The Lena River is the largest river on the eastern side of Siberia, which flows into the Laptev Sea. And this is not the only achievement of the river in terms of scale. In addition to the mentioned fact, the place where the Lena River is located is the tenth longest river in the world and the eighth largest river in terms of flow.
The Lena River flows in Yakutia and the Irkutsk region, in particular.
A distinctive feature of the river is its freezing. It freezes not as is customary with all other rivers, but in the reverse order in relation to its opening - from its lower reaches to its upper reaches.
Geographical features of the Lena River
The length of the river is 4,400 kilometers. The total area of the basin ranges around 2,490 square kilometers. There are three sections of the river relative to its flow.
Current of the Lena River
Despite its great scale, the source of the river is only a small swamp. It is here that the majestic Lena River originates. The swamp is located twelve kilometers from Lake Baikal on one of its ridges.
The upper reaches of the Lena River are located in the mountainous area of Cisbaikalia. The middle course of the river is a certain segment between two rivers - Aldana and Vitim. After the Vitim River flows into the Lena River, it becomes a full-fledged deep-water river.
In some places, under such circumstances, its depth can reach twenty meters. These places are surrounded by coniferous vegetation and forests. Starting from the Olekma River to the Aldan River, not a single truly large tributary flows into the Lena River. At a given length of 500 kilometers, the place where the Lena River is located is a river that flows lonely but majestically through a narrow but deep valley.
As soon as the river reaches the city of Pokrovsk, its borders expand sharply. After Lena overcomes Yakutsk, Vilyuy and Aldan immediately flow into it. After this moment, the Lena River turns into a wide, powerful river up to ten kilometers in size. In some places it can reach a width of up to twenty and even thirty kilometers.
Navigation on the Lena River
When asking yourself the question whether there is navigation in this place where the Lena River is located, you should not even think for a second about a negative answer. Of course it is! Moreover, the Lena River is one of the main transport arteries in Yakutia. Such a solution is especially relevant in the conditions of Russian roads, and sometimes even their complete absence.
Tributaries of the Lena River
The main and dominant tributaries include the rivers Chaya, Aldan, Olekma, Vitim, Vilyui, Kuta, Chuya, Molodo, Kirenga, Buotama and the Sinaya River.
To live or not to live? That is the question!
The river bank itself is completely deserted. Even if you come across any buildings and houses while crossing or traveling with a guide, you should not assume that someone lives there. All the houses on the banks of the Lena are abandoned and have been empty for a long time.
Sights of the Lena River
Of course, it is logical to assume that any person who goes to admire the river already knows that the main attraction of that area is the Lena River itself, especially when this is the case. One of the most unforgettable trips that you will remember for a long time is a cruise on a motor ship along the river bed where the Lena River is located.
In addition to the standard ride on a cruise ship, you can experience all the delights of the life of the local people: fishing, hunting, and also climbing the famous Lenin Pillars. You can feel the joy of travel during the period from June 1 to September 25.
Like all the big rivers of Siberia, they flow into the marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. To some extent, Lena can be called a pioneer: after the melting of the glacier and the formation of flora and fauna, it was this river that was one of the first to blaze a path to the sea, exploring the endless taiga expanses of Siberia.
The name “Lena”, familiar to Russian speakers, has nothing to do with a woman’s name - it is only a derivative of the Evenki word for Tungus-Manchu language group“Elu-Ene”, which translates as “Big River”. The Evenki hydronym was used by the discoverer of the river, the Russian explorer Pyanda (Penda), who explored the river in 1619-1623, following downstream from the modern region of Kirensk to Yakutsk. Like all the great rivers of Siberia, the Lena flows north, emptying into the Laptev Sea, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean.
Not far from Baikal 
upper reaches of the Lena River 
The question of what exactly is considered the source of the Lena is still open." latest versions indicate a mountain stream at an altitude of 1650 m. Following further along the channel, the waters of the Lena, depending on the conditions, change their character, showing all types of temperament: choleric - at the beginning of their journey, phlegmatic - in the middle reaches, sanguine in the lower and melancholic in delta.
According to the nature of the river flow, three sections are distinguished: from the source to the village of Kachug, from Kachug to Zhigansk the middle flow, and from Zhigansk to the mouth - the lower section.
Before the Manzurka River flows into it near the village of Kachug, Lena descends along the Baikal ridge and lies in the mountainous Cis-Baikal region, here its character can be compared to choleric. With its small size in this part (width 5-7 m), its flow speed does not fall below 9 km/h.
Next, Lena follows to Ust-Kut and lower to the confluence of the Chaya and Vitim rivers, here her character becomes closer to phlegmatic. This is especially noticeable after the Olekma flows into it and a significant expansion of the channel from the village. News to Yakutsk, where it reaches 5 km. The slopes of the river in the middle reaches are most often covered with coniferous trees with occasional meadows appearing.
Then the river, in its undisturbed movement, expands even more, reaching 7-9 km in the riverbed even before the Aldan flows into it. And with Aldan and Vilyuy, which enters later, the width of the Lena reaches 10 km (up to 20 on island sections), and the depth exceeds 16-20 m. In the Zhigansk region, the Lena narrows and therefore its character becomes sanguine: the flow becomes lively and powerful, reaching its maximum strength. Lena river 
LENA RIVER DELTA
At about 150 km, the vast Lena delta begins, where it rather melancholy dissipates into many parts. This is the world's largest river delta, stretching over 45,000 km2, larger than the world's most famous delta, the Nile River. The sluggish flow is divided by thousands of islands, forming channels and lakes, forming, closer to the sea, three main channels: the western - Olenekskaya, the middle Trofimovskaya and the eastern Bykovskaya. The last of them, reaching 130 km in length, is of key importance in river navigation; it is along it that ships reach Tiksi Bay and the port of the same name.
