero was always a...

.

The whole valley of the Onega is populated, with the exception of the stretch between Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located west of the town of Mirny, on the left bank of the Onega River. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Severoonezhskoye Urban Settlement, one of the eight urban settlements in the district...

 and Yarnema, in Plesetsky District. There are two towns located on the Onega River, Kargopol
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....

 close to its source and Onega in its mouth. There are also two urban-type settlements, located opposite to each other in the middle course of the river, Oksovsky
Oksovsky
Oksovsky is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located west of Plesetsk, on the right bank of the Onega River. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Oksovskoye Urban Settlement, one of the eight urban settlements in the district...

 (right bank) and Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located west of the town of Mirny, on the left bank of the Onega River. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Severoonezhskoye Urban Settlement, one of the eight urban settlements in the district...

 (left bank). 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) of the river's lower course, between the village of Gorodok and the selo of Porog, is listed in the State Water Register of Russia as navigable. The rest of the Onega is notable for the rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...

s, spread everywhere between Kargopol and Gorodok, and also located downstream from Porog (the name Porog means a rapid).

The Onega basin area has an important historical and cultural significance. Kargopol is one of the oldest cities in Russian North (the traditional foundation date in in 12th century, first mentioned in 14th century), and it still contains a big number of architectural and historical monuments. Oshevensk on the left bank of the Onega is the location of the former Alexandro-Oshevensky Monastery. Another historically important monastery in the Onega basin is the Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery founded by Niphont of Kozheozero and Serapion of Kozheozero in 1550s. The monastery is located on a peninsula in Lake Kozhozero, in Onezhsky District in the north-west of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia...

 on an island in the Lake Kozheozero. Some of the finest monuments of the northern wooden architecture are located in the basin of the Onega, including ensembles of Lyadiny, Saunino Pogost, Krasnaya Lyaga, and Bolzhaya Shalga. These monuments also suffer from the lack of protection and their number steadily diminishes. In fact, the majority of them have been lost.

The river splits into the Big Onega and Little Onega Rivers 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) from its estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

, but then these branches join again, forming a big flat island.

It freezes up in late October - early December and stays under the ice until mid-April - May. It was used for timber rafting
Timber rafting
Timber rafting is a log transportation method in which logs are tied together into rafts and drifted or pulled across a water body or down a flatter river. It is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving...

.

The Onega flows among the coniferous forests (taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...

 of spruce, pine, and larch), mostly among the swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...

s.

There are only four bridges across the Onega: one in Kargopol on the road connecting Kargopol to Nyandoma, one in the village of Sorokinskaya, on Onezhsky Trakt, the road connecting Kargopol to Plesetsk
Plesetsk
Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality (a work settlement and the administrative center of Plesetsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated about northeast of Moscow and south of Arkhangelsk. Municipally, it is the administrative...

 and Yemetsk, one combined road and railway bridge connecting Oksovsky and Severoonezhsk, and one railway bridge in Porog on the railway from Arkhangelsk to Belomorsk (no road traffic). Elsewhere, including the former district center of Konyovo, the Onega can only be traversed by ferry crossings.
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