The Volga River is situated in Russia and is the longest river in Europe. It is regarded as the national river of Russia. This river has the highest volume of river discharge among all European rivers. It has a minimum discharge of 8,000 m3/s (280,000 cu ft/s) and a maximum of 8,500 m3/s (300,000 cu ft/s). This river originates in Central Russia and drains into the Caspian Sea in the south. The total length of the river is 3,531 km (2,194 mi). Most of the sections of Volga River freezes for three months in a year.
Hypothetically, the Rus Khaganate (old Russian state) originated along the Volga c 830 AD. In the past, this river was an important meeting place for many Eurasian civilizations. This river passes through forests, forest steppes, and steppes in Russia. Among the ten largest cities of Russia including Moscow,
five of them are in the Volga River basin. The word Volga was derived from Proto-Slavic “Volga”, which means wetness or moisture in the Slavic language.