The Lena Delta contains the most important ecological territories: Ust-Lena reserves Delta and Sokol and the largest reserve in Russia “Lena-Ustye”. The reserves contain 402 plant species, 32 fish species, 109 bird species and 33 mammals.
In the endless expanses of Siberia, human life has always seemed as rare as an oasis in the desert.
Local peoples have existed for centuries in harmony with surrounding nature without encroaching on its laws. Even the appearance of Russians here, in a short period from the end of the 16th to the end of the 17th century. who passed “meeting the Sun” to the Pacific Ocean did not change the relationship between man and nature.
petroglyphs on the banks of the Lena 
HISTORY OF THE LENA RIVER
The development of the Lena banks by the Cossacks began in 1619, when explorers founded the Yenisei fort, which became the point of further forays to the Lena and Baikal. By that time, rumors about the “Big River”, the banks of which were rich in fur-bearing animals, had long been circulating among the Russian people, so with the advent of the “outpost” they immediately rushed to search for it. The river was approached from the north, along Nizhny Tunguska to Vilyuy and from the south - from Yeniseisk. The discovery of Lena led to rapid penetration into Yakutia. Three forts were built. In 1632, the centurion of the Yenisei Cossacks, Pyotr Beketov, founded the Yakut (Lensky) fort, which became a stronghold for campaigns to the east, to Pacific Ocean and to the south, to Aldan and Amur. Vilyuisk was founded in 1634, and Olekminsk in 1635.
Fortified settlements (fortresses) quickly turned into cities.
In 1643, the Lena fort was moved to a new, more convenient location, in the Tuymaada valley, which had long been developed by the Yakuts, and then it received the status of a city and the name Yakutsk. Now it is the largest city on the banks of the Lena. For many centuries it was a support base for the study and development of Siberia. From here Dezhnev, Atlasov, Poyarkov, Khabarov and others set off on their journey. In Yakutsk in different time Bering, the Laptev brothers, and Chelyuskin visited. Since 1954, the diamond stage of the history of Yakutia began, which turns the Siberian settlement on the Lena into a rich city living in a European way.
Lena River, Yakutsk city 
In addition to Yakutsk, there are five cities on the Lena: Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk. They are playing important role transport hubs, including key river ports. The most famous of them, Osetrovo in Ust-Kut, is the largest river port in Russia: its annual cargo turnover is 600 thousand tons, and the length of its cargo berths exceeds 1.5 km. In the entire Lena basin it is the only one with connections to the railway, which is why it is called the “gateway to the North”. The largest ports of the Lena tributaries are Bodaibo (on Vitim), Khandyga and Dzhebariki-Khaya (on Aldan).
Lena still remains the most important road in Siberia. “Northern deliveries” go along it to a large extent. The Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation on the Lena, but before the Vitim River flows into the Lena, not all of its sections are passable for large ships. Along the rest of its length, the Lena provides excellent conditions for water transport. True, the period of navigation is limited in a year in different sections of the river from 125 to 170 days.
The Lena flows in a permafrost zone, so both it and its main tributaries are fed mainly by melted snow and rainwater. Water rises 6-8 m during a spill upper reaches and up to 10 m in the lower. Spring ice drift turns into a powerful force and is often accompanied by large ice jams. Such congestion is precisely characteristic of rivers, the opening of which occurs from top to bottom downstream.
During freezing, ice forms on the river, which sometimes return certain sections of the river to glacial period. This happens when ice forms at the bottom, which displaces unfrozen water to the top. It gradually increases due to water freezing from above; as a result, the ice can rise several meters above the river level. The largest ice dams can stretch for tens of kilometers, turning into a kind of dam.
Among the main tributaries of the Lena (Sinaya, Vitim, Aldan, Nyuya, Olekma, Vilyui, Kirenga, Chuya, Molodo), the largest is Aldan with an average water flow at the mouth of 5060 m3/s and a basin area of 729,000 km2.
The Lena is a large river, the largest of the rivers in Russia, whose basin is entirely within the country's borders. People settle down around it, but the natural world is preserved.
Ice drift on the Lena River, Yakutsk 
GENERAL INFORMATION - Lena River
River in Russian Federation in Eastern Siberia.
Source: Baikal ridge.
The largest tributaries: Sinaya, Vitim, Aldan, Nyuya, Olekma, Vilyui, Kirenga, Chuya. Young, Muna.
The largest cities: Yakutsk, Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk.
The most important ports: Osetrovo (Ust-Kut), Kirensk, Lenek, Olekminsk, Pokrovsk, Yakutsk, Sangar. Tiksi.
The most important airports: Ust-Kut, Lenek, Yakutsk.
NUMBERS
Length: 4480 km.
Width: up to 20-30 km.
Basin area: 2,490,000 km2.
Average water flow at the mouth: 17,175 m3/sec.
Source height above sea level: 1650 m.
ECONOMY
Agriculture: crop production, livestock farming, fishing, hunting.
Service sector: tourism, transport shipping
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Sharply continental.
Average January temperature: from -25ºС to -43ºС.
Average July temperature: from +17ºС to +30ºС.
Average precipitation: about 200 mm.
ATTRACTIONS OF THE LENA RIVER
■ Yakutsk: St. Nicholas Church (1852), tower of the Yakut fort (1685, reconstruction), former voivode’s office (1707), “Shergik mine” 116.6 m deep (1828-1836), Spassky Monastery (1664)
■ Ust-Kut: water and mud therapy, local history museum.
■ Kirensk: the house of the Decembrist Golitsyn, ancient villages in the vicinity of the city.
