Having reached the Volga, the sight the greated us is an immense river. The ILYA REPIN was moving downstream on an immense river. We were roughly in midstream, but looking across to the shore to starboard or to port, even those distances would make quite a respectable rivers. But, before too long it became obvious that what we were looking at was in fact an artificial lake created by a dam.

The Volga, having been unable to provide sufficiently deep water during the summer months, was dammed wherever necessary to supply the extra ... (more)