Valdai Hills

The Dnieper or Dnepr (/(də)ˈniːpər/ (də-)NEE-pər), also called the Dnipro. is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately 2,200 km (1,400 mi) long, with a drainage basin of 504,000 square kilometres (195,000 sq mi), it is the longest river of Ukraine and Belarus and the fourth-longest river in Europe, after the Volga, Danube, and Ural rivers.

In antiquity, the river was part of the Amber Road trade routes. During the Ruin in the later 17th century, the area was contested between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire, dividing what is now Ukraine into areas described by its right and left banks. During the Soviet period, the river became noted for its major hydroelectric dams and large reservoirs. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster occurred on the Pripyat River, a tributary of the Dnieper, just upstream from its confluence with the Dnieper. The Dnieper is an important navigable waterway for the economy of Ukraine and is connected by the Dnieper–Bug Canal to other waterways in Europe. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, certain segments of the river were made part of the defensive lines between territory controlled by the Russians and the Ukrainians.

The Dnieper or Dnepr (/(də)ˈniːpər/ (də-)NEE-pər), also called the Dnipro, is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately 2,200 km (1,400 mi) long, with a drainage basin of 504,000 square kilometres (195,000 sq mi), it is the longest river of Ukraine and Belarus and the fourth-longest river in Europe, after the Volga, Danube, and Ural rivers.

In antiquity, the river was part of the Amber Road trade routes. During the Ruin in the later 17th century, the area was contested between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire, dividing what is now Ukraine into areas described by its right and left banks. During the Soviet period, the river became noted for its major hydroelectric dams and large reservoirs. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster occurred on the Pripyat River, a tributary of the Dnieper, just upstream from its confluence with the Dnieper. The Dnieper is an important navigable waterway for the economy of Ukraine and is connected by the Dnieper–Bug Canal to other waterways in Europe. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, certain segments of the river were made part of the defensive lines between territory controlled by the Russians and the Ukrainians.

Tver Oblast (Russian: Тверская область, romanized: Tverskaya oblastʹ, IPA: [tvʲɪrˈskajə ˈobləsʲtʲ]) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was known as Kalinin Oblast (Russian: Калининская область). Population: 1,353,392 (2010 census).

Tver Oblast is a region of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much of the remaining area is occupied by the Valdai Hills, where the Volga, the Western Dvina, and the Dnieper have their source.

Valday (Russian: Валда́й) is a town and the administrative center of Valdaysky District in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Valdayskoye, the biggest one in the set of lakes in the highest region of the Valdai Hills, on the M10 Highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg, 386 kilometers (240 mi) from Moscow and 140 kilometers (87 mi) from Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 16,098 (2010 census); 18,703 (2002 census); 19,173 (1989 Soviet census).

The Daugava (/ˈdaʊɡəvə/ DOW-gə-və), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of the Volga. It is 1,020 km (630 mi) in length, of which 352 km (219 mi) are in Latvia and 325 km (202 mi) in Russia. It is a westward-flowing river, tracing out a great south-bending curve as it passes through northern Belarus. The city of Ķekava is located 6 miles south of the west bank of the river.

Latvia's capital, Riga, bridges the river's estuary four times. Built on both riverbanks, the city centre is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the river's mouth and is a significant port.

Seliger (Russian: Селиге́р, IPA: [sʲɪlʲɪˈgʲer]) is a lake in Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast and (in the extreme northern part) in Demyansky District of Novgorod Oblast of Russia, in the northwest of the Valdai Hills, a part of the Volga basin. It has an absolute height of 205 metres (673 ft), an area of 212 square kilometres (82 sq mi), and an average depth of 5.8 metres (19 ft).

Lake Seliger is a large system of bodies of water linked by channels, has many small islands, and is surrounded by forests - including pine woods with many berries and mushrooms. It is one of the biggest natural lakes of Central Russia. The only outflow of the lake, the Selizharovka River, flows from the southern end of the lake and drains into the Volga after 36 kilometres (22 mi). The drainage basin of the lake includes the major part of Ostashkovsky District, the south of Demyansky District, as well as minor areas in the Firovsky District of Tver Oblast.

Lake Valdayskoye, or Lake Valdai (Russian: Валдайское озеро, озеро Валдай, romanized: ozero Valdai) is a freshwater lake located in the center of Valdaysky District of Novgorod Oblast in Russia in the middle of the Valdai Hills. One of the largest lakes in Novgorod Oblast, it has a surface area (without islands) of 19.7 km (7.6 sq mi), and the area of its basin is 97.2 km (37.5 sq mi). The average depth of Lake Valdayskoye is 12 m (39 ft) (the deepest point reaches 60 m (200 ft)). The lake freezes up in early December and stays icebound until early May. The lake is located in the center of Valdaysky National Park.

The town of Valday stands on the southwestern shore of the lake along the M10 Moscow - St. Petersburg highway. One of the islands, Selvitsky Island (Russian: Остров Сельвицкий), is occupied by the Valday Iversky Monastery. Besides Valday, there are also several villages around the lake. An anabranch connects Lake Valdai to a smaller lake, Lake Uzhin (Russian: озеро Ужин). Lake Uzhin, the source of the Valdayka River, belongs to the river basin of the Msta River and thus to the Baltic Sea basin.

The Polist (Russian: река́ По́листь) is a river in Bezhanitsky District of Pskov Oblast and in Poddorsky and Starorussky Districts, as well as in the town of Staraya Russa of Novgorod Oblast of Russia. It is technically a tributary of the Lovat though it forms a common river delta with the Lovat and the Pola at the mouth of the Lovat in Lake Ilmen. It is 176 kilometres (109 mi) long, and the area of its basin 3,630 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi). The principal tributaries of the Polist are the Kholynya (left) and the Porusya (left). The town of Staraya Russa is located on the banks of the Polist.

The source of the Polist is in Lake Polisto in the east of Pskov Oblast, in the western part of the Valdai Hills. The upper course of the Polist is located in the Polist-Lovat Swamp System, one of the biggest raised bog areas in Europe. The Polist flows northeast, enters Novgorod Oblast, and joins the Lovat at its delta.

The Pola (Russian: Пола́) is a river in Andreapolsky and Penovsky Districts of Tver Oblast and Maryovsky, Demyansky, and Parfinsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast in Russia. It is a tributary of Lake Ilmen. It is 267 kilometres (166 mi) long, and the area of its basin 74,200 square kilometres (28,600 sq mi). The principal tributaries of the Pola are the Maryovka, Kamenka, Yavon, and Polomet rivers, all from the right.

The source of the Pola is located in the Valdai Hills, at the border between Andreapolsky and Penovsky Districts of Tver Oblast, southwest of the village of Pyatygino. It flows north, making the border between these districts, and enters Novgorod Oblast. The Pola accepts the Maryovka River from the right and turns east, then it accepts the Kamenka River from the right and turns north. In the village of Veliky Zavod the river makes a loop, and at the tip of the loop, in the village of Novoye Sokhnovo, it accepts the Yavon River from the right. In Novoye Sokhnovo the Pola turns west and in the village of Kostkovo it accepts the Polomet River, also from the right. Downstream from the mouth of the Polomet, the Pola turns northwest. Close to Lake Ilmen, the Pola shares a river delta with the Lovat and the Polist.