■ Olekminsk: Spassky, Spassky Cathedral (1860), Alexander Nevsky Chapel (1891), memorable places exiles.
■ Baikal-Lensky, Olekminsky, Ust-Lensky nature reserves; National natural park "Lena Pillars", nature reserves and resource reserves. Lena river 
FUN FACTS
■ The Lena is the tenth largest river in the world in length.
■ The world market usually monitors oil and gas prices, but in the future there will be a net fresh water can become the most important strategic resource. The Lena is one of the cleanest rivers in the world. There are no dams or hydroelectric power plants. In many places, river water can be drunk without boiling and without risk to health.
■ In its upper, rapid flow, over thousands of years the Lena, like a modernist sculptor, has carved bizarre forms of “fortress walls” into the rocks. Huge, majestic cliffs, the so-called “Lena Pillars”, rise along its banks just above Pokrovsk, reaching a height of 200-300 m. One of the difficult rifts was called the “Devil’s Path”, and the rock was called “Drunken Bull”!
■ Freezing of the Lena in some areas begins from the bottom. Sometimes these small pieces of ice rise to the surface and float down. Such “ice drift” is called slush. It happens that a large number of sludge completely fills the riverbed, forming jams.
■ Not far from the village of Kachug along the banks of the Lena there are unique rock art monuments - the Shishkinsky rock paintings. The complex contains more than 3 thousand drawings, the canvas of which stretches over 3.5 km. Images of animals, travel, battles, holidays, etc. were made in the period from the late Neolithic to the 19th century.
deserts (tuculans) on the Lena 
■ There are many wonders in Siberia, but you probably won’t find a desert in the middle of the taiga anywhere. And on the right bank of the Lena it is. The sand dunes stretch for about 1 km and create the complete illusion of a hot and dry area, which is destroyed only by the pine trees bordering the area. There are still many versions about the origin of this phenomenon and none of them are accepted.
■ Traces of presence discovered in 1982 in the area of the Lena Pillars ancient man again revived the hypothesis of the extratropical origin of man. And although scientists estimate the age of these Neolithic sites differently, the fact remains undeniable that the territory of Yakutia was inhabited by representatives of the genus Homo at least three hundred thousand years ago. Russian scientist Yu A. Mochanov even dates the age of the sites as 1.8 million years, which puts them on a par with the oldest human sites found in the Olduvai Gorge in Africa.
mouth of the Vitim River, Lena River 
ARTICLE ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE LENA RIVER
Lena is one of 10 greatest rivers planets. It carries its waters over 4,400 km from its sources in the Baikal Range to the Arctic Ocean. In the middle reaches, the width of the Lena reaches 15 km, the width of the channel in the lower reaches is up to 20-25 km, and the dimensions of the Lena delta are even noted in the Guinness Book of Records.
Its tributaries Vitim, Olekma, Aldan and Vilyui are superior to many large rivers in Europe. For seven months the river is shackled with an ice shell more than a meter thick; the flood occurs in the second half of May.
There are no dams, hydroelectric power stations, or dams on the Lena, and the beautiful river flows along its natural course, just as it did millions of years ago. Here you can still drink water by scooping it from the river with your palm.
Amazing landscapes, Lena cheeks, Lena pillars, rich plant and animal world, the unique culture of the ancient people - all this is capable of capturing the imagination of the most sophisticated traveler.
Where did the Lena River get its name? There are many versions. One of them, a joke, attributes the “baptism” of the river to the Cossacks: “after passing the rivers Muku (where they suffered), Kupa (where they swam), Kuta (where they caroused),” they came out to a large river where they could be lazy. This is where the name of the river came from - Lena. Most researchers, however, believe that, most likely, this is the Tungus-Manchu (Even-Evenki) “Yelyu-Ene”, modified by the Russians, which means “ big river". And indeed, with a river length of 4400 km, the Lena River ranks 11th among the largest rivers in the world and 2nd, after the Amur with its tributaries Shilka and Onon, among the rivers of Russia.
From its drainage basin, which is almost 2500 km2, the territory of which could accommodate Spain, France and all Eastern European states, more than 500 tributaries with a length of over 10 km flow into the Lena River, feeding it with water.
The total length of the river's tributaries. Lena is more than 50 thousand km. Its tributaries, such as the Olkma, Vitim, Aldan and Vilyui, can compete in length and water content with any major European artery. Lena has about 540 cubic kilometers of water per year. And along with it - more than 5 million tons of dissolved substances, 27 million tons of suspended sediment and a huge reserve of heat from the Siberian soil.
SOURCE AND UPPER ROW OF THE LENA RIVER
R. begins. Lena is very close, just 20 kilometers, from the legendary lake-sea Baikal. It flows like a stream along a rocky bed from a small round lake located at an absolute elevation of about 1640 m, in the watershed part of the Baikal ridge, at approximately 54°N and 107055"E.
The upper section of the river is shown in detail in the book by A. Kolesov and S. Mostakhov: “Approximately 20 km from the source, a path descends to the right bank of the large Lena of the Solntsepadsky Pass. It was laid by tourists, geologists, as well as forest inhabitants who come here to drink. Width The river here is not large yet, only 5-7 m, depth 0.2-0.4 m, but the flow speed is significant (up to 7-9 km/h). , spillways, sharp turns follow one after another. Soon the first named Zolotokan stream flows into the Bolshaya Lena. Near its mouth, an amazingly beautiful view is hidden on the Lena valley stretching into the distance: ridges with rocky peaks are blue all around, snowflakes can be seen here and there.
However, let us return once again to its origins, or rather to one of them - to the Manzurka River, which flows into the river. Lenu is slightly higher than Kachug. If you look closely at the relief map, you will find that the upper reaches of the Manzurka River have a continuation to the southeast in the form of drainless gentle hollows, where small rivers originate - Golousnaya and Buguldeika, which flow into Lake Baikal. The greatest expert on geology and nature of the river. Lena O. Borsuk saw a huge discrepancy between the insignificant speed and flow of the modern river flow. Manzurka with a very wide, as if flattened, valley and a thick, up to 100 m thick layer of river (alluvial) sediments of sand and pebble composition. It is likely to assume that once one of these hollows connected the river valley. Manzurka with Baikal and then the unusual shape of the Manzurka River valley and the powerful accumulations of river sediments in it become explainable.
If such an assumption is correct, it is appropriate to ask when the separation of the river’s sources occurred. Lena from Baikal? The upper part of alluvial deposits of the river valley. The Manzurkas are mid-Quaternary in age, although in reality they may be younger - they simply could have been washed twice by water flow before taking their current position in the section. Meanwhile, taking into account the modern tectonic activity of the earth's solid surface of the Baikal Mountains, it can be assumed that this is the separation of the river. Lena from Baikal happened within human memory. After all, it fell completely unexpectedly in 1911, north of the mouth of the river. Selenga, block earth's crust, forming a significant bay called the "Gap". By the way, this failure also swallowed up a small village located there.
Separation of the upper reaches of the river. Lena from Baikal could have occurred as a result of the rise of the mountain ranges framing Baikal. The high seismic activity of this territory, manifested in fairly frequent and strong earthquakes, as well as the appearance of the mountain slopes - their steepness, steppedness and exposure do not contradict this assumption. But then another river should have formed, originating from the lake. There is indirect evidence that the separation of the sources of the Lena from Lake Baikal and the formation of a new water artery occurred in the memory of the people who once inhabited those regions, which is reflected in the ancient Buryat legend about this event.
Let us present it with some abbreviation according to N.I. Tolstikhin’s recording, made by him in 1919. Since time immemorial, the hero Baikal lived between the mountain ranges of Southern Siberia and had 360 daughter rivers, among which the most beloved was the beautiful Angara. The daughters loved their father and provided for him pure water and peace and tranquility reigned between them. But then one day, Angara saw a Yenisei young man running past in the distance. She fell in love with him at first sight and ran after him late at night. In the morning the father did not find his beloved daughter and... seeing the fugitive in the distance, he tore a huge black stone from the nearest rock and threw it after her. The stone fell exactly in the place where the Angara ran from Baikal and for a long time a gloomy black rock rose at the source of the Angara, until the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station raised the water in Baikal. Now all that remains of this rock is a small stone island, slightly rising above the water level. Angered, Baikal tore the second stone from the mountain and threw it after his daughter with even greater force. But again the Angara managed to run dangerous place, and the stone fell into the resulting valley and crumbled into pieces and the Bratsk rapids appeared, where the Bratsk hydroelectric power station is now also built. And the third stone was thrown by Baikal after her daughter and that stone fell a little further than the mouth of the Ilim River and rapids were formed on which the Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric power station was built.
So it was in reality or not - we are not allowed to judge that. Behind the fantastic plot of ancient legends, historical facts are sometimes unusually masked, often distorted during their transmission from generation to generation, but this does not make them any less significant for understanding the events of long ago. So says the legend, but only God knows how it happened in reality. Extending to 74° N, the river valley. The Lena River crosses several latitudinal geographic zones and global geological structures, which predetermines the great diversity of its landscapes, and forces us to focus only on those most important features that, at least to a small extent, determine the hydrography and hydrology of the river. Lena, the outlines of the Lena valley and its sides, the work done by the mass of moving water and ice. However, in order to understand all this, it is worth touching, at least in the most general terms, on the Lena River basin - many features of its geological structure and history, and, even more so, permafrost or geocryological conditions, predetermine the unique features of the Lena Valley, distinguishing it from other river valleys of our planet.
The Lena is one of the few largest rivers in Eurasia that has not yet been saddled with hydroelectric dams or other hydraulic structures. Its basin actually preserves untouched or little-disturbed landscapes. There is still something here to protect and protect from the stupid itch of nature’s transformers. The vast expanses of the Lena Basin form the habitat of many Siberian peoples, primarily the Yakuts, Evens and Evenks. They are inextricably linked with natural environment, providing them with food and exchange.
Finally, the landscapes of the Lena Valley are unique. Their moral and aesthetic significance will increase with the expansion of cultural exchanges and the need to learn natural patterns. These are the internal grounds for protecting the Lena basin. Meanwhile, gold and diamonds, iron and coal, oil and gas, ornamental and facing stones, mica and apatite - this is not a complete list of what is contained in the bowels of the Lena land, has been mined, is being mined, or is waiting in the wings. The taiga and tundra attract forest developers and commercial hunters. The fertile lands of river terraces and reindeer moss are used for field cultivation, vegetable growing and livestock raising in the south, and reindeer herding and transhumance horse breeding in the north. The branches of the Lena, its numerous tributaries, and countless lakes are reliable sources of fish. The river itself and its main tributaries have been transport routes since ancient times. The territory of the Lena Basin has not been spared by urban trends - industrial production and population are concentrated in cities and towns. These are the prerequisites for further impact on Lena ecosystems.
HYDROLOGY OF THE LENA RIVER
According to various estimates, the annual flow of the river ranges from 489 to 542 km³, which corresponds to an average annual flow at the mouth of 15,500 to 17,175 m³/sec. The main food, as well as almost all tributaries, is melted snow and rainwater. The widespread distribution of permafrost within the watershed prevents the feeding of rivers by groundwater, with the only exception being geothermal springs.
Due to the general precipitation regime, the Lena is characterized by spring floods, several fairly high floods in summer and low autumn-winter low water levels of up to 366 m³/sec at the mouth. During the spring flood in June, 40% of the runoff occurs, and from June to October - 91%. The highest average monthly water flow at the mouth was observed in June 1989 and amounted to 104,000 m³/sec; the maximum water flow at the mouth during a flood can exceed 200,000 m³/sec.
Average monthly water flow rates in m³/sec, averaged over 1976–1994, measurements were made in the river delta at the Stolb station.
During the winter period, 10-20 km³ of ice or 3% of its annual flow is formed on the river. In summer, its entry, together with large volumes of flood water, into the shallow southern one leads - as in the case of other large Siberian rivers - to the phenomenon of inversion, that is, to local desalination of the sea and to the later release of ice from its nearby waters.
The minimum annual flow recorded in 1986 was 402 km³, the change over 65 years was 326 km³ or an average value of 516 km³, a change of 63%. Like most major rivers in the world with a large basin area, the Lena is characterized by periodic changes in annual flow that follow eleven-year cycles of solar activity. The first type of maximum occurs approximately the next year after the start of a new solar cycle and can be explained by the intense melting of ice and permafrost formed over the past 2-3 years, as well as the development of the Arctic Oscillation and an increase in precipitation within the basin in winter. IN in this case the most noticeable increase in flow occurs - for example, in 1989, the average annual water flow was 23,054 m³/sec, which corresponds to 728 km³/year. The second type of maximum is less pronounced and occurs in the middle of the eleven-year cycle, is characterized by a smaller spring flood and is achieved due to more precipitation in the summer-autumn period.
The Lena differs from other Russian rivers in its ice regime and powerful ice jams. Strong and thick ice on the river is formed during extremely cold, long and little snowy winters. Spring ice drift is very powerful and is often accompanied by ice jams and flooding of large areas. The earliest of all, at the end of April, the spring flood begins in the Kirensk region - on the upper Lena - and, gradually moving north, advancing on the still ice-bound river, reaches the lower reaches in mid-June. During a flood, water rises 6-8 m above the low-water level. In the lower reaches the water rise reaches 18 m.
Paleozoic section on the banks of the Lena, Arctic part of the river 
Infrastructure and settlements
Shipping
The Lena River is an important transport route.
To this day, Lena remains the main transport artery of Yakutia, connecting its regions with the federal transport infrastructure. The main part of the “northern delivery” is carried out along the Lena River. The Kachug pier is considered the beginning of navigation, however, upstream from the port of Osetrovo, only small ships pass through it. Below the city of Ust-Kut, right up to the confluence of the Vitim tributary on the Lena, there are still many difficult areas for navigation and relatively shallow places, forcing annual dredging work.
The navigation period lasts from 125 to 170 days. The main ports on the Lena (from source to mouth):
Osetrovo (3500 km from the mouth of the Lena; 3620 km from Cape Bykov, Ust-Kut) is the largest river port in Russia and the only one in the Lena basin connected to the railway, for which it is called the “gateway to the north”;
Kirensk (3319 km from Cape Bykov);
Lensk (2648 km; 2665 km from Cape Bykov) - serves the diamond mining industry of Mirny;
Olekminsk (2258 km from Cape Bykov);
Pokrovsk (1729 km from Cape Bykov);
Yakutsk (1530 km; 1638 km from Cape Bykov)) - plays a major role in the transshipment of goods coming from the port of Osetrovo (Ust-Kut, Lena railway station);
Sangar (1314 km from Cape Bykov)
Tiksi (0 km; sea port Laptev Sea).
Note: In order to ensure river navigation on the river. Lena, the mileage of settlements and other objects is carried out from Cape Bykov (72°0"0"N 129°7"1"E).
The largest ports of the Lena tributaries: Bodaibo at 292 km from the mouth (Vitim River), Khandyga at 456 km, Dzhebariki-Khaya at 511 km from the mouth (Aldan River).
Bridges on the Lena River
From source to mouth:
In 2009, on the Kuragino - Zhigalovo highway near the village of Ponomareva (Irkutsk region), the construction of a bridge across the Lena was completed, replacing the outdated pontoon bridge.
In the area of the village of Zhigalovo, on the Zhigalovo - Magistralny highway, there is a pontoon automobile bridge.
The railway bridge in Ust-Kut (Irkutsk region, on the western section of the Baikal-Amur Mainline) was commissioned in 1975
The automobile bridge in Ust-Kut was commissioned in 1989.
Downstream, as of 2014, there are no bridges. On populated areas To cross the river, ferries (in summer) or winter roads (in winter) are used. In Yakutia, it is planned to build a combined railway-road bridge across the Lena River, 3.2 km long, as part of the construction of the Amur-Yakutsk railway.
Settlements
The banks of the Lena are very sparsely populated. With the exception of the approaches to Yakutsk, where the population density is relatively high, the distances between neighboring settlements can reach hundreds of kilometers occupied by remote taiga. Often there are abandoned villages, sometimes temporary rotational camps.
There are 6 cities on the Lena (from source to mouth):
Ust-Kut;
Kirensk — oldest city on Lena, founded in 1630;
Lensk;
Olekminsk;
Pokrovsk;
Yakutsk is the largest settlement on the Lena, founded in 1632. With a population of 303 thousand people. is also the largest city in the northeast of Russia;
Two historical settlements:
Sottintsy - Lena Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Friendship"; the site of the original founding of the city of Yakutsk.
Zhigansk - founded in 1632. In 1783-1805. - county town.
fishing in Yakutia 
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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
A little about greatness. // The New Times, 1.11.2010
Mostakhov S. E. Lena River. Yakutsk, 1972. S. 3, 5.
A. A. Sokolov Chapter 23. Eastern Siberia // Hydrography of the USSR. — 1954.
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Nature of Baikal. At the chapel at the source of the Lena.
Big Soviet encyclopedia(3rd ed.): Online version on the Yandex portal. Article “Lena Basin River Ports”.
Lena // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
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Nature of Baikal. Origins of Lena.
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1640 - 1641. Painting of the rivers flowing into the Lena from the Kuta River to the Lena upper reaches, etc.
Kazaryan P. L. Formation of navigation on the Lena River.
Wikipedia website.
http://geosfera.info/evropa/russia/624-lena-reka-rossii.html
http://nature.baikal.ru/obj.shtml?obj=lake&id=lena&rg=baikalolenskii
The mouth of the Lena River begins 150 km from the coast of the Laptev Sea, after it, passing Stolb Island, is divided into many channels (there are more than 150 of them). They fan out over a huge area of 45,500 km 2, forming a classic river delta.
Let's start describing the river from the very beginning - from its source. In this case, we will take the characteristics of the parameters from the officially documented information of the Water Register of the Russian Federation.
Source of the river
The small lake Negedeen, according to the State Water Register, is the source of the Lena River. It is located 7 km from Lake Baikal, on the western side of the nameless foot with an elevation of 2023 m. The coordinates of the source are determined by the values: northern latitude 53 degrees 56 minutes, east longitude 108 degrees 5 minutes. Administratively, this is the territory of the Kachugsky district of the Irkutsk region. The great Siberian river begins with a small stream that a five-year-old child can cross. Here the Lena riverbed is subject to freezing and drying out. But after the first tributaries flow into it, it acquires a constant flow.
Source and mouth of the river
Lena is located in Eastern Siberia. The river flows through Yakutia, receiving tributaries from Transbaikalia, Buryatia, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories.
The zero value indicates the height of the river mouth. Lena has a length of 4294 km - this distance is recorded in state register surface water bodies of Russia. The total drop is 1650 m - the difference in water level marks between the source (1650 m) and the mouth (0 m). The average slope is 0.38 m/km. Theoretically, this means that with every kilometer in the direction of the river’s flow, the earth’s surface decreases by an average of 38 cm. In fact, the slope of the riverbed and the flow speed in the upper reaches of the river are many times higher than the values of these hydrological characteristics at the mouth of the Lena River. These characteristics depend on the terrain.
Upper reaches
In different geographical conditions the source and mouth of the river are located. The Lena begins in the Cisbaikalia mountain system, then crosses the Patom Highlands, reaches the Prilenskoye Plateau and descends into the Central Yakut Lowland. Therefore, the watercourse is conditionally divided into 3 approximately equal parts. The first of them is the upper reaches of the Lena, from the beginning to the confluence. The length is 1580 km. The elevation of the Vitim mouth is 176 m, therefore, the average slope of the upper part of the Lena is 0.93 m/km. The river bed in the upper reaches is winding and rapids, flowing in a valley constrained by mountains. When approaching Vitim it becomes wide (up to 2 km) and deep (up to 12 m), sometimes broken into branches by islands. The asymmetrical river valley with a pronounced floodplain and terraces extends in places up to 30 km in width. The left bank is flat - the right bank is steep and high - the outskirts of the Patom Highlands. The slopes on both sides are covered with taiga, sometimes replaced by meadows.
Middle current
This part of the Lena, 1415 km long, is limited by the mouths of the largest tributaries, starting from the confluence of the Vitim (mark 176 m) and ending with the Aldan (mark 72 m). The average slope is 0.074 m/km. After Vitim, the Lena becomes a full-flowing river. After confluence 2089 km from the mouth, the Lena valley narrows. The shores are rocky, they are composed of limestones. These are the Lena Pillars - they are vertical and have bizarre outlines. Near the town of Pokrovsk, the Lena breaks out onto the plain, the valley expands to 20 km or more, the floodplain covers a strip up to 15 km wide. The flow speed slows down - from 1.5 m/s to 0.5 m/s.
Downstream
The lower Lena stretches from the mouth of the Aldan to the Laptev Sea. The length of this is 1300 km. With the confluence of powerful tributaries (Aldana and Vilyuya), the Lena becomes a giant river. The width of its single-arm channel with a depth of up to 20 m reaches 10 km, and where island formations are located, it reaches 25 km. The flow of the river is majestic - it slows down due to a slight slope of 0.05 m/km or less in the lower part of the river.
Photo from space shows the beauty and scope of the largest river delta in the northern hemisphere. Its area exceeds the famous mouth of the Nile by 20 thousand km 2. The top of the delta is Stolb Island, 150 km from the sea coast. The Lena riverbed is divided into one and a half hundred channels. The largest of them are three: Olenekskaya (limiting the delta from the west), Bykovskaya (eastern) and Trofimovskaya (middle), through which 70% of the annual runoff is discharged into the sea. Navigation is carried out along the Bykovskaya Channel, on which the Tiksi seaport stands.
Since 1986, the mouth of the Lena has acquired the status biosphere reserve Russia - Ust-Lensky. This is a unique habitat for tundra communities, represented by dozens of species listed in the Red Book, and 32 species of mammals. There are massive nesting grounds for waterfowl, which return here annually for procreation and molting. The ichthyofauna is diverse and rich.
Hydrology
The Lena's catchment area is 2.49 million km2. Annual flow volume in different years ranges from 490 to 540 km 3 . The average annual flow at gauging stations at the mouth of the Lena River ranges from 15.5 to 17.8 thousand m 3 /s.
The river is fed by atmospheric precipitation, distributed in volumes approximately equally between melted snow and rain. The share of groundwater recharge is less than 2%, which is explained by permafrost conditions.
The river is characterized by high spring floods, the passage of several large floods in summer and autumn-winter low water with a decrease in water flow in the lower reaches to 370 m 3 /s.
The ice regime of the Lena differs from other rivers in its thick layer strong ice, formed under conditions of long, little snow and cold winters. In the upper reaches the period without ice covering the river lasts up to six months, in the lower reaches it is a month or two less. Freeze-up in the upper reaches occurs at the end of October, and in the lower reaches - at the end of September. The ice begins to break up from the upper reaches in mid-May, and in June - at the mouth of the Lena River. In meters, the excess of the flood level over the low water level reaches values from 8 to 18, which causes flooding of low areas and emergencies V populated areas along the banks of the river.
Unique landscapes
The pristine beauty and richness of nature, both at the source and at the mouth of the Lena River, are impressive. But the shores look especially fabulous in the Lena Pillars National Natural Park, which is World Heritage UNESCO. The Lena Pillars begin 180 km from Yakutsk upstream and extend for many kilometers along the right bank and in some places along the left bank.
The geological and landscape phenomenon is represented by steep limestone cliffs up to 200 m high. The fantastic outlines of the pillars awed ancient man, and modern tourists also admire them. Another miracle is the mountains of the purest and lightest blowing sands - tuculans. At the mouth of the Diring-Yuryakh tributary, sites of primitive man were found. Fossils of ancient fauna were discovered in the park: the remains of mammoths, bison and rhinoceroses.
Interesting legends can be heard from local residents about the mouth of the Lena River. with streets and eternal lamps, according to local residents, it is located near the sea coast. You just need to find the secret entrance to it. They also say that to the island of Stolb at the top of the delta in the Great Patriotic War a German submarine was approaching.
The Lena River is the largest in Eastern Siberia and one of the largest in the Russian Federation, in terms of fullness it is in 8th place in the world, and in terms of length - in 10th place. It passes through the territory of Yakutia and the Irkutsk region, partly its tributaries belong to the Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikal region and to Buryatia, the river flows. Lena in the Laptev Sea.
Popular in Russia female name is in no way connected with the name of the river; it comes from the word “Elu-Ene”, which translated from Evenki means “Big River”. This name was given to her by the explorer Pyanda (1619 - 1623), but in the Russian language it became stronger as “Lena”.
The Lena River is the largest river in the Russian Federation, whose basin (2,490 thousand km²) is entirely within the country, its length is 4,400 km. According to the nature of the flow, the river is divided into 3 zones: the first begins from the source and stretches to the mouth of the river. Vitima, the second - is located in the interval between the mouths of the Vitima and Aldana rivers, the third - starts from the mouth of the river. Aldana and ends at the confluence with the Laptev Sea. The source of the river is considered to be a small lake, which is located 7 km west of the island. Baikal. In August 1997, at the source of the river. Lena, a chapel was built with a memorial plaque installed on it.
Lena is one of the cleanest rivers in the world. Its course has not been changed by people: there are no dams, hydroelectric power stations or other structures on it. And in uninhabited parts the water is so pure that you can drink straight from the river.
As for the economic use of the river. Lena, it’s not very intense. This is due to the fact that its shores are not densely populated. But thanks to this, the pristine nature of its nature is preserved. Despite the fact that there are no dams on the river, it is the main transport artery of Yakutia. The largest ports located on it are Yakutsk, Lensk, Osetrovo and Kirensk.
On the right bank of the river. Lena settled down national park“Lena Pillars” are a collection of vertically located elongated rocks. Since ancient times, the Evenks and Yakuts considered this unusual place sacred. They believed that these rocks were frozen human figures that were created by otherworldly forces. Therefore, except for shamans and elders, no one dared to approach the mysterious formations. The park stretches along the river bank in Yakutia for several kilometers. It is considered a national natural site and is a specially protected natural area.
Another unknown phenomenon is the desert located on the right bank of the river. It's hard to imagine this in the middle of Taiga, but the fact remains. If it were not for the pine trees framing the territory, the kilometer-long sand hills would create the complete illusion of a sultry and arid area. Until today, scientists have not found an explanation for this miracle of nature.
Brief information about the Lena River.
The Lena River, one of the largest rivers in Russia and the world, did not get its name from the name of someone's wife or daughter. Contrary to guesses, scientists believe that the river was named by the Evenks and sounds like “Eluene”, which over time transformed into the name “Lena”, which is more familiar to Russian people.
As is common among all peoples of the world, the name of the largest watercourse in the region is easily translated and means “Big River” or “Big Water”.
Description
The description of the Lena River should begin with the fact that it is the largest in Central Siberia. According to accepted data, its length is approximately 4,400 km - it literally “cuts” the entire territory of the country from the southern borders to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. At the mouth, the river forms a large branched delta, which occupies an impressive area. 
By all its characteristics, this majestic watercourse can be considered one of the largest on the planet. Thus, the Lena River basin is approximately 2 million 490 thousand km 2. In other words, it is fed by water that flows from an area 4 times larger than the area of France. Tributaries of various sizes enter the main channel, ensuring full flow throughout its entire length. 
The important natural value of the river is as follows: it is the largest river in the world, which is located in the permafrost zone. This natural area characterized by fragility and susceptibility to various disturbances, deformations, and the presence of such a large watercourse serves as an example of a unique landscape. One feature is also associated with its location in a zone of extremely low temperatures: the river freezes from the lower parts (mouth) towards the upper reaches, and opens up when the ice melts in the opposite direction.
Location
The Lena River on the map of Russia is the central artery of the country. Geographically, it is the “heart” of the country and you pass by it on the way from the European part of Russia to Far East It's simply impossible.
During its course, the Lena crosses several large federal subjects: the Irkutsk region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). As for the tributaries, they originate in the Transbaikal, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, as well as in the territory of Buryatia and the Amur region. Such coverage of the geography of the Asian part of Russia determines the greatness of the reservoir. 
The Lena River on the map is a relatively straight line that extends in the meridional direction. The direction of the current from south to north makes it enormous not only its natural significance, but also its economic potential, about which we'll talk below.
The geographical position of the Lena River has stimulated constant interest on the part of scientists and researchers who have studied the river from all sides. At the same time, the situation in wild, remote places significantly limits the development of the riverbed.
It is not difficult to find on the map where the Lena River is located - such a waterway immediately attracts attention.
Source
The source of the Lena River is presumably located on the western slope of the Baikal ridge. The height of the source of the Lena River is approximately 920 meters, although this figure varies in different sources. Lena originates 10 kilometers from Lake Baikal, in an overgrown lake. After long search source, its coordinates and exact location were established, which was fixed in 1997 with a unique monument to the Lena River - a small chapel was built at the source. 
In the initial section, the nature of the flow of the Lena River is mountainous, because the channel cuts through mountain ranges Transbaikalia and goes to Yakutia with a flow rate of 1100 m 3 /second.
It is in the middle reaches that the two largest tributaries - Aldan and Vitim - enter the watercourse. The tributaries of the Lena River vary greatly in size. Among the two named, we should mention the Olekma and Vilyui, which are also quite large rivers. Along the entire length of the river, tributaries of various sizes enter the watercourse, which feed the Lena. Already in the middle reaches the river becomes high-water.
Where does the Lena flow?
Since the study of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean, it has been known which sea the Lena River flows into. It carries its waters into the Laptev Sea, where the Lena flows into the Bulunsky ulus. 
As mentioned, the mouth of the Lena River turns into a huge delta, which begins approximately 150 kilometers from its confluence with the Laptev Sea. The branches vary in size and in most cases are perfectly passable for ships. Such characteristics make the port of Tiksi, which is located at the mouth, one of the most attractive objects for shipping. 
In addition, the delta itself is an important natural site, which is almost completely occupied by a nature reserve and a special reserve. The region's natural heritage makes it one of the most picturesque and valuable regions on the planet.
Nutrition and regimen
The volume of annual river flow varies greatly in existing sources, which is due to insufficient observations and the complexity of the river itself. Thus, one can find values according to which Lena carries from 485 to 545 km 3 of water into the ocean per year. 
The nutrition and regime of the Lena River are determined by its origin and flow in the permafrost zone. The main source of water is melt and rainwater. The snow feeding regime determines the seasonality in the water level in the river, which peaks in late autumn, when snow melt reaches its maximum values. It is the type of feeding of the Lena River that contributes to high water content - collecting melted snow from such a large area helps to maintain constant high level water in the riverbed.
Every year in Siberia there is a long and Cold winter. During this period, a thick ice cover forms on the river. In the spring, at the time of its movement, the formation of serious ice jams can be noted in different parts of the riverbed, which often lead to flooding of the territory. This is a serious problem for emergency services and requires constant monitoring of the ice condition. 
The fall of the river (the difference in height between the source and the mouth) is about 1500 meters. Thus, the overall slope of the Lena is 0.33 meters per kilometer, which is quite a high figure for a flat river. Most of the current passes through the Central Yakut Plain. Along the channel, a maximum depth of 21 meters was noted.
The floodplain formed by the river is quite wide and reaches up to 20 kilometers. In some areas, for example, near, pronounced terraces can be distinguished. These elements of the riverbed relief are covered with characteristic ridges formed from washed-up sand. In some places you can find preserved oxbow lakes.
Economic importance
The economic importance of the Lena River is determined by its full flow and accessibility for river navigation. Considering the remoteness of the territories and the high degree of isolation, we can consider that the river serves as the main transport artery that connects the vast expanses of Yakutia and Transbaikalia with the federal transport network. In different sections of the river, the nature of movement along it varies. So in the upper reaches it is difficult to navigate on large ships, for which there are many difficult sections of the riverbed. In the middle and lower reaches, rafting is possible on large river vessels, which deliver cargo to large river ports and to the main sea bay - the village of Tiksi. 
The right and left tributaries of the Lena are also actively involved in transport system. They carry cargo of various sizes to the central channel. Along all banks there are small ports and berths that are involved in the movement of goods.
On average, the navigation period on the river is 130-170 days.
The riverbed itself is practically unchanged by humans, which is due to the inaccessibility of the region. There are no dams or hydroelectric power stations, which makes the river extremely clean. In the upper reaches you can safely drink water directly from the riverbed.
There are several large bridges across the river, which play an important role in communication between regions. A new concrete road bridge was recently built in the area of the village of Ponomarevo. There is an old bridge in Ust-Kut and a pontoon bridge near the village of Zhigalovo. There is also a large railway bridge in Ust-Kut.
There are many interesting facts associated with the Lena River.
- For most of its course the river is completely uninhabited. It flows through abandoned villages and dense pine forests. The territories are completely virgin and untouched by humans, which makes the landscapes especially unique.
- Below Kirensk there are famous ones. Today this natural heritage is carefully protected, at the same time, it is open to tourists, who have made the pillars a “Mecca” for rock climbing enthusiasts.
- During floods, in some areas the river level can rise by more than 10 meters.